NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9139, 22 August 1888, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

It is stated there are 400 shoemakers in Dunedin out of employment. The people of Invercargill are going in for a Wednesday half-holiday. A large cuttle fish was caught at the New Brighton Beach, near Christchurch, re"cently. It is stated that the Christchurch amateurs have been asked to play the "Mikado" in Wellington. The mail steamer Arcadia, which sailed from Melbourne on the 10th, took away specie to the value of £277,000. It is stated that the companies owning the cables between England and North America have raised their charges. A Melbourne doctor says new-born colonial babies average a pound heavier than those which come to light in England. The Central Queensland Rugby Union has decided to offer the English footballers £300 to play two matches at Rockhampton. The police at Newcastle are guarding the s.s. Tsinan and Taiyuan with the view of preventing the Chinese on board from landUl *The despatch of newspapers from Melbourne to the United Kingdom has, owing to the Exhibition, increased from 65 to 21

bags. A bonus of £10,000 has been claimed from the South Australian Government because of the discovery of payable coalfields in the colony. , , It is estimated that the introduction of penny postage into Victoria will save a large number of firms hundreds of pounds a year. • The Gisborne police made another raid •on the Salvation Army the other day, and took down a number of names, with a view of prosecuting. The contractor for the removal of the refuse at the City Abattoirs removes the same dailv, and ploughs it into his land the same afternoon. A man and his wife at Roma (Q.) drank diluted strychnine under the idea that it was hop bitters. The woman died, but the man is recovering. A number of specimens from the Maharahara copper mine have been forwarded to the Melbourne Exhibition. The specimens are all large pieces. Notification will be found elsewhere of the arrangements which have been made for the admission of girls to the Auckland College and Grammar School. Mr. T. Morrin, who has been laid up for more than a fortnight with a severe attack of bronchitis, is still unable to attend to business. He is, however, recovering strength. A Melbourne correspondent says that Sir William Jervois won golden opinions 011 all sides, and was very popular there. Sir William knows the value of the soft soap "business." There is said to be an excellent market for lemons in New Zealand, and it is stated that one Auckland chemist wants consignments of 1000 dozen at a time for manufacturing purposes. , „ • At a performance of the "Mikado' in Christchurch, given by the Amateur Opera Company for the benefit of the conductor, the pitties at the fall of the curtain sang, " For he's a jolly good fellow." Henry Barnabv, who is charged with embezzling a sum of money from John Lumpkin, of Auckland, was brought before the Resident Magistrate at Wellington yesterday, and remanded to Auckland. The Collingwood antimony mine is now in full swing. There is quite a little township there, a number of dwellinghouses having been built by the company for the miners and their families. There is also a school. The Mayor of Sydney proposes to establish public rinks in several of the parks, at which skating may be carried on. His reason is that the charges at private rinks are excessive, and such as prevent the poorer classes from indulging in the amuse ment.

Whilst the concert at the Melbourne Exhibition was proceeding on Tuesday evening, last week, there was an interruption by the noise of hammering. Mr. Cowen" suspended the performance until silence was restored, and on the noise being repeated he ceased conducting, and ordered the money paid for admission to be returned. The Melbourne Exhibition is attracting from Europe and other countries all kinds of undesirable characters. In the Ormuz, for instance, two first-class passengers had to be nut in irons during the voyage. In the last P. and 0. boat it was no better, and in one ship five first-class passengers were degraded to the steerage, as it was found that their conduct was too outrageous for ordinarily-decent people to put up with.