NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10320, 21 December 1896, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Opolu arrived from Fiji. , Ponsonby Regatta very successful. The Rotomahana goes South to-day,, *' Rotomahana from Sydney this morning. A fine breeze for yacht sailing on Satur« day. A branch of tlva Imperial Navy League is to be formed at Perth. The Union S.S. Company have purchased (he steamer Richmond. The Upolu brought a large cargo of fruit from the Islands yesterday. An English mail arrived from Sydney by way of the South on Saturday. A largo consignment of trout is to bo eontfrom Masterton to Rotorua. In Southland Mr. J. A. Gilruth is enquiring into the recent mortality of sheep. Several of the racing gigs came to griof in the races on Saturday, owing to the rough water, Tho long spell of dry weather has caused tho roads in the Wairarapa district to cut up badly. The Waihora arrives from the South this morning, and proceeds on to Sydney tomorrow evouing. An hotel to cost £15,000 is to be erected in the main street of Kalgoorlie, opposite the railway station*' Owing to the long spell of fine weather grass seeding has already commenced in some district!) in the Wairarapa. The recent fire on tho barque Alice makes the sixth that has taken place on various vessels in Wellington harbour in the last few years. Some very fine samples of cofl'eo grown en the Clarence have been received by tho New South Wales Agricultural Department. It, is estimated that about 1 GOO names will be struck off the Palmerstoii electoral roll in consequonce of electors not exercising the franchise. There has beon no rain in tho Fortymile Bush for a considerable time, and farmers stato that there is likely to be a failure of tho potato crop. Mark Twain calls tho other side "restful Australia, whore, when it is not a holiday, and you have nothing olso to do, there is always a horsoraco to go to." A line of " boilers" was recently received at tho Longburn works from Mr. Rawlins's farjj. Among the lot was ono Romney owo that torne 1 the scale at 1431bs ! No less than 100,000 sheep were driven via Tumbarumba (.New South Wales) to Ihe high lands during the last month, twing to tho prospect of a bad stock season. There was quite an exodus of miners from Waihi, Waitokauri, and Karangahake on Saturday, principally of those living at a distance, who wish to reach their homes before Christmas Day. At Woodville, Mr. O'Meara's little girl, four years old, was last woek badly bitten in the face by a dog belonging to a neighbour. Dr. Milne attended the little one, who, we are pleased to say, is recovering from her severe fright. The heat at Masterton has been very great for the past few days. On Sunday week tho thermometer reached SO degrees Fah. in the shade. There has been no rain for weeks and the farmers are complaining bitterly, as, in many instances, tho crops will not be worth cutting. A boy on a bicycle driving cows was a revelation to tho visitors to Werribea, Victoria, tho other day. And the way in which tho lad "scorched" after and " headed" a refractory -beast which was miking for tho You Yangs left no doubt as to the usefulness and efficiency of the machine for the business it was employed in. A special meeting of tho Devonport Borough Council will be held to-raorrow. Business .-—Special order, section 121 of the. Municipal Corporations Act, ISS6, to confirm (by special arder) the Council's resolution to declare Burgess Road a public road. The,above resolution was adopted in special meeting hell November 17, 1596. Also to arrange re Christmas holidays and date of next ordinary meeting. Tfce members and adherents of the Onehunga Congregational Church held a Christmas Tree and Sale of Work in the Pi blio Hall, ou Friday and Saturday last, which was well patronised. The exhibition closed on Saturday night with a grand concert by the choir, ably assisted by friends from Auckland. It was a pronounced success. The proceeds of the sale of work are to go in aid of the church fund,