NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10082, 18 March 1896, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manapouri for the South to-day. Harbour Board meet this afternoon.

"Waitiora for Sydney this afternoon. Squadron leave for Sydney this mornMission yacht Southern Cross leaves for tho Islands on Monday. Designs are to be invited for a new Parliament House at Sydney. Town sections in Reel ton are now Changing hands at £5 per foot frontage. Another contingent of Austrian? for the gurafields arrived from Sydney yesterday. There were two prisoners in the lock up last evening, both on charges of drunkenFour men were injured by an explosion j of firedamp in a mine at Smythesdale, j Owing to an outbreak of diphtheria in the Pambula district, New South Wales, the school has had to be closed. A young man named William Scofcfc was thrown from a horse against a tree at Peak Hill, New South Walos, and killed. During the voyage of the Austral from London to Australia two passengers committed suicide by jumping overboard. It is not unlikely that an additional telegraphic wire wiil shortly be stretched from Keefton to Nelson and Blenheim. Recently a man named Hawaiian had his two legs broken and badly crushed by a tree falling on him at the Rumara crossing. A shearer named J. Murdock, better known as " Scotty," was drowned while attempting to cross Hume Creek, near Barcaldine, which was in flood. Much indignation is being manifested at Perth on account of tho alleged maladministration of the Public Works and Post and Telegraph Departments. The Public Service Board of New South Wales contemplate making an important re-arrangement of duties in respect of some of the higher and secondary officers. A tremendous slip came down at the Dublin City Cement Claim, Charleston, on Thursday last. Nearly 2000 tons of dirt was deposited in the face, and the men had a narrow escape. A committee to consider a proposal to provide exhibitions at the Melbourne University for State school scholars has been appointed by the University Council. Two men named John Brodie and Thomas Farrell have been each fined £3 and costs for falsely representing themselves as travellers to the licensee of the Terminus Hotel, Dunedin. The Corporation reserve at Wainui-n----mata is, at the suggestion of Mr. W. T. L. Travers, to be planted with oak, sycamore, and other English trees, Mr. Travers kindly providing the seed. The hottest day in Wellington during the month of February was the 22nd, when the temperature was 79 degrees in the shade. The coldest day was the 12th, when it reached 45 '2 degrees.

A man named lohn Stannard was knocked down by a bullock at Johnstonville on Wednesday last, and was badly injured. One of the man's ears was torn off, and two of his ribs were broken.

There are 197 newspapers published in New Zealand, and registered at the G.P.0., Wellington; of these 53 are published daily, '20 thrice weekly, 29 twice weekly, 64 weekly, 4 fortnightly, and '.'7 monthly. A Rangitikei farmer who has recently made a tour of the North island, with the view of purchasing a section, fives it as his opinion that the soil of the Kiwitea district is the richest in the North Island.

The infirm, aged, and crippled porters of Wellington have petitioned the City Council, asking it to refuse to issue porters' licenses to able-bodied men. The matter has been referred to the Public Works Committee.

A party to a suit in the Magistrate's Court, Westport, said he had lived for weeks at Mokihinui on dry bread and mussels. He also expressed the opinion that nobody in Westport was making a living; the people were dragging out an existence.

A little boy ran in front of the afternoon train from Eketahuna at Masterton station the other day, and wna only just saved from a horrible death by the promptitude of Mr. O. Beere, who rushed forward and snatched *he child up just a3 the cow-catcher struck him.

Since the recent accident on a tramcar, by which three men were badly injured, there has been a good deal of discussion about the shortcomings of the Wellington tram service. A project is now on fooD to construct a new tramway, running through the town to Island Bay.