NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13482, 5 July 1907, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

H.M.s. Prometheus in port. Talnne arrived from the South. India arrived from Valparaiso. Hauroto arrived from the Eastern Pacific. , : ■; Lambing has already commenced in the Masterton district. .■'.

A farm near Hawera was sold last week for £50 an acre.

The value of the estate of the late Mr. Charles Rasp, the founder of Broken Hill, has been sworn, at Adelaide, at £48,000;

A timber-getter named Alfred Olsen, aged onlv 18 years, was crushed to death at Koppin Yarratt (N.S.W.) by a tree falling upon him. Several wood pigeons have been observed in New Plymouth borough during the past week. As the bush pigeon is becoming very scarce it is to be hoped that the visitors will not be molested.

It is said that nearly £100 changed 'lands over the Ruahine-Martinborough football-match on Saturday, and that, the followers of the Maryborough team were the. principal Jokers. ; At the Cieelong Court (Victoria) Mrs. . Emma, Humble, ex vice-president of the : Woman's National -League, -was fined* £5. " with costs, for canvassing in an election * booth during thedast Federal election.

Like many of the old-time sailing ships which used to trade in China waters, the barque Wuolla'hra, at present in Wellington, is equipped with an armoury containings six old muzzle-loading muskets and bayonets and half a dozen cutlasses, with which to welcome pirates. The demand for carpenters in Wellington is reported to be better this winter than during the wet period of last year. Competent men are commanding the highest wages, and it is said that there is every likelihood of trade being even brisker in the near future.

A curious point under the Factories Act was determined at Melbourne recently in the Full Court in the case of Bishop v. Chung Brothers, when it was decided that a firm can be prosecuted as such, but that the conviction must be recorded against the individual members of the firm. .The case was remitted to the magistrates for re-. hearing. Profiting by the error in, connection with the South Australian Senate election, the ..Department of Home Affairs has framed specific regulations to ensure the safety of ballot-papers for a proper period under the Referendum Act. •-. It :is provided tjhat ballot-papers must be preserved, after the polling, in the custody of the divisional returning officer, until the result of the referendum can be " no longer in question."'