NEWS IN BRIEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10033, 21 January 1896, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Harbour Board meet to-day. Manapouri for Sydney to-day. Fatal fire at Palmerston North. Waihora from Sydney yesterday. Cargo steamer Rangatira arrived from London. , , Branch of the Navy League formed yesterday. . Six prize rams arrived by the Rangatira, from London, yesterday. Apricots are so plentiful in the Taradale district that) they are being sold at id P At b 'stratbalbion, S.A., an elderly man named Arthur Dix hanged himself to a tree with a fish in line. _ Annual meeting of the Harbour .Board had to bo adjourned owing to the accounts not having been audited. A cook named William Proctor, committed suicide at Hawthorn, Victoria, by throwing himself under a passing brain. The Sydney Daily Telegraph of January 15 contains an interview with Mr. O'Regan, JU.fI.R., of New Zealand, who is at presenb in Sydney. Horse stealing is suspected in connectionwith the disappearance of several valuable horses from Woodvillo, and the police are investigating. _ A young fellow named McKenziereceived one month's imprisonment at Masterton for attempting to pick the pocket of a lady at Fitzgerald's circus. J _ Experiments are being made at Stratford with burning sh6ll-rock from the East Road in order to see if it will famish suitable lime for building purposes. It is understood that the Premier is to visit Danevirke at an early date on important business in connection with the purchase of Mangatoro by the Government. _ What is described as an important discovery of coal has been made at the Swanbank Colliery, at Ipswich, Queensland. The seam is a continuation of that known as the Aberdare, Since the Ist of January this year a numher of single men who have been engaged in the ballast pit at Bketahunu under the go-operative system have been discharged, and married men engaged in their stead. An experimental crop of flax, grown on the Oxley flats, Wangaratta, Victoria, this season, has proved very successful, and is regarded as proof that the soil of this district is admirably suited for the product. A champion stalk of rhubarb was on exhibition at Apiti the other day. The leaf measured three feet across. The stalk was 9 inches long, and 74 inches in circumference, and was perfnetly sound right through. A recently-born infant was found on the side of a road at East Kempsey, New South Wales. The child was about four hours old. The police can find no clue to tho parents. It is supposed that the infant was brought from a distance. A Chinese gardener living at) Black Range, near Albury, has been fined £100 for having knowingly purchased illicit spirit. The same man was charged with having wine and brandy for the purpose of sale, and was fined another £50. Recently, as a Hawke's Bay settler was driving over a bridge on the Taradale road and leading a polo pony, the latter disappeared through a hole in the structure. The occurrence took place at night time, and the pony was so severely injured that it had to b« destroyed.