NEWS IN BRIEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12910, 5 July 1905, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Niwaiw left for London. Zealaudia left for the South. Wanaka due from the South. Tomoana due from Loudon and Australia. The Government schooner Countess of Ranfurly arrived from the Islands yesterday.

A resident, of the Donald district, Victoria, killed 17,027 mice during the seven weeks ending June 15.

/ Dairy factory n anagers in Otago are resolutely refusing all milk that comes to their works from suppliers who feed their cows 011 turnips.

Last week Mr. F. McCallum, of Flag Sv. f amp, Otago, suffered a heavy loss by the death of a mare by Gau'.t's Hatfield, which he na'tl purchased a lew days previously at the high figure of £76.

"When I took the coat I was intoxicated, 1 ' said a prisoner at the Magistrate's Court, . Wellington, last Friday. " You won't be intoxicated again for six months," was the magistrate's reply.. . .

There are about 200 men engaged on the railway works near Scargill (North Canterbury), and- 20 more will be added. The work is now about two miles and a-quarter on the north side of the HiA-unui.

In an address delivered at Stratford last week,- Mr. AY. H. Hawkins, M.H.R., said he would not be surprised if 15 or 20 electorates carried no-license this year. They were, he said, going to carry it in Pahiatua. It is said that at a wedding in a' Milton, Otago, church recently, a blushing bride absolutely refuted, when the formula " to love, honour, and obey" was to be repeated, to bind herself to the possibilities attached to the last-mentioned duty.

There are a, considerable number of unemployed men in the Westport district at the present time. Several now arrivals from Australia nave been compelled to apply to the- borough authorities for sufficient employment to enable them to earn food and lodging.

Farming operations in Ashburton, Canterbury, are much later than usual. The late harvest of last season and. the rough weather during the past month, are mainly responsible for this, a'nd so far very littlewheat has been sown. Farmers complain of the scarcity of good, reliable ploughmen.

The president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (Mr. D. D. Macfarlane) said recently that he had been told by a gentleman thoroughly acquainted with the flax industry that a man with 50 acres of suitable land could make a very comfortable income by growing flax. . It could be cut once in three years,

The West Australian' Government entomologist (Mr. G. Cooper), who recently discovered the codlin moth parasite, has received news by the latest American mail, reporting the continued success of the parasite. The Californian Commissioner of Horticulture, in a letter, says the parasites are giving the fullest satisfaction.

An exchange states. that an ex-Christ-church boy, who adopted the sea as a profession, and wlio has occupied the position of captain for several years, is shortly returning to the colony, having amassed something approaching a fortune by successfully running the blockade at Port Arthur on numerous occasions towards the end of last year. . , >>

Many persons are inclined to doubt the existence of spontaneous combustion in fesystacks. We (Wairarapa Times) learn febat actual proof has been made manifest fe the case of a stack on Cumloden property, which actually burst into flames. The internal portion was found to be alf2i>st in the condition of ensilage, through fcs.7ir.g been stdfe&ed in a wet etete.

The Waimate correspondent of.tie Oamam Mail'states that on the 2'7th ult. a farmer in the district lost a valuable horse oil his Gorge Hill farm. The horse died suddenly and while steps were being taken to bury it it was found that 15 sheop in the same paddock were taken suddenly ill and. in a' short time six of them were dead, and one or two appeared to be so bad that they were not expected to recover. ,

An engine-driver named Robert Dodd was battered to death at the Mount Lyell Chemical works, Yarraville (Victoria), on June 20. The sleeves of his jacket caught in a screw on the shafting, and he was whirled round and round till the machinery was stopped. One arm was torn off at the shoulder, and the l-er arm, neck', shoulder, and both legs broken. His skull was also fractured. Deceased leaves a widow with 10 children.

When a case was called on. for hearing at the Christcliurch 'Magistrate's Court, Mr. who appeared for one of the parties, staged that he noticed a) lady short-hand-writer present ready to take notes, and he would like to know for whom she was takimr notes. The magistrate replied that he could not object to a person taking notes if he wanted to. He had never heard the point raised before. He did not see that there could be any objection.

" Your country is the finest I have yet visit/" 1 " said Mr. Flavell Havward, of the Brescans, to a Lytteltou Times reporter Hcf week When one looks at the smiling contentment of the New Zealand workin"- man and compares his lot with that of the poor of England's large cities, one wonders whv the working man here ever growls. * have been in many countries, and have studied their laws with interest but New ZeaJfd is certainly the most democratic "■* J i advanced country I have visited..