NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14158, 6 September 1909, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

New railway workshops axe to he built at Timaru for light repairs to trucks and the like. ' Thirteen persons arrested on charges of ■ drunkenness, two on charges of theft, and one on a charge of vagrancy, occupied the police cells last night. The Government has not yet appointed a successor to the late Sir. Turnbuil, S.M., at Hawera, but it is anticipated that this will be done at an early meeting of Cabinet. Owing to the prevalence of measles and other sickness at Port- Chalmers, the committee of tho Port Chalmers District High School'has decided to close the school for the present. With the arrival of the. new motor lire engine now on order- from Home, the Christchurch Fire Board will be in possession of a fleet of four motor engines—three chemicals and one pumping water. The diver of the Wellington Harbour Board has been engaged for the last few days examining the steamer Charles Edward, sunk in the Wanganui River entrance, the proposal being to blow her up. The total rainfall at Wellington for tho eight • months ended August 31 was 30.53 in. This is 4.53 below the average of previous years. The heaviest day's raia in August was on the 18th, when 2.11 in was recorded. In these days of shortness of money, it is interesting to note that the Groymouth town clerk has received a circular from a London financier offering to give a quotation for the issue of any loan to the extent of two million pounds sterling. Residents in the Ponsonby district other than the Ponsonby Road are advised to lay I in a stock of water early on Tuesday morn- ■ ing, as the pressure of water will from eight •; a.m. till six p.m. on that day be very -low throughout the district, and off altogether at the highest points. Owing to the inability of the president of the. Auckland Chamber of Commerce (Mr. Bart. Kent; to attend the Empire meeting of Chambers of Commerce, to bo held in Sydney next week, the Chamber will be rpresented by Mr. C. J. Parr, who, is' now on a visit to Australia. "His bark is worse than his bite," declared a solicitor in defence, of a, client at ths Christchurch Magistrate's Court. " There is no bite in the charge," replied the magistrate. "Oh! isn't there remarked Sub-Inspector McGrath, "he bit one of the porters who attempted to pub him , out of the hotel." Lake Ellesmere, despite the huge accession of flood waters recently, is at a particularly low level at the present time, tho outlet into the sea- which was opened not long since having answered splendidly, and given better results than were obtained at any previous attempt to reduce the extent of land covered by tho lake. For some days Cabinet has been busily engaged framing the Estimates for the current year. The main effect of the retrenchment policy will only be apparent in the figures from September 1, when the salaries of most of the officials who have been retired ceased. It is expected that the Estimates will continue to engage the attention of Ministers for some time. Interviewed at Groymouth with reference to' the slackness of the coal trade, Mr. Colvin, M.P. for Buller, stated that next session he would urge the Government to impose a protective duty on imported coal. lie believed that existing legislation would be sufficient to prevent New Zealand companies taking advantage of such duty to proportionately increase their prices. A useful idea is at present being put into operation by the Wellington Tramway authorities. Route maps, coloured, of tho city tramway system are being framed and displayed in the various tramway waiting sheds and other public places for the convenience of visitors to the city. At a glance the stranger may see for himself the direction and length of the various routes, and note also the main points of interest to be witnessed along these routes.