NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13451, 30 May 1907, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

IVextt-thbeb cases of scarlet fever were reported in Wellington last week.

t Cement works are about to be established" on"tha shores of Golden Bay, Nelson.

> Stoats and weasels are literally swarming all over Tapanui district, and there are scores of the weasels in the town.

The pampas grass in the lawn beds of Caroline Bay, Timaru, have made an astonishing growth of plumes this season.! with comparatively little growth of leaf.

The recent break in the weather has enabled farmers in the Waimea Plains district to get on with ploughing operations, and already large areas of land have been turned* over.' • ■ "- '* •

There are only half the number of entries for the field turnip competition in Tokomairiro this year that there were last year, which was only to be expected on account of the bad turnip season. *

Many settlers "who are already paying high rates (says a correspondent of the I Hawera Star) view with disgust the tollgate system which the Hawera County proposes to establish on the main roads; ;

limes change. Mr. Andrew Dawson, I who was once Premier of Queensland and j later (in ? the Watson - Ministry) "-Federal l Minister of '"Defence, is' to De found selling lollies behind the counter of a Melbourne suburban shop. ■ ••

"Inspectors are i eating up New Zealand," said the chairman at a recent meeting of the Kiwitea County Council, when a Tetter from the Government \ Health Department was read, asking for' a contribution towards the salary of a health inspector. 1 : *' ; : • ■■..': '- ; ;\ :'•

In a letter received at Wanganui a few | days ago from an ex-Wanganui-ite who is now in 'Frisco, the writer states that there! are at least 150,000 mechanics engaged in the work of rebuilding the city. Everything, .he says, .is , union,.even down to the ■'..' bootblacks. ~"*• •■" ■ "'* '""", "'

A small paddock : of barley sown by Mr. B. : Ede, of Allchton,' Ashburtoi, some 11 weeks ago is now fully 2ft 3in high and will shortly be out in ear. Mr. Ede first took a t crop of potatoes off the land in question, and the barley was sown to provide green feed for his stock.

Darinc the last three weeks an outbreak oi diphtheria has occurred in Invercargill and suburbs. Three cases are reported in the town proper, ana* one each in South and North Jnvei cargill. In nearly ail cases the disease was contracted by people recovering from measles.

.: There are now only eight life members of the .Legislative Council living. Thev are: The Hoas. W. D. H. Baillie (appointed 1861). C. C. Bowen (1891), C. J. Johnston (1891). G. McLean (1881), Sir H. J. Miller.(1885), J. D. Ormond (1891), H. ••Scotland (1868), and E. C. J. Stevens (1882). ' „

. ; = "Taihoa!" exclaimed the magistrate in the Court at Masterton recently, when a Chinese witness was reeling off " evidence" at the rate of knots in broken English. " John" looked bewildered for a moment at %a i word ihe evidently had not heard before, but the brief respite gavo Mr. Jaanes time to interpret the expressive Maori injunction into English, the witness therealter obeying. • . -(.•.<•■'..-,■:..•■ :'■■"''■._.'•