NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13084, 25 January 1906, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Navua left for Fiji. The annual report of the Lyttelton Harbour Board shows a surplus on the year s working of £7312. The licensed surveyors in the colony on the Ist iiist. numbered 407, an increase ' of 10 in the past 12 months.

/ V The Wellington City Council's balanceMi sheet for last year shows a loss of £6611 §fev' on the working of the tramways system jte:;. for 1905. It is expected that this year's V returns will lie more satisfactory. I|'; The average depth of water on the Grey mouth bar is 20ft. Last year the tonnage of vessels trading to that port in- ••- creased by 41.939 over the tonnage recordcd for the previous year. Mr. Fred Dorset, of Gladstone, Waira-S&i-'yi nipa, has a couple of record fields of oats. One field of Tartan King oats is estimated i- to yield over 100 bushels per acre, while ■f ; : a field of grey oats nearly equals that p : :: yield.

The Premier's contention that there is plenty of money awaiting investment in the colony appears to be borne out by the fact that, for the East Gore loan debentures. totalling £2300, no less than £15,000 war, offered to the borough coun-

The Wellington correspondent of the 0;-. , Lvttelton Times states that the Minister py. far Justice has informed him that he has now under cons'-'-ration the question of fefe extending juvenile courts, and hopes that I -. practical results will follow from the same |. to'.- before long. f£' The following peculiar letter appears in II';- . the Pahiatua Herald —"Sir, There is a I-V ■ most daring criminal in the back-blocks. He has systematically robbed and plunder;V-. 2d the settlers of their sheep and cattle for |kft years, and if they say anything they are knocked about, and their houses burned. "" Several settlers have been left homeless." The Kartangata correspondent of the ; Clutha Leader states that a bottle-nosed , whale came ashore at . Mens ley Beach, a number of people going over f| from Kaitangata to see it. Mr. Clements p managed to secure it in the surf and got jC i it to shore. From the appearance of it, ;.;v-: several substantial punctures being in its d body, it had evidently been driven inshore i.y; by svvordfish. r£,. In his hall-yearly report the secretary of f\ ' the Sydney Labour Council states" Re§§'l' cent decisions of the High Court of Aus§B tralia, relating to the jurisdiction of the i|i' State Arbitration Court, have awakened ll further interest in the matter of aubmi's&V%ion 'of disputes to the Court. Henceforth PI rrreat care will have to be exercised in the IS film" of claims in strict compliance with f." the Court's interpretation of the is Act '" ——======== .