NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12401, 14 October 1903, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Labocb Day. Westrailia arrived from Sydney.. The Bruce Herald states that the flaxmilling industry is in full working order in the •- Milton district just now, and large quantities of fibre are being daily sent away to the ■■■'■■■■.market," either for Home or Dunedin. The estimated population of West Australia at the end of September, was 227,961, being an increase of 1054 for the month, and of 14,486 for the 12 months. Of the total 157,312 are males and 20.649 females. Something bordering on a strike has taken place on the Cheviot railway line. On Thursday several of the men gave up work on the ground that they were not abie to mike more than 5s a day. This was on the portion of line between the Hurunui and Mackenzie. During the voyage of the steamer Karlsruhe, wnich arrived at Melbourne lately from Bremen, a saloon passenger named Mrs. Ackroyd, 85 years of age, who was booked for Sydney, succumbed to sunstroke, received during the Bed Sea passage. Ihe bodv was buried at sea. ~ The New South Wale 3 Premier has replied to the protest from Nonconformist religious bodies at Grafton against a recent Sunday football excursion, staring that in- ' structions have been given not to again grant the use of the Government ferry steamer for such purposes. Some excitement was caused at the Bendigo School of Mines a few days ago through the telephone wire coming in contact with the electric current which feeds the tram service. The telephone wire instantly fused and set fire to the wooden fittings. No further damage was done. In one of the district flaxmills in Southland (says the Wyndham Farmer) the -" Jaands"'"iaclude natives of almost every State in the Commonweaiffi— and they are ' all recent arrivals. This tends to show how labourers from other climes are being attracted to prosperous New Zealand. A fatal accident happened at Hyne and Sons' sawmills, Maryborough, Queensland, recently. A youth named John James Shelly "got caught in some machinery and received terrible injuries. Both his feet .were torn away and one hand was torn from the body. Shelly lived about 15 minutes after the accident. As showing the wonderful producing powers of well-bred and selected strains of dairy- cattle, Mr. Studholme mentioned at a Canterbury- dairy meeting that some of the Sunnvside dairy cows, which were under the "supervision of Dr. Levinge, produced an average of from 700 to 800 gallons V> of milk per annum. Two months ago a man named Smith was found insensible in a railway carriage, and was taken to the Fjemantle ("West Australia) Hospital. As he failed to regain consciousness, part of the skull was removed, -n and three tumors were taken from the brain. r He has now regained possession of his faculties, and is recovering. The- report oi Mr. J. IMvis, the UnderSecretary for Public Works in New South Wales, on the sewerage scheme for Perth and suburbs, waa presented to Parliament re- ! cently. Mr. Davis recommends the adoption • .'of underground drainage and the septic lank system, at an initial cost of £212,641, ■aod an ultimate cost live years hence of £210,320. A man named Kellett narrowly escaped being killed at the South Melbourne railway station a few nights ago. As the signal was given to the driver to " go ahead" Kellett fell between two carriages, and lay with his head and shoulders across the rails. The engine was instantly stopped. Had it , moved six inches the man would have been titled. The director of the Lincoln Agricultural College has suggested that a course of 12 lectures in wool-sorting and classing should be held in connection with the institution. v The Board of Governors last week, authorised i him to make the necessary arrangements, and to obtain the services of an expert. The lectures will probably be commenced at shearing time. ■Saddlers and harnessmaker3• at Albury, New South Wales, complain bitterly of the effect of the recent decisions of the Arbitra- ■ tion Court under which local tradesmen art prevented from having apprentices where only one journeyman is kept. This means that nearly all mint do the whole of their •own work. In one case a saddler has his son apprenticed, and must discharge him or pay £2 8s per week, * : '\ Veterinary-Surgeon, Desmond and Inspector Williams made an interesting discovery at Mount Garabier (South Australia). Two pigs that were, submitted to a post-mortem examination, were found to be affected with measles. Mr. Desmond states that when the flesh of the pig affected with the parasites •* of measles is consumed oy men in a partiallycooked condition, not sufficient to kill the parasites, the disease may be transmitted. .A Port Melbourne butcher named Rogers met with a remarkable accident recently. He was cutting the pluck out of a sheep when the carcase slipped from the hook, and. striking the butcher's knife, forced the blade into Roger's leg just below the groin, severing the artery. Constable Meuey, who had some knowledge of ambulance work, managed to partially stop the bleeding until ,: medical help was obtained, and thus saved the man's life.