Untitled

New Zealand Mail, Issue 860, 24 August 1888, Page 22

The model dairy at the Melbourne Ex hibition is painted sky-blue, a colour that has set the wits' tongfics wagging. It has been decided at Dunedin to send a Srilje team to Victoria. Efforts will be made to send an Otago team, to be chosen by competition.

Joseph Loney Kimbell, late proprietor of the Pier Hotel, has been adjudged a bankrupt. A meeting of creditors is to be held in the Official Assignee’s office at 11 a.m. to-day. Mr Elder, of North Wairarapa, is procuring nine shearing machines for this season ; also a four-horse power engino to drive them. The machines will cost £lO each. Mr Elder intends making a thorough te3t as to the relative merits of shearing by hand and by machinery (says the Woodville Examiner-, and intends putting nine men in competition with the nine machines, and afterward weighing the fleeces. The result of the experiment will prove interesting.

In the Bankruptcy Court yesterday week an application was made to the Chief Justice by Messrs Devine and Skorrett for the release of James Madden from the Terrace Gaol, in which lie has bpen confined for about three weeks. Mr Jellicoe opposed the application, on behalf of the Official Assignee. After considerable argument, the case waa adjourned until the next Monday, in order to enable Mr Jellicoe to file an affidavit showing cause why the bankrupt should not be released.

We have received fnSm the looal agent the annual report of the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Company. The balance-sheet shows the Company to be in a sound financial condition. It Is satisfactory to observe by the report that the energy and prudence which have given to the office so colossal a growth are still in operation to maintain and increase it. This yoar pays the same dividend as last year, aud adds £20,000 to the leserve fund, making the total funds in hand over £BOO,OOO.

Coal was very dear all last winter in Caliornia, and it was thought that it was not likely to occur again, as vessels aggregating 90,000 tons had been despatched from San Francisco for Newcastle (N.S. W.) in ballast. The threatened strike will probably mean that many of those vessels will have to visit Victoria and South Australia to obtain wheat charters, should coal not be obtainable. The value of the coal trade to Newcastle may bo inferred from the fact that the outout last year was nearly two aud a quarter million tons.

The down train on the Wellington-Mana-watu line Tuesday night was the largest ever run by that Company. It consisted of 36 waggons of live Btock, G waggons of dead meat, and S carriages of passengers and goods, 50 carriages in all. It was drawn by two engines from Longburn to Paikakariki and then with three engines into town. The dead meat is for the Wellington Freezing Company for shipment Home. There is at present a very good demand for live stock up the West Coast ; one large settler is supplying' 100 head a month for freezing alone. Notwitlistanding the heavy train, which was about a quarter of a mile in length, it arrived in excellent time.

From the North-West Post (Victoria) we take the following extract :—We learn that the Union Steamship Company are arranging to run one of their fleet of fast steamers between Formby and Melbourne, aud arrangements are being made with the Government Railway Department to run trains to suit the Bteamers. The Union Company, it is stated, only intend taking up passenger traffic, and the steamer plying between Melbourne and Formby will enter and leave the | Mersey on the same tide. The steamer which it is proposed to employ in the service is the Takapuna, a vessel which the Company had specially built to run across Cook Strait, and which is one of the most speedy vessels in these waters. A sad drowning accident occurred at Otaki on Tuesday morning, a young man named George D. Ross, employed as travelling agent for the Srager Machine Company, losing his life while crossing the Otaki River. It seems that the deceased waa crossing the river ia company with a man named Bills, both of them being on horseback. Ross’ horse would not swim, and he got off and took to the water with the intention of swimming across. Shortly after getting into the water he sank aud was not seen again. The deceased, who was unmarried, was about 23 years of age. He leaves an aunt and a sister in Wellington to mourn their loss. His parents have been dead for some time.