NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11199, 20 October 1899, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Suez mail arrives on Sunday. Upolu arrived from the South. There were five persons in the lockup last evening, on charge of drunkenness. ... Many ministers of the Gospel and ladies of Queensland are offering their services (or Africa. A youth. Samuel Lester, was struck dead bv lightning the other day at Laidley (Queensland). Surprise is expressed at the poor response in Adelaide to the call for volunteers for South Africa. During a thunderstorm at Casino, New South Wales, the other day, several buildings were unroofed. Motor tandems, capable of running 40 miles an hour, were used for pacing purposes at Svdnev the other day. There is an exodus of miners from Joadja Creek (New South Wales), owing to a strike at the shale works there. Fruit trees in Masterton orchards suffered severely during the recent gale, many being quite stripped of their blossom. Rin" snatching from jewellers' shops has been revived again in Melbourne, where several cases have been recently reported. The Victorian Factories Act provides that every shop in Melbourne and suburbs must be closed on Saturday or Wednesday afternoons. Thousands of bags of flour are being sent from \lbury, New South Wales, to South Africa. This is a big call oil the local supplv. All" the banks in Melbourne have reduced buying, rates for demand drafts, and 30, 60. ; and SO days' bills by 2s 6d per cent., and decreasing the premium on selling rates equally. Commandant Booth, of the Salvation Army, expresses himself an admirer of Henry George's land tax doctrine, but thinks it has come too late to bo of sen-ice to humanity. The intercolonial lawn tennis match, New South Wales v. Victoria, in Melbourne, l as been fixed for November 18 and 20, the dates being subject to approval by the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association. The Canterbury Agricultural and Industrial Hall Company intends to invite tenders for the loan of £11,000, or a less sum, to be secured by a mortgage on the land bought by the company and the buildings to be erected thereon. A bov. aged 11 years, named Crommelin, was bitten by a black spider on the right thigh whilst 'sitting on a log at Bombela (New South Wales). He was unconscious for three days, inflammation from the bite having spread throughout the body. The' West Australian Executive bis decided that the native murderer Lillimarra, who murdered Frank Bourke, at West Kimberley. in 1394, shall be executed in Derby gaol.' Lillimarra escaped from Derby gaol, but was recaptured in September last. Captain Gnilil, of the steamer Barcoo, recently reported on arrival .-n Brisbane that almost the whole country between Port, Mackay and Townsville was on fire. On his way up the coast the weather was thick i with smoke. .-o much so that all on board I suffered from sore eyes. I