MISCELLANEOUS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8168, 24 April 1895, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tlio rupture between the Cork doctors and the local benefit societies led to a serious oecurenco in Unit oity on February 7th. l)r O'Sullivun, ono of tlio physicians who succeeded the doctors who"stiuck ' against tlio terms of the societies, was attacked and severely beaten by a body of medical students Ho was going to attend ono of his patients when thirty students surrounded him, and, raising shouts of "blackleg," deluged him with semi-liquid fliiow. Tlio students closed on him, despite his protests, and dealt him soveral blows und kicks. Using his walking stick, ho broke it upon his assailants, and offeicd to fight any one of them single-handed, but tlio challenge was not accepted. Ho was severely bruised and shaken before they decamped. A l'olico Coiut case will bo the icsult. A Melbourne man has invented a bicycle which, it is predicted, will revolutionise the wheel. In the now machine tho rider sits directly over tho pedals, and, by an ingenious method of gearing and leverage, is enabled to use all hit weight, besides getting a powerful kick back, which is wasted in the present stylo of machine. Tho hands arc also brought into uso, the action being said to resemble that of walking. Tho inventor is being backed by aome exports who seldom make un error, and patents have been secured throughout tho world. Sixty miles an hour is tho rate of apjod expected from an average rider on an ordinary road, while a professional will givo Fortunatus half-way and a licking over six furlongs. In tho courie of an argument on the depression of trado and lack of employment at Home, tho Chancellor of tho Exchequer made use of the following figures : The quantity of raw cotton imported in 1893 was 12,(J00,000cwt, and in 1894 thcie woic 15,965 OOOcwt. Someone must have woikcd up that cotton. The imports of raw wool in lSMwcrc 072,000,00011)8, and in 1804 tho amount was 699,000,0001b5. The exports of cotton yarn in 1893 wcro'2o6,ooo,ooolbs, and in 1804 the qiuntity was 230 000,0001b*. The exports of cotton nianufactuml in IS!). 1 ? were 54,700 OOOlbs, and in IXSH <57,000,0001b5. Year by year there aiu more looms, spindles, and moie people employed in tho cotton industry Theic fore the distress spoken of, so far as I cm discover, is due to capital having yielded a less profit than it did formerly, but it did not yield less employment or less \wi<sos. Recently a cab'e ine-Biffo wa-trovivod from Ripon to the effoeb that) William 1 Humphreys, a farmer, charged with uttering forged promissory n >to*, and other felonier, h»d absconded from Kugl-ttul. It was stated that he had tiken a second saloon passage to Australit from South ampton by tho German steamer Sacben, under the tume of J. L. Robinson. On the arrival of the steamtT at Ad>Miido on Sunday sho was boirded, and the polica had vory little difficulty in finding tho wanted nnii, who, when tho launch ranged alongside, was leaning over the side of the vessel. Humphreys represented th it tho matter was » family dispute. In a s in. ill bag which he brought ashore with him, wns found over 100 toveioigns. Ho will bo renundi'd to await the arrival of an officer from E igland. Tho Napier Telegriph says : Tim stupid ' legislxtion of tho Oovornmon 1 ; rcutivcd another illustration in tho insolvency of Kvraitiana. Hera is a man who has ci editors, who wishes to piy thorn, and who is able to pay (hum, and to h»vo a handsome surplus left. Ho has laud which he wishes to sell in part, and ho knows of pursons who will buy from him. But tho Government — a member of which is the gentleman who lent Mr \V, C. Smith money to purchase native la ids, in the advantage of tho ownership of which the Bamo gentleman will ah'*ro~hnv« managed by tho aid of their " dumb d"gs " to ptsa an Act which forbids a Mtori to soil any portion of his land oxcpt the Government bo a buyer. Consequently Karaitiann must file <\ petition in bankrup cy, and thus bo put to a lot of unnecessary cost, to save himself from going to gaol for failure to pay debts which ho is anxious to pay, anil wheh he has tho mouna of paying. Thu whole absurd bustueßs is a portincnt comment try upon the fatuous offorts of the Government to meddlo with and bungle every interest tint does not directly »id them in tho acquisition of vote 9. At tho last mooting of the Adolaido City Council Mr Bruce drow attention to tho fact that last year 131 casos of typhoid fever woro admitted to tho Adelaido Hospital, as against 76 for the previous 12 months. Tho approximate value of silver ore oxported from the west coast of Tasmania during March was L 18.720. The total returns from tho colony for tho month ate L64.5G8, being an increase of L 13.941 over tho valuo of minerals exported during march last. The West Australian gold output for February was slightly under IG.OOOozs, Coolgardio, for tho first time siuco its discovery, ranking second to tho Murchison. Ifc is noted that tho February yield of the Wentworth Proprietary mine (Now South vValos) was about tho same as that for tho wholo of West Australia.