NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13049, 14 December 1905, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

.Sierra .eft for Sydney. Waikare from the South this morning. The Northern Company's new steamer \ ' Aupouri will arrive from Scotland to-day. The Cormv.-pll (0. Argus states that a _ large number of shearers from Australia arrived at Mount Pisa last .week. " The 'fasmanian Full Court has ruled that •' -j no Federal officers are liaise to pay, ability ■ tax, which is another form, of income tax. ; ■ Th<s secretaries of the movement to .protest to the King against the Federal Home Rule resolutions expect •to obtain 100,000 signatures in Victoria. i- -The Ballance (Wellington) Dairy Company will pay out 9d per lb for butter-fat supplied during. November, and £4000 will be distributed amongst suppliers. «• ' No slate? are to be used next year in the • , ;• Wanganui High School, their place being iaken by writing paids, which with the necessary lead pencils, will be supplied free of charge. 1 , The Melbourne Metropolitan , Board ; i of Works has math a-net profit of £59,835 by fattening sheep and cattle at the fertile sewage farm. 'J lie operations have ex- ■ tended over six years only. : , s A hint was thrown , out by thte Premier -•' last week that education boards should taike steps to have school property safe-guarded '; <. * against fire and damage by erecting care- , takers' cottages in the grounds and having •' caretakers on the spot. ■ , 1 The Public : Health Department- reports , * the following infectious disease cases as , ' y having occurred in Wellington for the week :' , ending December 9 : Scarlet fever, two; : i enteric fever, one; diphtheria, two. There v ' . w-ere no cases reported from, the Hutt County. ' / : ■ . The Oamaru" correspondent of the Christchurch Press says the crops re improving wonderfully with the beautiful weather, and . seemingly , the harvest-will not be so late as > . was expected. Root crops are making a .good start. Turnip hoeing is general in the « district, and rape," too, is looking very well.' . ' A strange accident happened at Orange, New South Wales, 'recently. A horse belonging to Mr. Hogan; of Cave Creek, attempted to jump a gate at a yard in Lord's place, but fell on the top of it, being impaled to a depth of about a foot. The gate - had to be cut away to free the unfortunate A ' animal, which was afterwards shot. ' ' • A somewhat unusual point- came before ■ the Petone Council recently, when the . ' town clerk! of Petone asked for a ruling as -V*. to .whether, the council should pay pound- >'■ age fees upon the poundage of the council's horses.. '; ? .The Mayor ruled that poundage i : , fees shouid not; be paid' on the ground that - the poundkeeper was a council -employee. - • , ~ A miner named William Nixon met with a peculiar accident- recently in the East _ ret ft' colliery, Newcastle, New. South Wales. While at his work a small bottle in , which ho carried matches : fell' from his / pocket and broke, causing the matches to ignite among some plugs oL powder.. An: explosion followed, ulud Nixon ; -i sustained " . sevpw burnuijr. injuries,-