NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2915, 26 January 1910, Page 52

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The sugar export for the past season in Queensland was 101,297 decrease, of 16,652 tons as compared with the previous season.

The New South Wales Underwriters' Association has been advised that the steamer Ayrshire has been floated into the Liverpool dock for repairs. Arrangements a.re completing to take the Commonwealth census on April 2 and 3 of next year. Tbei Bishop of Ballarat has notified his intention -of resigning in December. He considers' that a younger and more vigorous man is needed to deal with the work of the diocese. A London cablet states that the court granted the- executor leave to swear 'the death of Captain Ilbery, of the Waratah. The railway and tramway earnings of New South Wales for the quarter increased by £56,000, while the expenditure increased by £140,500 compared with the corresponding quarter of last year. The increase ' in the expenditure was largely due to the coal strike. According to the Director of Immigration, New South Wales during the last four years gained 31,751 immigrants, which is double the number of arrivals of all the other States put together. The New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Papanui, which -struck an uncharted rock off the Tasmanian coast while en route to. Beauty Point from New Zealand, has arrived at Melbourne from Launceston for clocking and r-eipairs. Mr E. R. Wood, of the Dominion Securities Corporation, states that the bond issues of Canada in 1909 amounted to £53,031,000, of which Groat Britain took 74 per cent., Canada 22£ per cent., and the United States tba remainder. The Johanne-sbu.rg comet can be seen with the naked eve in many parts of England. The tail is four times the diameter of th© full moon. Mr Sefton, cx-Minister of the Interior, is advocating a thorough inventory of Canada's natural resources. A Brisbane cable of the 21st irst. - rvised that oppressive heat prevails, p several deaths from sunstroke ha\ occurred. Sir George Rekl has sailed for London to assume his duties as High Commissioner for Australia. The Imperial Bank of Berlin has induced its bank Tate te 4g per cent. Cape Colony in 1909 exported 297,614 bales of wool, which is a irecord. The Australian Federal Gazette removes the prohibition on the importation of horns and hoofs from New Zealand. Waigeitt, in New South Wales, is now a iiißJ. island; in an immensei sea of water.

As far as the eye can reach there is nothing but water, which is creeping with a snail-like pace on the town. So slow is the action that there is some hops that it will not overflow the town. The outskirts of Walgott are already model water. Several families have removed their belongings to places of greater safety. The rimes' New York correspondemt advises that the active commercial policy in South America of Chief Secretary of State Knox has resulted in an American firm .receiving a contract for two Dreadnoughts costing £4,400,000. The eorre.sDond«nt adds that opinion in Buenos Aires that the United States obtained the order through th- Government assuring the Argentine of its protection until the battleships were delivered. Another American firm is supplying - the ordnance for their equipment, valued at £200,000. The torpedoers are building in Europe.