NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11987, 9 June 1902, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

'Frisco mail due to-morrow. Sonoma left for San Francisco. Zealandia from Sydney to-night. Elingamite for Sydney this evening. Bombala, New South Wales, has no house rats. The volunteers at Poxton are about to erect a drill-shed to cost about £600. The poor of Sydney will be entertaineu on Coronation Day by the Government of New South Wales. It is proposed to construct an electric tram between Prahran and Malvern, Victoria, at a cost of £50,000. At Lyell, New South Wales, a carrier •was fined Is and costs for driving a ■waggon and horses in a public place on , Sunday. At 'Sydney recently Maria Katherine Engel. an elderly woman, fell downstairs at her residence, and died almost immediately. Manaia, Taranaki, is described by a resident as "a bachelors' paradise; all young single men in the townwith a few exceptions." Coal, said to be superior to even that of Newcastle, has been discovered in New Caledonia, and work on the mines is to be started in a few months. The Auckland Freezing Company's prize for lambs was won by Mr. W. C. Morgan, of Cambridge, and not by -Sir. Morgan, of Tamahere, as Avas at first understood to be. the case. The Masterton Age states that a family recently went to Eketahuna shopping. The mother had not seen a shop for 12 years, and the children had never previously seen a township. The Sydney city coroner held an inquiry regarding the death of a man named Dayer, who Was found dead in Moore Park. The medical evidence was to the effect that death was due to starvation. At Bendigo, Victoria, an old age pension of 8s per week has been granted to a man aged 70, who. though totally blind for many years, has until recently followed [ his avocation as a miner by working | below. In consequence of the adverse report of the Government Geologist on the mineral oil areas in the south-western district ol West Australia, the Government of that State has refused to assist those prospecting there. Four special fodder trains are now arriving at Condobolin, New South Wales. three times a week. So intense is the drought in this district, that large areas of pine scrub, currawong, and box saplings are being killed outright. On May 26 John Henry Trecathel Cutler, 24, labourer, of New Zealand, was brought before the Water Police Court, Sydney, on a charge of having, at Syd- ■■/■- ney, on May 11, attempted to commit a serious offence. He was committed for trial. While a boy, aged eight years, son of Mr. A. Cooper, Audiey, New South Wales, was boating just below the house, he fell overboard, at once sank, and was drowned. His body was recovered in a few minutes, but all efforts to restore animation failed. A return issued by the West Australian Mines Department shows that 21 men were killed and 47 injured in mining accidents in the State during the first four months of the year. For the corresponding period last year the figures were 45 killed and 130 injured. Seven truant inspectors, who had been appointed in Queensland to enforce the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, have» received notice that their services will not be required after June 30. This will effect a saving in the Education Department of £2050 per year. Serious difficulty is being experienced by the Queensland Railway Department in providing for traffic, owing to the scarcity of water for locomotives. Supplies at several places on the South-wes-tern fine have quite run out, and at other places the supply is getting very low.