NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10128, 11 May 1896, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

fIRAWEBA from Sydney this morning. San Francisco mail leaves on Saturday. An English mail arrives from Sydney this homing. Over 600 tons of fruit were raised in the leviot district, last year. An effort is being made to reorganise the Liberal Association in Wellington. There were three persons in the lockup last evening on charges of drunkenness. Victoria now possesses 1004 registered medical practitioners, or 40 more than a year ago. Potato digging has started in the Fortymile Bush, and the crop on an average is a good one. Two hundred wharf labourers have joined the Wellington branch of the National Association.

Steps are being taken to form an English volunteer corps in Sydney under the title of the St. George's Rifles. About 3J tons of honey was despatched from Masterton, by Mr. W. Lenz, of the Kuripuni apiary, last week. At Christchurch, the other day, Mr. W. S. Percy, of Pollard's Opora Company, was thrown'from a bicycle, and had bis left arm injured. ' The Wairarapa P. and A. Society's 'balance-sheet, just circulated, shows an Bxcess of assets over liabilities amounting to £687 13s lOd.

Some fine specimens of sugar oane have been grown by Mr. Shailor, of Hokowhitu. The cane, which was only of four months' growth, looked remarkably healthy. The nine reefs discovered by Mr. Elliotte on the Tararua ranges have not yet been thoroughly tested, and Mr. Elliotte is nob certain whether they are all gold-bearing. A man named H. Travers has been fined £5 ab Wellington, for "counselling and procuring A, J. Jacobs to kill certain native game, viz.:—Seven huias and one native pigeon." An ordinary meeting of the Harbour Board will be held to-morrow. Business : Ordinary, and to open and consider tenders for cleaning and painting buoys and Deacons.

A race between a cyclist and a skater for a distance of two miles was won by the latter in Wasterton on Monday night. The bike conceded the skates a quarter of a mile start.

A man named John Mainoy committed suicide at the Macleay Hospital recently by hanging himself. At an inquest a verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned.

There are several cases of diphtheria at present in Kumeroa, in the Woodville district, and Dr. Milne has written to tho school committee asking them to close the school for a short time.

While cutting firewood at a circular saw atFoxtou, on Thursday, Mr. McGill met with an accident by the saw flying into pieces without warning, One of the pieces cut Mr. McGill's cheek open. . About a dozen men are burning flax on the Moutoa Estate. Between two and three hundred acres of the plant was cut down recently, but the burn was a failure. It is now being collected in heaps to be re-fired. As Mr. W. Speedy was riding along the Masterton Road, near Woodville, on Saturday forenoon his horse stumbled and fell. Mr. Speedy had his leftshoulder dislocated, ind he also received several bruises and tcratches.

At Broken Hill an old man named Thomas Kerr fell over a slag dump on the Proprietary mine and was killed. Kerr, K'ho was a feeble man, was addicted to drink, and had been seen wandering about the mine previovsly. Five valuable dogs, viz,, a boarhound, two bull pups, and two English fox terriers, were brought out from London by the TainuL They are the property of Mr. Maitland, a passenger by the steamer, and Will be sent to Soames Island for the usual Biz months' quarantine. At the Napier Police Court, on Wednesday, a man named Thomas Barley was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for using obscene language and fined £10, in default three months' imprisonment for loitering in Coote Road with a view of holding communication with the members if the prison gang, the sentences to be cumulative. The ordinary meeting of the Devonport Borough Council will be held this evening. Business: Ordinary, and the Mayor to move the levy of a general rate of Is in the £ on all rateable property within the Borough for the period of 12 months, terminating March 31,1897, payable in one um at the office of the Borough on the first *ay of Juue, 1896.