SEWS IX BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 52

SEWS IX BRIEF.

A whale 97ft long has been killed at Twofold Bay. H.M.S. Inflexible, at her test, made a sjjeed of 27i knots. ./ , The sum of £1060 has been, anonymously donated tc the Queensland Bush Brother-* hood. Jajjan has intimated ihat she is withdra^ring one-half of her troops from the Peking Province before the winter. A worm lias been discovered in South Australia which may possibly to be ' theiparasite for the codlin mothS I The Swiss National Council, by 84 to 4, | adopted the Workmen's Sickness and Acci- | dent Insurance Bill. i The first touch of shmmei was experi- ' enced in Sydney .on ths 7th, when ihe thermometer was over 90deg in the oity. , An ancient manuscript valued at £20,000 has been stolen front the Winter Palace . at St Petersburg. i The South Australian Legislative Council ; carried a " motion disapproving the de- ! spatch sent by the Premier (Mr Price) in ' August 'last suggesting that StatS Governors should in future be- selected locally. During the swimming season in England Tartakover (Victoria) won six races swum in connect ion with the Otter Club, was thrice, and third once, all from scratch. He received two cups for the highest points in the handicap. Tht Miners' Federation of Great Britain has resolved to apply for admission to (he Labour party. conditionally on the members- of Parliament now "representing the federation not being asked tc sign t!— party's constitution except in' the event of j an election. I There are 7523 cost offices in Australia, • or on© for every 558 persons. • j The South^* Australian Government has , purchased the Moun^ Schaock Estate, ot ' 40,000 acres, for purposes of closer settle-, ment. , Lord tßipon resigned the office of Lord Pfivy vS^al oa account of old ageSir J.\H. Carruthera, ex-Premier, has fceen aprointtd to the New South Wales _Upper House. The rost of refloating the warship Wadjato,-, run down Jjy the .Atlantic liner St. Paul, was £50,000. At the London wool 3a!es on Monday prices reached the highest level of the present ssries, and the tone was excellent. The catalogues comprised chiefly meeinos and Continental buyers are very active. The president of tho Board of Health. Sydney, declares that judgment in regard to the Xavin treatment for leprosy muse fee held in suspense. He has so far treated four patients foi a considerable period without observing any improvement, but *he treatment will be continued. The total quantity of wheat and flour •' •float; for the United Kingdom is 1 945 COO ■ quarters, anel for the" Continent 2,205iC00 quarters. The Atlantic shipments are 389,000 quarter, and the Pacific 135,000 quarters. The total shipments to Europe were 1,390,000 quarters,, incltzain? 92,000 I quarters from the Argentine and XJrwruay. Su T. Bent, in the course of an address at a public meeting, announced that he bad turned turtle on the women's franchise question, and that he intended to iritrodtfefce the necessary measure. He hoped that women would hay© the f ranch ke in Victoria within a. year. A Chinese >usk has arrived at Fremantle, TV. A. She originally fame from Sfcin Francisco, but lately from Tahiti- The captain, whose name is Williams, tried to go round the Horn, but damaged the rudder. He is on his way to Shanghai. He has his wife and daughter aboard the vessel, which is manned by whites. There is nothing suspicious about the vessel. A curious riot occurred at Kotukappan, near Pondicherxy, India. Some Mussulman boys annoyed a French fisherman, who reialiated. causing Ihe Mussulmans to assist their boye. The British police tried to suppress the riot by firing blank oartridge. »nd the French responded with ball, killing one Mussulman and seriously 'wounding eight others. Later a number of French rowdies loeted the 6hops of the Mussulman and the gardens. MJr Aequith, speaking at Leeds, claimed that the whole nation approved of the Government's policy in the Near East. He Reiterated the statement that "there would be no trenching on_ the margin of their asBured naval supremacy.' which' was the margin of safety for them as a nation. •Regarding the education question, the Premier declared that th» Government jyould not assent to any settlement that left unredressed Jh greatest and most 'J2^ y ' fe justice caused by the aot of 1902. The Dunedin Central Mission authorities intend to erect on the ground in Moray ptoce East which they recent! v purchased *n up-to-date and well-equipped hall; The t*nd coat £3000, and the hall is estimated 3o cost £12,000. At a meejdng of the Police Provident. JBoard pensions were granted as follows: — enwpeotor MacDonnell, Napier, 33 years' tervioe, £225 per annum; Constable A. tfhroxiet, PaJmerston North, 38 yeajs' scrVJoe, £104 per annum- „ The ptst winter has caused tfee greatest

mortality yet known among 'the Native* of th-3 district of Wairoa. i Slight troubles continue between the men working at the Qtira Gorge tunnel on the Midland railway and the representatives o£ the contractors. On the 6th some' 30 men refused to because* their demand for half an hour for " onb '" was refused, but they resumed again. The union had not been consulted in the matter. The men are now working six-hour shifts. The tunnel is reported to be very wet. ' Mr Andrew Martin lias been elected as first chairman of the tiore District High School Board.