NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9087, 22 June 1888, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A max was charged at Kaiapoi lately with stealing an orange. The temperature was 5 degrees below freezing point at Tauranga last Monday. One of the fraternity has dubbed the teaching profession " The kid - spanking brotherhood." They have started taking evidence in Christchurch as to the escape of Jonathan Roberts.

It is stated that there are no less than eight Somersentshire men in the House of Representatives. The Christchurch Pigoonflying' Club is a most flourishing body, and has now 70 birds in training for some forthcoming races. The straw packing of exhibits from New Zealand is to be burnt at Melbourne, so as to guard against the introduction of the Hessian fly. The owners of the express carts standing near the " golden chariot " charge 6d each to those who take a place in their vehicles to view the operations of the lady dector. One at least of the New Zealand woollen factory companies, says a Napier paper, has notified to its consumers that the prices of their goods have been raised in consequence of the increase in the tariff. A man in Ashburton who was mistaken for Roberts, the escaped convict, was fed and clothed and received much sympathy and " poor-fellowing," until it was discovered that he was a sheep in wolf's clothing. The Otago Daily Times states that the ship Trevelyan, now nearly due at Port Chalmers from Glasgow, has on board 43,000 gallons of spirits. The duty on this " thimbleful" will amount in round numbers to £80,000.

Farmers in Banks Peninsula proposed to jjive a substantial prize for tho best machine s:or threshing cocksfoot ; competing machines to be' exhibited next November at the Christchurch A. and F. Association's annual exhibition.

"Skinning fleas" is tho title of a leader in the Wellington Press on Civil service retrenchment, and it proceeds to dilate on the cruelty of this unworthy treatment of old and fiiitful servants, men of blameless character, and worthy citizens and heads of families.

Another case of persons failing to cut down a man who had hanged himself till they had told the jwliee has occurred at "Wellington. In this case one son, aged IS, ran for the police, while another, aged 20, stood beside hi:< hanging father till his nncle arrived. They feared the law, they said. The pause of the Melbourne boom is said by the Age to be a great influx of English capital. Money is very plentiful now, and the result is that while a few years ago nothing less than S or 9 per cent, would be looked at in Melbourne, now capitalists are glad to invest at 5 per cent. Mr. W. 11. Webbe gave the fifth lecture of his course of lectures on " Music," at the School of Music, Hobson-street, last night. The subject was " Pianoforte Playing." The lecture, which was a highly instructive one, was listened to with marked interest by a crowded audience. According to the Christchurch Press a consignment of goods was forwarded from a foreign country for sale in the " three principal" towns in' Canterbury." The principal towns selected by the shippers in the foreign country, were Kaiapoi, Rangiora, and Oxford. Christchurch and Lyttelton apparently were unknown to them. A modest paragraph from the Wanganui Chronicle about spanking children caught smoking has been going the rounds of the press, and like a snowball it grows by travelling. Other papers are tacking on their opinions to it, and doubtless in time it will develop into a full-grown leader, if the editors will only keep the ball rolling. A Southern paper says:—" We are of opinion that the flogging should also be extended to those who sell or supply children with tobacco."

Two important actions, in which the Wellington Woollen Company are concerned, are likely shortly to engage the attention of the Courts of law. The original directors sue the company for £500 for services rendered, and the present directors pue their predecessors in onice for £10,000 damages for alleged negligent or improper discharge of their duties as directors of the company. A gigantic bias* was made recently by the contractors for the north wall of the Timaru harbour works. A 35 feet drive ■was put into the face of the cliff, and at the head of this two cross drives 20 feet in length were made. In the latter 134 kegs gunpowder (1£ ton) were packed. A train was laid, the drive filled up, and the blast fired. A muffled but deep roar was heard, and about 15,000 tons of stone were dislodged in handy blocks ready for the cranes.