NEWS IS BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2806, 25 December 1907, Page 52

NEWS IS BRIEF.

Silver was quoted in London on the 16th inst. at 2s lgd per oz. The National Bank of New Zealand has declared a dividend of 10 per cent. It is estimated that 20 persons were killed in the mine explosion at Yolande (Alabama, U.S.A.). The New South Wales Government agent in South Africa reports that Australian products arß becoming more popular. A movement is afoot to secure an extension of Mr Raweon's term. . The Times' Tokio correspondent says that the success of Japanese steamers in - trading to Bombay is wholly dtre to their contracting with the, Japanese spinning companies for the transport of raw cotton at cheap rates and to regular supplies. Grasshoppers have invaded the Orange district, New South Wales. Millions of them a** ravaging the crops. The Prince of Wales has presented a shooting challenge cup for competition * among the Cadet corps of the schools of the Empire. An explosion in a privately-owned arms factory at Palermo, Italy, killed 25 workers and injured 100 others. The British War Office has purchased the right to use Poulsen's wireless telephone, by which it is oossible to communicate a distance of 250 miles. The seismic records preceding the four last mining disaster* in the United States suggest that the earth's unrest is a contributory cause. The late Baroness Adolphe Rothschild bequeathed £140,000 to Jewish charities in Paris. Mr Haldane (Secretary for. War), speaking 'at Huddersfield, admitted that German military experts had supr^ested much of bj« scheme for a. territorial army during hi« visit to Berlin last year. Over 20 teachers are "passengers by the e.s. Wimmera, from Sydney for Auckland. They attend the conference at Auckland and" will afterwards take part in cricket, tennis, and bowls in the North Island. William Walker, a deacon of an aristocratic Baptist Church, and treasurer of the New ' Britain, Connecticut Savings Bank, U.S.A., was arrested while working in a Mexican mine, after ausconding with £122,000 of the church and bank funds. Splendid rains up to Bin have fallen m the northern districts of Queensland. All the rivers are flooded, and railway traffic is disorganised through floods and washawaya. Two trains with supplies for Cloncurry stuck 26 miles' out of the towm Camel -teams were engaged to take on the goods. .Reuter states that Colonel Mackenzie has. collected overwhelming evidence of the ret*ellious intentions of certain prominent Zulus, and also evidence relating to the instigators of Stainbank's murder. The destroyed 45 huts at Dinizulu's Natamba kraal in Zululand. . Dr Clifford; Mr Frederic Harrison, and other lwyifrs intend to memorialise Sir H. Camp-bell-Banuerm an, protesting against the Natal Government's treatment of the Zulus, and declaring that Dinizulu's past record is one of unblemished integrity. Germany has agneed to submit to arbitration the dispute between the Portuguese Government and Prince Hohenlohe in connection with the proposed sanatorium at Madeira. A German syndicate, with Priuce Hohenlohe as president, obtained a conces* tion to build a sanatorium, the conditions >«ing such that it would practically control the island. As a result of an JVgitation by British business men, the Madeira concession was cancelled, and the syndicate has now claimed damages for the cancellation. The Dunedin market is almost bare of onions. Mr A. Mathecon has been asked by the Roßlyn borough councillors to stand for Mayor for another term. , j The Government training ship Amokura ; (lately H.M.S. Sparrow) is' at present at , Port Chalmers. . Thomas Ryan, a rabbiter, 25 years of ! age, was found dead in a hut near Cyde on Saturday morning. 1 A fire which broke out in Asbburton on Friday night- proved the most disastrous in the history of the town. -The insurances and estimated losses are: — Dorm and Sons, £700 on the building (estimated value, 81500) and £400 on the stock, in the North British (carrying £900); Scott and Co., 6200 on the stock, office unknown (carrying £300); Henry Stephenson, £250 on the buildings and £40 on the furniture, in Norwich Union; Henry M'Elrea, £50 on cottage and offices in the Liverpool and London and Globe (estimated value of the house, £100. In a golf match at Deal. A. Massy, th© French champion, beat James Braid, exEnglish champion. A claim for £855 damages is being -made ajrainst the Dunedin City Corporation in oonnection with the fire last week in the Crown Hotel buildings. The public and private schools in and around Dunedin broke up for the holidays during last week. Mr T. Mackenzie, M.P., as chairman of the Educatjon Board, received no less than 30 applications ' to be present at the prizejrivinsr ceremonies at schools in the city and in the country. j Fruiterers in Auckland are asking that j the hawkers of fruit should be called upon ( to pay a heavy license fee. These hawkers, ft was pointed out, having no rent to pay, ; were able to undersell the shopkeepers, ; iDnleee some relief was afforded, it was ; feared the shopkeeper- would be wiped < out altogether. Th© council referred the toatter to itu Legal Committee. i The Dunedin Fire Board estimated the j Expenditure in connection with fire 1 brigades for the year ending June, 1908, at j ,64074. Of fhis, the Government is exjpected to pay £200; insurance companies and City Council each £1937. At the Police Court. Auckland, Alfred Croseey and hia wife, boarding-house-keepers, were sentenced to one month and | three months' imprisonment concurrently j on a charge of illegally trafficking in in- ' toxicating liquors. After the sentence had

beep passed Mrs Crossey pleaded that she had several children to support, and the magistrate promised to reconsider her case in th© morning. The police then proceeded with nine other charges of sly-grog selling against the male defendant, and he was committed for trial. The agricultural statistics published in the Gazette show the area for threshing in wheat this year to be 192,684 acres, a decrease of 18,074 acres ; oats, 386,626 acres,an increase of 14,652 acres. Most of the other crops show an increase, except potatoes, which indicate a decrease of .. 4436 acres, 'and pease a decrease of 2706 acres.