NEWS IS BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9720, 16 January 1895, Page 6

NEWS IS BRIEF.

There were two persons in the locknj .. last evening for drunkenness. The trade in the live sheep from Master ton to Wellington this season is very alighi as compared with last season. The total rainfall at Sydney for the pasl year was 38 -22 inches, which is over 15 inches below the average for the past 36 years. There are now 60 cool tracks of the latest pattern in use on the Victorian railways, and they are giving every satisfaction. It ia expected that Queensland will benefit to the extent of from £60,000 to £70,000 by the present rise in the prices of frozen beef in London. The Victorian Railway Commissioners hope to be able to effect savings in the working expenses representing about ■£100,000 during the present financial year. The manufacture of scents from perfume plants is being carried out in Warrnambool, Victoria, and the eaa de-cologne and lavender are pronounced by experts to be equal to the best imported. About five tons of old copper have been discovered by the Bmbara detectives in a Chinaman's shop. The copper is supposed to have been stripped off the piles of the A. U.S.N. Company's Wharf. The regular monthly meeting of Lodge St. Andrew, No. S N.Z.C., was held last evening at Freemasons' Hall, Princesstreet. There was a fair attendance of brethren and visitors, and the business, which was entirely of craft nature, was conducted in an interesting manner by the "recently installed master and officers. A strange theft is reported from Narrabri, in New South Wales. A storehouse was broken into and 500 wailabi scalps and seven native dog scalps were stolen. As it will be practically impossible to identify the scalps . the Government will probably be placed in the position of having to buy stolen property. The annual return of insolvencies, assignments, and dealings with live stock and chattels in South Australia shows that 38 insolvencies, including annulments, were filed last year, compared with 107 for the previous year 146 assignments, compared with 155; 1673 bills of sale, live stock mortgages, and nuptial settlements, com- j pared with 1516. The gold returns of Queensland for the year ended December amount to 674,330az, being an increase of 57,3900z as compared with last year. The principal yields are : — Charters Towers 263,574cz, Rockhampron yield? 112.7060z, Gympie 111,507 Croydon 81,2050z, Etbc-riage 24,1-iOoz, Ravenswood 16,5510z, Gladstone fields SSoSoz, Herberton field* 7SJloz, Clermont 73050z. The Coolgardie Courier says :—" One of the unpleasant results of the rain has been the discover)- that the stone of which the new Government offices are being built is utterly useless and rotten. The material is a decomposed granite, and even in hot, dry weather, has anything but a substantial appearance. After the storm last week, however, it was found the rain had softened the stone into a aauiiocky condition, there being no difficulty for a child to make 'mud pies' of it." A big shark was caught at Lyttelton, and taken to Christchurch for exhibition. For this purpose they put it on a high stand, but the weather was warm, and the shark got higher and higher, till the inhabitants of the neighbourhood felt inclined to get lower and lower—down an artesian well, for instance to escape the height to which the shark had got. At last an »ppeal was made to the local authority for protection.