Miscellaneous.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1919, 23 October 1884, Page 3

Miscellaneous.

Forest firei are raging near East Tawas, Michagan. j Dispatches from Yokohama report that a gnlo there caused considerable loss of life and property. The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has proclaimed the Nationalist demonstration announced for JLUiradow, Country Kerry. It X saidlthat a wanaiit has been issued for W. J. Ingram, late manager of the Federal Bank of Montreal, on a charge of foigery. The Dutch budget shows a deficit of 15,000,000 florins, which has resulted mainly from demonetization* of silver. It is proposed to plac 1 a ta\ on the tobacco. The Prefects of fifteen diffeient departments of Franco have founally notified Waldeck Rouleau, Minister of the interior, of the formation of royahbt committees. A very extiaoidinary diamond of no less than 457 caiats has, we aie informed, been shipped from South Africa and Hold by a London fiim to a syndicate of diamond merchants. The colour equals, if not e\celi, that of the (most India diamonds, and in the opinion of competent judges it will cut to a poifoct and lustrous brilliant. In drop shape it will weigh, as near as can be estimated about 220 carats., or in lozenge shape, briolette, about 300 carats. The brilliant will therefore oxceed in weight all the historical diamonds^ The Koh-i-noor weighs 10G carats, and is estimated to be worth §500,000, the Kegent of France 136 carats, and the Orloff, which was cut for weight, 195 carats. In size, colour, purity, and quality it is expected to prove to bo the most marvellous stone ever known, — British Trade Journal. A scheme for the sanitation and reconstruction of Central London has been submitted to the Government by Mr William Westgarth, the well-known colonial stockbroker. He proposes to constitute a Trust Board of 21 members, to entrust them with the control of a capital of not less them £10,000,000, and with extensive powers to compel the compulsory improvement of the most crowded inconvenient, and unhealthy parts of London. He believes that the work can be made Relf-supporting, if only a sufficient area is dealt with, and if the necessary expropriations, qan be. held over lw a twm

of years sufficient to secure the natural, or so-called "' unearned," increment of site-value. He proposes to call up only one-tenth of the capital, leaving the rest as shareholding liability. Any funds required in addition to the available capital would be raised by loan secured upon the assets of the Trust.