NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7303, 15 April 1885, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The shooting season in the Auckland district is gazetted as from the Ist May to the 31st July. Mr. J. H. Sheath has been appointed local Land Officer, Bay of Plenty, in place of Mr. A. D. Burrows.

Many of the Southern papers by the last mail contain leading articles on Mr. Vaile and his railway reform scheme. Mr. Stout has declined the offer of a banquet in Waikato on the occasion of turning the first sod of the railway. The regulations framed under the Fisheries Conservation Act, 1884, are published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 2nd imit. The Waitara took from Taranaki a few days ago 484 kegs of butter for transhipment at Wellington for the Sydney market. Mr. Stout drove yesterday to the residence of the Hon. Mr. Swanson, to see that gentleman before he left for Waikato and the South.

A suggestion is made in a Southern exchange that as the .Salvationists have a regular army organisation in full swing, they cannot do better than offer their services for the Soudan.

The Taranaki Herald quotes the prices obtained for the leases of land in Karanga-hape-road, and despairingly adds, "When will property ia New Plymouth attain a similar value ?"-'.-.••. The natives of the Thames have asked that a Land Court, whioh was appointed to be held in that district, might be postponed. It is thought that this is owing to the influence of Tawhiao.

When the Hon. Mr. Ballance was up the Wanganui River, he promised several of the chiefs flags .in token of friendship. These flags have now been sent on to Ranana, Hiruharama, and Pipiriki. A Wellington telegram informs us that yesterday, in the Supreme Court at Wellington, Mr. Justice Riohmond expressed his opinion that the owning of racehorses was not a recognised means of livelihood. . A number of workmen left for Oreti Point by the s.s. Suva last evening, for the purpose of saving all that is possible from the wreok of the s.s. Thomas Russell. The Suva also took with her a quantity of gear, &c, to be used in the work. The brush electric lighting apparatus which Mr. G. W. Bull.has erected at his battery, Karaka Creek, Thames, is now. in good working order, and several trials have resulted very satisfactorily. The whole apparatus is driven by a small Pelton water wheel; /' •'-■- ■> \ ; •, - •■ •-A :

The Taranaki Herald;says thai; the agitation for defence works in Auckland and other ports is ".'more with the": view'of getting ' large sums '' of 'money spent, than from any fear of an invasion." It is, evident that the Taranaki people judge other folk by themselves. ■/■' >-:yvi;4 : ''':V< ■'-■'";'.:''V ■■' '~

The Wanganui Chronicle contains the following :— M Auokland papers report; evidence of a good deal of typhoid fever in that city. The city is not too well drained, and suffers especially at this time of the year from the autumn rains stirring up the foetid deposits in the unoleared watercourses."

• The following is the state of her Majesty's Prison,. Auckland, for the week ending April 11, 1885 On remand, 9 males, 0 females; awaiting trial, 2 males, 0 females; sentenced to penal servitude, 10 males ; hard labour, 85 males, 15 females ; imprisonment, 0 males, 0 females ; default of bail, 4 males ; debtors,'! male; received during the week, 34 males, 5 females discharged, 30. males, 4 females; total in prison, 141 males, 13 females, I .