GENERAL NEWS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 6 December 1901, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

The London Stock Exchange hss 4092 members.

A penny on the British income tax represents £6,312,000. In England sugar now costs £ls a ton. In 1801 it cost £95 a ton.

In Great Britain £600,000 a year is spem oil roses and carnations, and another £50,000 on violets. The cost of firing a single shot from a 16-in gun would pay a private soldier for fivo years. Every 1000 British people have between them 107 newspapers daily; 1000 Russians have seven.

Only 73 in 1000 letters delivered in the United Kingdom come from abroad. India's national expenditure, compared to population, is the lowest in the world —only 8s a head. More than 3000 people havo been 'lynched' in the United States in the past 20 years. In 1892. which was the worst year on record, there were no fewer than 236 cases of lynching. The way in which the Shamrock was handled is giving rise to much criticism. Many men who watched tho series of races contend that the British yacht was beaten more by errors of judgment than the superiority of the American. Too much talent, it is thought was on board, and thus Captain Sycamore was hampered, not having a really free band. Many yachtsmen maintain that if the challenger had beon properly sailed she would have had two wins to her credit instead of being defeated. Errors are pointed out at length, aud theoetically a good case has been established —Laffan's Agency,

A case of sticking-up is reported from the South. Shortly before midnight on Friday last a resident of Cavershani whilst wending his way homewards was abruptly bailed up by a rough-looking customer with, a forcible intimation to hand over whatever cash he had in his possession. The result was not quite what the highwayman anticipated, for his intended victim, who had been tutored with • the gloves, planted a terrific blow on his assailant's right eye, sending him reeling several paces backwards. To the question as to whether he wanted some more, the highwayman muttered several unprintable adjectives and made tracks.

Captain Hare, Chief Commissioner of the Westralian Police, has received particulars from Sub-inspector I uncan, of Turkey Creek, in tho far north-west, of what appears to have been a cold-blooded murder of two natives. The bodios of the aboriginals were found about 30 miles from Turkey Creek, and an attempt had been made to burn them. Duncan reports that on tho day of tho tragedy a party of natives wero engaged in cutting up a cow. A whito man arrived and fiied soveral shots at tho natives, killing two. The others ran away. Thomas M'Laughlin, of Texas station, was identified by the nativos as tho man who fired tho shots. When a dotectivo went to arrest M'Lauqhlin ho covored tho officer with a rillo, and escaped. It is suppo3od thai M'Laughlin has gone to South Australia.