News in Brief.

Otago Witness, Issue 1588, 29 April 1882, Page 23

News in Brief.

The Mayoral . election at Tapanui resultod" ,' in the return of' Mr M'Millan, who polled 3S votes to 3G by Mr J.D. Kett. •• ' '' Johnson's Family Hotel at Inyercargill , has been'.sjold toC. J. Desckler for £p,500. • It stands on a freehold quarter-acre in-Esk /3fci;eet.' ' The Mount Ida Chronicle , states that Mr. Lubecki, late of the Telegraph Department, ia ( • „ the purchaser of Mr Chapman's Maniototo )Station. l w , \-, 1 , i , % ) The Invercargill Rifles voted five guineas towards the liquidation of the'dqbt' incurred in consequence of the abandonment of the Dunedin review. '<• • . -• i.j Over £70 has been collected at Naseby for the presentation pf a testimonial. to Mr ILW. Robinson, R.M. The testimonial will take, the , form of a marble clock and a purse of sovereigns. ''.' ' ' ' ! ' '' : -_ Notice has been given of a motion' to bo introduced at the next meeting of the Tnver-' cargill Town Council pointing out that the running of tram-cars on bundays is not permitted i in the agreement entered into between the ' Council and the Tramway Company..'. ' The Southland News says that 'like the • town (Invercargill) itself the "city of the dead " attached to it is getting well populated. Since - ■''the ground was set apart for the purpose in 1861 ' the Uotal number of persons buried in the Eastern Cemetery up till 31st December, 1881—' twenty years— is no les,^ than 1525.' ' ' News from Oamaru ' 'states that another stack - fire occurred ' on Saturday 'night. A threshing-mill and a stack of oats . were destroyed. They were the 1 property of IMr William Dewar, of Ngapara. The former, w^s insured, .but the latter was not.' The ' ' cause Of the fire is unknown; 'but incendiarism is suspected. ' . ' At a meeting of the North Otago Agricultural Society, Mr Falconer .suggested that a class should be instituted for , the exhibition of '.champion .horses, who had taken first honours three years running, and that such should, not be allowed, to compete in other , classes. He instanced a, case in whidi a, certain horse had been' at ,the .shows fov-many ' years, and had secured honours each year^ thus -preventing other horses being brought forSvjard. :'"<•»•«,.. ; j The Wakatip' Mail says' that ' birds' continue ,very destructive in Orohards;- especially the/ native moka and parson-bird> which has •»> sharp, long beak. The birds are -' death " upott sione- fruit, and are 'beginning to attack', in' their absence, apples and. pqars. They are l saJ 'evil not easily put down,' as , they do,,not . . '^descend to the ground ,fo.r.< their food, and prey fer fruit to poisoned wheat or oats. The" waxeye brings 1 up in' the 1 rear 'in number and activity, though smaller in size. It { s, there l ; fdre, equally destrtibttyb.' ' v " ' )'/'■■- !The annual report of the North .Otaffo. Agricultural Association shows an available credit balance- of £213 14s ; 9d,, as, against '£169 15s 8d last 'year, making tlie gain on the show of 1881 £43 19s Id. The total amount of the i property of tho i Association, including land and plant, is £3G78 5s 3d. The total value of prizes awarded was £3§5 14s, the. number, of p^ize'-takers being "79. 'The 'highest .amount gained was £53 15s, and the lowest 12s 6d, thY ' / average being £4 17s 7d. • • jA Duntroon correspondent of the North' Qtago Times expresses the hope that Mr t ßobert' Campbell on his arrival 'may see his ' way'to recommend the o'oinpany to cut up thatfine pie6e of agricultural land, which ' is about ' seven square miles in extent, lying behindl|untroon township. 'This, is considered • the best land on the Upper Waitaki, but as it jStands now it is not worth much to the company save for grazing a few she^p: , If it'could ,bJB broken up it would give employment to many, -and enrich the country. The farmers of Maerewhenua, who have been cropping on iMr M'Mastor's land, will be almost out of land for the next two or three- years, in consequence y os Mr M'Masterhaying put down £he whole of 'his land,in grass.', [ ■