NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 53

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The London, tramway profits foir last year were £645,000. _ . Hardwicke won the State Mile Swimming Championship at Sydney 'n 25min 32 i-ssec.

Mr Charles "Waters, founder of the International Bible-reading Association, is dead.

Sir H. Norman, M.P., has been, appointed Assistant Post master-general, an office created under the act of 1909.

The Queensland State revenue for the six months increased by £113,000, as compared with the same period last year. Torrential rains have fallen, in the southern districts of South Australia, and considerable damage has been done by floods.

Mr Lawrence Irving, from the stage of the Comedy Theatre, New York, denounced Mr Allan Dale's severe criticism of himself.

Of the first list of nine munipical officers issued by the new Mayor of New York City only one is a regular Tammanyite nominee.

The mineral exports frore Broken Hill last year were valued at £2,082,000, compared with £2,069,000 for the previous year. The Underwriters' Association, has been advised that the Ayrshire has been, badly damaged. Her cargo is being discharged. It is estimated that the loss will be great. About 80 New Zealand passengers by the Orient liner Orvieto were detained in Sydney owing to the liner arriving too late to connect with Saturday's steamer for New Zealand.

During Christmas week the staff of the Sydney General Post Office despatched 4,375,000 letters, post-cards, and parcels, exceeding the business of the previous Christmas week by 875,000. Statistics for the year 1908 show that the savings bank deposits 'in Prussia totalled £4-78,650,000. The excess of deposits over withdrawals was £6,000,000, chiefly in the Rhine. Province and Westphalia. A man found a 121 oz nug-get in his orchard at Mudgoe, New South Wales. The Sydney wool sales have reopened, There is a good demand at about December closing rates. The police in Vienna raided a well-known publishing house, 'and confiscated 30,000 erotic publications, valued at £6OOO. palace of the Grand Duke Nicholas Nicbolaievitch in. St. Petersburg was gutted by fire. Priceless collections of diamonds, studded armour, and porcelain have been destroyed. One hundred thousand Northumberland and Durham miners are idle. Three thousand have been persuaded l to resume work.

A search for two Edinburgh medicals who were out duck-shcoting on the Forth resulted in the recovery of the body of Dr R. M. Nicholson, whose father resides at Benalla (Victoria). The police in Paris arrested an Apache who was wearing leather bands studded with sharp spikes and razors. He also used a long knife and a revolver. Before he was arrested he had killed one policeman, while five others had to be taken to the hospital. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,515,000 quarters, and for the Continent 817,000 quarters. The Atlantic shipments were 235,000 quarters, and the Pacific 40,000 quarters. The total shipments to Europe for the week were 1,225,000 quarters, including 3000 from Argentine and Uruguay. The Japanese press unanimously condemn the neutralisation of the Manchurian railways. They declare that there is no justification for interference with the Portsmouth Treaty. Germany is criticsed for enjoying railway and mining privileges at Shantung, yet seeking to' deprive Russia and Japan of similar privileges .in Manchuria.

John Karling, who pleaded guilty at Napier to two charges of stealing _ bicycles, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment.

Typhoid fever has Broken out in the Bannockburn district. One death has occurred—that of Miss Short, who was only 22 years of age —and another case is reported. Anxiety is felt at Invercargill for the safety of Geo. T. Smyth, a local business man. Smyth had been suffering from insomnia, and got out of his bed saying that he was going down, town for ten minutes. He has not since been seen. A fire broke out on Tuesday morning in a four-storey brick building in Manse street, formerly known as Brown, Ewing's warehouse, and latterly used as sample rooms by the New Zealand Express Company. The building ' was completely gutted, nothing remaining but the outer walls, and these are not intact. The fire spread to the Central Dining Rooms, portion of which was destroyed. The Fire Brigade worked splendidly, and thanks to the wind dropping they were able to prevent the fine gaining a hold on the Princess Theatre and Ross and Glendining's Factory at the back and the buildings on the southern side. The building was insured for £2500 and the fittings for £l6O. Among those who had offices and stock in the building were Messrs C. N. Howison and Co., Messrs T. Fairbairn and Co., and J. B. MacEwan a.nd Co., all of whom were insured. The total damage is estimated at £IO,OOO. Some travellers who had samples stored will lose heavily.