NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10968, 24 January 1899, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The anniversary of Wellington was celebrated yesterday. The Parnell drainage scheme has been deferred till nest week. The Mayor of Sydney has refused to reduce the license fees for omnibuses. The Opposition party have decided to open a platform campaign in about a month. A rush has set in to the diamond mines five miles west of Gulgong, New South Wales. Several old age pension certificates were granted by Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., yesterday. Nine out of 10 of those who apply for old age pensions have a difficulty in proving their age. Another daring daylight robbery is reported from Melbourne, a Chinaman being the victim. The Roman Catholic Church was unroofed at Wellington (New South Wales) recently bv a hurricane. " The meeting of the Conciliation Board yesterday lapsed owing to & flaw in the filing of the dispute. Prominent members of the Opposition will place the political position of the colony before the people during the autumn. The total quantity of wool delivered at the various pots in New South Wales for export since July 1, 1898, was 531,000 hales. A peculiarity about a thunderstorm at Hastings, recently, was the presence of a substance resembling sulphur in the watercourses after the rain. At an inquest held at Armidale (New Scuth Wales) it was shown that J. E. Hunter had been killed through taking some sheep dip accidentally. Whilst explaining to a company at Cathcart (New South Wales) how easily gun accidents could happen, a man named Joseph Taiasco was himself the victim of an accidental explosion. A man named Charles Cowan, formerly of Henderson, was sent to gaol for three months at the Police Court yesterday for failing to keep proper accounts in accordance with the Bankruptcy Act. A few days ago Mr. John Sharpe was killed at the Prosectors' gold mine, Wolumla, through being overcome by foul ail. Two brothers named Momsen, who endeavoured to rescue him, had narrow escapes. The Grammar School Board yesterday afternoon granted free tuition for three years at the school to the first four candidates to gain certificates of proficiency at the annual junior district scholarships examination. The list of registered medical practitioners for the colony includes 687 names. Eightyfive are noted as having left the colony, awl several as being resident in New South Wales. Only one seems to have retired from the profession, while one is known to be dead. The Newmarket Borough Council decided last evening to fix the water-rate of consumers outside the borough, at 2s 3d per 1000 gallons, with a minimum supply of 10,000 gallons. This is an increase in some cases of 9d per 1000 gallons, and in other cases an increase of 6d.