LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 17, 11 May 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The sudden death of Mr William Alexander Smith, founder .. of the Boys' Brigade, is reported by cablegram from London.

Through the capsize of a,vehicle at Im-ercargill, Jeffrey Morphew,. 69, single, was'thrown on. his .head, sustaining a fracture of the. s%ull and hedied a few hours later.—P.A.

A cablegram from Berlin says: The Reichstag Committee, in view of reports of native plottings in the Cameroons to join the,British flag, has ordered the arrest of the leaders.

The criminal sessions in Dunedin opened this morning before Mr Jtistice Sim. There is ah unusually long calendar, comprising nineteen cases, against eleven persons, including a charge of attempted wife murder.

At the opening of the criminal sittings Mr Justice Hosking,- in his charge to the Grand Juiy at-Welling-tonj said eleven bills would he pre* sensed, including two charges of mansknghter, states the Press Association.

A Waipawa Press Association, telegram states: Edward George Mcßoberts, charged with the manslaughter of Jno. Adams, was remanded' till the 15th inst. Bail was allowed, self and two securities of £IOO each. During tin altercation, Mcßoberts struck Adams, who, in falling,,struck his head against a- door-and died in the hospital without regaining consciousness. It is stated on what is believed reliable authority (says the Dunedin Press Association) that next year a German Company will commence a' direct cargo service from the Continent to the four main points of, the Dominion. I The name is hot available in, the meantime, ther is it certain whether Australian ports will be included in the run. An outbreak of fire j occurred on, Saturday night in the shop of, J..A- Sender', tattor, High. Street, -> Auckland, being part of a block owned by Andrews and Clark, upholsterers.. The stock; destroyed was, valued at £4OO to £SOO, • and was insured in the British.Do*. minions Company. The " damage to the ; building amounted .. to about £6OO, which was covered by. in-, surance in the South British. Some damage was done by water to part of Andrews and Clark's stock.

In the opinion of Mr David Blair, a Melbourne business man, who returned by the Eastern to Sydney, from a visit* to Japan, the Japanese are complaining very bitterly of the burden of taxation which at the present time is pressing hardest-on the poorer classes. The naval scandals, also, Mr Blair says, hare created a feeling of great unrest, and there is evidence of a widespread and earnest desire for more democratic government; Concerning the possibility, of Japanese sovereignty over the Philippines, in response to a recent invitation made to that effect by a prominent Filipino, Theodora Acosta, Mr Blair said that in present political conditions he thought it would be a calamitous mistake if America stopped in any way the good work of civilisation which she had achieved in the government of the islands. And Japan? Well, for the time being, Japan had quite as much as she could conveniently attend to. . -