NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9257, 10 January 1889, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Tkere is at the present time a great deal of typhoid fever in many of the suburbs of Sydney. The last day of 1888 was one of intense and enervating heat in Sydney and the city's suburbs. Section 18, parish of Matakohe, contain- ' ing 23 acres 20 perches, has been reserved as a gravel reserve. The weather at Wanganui yesterday was very wet—heavy showers falling, doing , good to the country. The Mount Morgan Company has declared a dividend ot 2s per snare, amounting in all to £100,000. An agency of the Government Life Insurance department has been opened at the post office, Morrinsville. Twenty-nine of the passengers by the ;■■: R.M.S. Oroya were afflicted with measles during the voyage from England. The total tramway earnings in Sydney for the Christmas holidays amounted to £3017, as against £15113 for 1887, an increase of £1454. The West Australian Government has received information announcing that a nugget of gold weighing 115oz nas been found at Pillburra. It is announced that Mr. John Gilchrist and Mr. Hollo A. Capo have been appointed local directors in Sydney of the Commercial Bank of Australia. The value of imports at Sydney for the week ending December 29 amounted to £432,005, and the value of exports for the same period was £412,910. The Customs collection in Sydney for the year ISS7 was £1,945,943 ISs Bd, and for the year 188S £1,858,731 4s 3d, showing a decrease of £87,212 14s sd. Admiral Fairfax has telegraphed, promising his patronage and the co-operation of the vessels of r.he squadron for the Wellington Regatta, on January 22. A large parcel of Poverty Bay grass seed has been purchased through the Land Mortgage Agency at 4s 6d per bushel, and the market has an upward tendency. After a succession of north-westers and easterly hot days, the weather at Christchurch changed on Tuesday night, and heavy rain fell for about six hours. It is officially announced that Sir F. D. Bell is the only Executive Commissioner for New Zealand at the Paris Exhibition, and that the others are purely honorary. The Government have received advice from the Agent-General that he has passed a total shipment of 500,000 salmon ova by the direct steamers Aorangi aud Arawa. Captain Edwin telegraphed from Wellington yesterday at 11.50 a.m. —"North to "east "and south-east? gale within next 12 hours, with heavy rain. Glass will fall again soon." The railway holiday traffic from Dunedin was large. The excursion tickets issued were 400 to Christchurch, 130 to Tiniaru, 450 to Oamaru, 370 to Invercargill, and 120 to Kingston. It seems that the Press Association were wrong in cabling the death of General Sir H. Kedvers Buller, in November. The name ought to have read Colonel Buller, who was also an officer of note. A child, aged three years, named Pink, fell from an express train while travelling to Benalla (Victoria), and died from the injuries sustained. The accident was due to the sudden opening of the carriage door. By the steamer Tannadice, which arrived in Sydney from China, 400 boxes of opium were brought to these colonies, half being for Sydney alone. This is the largest quantity ever shipped to Australia at one time. The number of insolvencies in Queensland during the past year was 299, as against 34b' for the previous year. The heaviest months were March and October. Of the total number, 113 were in the Brisbane district. Yesterday a lad employed at the Kauri Timber Company's miil had his right hand severely injured by coming in contact with a circular saw. He was taken to the Hospital, where it was found necessary to amputate the fore finger. A Sydney contemporary says:— An enormous shoal of salmon, computed to number between five and six millions of fish, was seen off Bondi beach on Sunday afternoon. A company of porpoises drove the fish into the beach and along the rocks, where many were caught with lines. Bishop Barry writes in reply to "the silly report in the Pall Mall Gazette as to the cause of his resignation," and says "the cause of his resignation was simply and absolutely the one which he assigned to the Synod." Bishop Barry adds that he has accepted the invitation to become the assistant of the Bishop of Rochester.