INTERCOLONIAL BREVITIES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 15 March 1901, Page 4

INTERCOLONIAL BREVITIES.

In South Austra’ia the majority of the leading public men are announced as candidates for the Senate.

Diamond mining in the Inverell district is active, the local price being £1 per carat, and improved returns being obtained.

For the first time for 40 years there were neither civil or criminal eases set down for heaving on 21st February at Braidwood, N.S.W.

The annual average of stock passing through the Fiemington saloyards, New South Wales, is stated at 120,699 cattle and sheep. The silver-lead field just discovered in the Northern Territory is believed to be identical with one known by the blacks for many years past.

The net profits of the Sydney Fresh Food and Ice Company for the last halfyear mounted to £2789. No dividend is recommended, £2OOO has been written off plant, etc., and £lOll carried forward.

Mr G. E. Reume, of the Lands Department, stated recently that there were 20,000,000 acres available for settlement in New South Wales.

The total number of cases treated at Sydney Hospital last year was 25,829. The financial operations for the year show a slight credit balance. The woodcutters’ strike at Kalgoorlie, W. A., has been settled, the men having accepted the company’s offer of 24s a truck, equal to 8s a cord, and water. An enormous flow of water, equal to 7,000,000 gallons per day, has been struck at 776 feet, in the No 4 bore, Mullungera. in the Hughenden district, Queensland. Typhoid fever is prevalent at Mount Morgan, Queensland, the hospital being full of patients. Influenza is also prevalent, and the condition of the town is once more serious owing to the scarcity of water.

A cremation society has been formed in Sydney, with the Rev. George Walters as President, and Mr Cyril Blackett, Dr Zillman, and Mr John B. Steel as YicePresidents. Mrs E. Steel is the Secretary.

The opinion is expressed in Melbourne that the loan which Queensland is about to place on the local market will fetch from £93 to £93 10s, or from 20s to 30s more than if placed on the London market at the present time.

The W. A. Government has refused a request for permission to introduce a large number of camels and Afghan drivers. The Government intends to carry out the law preventing the importation of camels into the State. The W. A. Government has decided to set apart £IO,OOO to establish central vineries. A building is to be erected according to designs to be supplied by winegrowers, and the work will be put in hand as soon as plans are ready. Ticks have been showing activity round the Brisbane district since the rain set in. The Queensland Stock Department therefore advises dipping cattle, with a view to destroying fully developed ticks, and preventing them from depositing eggs. The Government Entomologist states that at no distant date, if San Jose scale is allowed to spread in New South Wales at the rate it has done for the last few years, fruitgrowers will find all outside market) of the world shut to their fruit on account of the pest. Mr Wm. Alfred Watson, who was superintendent at the Government Printing Office, Perth (W. A.), has been appointed Printer, vice Mr Richard Pether, retired, Mr Watson has been in the department thirty-four years.

The Postmaster-General of Tasmania has completed arrangements with the Union S.S. Company to run a mail service during the eight winter months of the year, commencing on Ist April, between Melbourne and the North-west Coast, thus allowing letters to be delivered at Hobart on Saturday morning. Mr E. W- Seager, usher of the Supreme Court at Christchrurch, relates a rather curious coincidence in connection with the coat of arms placed above the Judges’ seit in the Supreme Court buildings. Some time ago he collected subscriptions among the lawyers of Christchurch towards obtaining a coat of arms. The total cost was ;£ll os, Bnd each lawyer who subscribed and to pay exactly six and eightpence.