Mr Alfred Gilbert, secretary for Now Zea land for the Mutual Life Association of Aus tralasia, has received advice by cable from Sydney that tho 27th annual meeting of tho Association, which took place on Monday last, parsed off very successfully, tho annual report and balance-sheet being exceptionally well received. The main features of the^ report are increased now business, diminished mortality claims (the lowest for years), main tenance of interest revenue, reduced expenses and increased funds well and safely r ivosted. News lias been received by tho mail of tho death in London of tho Rev H. L. Outram, 8.A., formerly of St. Matthew’s, Auckland,

A serious accident occurred at the Weraiti sawmills, near Masterton, on Tuesday morn ing. A trollyman named Walter Miller was engaged with his trolly, when be fell, and the trolly passed over his body, crushing him badly. Ho has been admitted to tho Master ton Hospital, but the exact nature of his injuries is not known. Tho St. Panoraa Vestry, London, have asked the Local Government Board to pro mote legislation providing for tho registration and supervision of ice-cream vendors. From an analytical report it appeared that, in addition to tho objectionable materials of which many ice creams were composed, and tho unhealthy conditions under which they wore made, tho water used for various pur poses in connection with tho business was very often foul, and that tho filthy conditions under which cheap ice creams were vended constituted a public danger. At the funeral of Mr P, A. Pemberton, at Christchurch, the hoarse was followed by several mourning coaches and by a large number of students of Canterbury College in academic costume. There ‘wore many beauti ful wreaths, among them emblems from tho Lincoln Agricultural College and tho Canter bury College Students’ Association. Tho Vogeltown householders arc talking of having the school removed to Brooklyn, and a public meeting is to be held. Captain White, who is a witness in the Jameson trial in London, said, in an inter view, that the Matabelo uprising was caused by the knowledge of tho natives that Jame son’s officers were absent in England, and that tho Matabelo country was without its usual patrols. Ho believed that tho rising is unimportant, except for tho massacre of Scotch settlers, and thinks that it can bo easily crushed by a force on tho spot. 