NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9185, 27 April 1893, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A CHORAL society Is being formed in Roslyn. The annual meeting of the Parnell Orphan Home takes place to-night. After the 30bh insb. the Albert Park gates close ab seven instead of eight p.m. The Napier Operatic Society will produce "Rip Van Winkle" on Juno 20th. Edward Latimer Clark was yesterday Committed for trial on a charge of indecenb assault on a little girl. For the quarter ended March-31, there were in New South Wales 1973 marriages, 9589 births, and 3709 deaths. A meeting of the creditors of Pierce Lynch, butcher, was to have been held yesterday, but ib lapsed for want of a quorum. Stack incendiarism is suspected in the Oamaru district). Three stacks of threshed grain were destroyed by fire lasts week in one locality. The new dairy factory ab Heretaunga, Hawke's Bay, is nearly finished, and will be ready to commence operations very shortly. The total cost has been about £600. Ib is estimated that the assurances in force in Australian offices amount to 674,000,000, or ab the rate of £19 a head for every man, woman, and child in Australasia. Our Huntly correspondent telegraphed yesterday that the charge against Richard Doro, of maliciously discharging a gun with intent to do grievous bodily harm, was dismissed. The Melbourne Trades Hall Council has retrenched by abolishing its permanent secretary at £200 a year, and appointing one at £50 a year, who will pub in his time in the evenings only. The Hawke's Bay Herald says a new form of local industry has been started at Napier *• the manufacture of Masonic aprons. They are better and cheaper than the imported article. The Kumara Times had a missing word competition for a prize of one guinea, bnt na none of the 400 competitors succeeded in guessing the word the money was paid ovor to the local hospital funds. lb appears to be currently stated that Miss Clarice Brabazon, solo pianist, is but making a temporary stay in Auckland. This is nob so, ib being Miss Brabazon's intention to reside hero permanently. The Pahlatua butter factories appear to be doing good work. On Friday, April 14th last, 21 tons of butter were sent from the factories for export to England, the largest single consignment since the factories were opened. Mr. Goddard, nurseryman, of Napier, has discovered that the codlin moth does not confine itself to orchards, but enters the houses. The grub is found in all sorts of fruit. Mr. Goddard thinks it absurd to suppose that it can bo eradicated by Act of Parliament. The Napier News says:— "Justices' Justice!" A Bench this morning hold that the evidence in a threatening behaviour case was contradictory, and inflicted on defendant a fine of 2s. When evidence is contradictory, a defendant usually gets the benefit of the doubt, and is acquitted. A grazing lease of 770 acres, a portion of Maungaturoto Forest, in the parish of Waipu, Whangarei County, was offered for sale yesterday forenoon at the Crown Lands Office, at the upset price of A\<\. per acre per annum. The timber on the land had been burned off or removed. There was no bid for tho land, and it was accordingly passed in. One of the notices of motion in regard to the appointment of a chief inspector, which was introduced ab the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday was in error ascribed to Mr. Grant. It was Mr. Wilding who gave notice of the shorter one that advertisements be inserted in New Zealand and Australian papers inviting applications for the post. , The second notice of motion on the same subject was given by Mr. Grant. . Large quantities of fish of all kinds are almost daily being caught near the Napier breakwater in a most peculiar manner. Rock-blasting ab the bottom of the sea is being proceeded with, and after the fuse is lighted the boat Is pulled away by the operators. After the blast has taken place the surface of the water is strewn with fish of all sorts and sizes, who have either been killed or rendered stupid through the con-

cussion. At the last meeting of the Dunedin Hospital trustees, the Chairman (Mr. P. Miller) said there seemed to be an opinion prevalent among the public that the bodies of all destitute persons dying in the hospital wore handed over to the University. That was not the case. At certain periods of the year the University did not want bodies at all, and as they got supplies from other public institutions as well—from the gaol and from the Benevolent Institutionit did nob want anything like the number of bodies that were unclaimed in the hospital. ■