NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13870, 2 October 1908, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

.-Up to Wednesday the ! i Arthur's Pass tunnel had been, driven in 733 ft. - Mr. Mason, expert water diviner, is to by the Government to ; visit Cen- ■ tral Otago. t ■ The Ohinemuri County Council has given .peninission for the Council's fleet banner 'to be presented to the surgeon on the war- ,':'■ ■■ ship Vermont^;. * .'■ ' The occupants of the police cells last night were four deserting sailors from the ; Rippingham Grange,' and four men arrested for drunkenness. The Government has declined to offer a bonus for the invention of a steam snow plough capable of dealing with the blocking of roads by heavy snowfalls. The question of appointing an expert ■ wool grader has been, considered for some ' years by the Government.; but no workable 1 scheme has so far been formulated. V Potatoes are. a drug in the Southland market. Very large quantities are offer* ing, but merchants are, not at all keen to buy even at £2TGs to £2 12s 6d. These ( are about the ruling quotations. The Minister ' for Mines has approved of the recommendation of the Westlarid Land Board for a lease of 30,000 acres to Mr. R. C. Webb, of Christchurch, on ;/ -behalf of a local syndicate,. for wood pulp making- purposes. A Winton business man, who had occasion to take his cash , register to pieces, ',;',. received a pleasant surprise by finding a' : cheque for £6 and three single £1 notes in the back of the ; register. The cheque was drawn in 1906. Mr. G. W. Leadley remarked at a meeting of the Canterbury Fanners' Union Executive, that the time was fast approaching when .there would only be two classes in the community—the!, inspectors '•'-"and the inspected. In view of the London County Councils determination to include colonial views and ; subjects in the'iliet' of pictures for the decoration of schools under their jurisdiction, the Government of New Zealand is communicating on the subject with the Coun- ; cil. ■:."■'" "'. The "prophet" Eua recently sent a request to the Cook County Council to form ■ a track ; to his camp three chains wide. He desired the road greatly, and it was • the desire of his heart, but he would not contribute one penny to the cost. The Council decided to suggest to Rua that he •or his people should offer to contribute towards th« cost of the work, either , by money or labour.