NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10832, 16 August 1898, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Mabajioa arrived from Sydney. Canterbury fanners are crying out for Bore rain. A number of Austrians arrived from Sydney yesterday. The Chamber of Commerce meet to discuss labour legislation to-day. Mr. R. McNab, M.H.R., is erecting a dairy factor)- at Heathfield, Otago. The Hutt County Council are contemplating the erection of new offices in Wellington. The next examination of surveyors under the Land Act, 1892, will be held on September 20. Colonel Penton will probably act as military judge at the band contest in Palmerston North. The Wellington Acclimatisation Society is thinking of importing some varieties of Indian game. There are now five steam trawlers working at Napier, and others are expected to arrive shortly. This year's Financial Statement figured up to 7000 words, as compared with 26,105 words last year. Valuable stud sheep have lately been poisoned in Christchurch through eating the seeds of the ewe tree. Football is not popular at Palmerston | North. Some of the matches have drawn " gates" of under £1. About 12,000 fruit trees have been planted in the portion of the Frimley Estate, Hastings, lately taken over by a local syndicate. Preparations for the installation of Pintsch gas in carriages on the Wellington-Wood-vilie line of railway are now almost completed. A site for a cemetery at Paraparaunui has been given to the Hutt County Council by the Maoris of the district, and steps are- to be taken to have it legally dedicated. A man who was arrested in a hotel at Dunedin oil several charges of forgery was engaged reading a novel "In the Nick of Time'' when the detective clapped hands on him. The Timaru Mail is informed that the wreck of the steamer Elginshire is beginning to twist in two, the deck forward of the funnel being canted over somewhat towards the north. Owing to the original first tenderer having withdrawn from the contract to supply the Coromandel Fire Brigade uniforms, it has been resolved that the tender of the New Zealand Clothing Factory Company be accepted. It is rumoured (says the Wairarapa Times) that the cost of valuing in the North Wairarapa county, under the Valuations Act, approximates to £1000, and that when the county did the work itself the expense was but £200. Sir dailies Hector has been asked to make a further examination of specimens of coal from a seam which lias long been known to exist in the Brook-street Valley, Nelson. The idea is to ascertain if the seam could be worked with profit. Reports from Canterbury speak well for the friable nature of the soil this year, and the favourable conditions for sow ing. The lower soil generally is in a thirsty state, but lambing on the farms of the low lands is becoming more general. In the early part of last week the tides were phenomenally low at Lyttelton. In Church Day the mud flats were completely drained, and many of the residents of the southern side of the harbour obtained plentiful supplies of oysters when the tide was out. It is stated that the dies in use for the penny stamp are to be altered so as to enable them to be used in future for the fourpenny stamp, and the fourpennv die is to be altered to suit the penny stamp. It is intended to continue to print the view of Lake Taupo in blue and brown.