NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11203, 25 October 1899, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

'Fiasco mail due, Ualune left for the South. Zcalandia for Sydney on Saturday. Ovalau left for the Eastern Pacific, Tasmania exported in September last , £121.743 worth of minerals. It is said that domestic servants are scarcer now in Dunedin than 20 years ago. Aphides, similar to the pest that attacks fruit trees, are doing considerable damage to wheat crops in tho Albury district, New South Wales. As showing the advantage of the dairy industry to settlers, it is stated that one supplier to a bush creamery will draw £60 a month this season for milk supplied. Informations have been laid against two of the suburban hotels— for alleged Sunday trading, and the other for alleged trading over hours. The cases will probably be heard early next week. The Zeehan and Dunda6 Herald makes the astounding statement that turnips grow so large in the South Island of New Zealand that the sheep often eat out the inside and crawl in for warmth in cold weather. A prisoner, Wm. Waters, was brought up last night from Whitianga, Mercury Bay, by the steamer Muritai, who is charged with false pretences. He will be brought up at the Police Court this morning, and charged with the alleged offence, and a remand to Paeroa applied for. The police authorities have received information that the escaped lunatic from the Avondale Asylum, got intc the Waiuku district, crossed the Waikato River at the Waikato Heads, and is now in the Raglan district, apparently heading for Raglan. Steps are being taken for his recapture. The first sitting of the Waihi Magistrate's Court took place yesterday, but as there were only seme undefended cases the business did not take much longer than five minutes. The Court at Waihi will deal with civil cases, and will thus save those concerned at Waihi travelling to Paeroa. The Corporation of Nelson has despatched Mr. Jickell, city surveyor, on a mission to Wellington and Wanganui, to inquire into the system of meat slaughtering and inspection in vogue. Nelson is about to establish municipal abattoirs, and is casting about for all the information available on the subject. A relic of bygone days was discovered near Bulls the other day. A young man employed on a sheep ran there was burning gorse, and saw what he took to be part of some farm implement sticking out of the ground. On withdrawing the article, he found it to be a rusty sword, which is believed to be a relic of the Maori war. Quite recently (says the lapanui Courier) a sheep dealer sent a small line of 48 freezing sheep to a freezing works for slaughter. These sheep were graded into no less than 11 different (tecs—two being rejected made 12 classes—or an average of four sheep to a class. Surely this grading business is now being carried !u extremes.