TOPICAL TITBITS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1197, 8 February 1895, Page 21

TOPICAL TITBITS.

The net profits of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company for six months amount to <£340,000. The Australian Rifle Association will try to send an Australian team to England in 1896. A branch of the British Astronomical Association has been founded in Sydney. The Dunedin Harbour Board’s revenue for January was the best for one month yet received. It shows an increase of <£1614 upon the revenue of January last year. The German warship Bussard has been overhauled and re-decked in Calliope Dock. The Spur road in Block 11., Woodville Survey District, has been declared a district road. A public meeting at the Christchurch Opera House on Saturday, protested against the finding of the Commissioners in the charitable aid enquiry. The lowest tenderer for the Pacific cable guarantees a speed of from 15 to 18 words, per minute. The Sydney Daily Telegraph ridicules the Federal Council. The. Mangawhio and Upper Waitotara Valley roads, in Patea County, have been declared county roads. Can dogs find their way home from a long distance ? asks a paper. It’s according to the dog. If it’s one you want to get rid of he can find his way back from California; if it’s a good one he’s apt to get lost if he goes round the corner. The 300th factory was registered at Dunedin on Monday. The New Brighton Pier Company, Christchurch, has resolved to go into liquidation. The people of Eltham want a road board constituted for the district. The Bulls bridge over the Rangitikei River is in need of repair. The proprietors of Block No. 10 Mine at; Broken Hill have decided to erect a concentrating plant capable of treating 20,000 tons of crude sulphide ore per week. The new wing of the Napier Girls’ High School is complete. The branches of several of the trees planted on Arbour Days in Manchester square, Feilding, and Kimbolton road, havt* been wantonly broken down. People who wander about for destruction of this kind ought to be made an example of. The Auckland Board of Education has refused the request for the inspection of Roman Catholic schools, only one member supporting the proposal. The live cattle on the Buteshire, for London, are fed mainly with lucerne hay, bub chaff and bran are also provided. Eltham people are asking for regular sittings of the Magistrate’s Court. They also want a lock-un, so that the district is going ahead rapidly. The committee of the Dunedin Athenaeum have had lists prepared of the best book* in political economy, socialism, sociology, astronomy, biography, and travels, to lo placed in prominent positions for the guidance of students. A committee has been formed at Rang - wahia, Rangitikei, to arrange for tn > annual sports, which are to take place o;t the 18th March.

Several complaints have been made to the Wellington police of whares at .Karat: n Bay and the neighbourhood having been entered and their contents abstracted. Seven stud sheep of the pure Bord c Leicester breed were imported from England by the Ruapehu by Mr William 80a,.;, Canterbury. The Pahiatua County Council intend i > call for tenders for metalling Te Aupag t. road, to the value of .£2OO. There is a general revival in mining throughout the Thames, Ohinemuri, an l Coromandel districts. The prospects arc better than for many years past. Mr McCarthy’s tender has been accepte l for approaches to the Mangatainoka bridg , on Bridge road. The bush fires caused a lot of anxiety at Tiraumea North, where many settle- i stayed out for three nights protecting the; e property. At Ngaturi an orchard belonging to Messrs Miller Bros, was entirely destroyed. The Upolu had a critical experience in the recent storm on the Australian coast. When she came to the wharf in Sydney harbour she had such a tremendous list that it was difficult to stand on the deck. There is a beautiful sulphur spring on the road leading to Mr Donald Donald ’4 property at Makuri.

The Rev Thomas Cook commenced a ten days’ mission in the Wesley Church, Taranaki street, on Sunday morning. Ti e service in the afternoon was specially f c children, but a large number of adults were also present. In the evening the preach, c took for his subject, Christ weeping over Jerusalem. The Rev Mr Cook is a fluent and impressive speaker. There were very large cong-regations at all the services, especially at night, when the church w;.s crowded. A mission choir, under the conductorship of Mr Billman, sang the appropriate hymns, and Mr Harland presided :;t the organ. Mr A. IT. Truebridge has been appointed agent at Petone and the Lower liutt fe e the New Zealand Times and New Zealand Mail.

Some person at Karamea (45 miles nori of Westport) has reported to the Collector of Customs, at Westport, that on the night of the 80th nit. he observed rockets beirg sent up in the direction of Rocks Point, between Westport and Karamea. The Collector has in due course reported to the Marine Department, but as no vessel is missing no significance is attached to tli«

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