LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1321, 27 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meteor of unusual brilliance was seen at Ifl.J"> o'clock last evening, travelling in a soiitlifi-ly direction from' Wellington. A bright Miowm- of sparks was emitted and Inn? shi'ibws iike distant lightning lit up (he clouds. The Highl lasted between two and three .seconds, the niftonr disappearing beyond the Tiiuibori hills. Wooden nutmegs are not unknown in .America, but in Germany it is said they have "board bread." Sawdust may. not nppeul to the palate as a digestible iir <ipprtisiiiß substitute for Hour in thn making of bread, says an English exchange, but. all tho same there is a large bakery in Berlin turning out 20,000 loaves of ?«■ dust brrad daily. The Fawdust is first subjected to a process of fermentation and .various chemical 'manipulations. Finally if is mixed with one-third ptirfof rye Hour, formed into loaves, and baked ill ovens like any other broad. The Tramways Committee of Hio Dundoo Towii Council have accepted tenders for cars and equipment of an experimental overhead wire truckles system. The cost of tho overhead equipment works out at about ,£IOOO per niilq, and the curs are to cost JE3OO apiece. The Edinburgh Council, which had also the system under consideration, have decided to do nothing further at present, in view of information regarding an improved type of a petrol-electric omnibus which has been introduced in London, by which they are informed, many of the disadvantages of the niotor-oninibusliave been overcome. In conversing with an Auckland reporter upon tho subject of Homo politics, hir William Itussell, who returned from I'iUgland last week, stated that in his opinion it was questionable, whether tho Irish Home Rule Bill would pass the Mouso of Commons. "A great many Liberals," ho said, "whilst they approve in tho abstract of tho idea of Home liule, will in nil probability, when the financial and administrative proposals are put before them, refuse to agree to subsidise Ireland to withdraw from the. Union, which is apparently desired by tho Irish loaders, though not, I am told, by the Irish people. Of courso, if tho liill is passed by tho Commons, the House of Lords has power to reject it on two occasions boi'oro it can become law." Mr. Frazor, the Australian PostmasterGoner.il, niado an important statement in the Commonwealth House of iiepressntatives last wrck regarding the establishment of wireless telegraphy in Australia. lie said tho Government had decided that the urgency for wireless did not justify it: in delaying any longer. Stations would be erected round the coast of the Commonwealth, starting with Melbourne going on to Hobart, as early as possible. Brisbane,' Adelaide, and Fremantlo are to be linked np. Port Moresby would bo connected with either Cooktouii or Thursday Island. The Government, after negotiations with two of the principal companies operating in Australia, tho Marconi and tho Telefunken, had been unabto to arrive at a position that would justify it in accepting tho responsibility of paying for tho patent rights of either of those conipanoes. The Government intended following the advice of its expert, Mr. Balsillie.