NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11975, 26 May 1902, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Tarawera left for the South. Elingamite from Sydney to-day. V Zealandia for Sydney this evening. .';- Exactly 10,000 rats had been destroyed at the Newcastle incinerator up to May 10- : " -V A The New Zealand Dairy Union intends to erect a butter 1 factory at Eketahuna, costing £4000. ■ An epidemic of scarlet fever prevails at Hay, New South Wales. From the public school half the scholars are absent. o In the Grafton district, New South Wales, 10,000 head of cattle and 40,000 sheep are being ©utpastured for lack of A* West Coast paper estimates that the purse to be presented to Mr. Seddon on his return to New Zealand will amount to £3000. . , .' . In an alleged slander case recently, the Full Court at Sydney reserved judgment on the question of privilege attaching to a clergyman's utterances. * The trustees of the late Mr. Moule estate have contributed a cheque for £1000 towards the maintenance and benefit of the Old Men's Home, Ashburton. The Railway Department states that the damage done to its lines in the Canterbury and Otago districts through the recent floods has run into some thousands of pounds. Where land was valued in the vicinity of Akura six years ago at £20 per acre, it is now valued at £50. The value of another property of 32 acres has advanced from £797 to £2117. Sir Joseph Ward has stated that the full facts in regard to the recent police changes at Nelson will be placed before Parliament, and that the Nelson people will then be sorry thev agitated in the matter. Two Narrabii, New South Wales, aldermen recently refused to sign the bonds to be entered into with the bank, as the rates in arrears were sufficient if collected to cover the amounts required. Considerable interest is being evinced in the Masterton district in the movement to establish co-operative freezing works. It is stated there will be no difficulty in acquiring a capital of £100,000 if necessary. The New South Waks Government steamer Thetis, after 34 years' service, has been so'ld for £653. Some time ago the vessel was dismantled, and her hull onlv remained. <The Thetis was built in 1863. '

A letter received in Masterton states that some members of the Tenth Contingent on the Drayton Grange became ill after partaking of tinned fish, and orders were .given to stop the issue of that particular food.

Various improvements to the Levin State farm were considered by the Secretary for Agriculture and officers of the Department during their recent visit. A site was selected for a byre which is to accommodate 120 cows. \....;-.

An Arab named Robert Hassen was, at the Water Police Court, .Sydney, fined £22 10s. in default two months' imprisonment, on a charge of smuggling 100 tins of opium, valued at £150, with intent to defraud the revenue. The opium was confiscated.

One reason assigned for the scarcity ot fat cattle in the Wair&rapa this season is the shortage of feed for fattening purposes. Owing to the rain coming too late the grass is now too soft and tender for fattening cattle, but makes good grazing for sheep. A specimen of wood has been forwarded from Yass to the New South Wales De-

partment of" Mines, which was split and adzed from a stringy bark tree in the early forties, and which has been,exposed to the weather ever since. The specimen is as good as ever, and is without flaw. The Tuapeka Times states that several ;/ settlers in the Rankleburn district have recently lost a number of sheep and several head of cattle under somewhat, suspicious ciieumstances, the animals having ap- . parently died from the effects of poison. || Steps are being taken to have the matter II inquired into. At a recent meeting of the Nelson Educational Institute, it was stated that echoed teachers came under the provisions of the f Workers' Compensation Act, and that if a teacher fell off his bicycl■■» during the holidays and was killed, bis relatives could claim compensation from the Education Board up to £500. - The Woodslee Downs Estate, Toi Toi ; district, which comprises over 14,000 acres of, freehold and some 3000 ficres of educational endowment land, has changed . hands. Mr. Joseph Preston, of Tokonui Estate and Longjands station, is the purchaser. The estate is stocked with 12,000 sheep and 500 head of cattle. :i A Taranaki school mistress was recently explaining to her class the meaning of the words "imports" and " exports.". After she thought she had drilled the. children sufficiently, she asked the scholars: — Now, ; what is it that comes into the New PI vmouth Harbour?" The 20 little throats nearly burst when the word came forth with -one accord : " Sand!"