NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10969, 25 January 1899, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Robbie Burns birthday. H.M.S. 'I'auranga is at Wellington. H.M.s. Royalist left for Fiji last even-

""iVser liner Tolosa is due from New York and Australia to-day. Beer and wines are to be judged at the Exhibition on Monday. The Westralia took a large number of passengers South yesterday. Large consignments of locally-grown fruit went South yesterday, by the Westralia. Wellington Harbour Board is about to raise a loan of £150,000 for harbour works. There were no eases of drunkenness at the Police Court yesterday, an unusual occur! ence. , Germans in Sydney consider Mr. Berry s referenoo 5n the American Congress "to whipping Germany" a silly boast. Dr. McArthur and Mr. Theo. Cooper are the City Schools Committee's nominees for the vacancies on the Auckland Education Board. A miner named Stewart was killed at the Bulli mine (New South Wales) a few days ago through being caught in some machinery. , A man named Henry Ashley was charged at the Melbourne Court, on January 17, with stealing gas from the mains of the Metropolitan Gas Company. Country readers may anticipate the early publication of the agricultural statistics, collected during November and the early portion of December last year. It has been suggested by Mr. Reid that the statisticians of the various colonies might with advantage be in attendance at the coming Federal Conference. A deputaton of unemployed waited upon tho South Australian Commissioner for Wcrks recently, when it was stated that there were 2000 men out of work in Adelaide. It, is the opinion of Americans in Sydney that Mr. Betty's sensational reference to Gi rinanv in the American Congress recently voiced a strong sentiment in the United States. . The Harbour Board is going to make inquiries as to the desertions from the warships complained of by Captain Browne, of the Tauranga, and will see what can be done in the matter. A cable is to be sent to Mr. Brigham. by the Harbour Board, approving of his action with regard to the Calliope Dock subsidy negotiations, and asking him when he intends leaving kngland. A local bicycle importer was nominally fined at the Police Court yesterday by Mr. Brabant, S.M.. for having advertisements painted on property belonging to the Railwav Department at Newmarket and Parncll. The subsidies to public libraries are to be distributed on February 8, and no claim will be considered which shall not have been sent in due form and received b\ the Secretatv for Education, Wellington, on or before January 31. 18'd9. The fire escape invented by Mr. John Tfutcheson, M.H.R.. was tried at the Club Hotel. Lambton Quay. Wellington, the other dav, by Acting-Captain Adams, of the Fire Brigade, and several of the general public. Much interest was taken in the trial bv the passers-by. . The remaining third of the proposed site for Admiralty House, has been purchased by the Harbour Board, but now there is a leasehold just in front of it, which it is said must be secured to complete the site. Ihe lessees hold out for £500, but the Board does not feel inclined to give so much. A writer m the Nelson Colonist says that it is really about time for the public of Nelson to'agitate for better passenger accommodation on the railway. When peop.c pay for a first-class seat they do not appreciate having tho alternative of standing on a second-class platform or remaining be-

hind. There were in the lockup last evening a woman on a. charge of drunkenness, and a man named Jaines Jones (arrested by Act-ing-Detective Miller', on a charge of breakin(» and entering a building in the Ivhjber Pass Road, and stealing therefrom a quantity of carpenter's tools, the property of Mr. George Pitkethley. In the Government Gazette of the 19th inst. are published lists of unclaimed moneys in the several banks doing business in New Zealand. In tho Bank of New Zealand these balances amount to a total of £59 16s sd; Union Bank of Australia, total £8 12s lid: Bank of New South Wales. £26 14s 6d; Bank of Australasia, £11 7s Tho " round-the-world" walker. Mr. G. M Schilling, has a local imitator (says the Christchurch Press) in the person of Mr Carter who is just beginning a walking tour of the ,vorld He visits Ashbnrton and nil the centres of the South Island; thence he goes to Tasmania, Australia. Japan, China. India, Afghanistan; thcnce across the Continent, and to Paris, where he hopes to arrive in time for the Exhibition. The erstwhile hermit of Island Bay (says the Post) has evidently abjured for ever the life of an anchorite, and gone Home to rejoin his friend there. At the last meeting of the benevolent trustees, who lately paid his passage as far as Sydney it was mentioned bv the Rev. J. K. Elliott that he had received a letter from the ex-cave dweller written on the eve of his departure from that port for the Old Country, pressing his thanks to the trustees for their kindness to him.