NEWS IN BRIEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11867, 20 January 1902, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

•filoußA left for the South. --' {'? IZealandia arrived from Sydney. jElingamite for Sydney this evening. A man arrested at Dunedin the other nigh i'• for challenging a cabby to fight had £15( odd in his pocket. , Rabbits are reported to be dying in thou sands from starvation in Condobolin district . v New South Wales. . - It will take quite 18 months to fit up tin 1 ; i; ■whole of the North Island railways with th< estihghouse brake. / •; ■; , A large number of returned soldiers have ■been employed by the Public Works Depart- ■ ment of New South Wales. - V A specimen of antimony was found at the back of Levin township a few days ago by ; one of the men employed on the roads. 7 • Mr. W. H. Hemes, M.H.R., has beer lately in Rotorua, making 'inquiries about .the water supply and drainage works. ' t * Two yachts to be named Fighting Mac ; and Tapuaekura, arc beinj, built for the Hot Lakes Steam Navigation Company. ,During the recent cyclone at Narrabri, New South Wales, many headstones and 1 monuments in the local cemetery were blown down and smashed. . The ■ present • high prices ruling for. flax have given a decided impetus to the industry, several mills in the .Rotorua district having resumed operations. ' • . An Eketahuna settler, wht has some 300 acres, sold' his wool a the last Wellington • sale. • The returns were £118s short of the rates he Las paid for the year. \ There are about 1580 ratable buildings in the Borough of Wanganui, an increase of " about 40 during the year. A large number ' » of premises have also been rebuilt. • Arrangements have been made for the erection of another flourmill in Blenheim. The intention is to run the new concern opart from the New Zealand Fourmillers' V / Association. ' ' ■ 1 ' A recently-registered baby of Sydney was named Fern Tree—names of parents Tree and Ros- Tree. Other children are Peach Tree, A. Z. L. Tree, Wattle Tree, and Eucalyptus Tree. *' " • . 1 The provisional specifications have been accepted or George Sollitt, . of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, architect, for an improved method of and means for preventing "rac- . : ing" in screw-propelled vessels. _> • A nine-year-old lad named Bertie Baxter, ,: of Goulburn, New South Wales, died on January 7 from inflammation of the brain, the result of, a sunstroke received while playing in the sun without his hat on. • It is calculated that from the last loan the" Government will not receive more than £92 ~~Kt;for. each £100" bond. In other words, they• are not receiving more than £1,380,000 "cash, and they will have to pay back £1,50C ; 000. ; >• • A report of a Frencn exploring expedition at the -New-Hebrides states that Espiritu Santo, one of the largest islands of , the .group, has excellent harbours, and is well watered, Some of the rivers being navigable : many miles inland. ' •'• - - The Rev. Mr. Lush writes to say that the word "Romish," in his letter, should have been Romanism (which are not interchange-s-able words).! or rather, as he wrote' it ~ " Romanensiiin," which was a distinctively J'Latin termination, and was suitable at the ... 1 -time.' , " 1 "* < -' v One lof the acres of land fronting Riddi-ford-street, Wellington, recently acquired by the . Wellington Hospital Trustees is to be - reserved as a site for the home fox incurables, the cost of which has been provided • • by, public effort, supplemented by Government subsidy.' ■ • ■' A' comparison between the revenue from the Sydney- railways and" tramways for, the holiday season just terminated with that for ; - the same period of last year, is not favourable, •■' showing the receipts to be less by £6000 - from the tramways, and from the railway ; ' coaching business by £10,000. ' ' » The number of grass-seed dressing mills in ""the' colony in 1900 was' 25, and they em - ployed 60 hands. The wages paid amounted to £5310.' The quantity of seed dressed .•' -was 092,221' bushels,- valued at £241,239. ' , The approximate value of the . land was £9700, of the buildings £24,930, and of the ' plant and machinery £13^565. .