LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2352, 7 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ilio Prime Mvnistar stated yesterday til at the Government have completed arrangements' for the importation of 100,000 bushels of wheat from Australia. Thie wheat will bo loaded on tile steamer Kaiapoi in Sydney this week. ¥or the present the transaction is an ordinary purchase by the New Zealand' Government from the New South Wales Government. New- Zea-land-will pay cash now for tlio wheat, but if afterwards' it should happen that the supply iu New South Wales iti short the New Zealand Government undertakes to sell to New South Wales the same quantity of wheat when our own harvest 16 saved. In addition t-o the Australian wheat a big Canadian dilp&ient of 380,000 busheln is. coming ttti Joift by, oil? Hswerosi

"When we left Hobart we expected to experience summer weather in the Tasman Sea," said an officer of the Delphic which arrived at Wellington from London yesterday; "but it was more like the depth of winter off Capo Horn or in mid-Atlantic. I have never seen such weather for this time of the year. It blow and blew, and the sea was as rough as it could be. During the whole of the time occupied in the run across the sky was overcast, and it was impossible to take sights. Only on one occasion did we get a glimpso of blue sky. We received weather reports from Australian stations stating that bad weather was expected—wall, we got it all right."

Tramway traffic has been very lieavy iu Wellington during the holiday season. lii spite of a dull and showery New Year s. Day, the returns for tho week show an increase of over £250 over the same period of last year.

Niuepence is the present prioe of the four-pound loaf of bread, and.there is talk of an increase. An ordinary meeting of the Wellington Master Bakers' Association is to be held to-day. The question of the price to be charged for the four-pound loaf may then be discussed, with a view to raising the prioe from 9d., to which it was raised on December 26, to 10d., or sd. per twopound loaf. v

, The climatic advantages of New Zea-„ land over Australia are occasionally spoken of by tourists from 1 over the 'laeman Sea. By the Marama, which berthed in Wellington last evening, there arrived another Australian who says he has come to seek the cool air of New Zealand while the hoat of Australia continues to friirale people of the island continent. Tbiß is Professor Fawsitt, of Sydney University, 'who finds Sydney too hot to remain voluntarily in at this time of the year, and has sought this cooler climate. "A colleague of mine, Professor Robinson, Professor of Organic Chemistry, came over before me, and is working down from Auckland,' remarked Professor Fawsitt, "and he 6ays that he does not see why everyone who can should not come oyer here in the summer; it is such a line climate."

t The steamer Marama, which arrived in. Wellington, from Sydney yesterday, en route for San Francisco, experienced some very rough weather on the voyage across the Tasman Sea. A heavy gale, .lasting two days, was encountered. The voyage was uneveutful.

The sum of £083 has already been ror ceived in connection with the Salvation Army's War Relief and Emergency Fund. . Officers and soldiers are contributing liberally. ;

The perfect clearness of the atmosphere at Wanganui on December 30 made it possible' for Mr. F. Stringer, who is in charge of the Durie Hill signal station, to "pick up" a v.essel leaving Nelson. Mr. Stringer says his glasses picked up the steamer distinctly when 'she could not have been more than eight or ten miles out of Nelson port. He did not at the moment realise how far away the vessel was, and, assuming that she was bound for Wanganui, ne ran up tho usual signal indicating a steamer in sight. However, he followed her as she steamed on her course, whioh, to his surprise, proved to be towards the West Coa6t of the other island, and he only lost her when she disappeared round Cape Farewell.

In the grants which were made by the Macarthy Trustees just before Christmas the Wellington Ladies' Christian Association received £66 los., not £200, as was stated at the time. ■ The Levin and the Alexandra Homes also received a like amount.

"You are telling a deliberate lie, constable, and may God forgive you for it," said a woman'with apparent earnestness to a constable wlio gave evidence against her in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday. When, however, two other constables came and repeated the "deliberate lies," when Inspector Hendroy characterised the accused as "a nuisance and scandal to the community," it was not to be wondered at that she received a sentence of six months' imprisonment.

On Tuesday David William Howe was ' arrested by the police for drunkenness. The usual search prior to his being interned in the jwlice cell disclosed a net total of 2Jd. in his pockets. Sonje time later another person who had broken the law in a like manner was arrested, and 20s. was found on him. On being temporarily relieved of this he was placed in the same cell as Howe, The new arrival, prior to sinking into Blumber, triumphantly exhibited three £1 notes, which the police had overlooked, to Howe. When he awoke some time later he discovered that , the threo notes had disappeared, and likewise learnt that Bowe had proffered £3 for bail. Of course, the police had become suspicious, and. when the n.issitig property was described as consisting of two new notes and a soiled one.(Bowe had proffered the same for bail), another charge was entered up against Rowe's hame. Yesterday when he appeared in Court Bowe was convicted and discharged for drunkenness and sent to gaol for a month for .his theft.

Messrs. Hiddlestone, Drake, and Bullivant, of Christchurch, who have been fishing the Opihi and Temuka Rivers, caught 386 fish on fly in three days. All were in good condition, and weighed from lib. to 21b. each.'

Some time ago a Commission recommended that the Palmerston NorthKairanga River Board be abolished. During the present week, Messrs.- J. A. Nash and F. Nathan, representing the Board, waited on the Minister for Internal Affairs (the.Hon. H. D. Bell), and asked what steps tho Board should take in view of tlio fact that, in the ordinary course of things, the annual election /rot members would take place next week. The Minister, in replying, pointed out that effect could not be {riven to the Commission's recommendation to abolish the Board without legislation, and in the meantime it was not only the right but the duty of the Board to go on with' its work and proceed with the election. If any legislation was proposed he would see that tho Board had every opportunitv of considering it before it was finally dealt with.

The teaching staff of St. James' .Sunday School, Lower Hutt, has decided to hold the children's annunl picnic l at Mason's Gardens on January 30.

Despite the fact that we are at war the long journey from London to Wellington, which was concluded by' tho White Star liner Delphic last evening, was practically without incident. The weather in the southern ocean was very cold, however, for this time of the year, and.the presence of huge icebergs accounted for this. On Christmas Day a particularly large berg was sighted, and the Delphic passed in close proximity to the huge mass of floating ico. This berg measured 1000 ft. long,' 500 ft. broad 1 , and 200 ft above water. ■ It'iwas sighted in Lat. 47 dea;. Cmin. South and Long. 109 deg. 58mm. East.

Bro. Rose, C.T., presided at the weekly meeting of the Hopo of Pctoiic Lodge 1.0. G.T., held last evening. Thore wcto pl-esent: Bro. Petherick Grand Secretary; Bro. Rigarlsford, District Treasurer; Bro. Fraeer, D.M. • Bro, Conlin, D.M.D,; Bros. Atkinson and Hewitt and Sister Rigarlsford, of the District Executive. Tho visitors wore extended a hearty wolcome, and several of them addressed tho' gathcring on tlio good of tho Order. A committee was appointed to consider the question of holding a picnic oil January 22, and to bring down a report' for next meeting. In this connection the town lodges, are to be invited to • combine With the Hope of Fetone. Supper' was provided by a ladies' committee, of which Sister J. Rose was in charge, and thejodce was closed as usual by Bra, J. Roao, O.T.

There are no epidemics of a serious nature in Wellington City and suburbs at the present time, and. according to the District Health Officer (Dr. Finch), the conditions are extremely satisfac- 1 tory. Last month ten cases of scarlet \ fever were reported in the city and suburbs, four of enteric fever, and six of diphtheria—a total of 20 cases of infections diseases. N _ Mr. A. ""Macpherson, who left some time ago to take charge of the New Zealand pavilion at the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, has writ-', ten to a friend in Christchurch stating that he arrived at San Francisco, on November 3, after an excellent trip, 1 despite the fact that lights were out' every night, owing to the possibility [of interference by German cruisers. Referring to the Exposition, Mr. Macpherson says that its' attractions have not' been over-coloured in itho literature" dealing with it. i Two German prisoners from SamoaA•were brought to Auckland by. the Navua- 1 ' . ' on Monday. Tlie Auckland military au- 1 ■ tliorities stated on inquiry that they! were not aware of the names of tW prispners, the nature of the of- ; fences for which they are. undergoing' imprisonment. After the'arrival of the prisoners they were taken to Mount . Eden Gaol. On being: approached, "the prison officials informed an Auckland/ "Herald" representative that although they knew tne. names of the prisoners and the charges against them, these could not be divulged without the per-J mission of the"Dnder-Seoretaxy of theftDepartment, strict 'instructions to this'' effect having been issued. It is under-1 stood that the prisoners were sentenced!! for breaches of the regulations govern- . irig the conditions under which Germans, may change their places of residenceat Samoa. A'paper published in Samoa;'■ states that Erich Langen was sentencedi by a Military Court on December. 21 tor eight months' imprisonment for pro-' ceeding to Savaii and staying there with-.; out permission. I

The charges against Kathleen voiti - Cant of drunkenness and of breaking, a window aro still held up at the Magis-J trate's • Court, as the accused is stilL, in_ the Hoßpital. It is alleged that tW' injury which rendered neiessary her ro-,' moval to theUospital was caused by ho? 1 ; thrusting hor hand through the window,& in question. j Ever since November of 1913, wietffc strike feeling was running high in Wel«% lington, a warrant has been out lor tha ? arrest of ono Ernest Baird, who was* alleged, as a striker, to have assaulted* a carter, who was not a striker. Baird* was only recently arrested : n -Auckland, v and,; according to the_ "Star,"' was., taken before the Magistrate at Auck-* land on Monday morning. He v a s • given a good general character, and he pleaded guilty to a technical offence* A fine of £1 and costs was imposed. ■ Probably the biggest and most vain-',' able collection of thoroughbreds yet car-' ried in the Dominion by rail left F.llers-' lie by special train for the south oni Sunday, states the Auckland ' Star,"' no fewer than 16 U.G. boxes, which' each hold four horses, being attachedto the engine. The action of railway authorities 'n putting on s• spe-' rial train was greatly appreciated by ~ tho visiting trainera, who were : thus V enabled to get tack *o their. respective J homes without: any unnecessary delayy-