LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 34, 26 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the Supreme Court at Masterton yesterday, Thomas Bolton was awarded £550 damages from Frank Feist, of Carterton, for injuries, sustained through being run down by a motor car driven by the defendant.

The Prime Minister stated last night that he expected that the proclamation fixing the prices of wheat and flour would be issued to-morrow. Last week Mr Massey informed the House that he had obtained an “interim report from the Food Prices Commission regarding the price of these commodities but nothing had been done owing to Mr Massey’s visit to Auckland. However, a definite report on the subject is on the way from Auckland to-night, Mr Massey says, and the proclamation will bo issued to-morrow.

The executive committee of the A. and P. Association met last h.glit, when there were present:—Messrs E. Jackson (president, in the chair'. W. P. Kirkwood, J. D. Healy, R. Dii’gleW. H. H. Young, J. Shotter, W. M. Bayly, E. Kelleher and H. J. Malone. It was decided that the proposed concrete flooring o* the luncheon room be not proceeded with, but t teps are to be taken to have some of the oust cleaned out of the room. 1 lie result of the meeting was devoted to discussion of the terms of engagement of a secretary, it being decided to call for applications, to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr A. J. Hill. ; ho.,

Information as to the respective lengths of the Clutha (Molyneaux) and Waikato Rivers and aI so as to which discharges the greater volume of water into the sea was sought by a correspondent of the Wellington Post, and the paper obtainel the following particulars from Mr James Mackenzie, Under-Secretary tor Lands: The approximate length of the Clutha. river is 150 miles, hut if Lake .Wanaka (30 miles)' and me Makarcro C9f) miles) are included it is 200 miles long. The Waikato i : ver is longer than the Clutha, having a <ours u ot 255 miles, which inclules Lake 1 anno (20 miles), but it discharges a smaller volume of water than the southern stream, as Mm tollnu-i.g figures (estimated) will show: Clutha, 1.088,736 cubic feet per minute: Waikato, 839.168 cubic feet per minute.

There lias been an extraordinary rush of “war weddings” in’ London, and the Archbishop of Canterbury has viven permission for the Faculty Office (better known as Doctors’ Commons) to be kept open night and day to accommodate naval and military men who wish to be married befoie going to the front. A special license fee costs £29 5s 2d, but this has been no deterrent in the case of officers, and there has been a daily increasing number of applicants ready to pay the high price demanded by the Church for urgent nuptials. I« the case of “Tommies” who can hardly be expected to have'saved a £29 marriage fee out of their pay of Is 2d per day, It he Church issues a marriage license for £2, whore fifteen days’ residence on the’ part of the prospective bride •and bridegroom can bo proved.

The Wellington agents for the Tinted States and Australasia line of cargo steamers, have been advised that the cargo boat Cape Corso, under charter to the above line, has been fixed to come direct to New Zealand ports, via Panama Canal, from New York. The Cape Corso will take the loading berth at New York on| October 15, and will bring cargo for the four principal New Zealand ports, Melbourne and Sydney. It is be-, lioved that Auckland will be the first ( port of call, and from Dunedin tho ( vessel will cross to Melbourne. This new route will mean a saving of oon-| sidorablv over a month upon the trip from New York. The vessels of tho TT.S_ and A. Line have up till now travelled around the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape Corso will, apparently be the first boat to come to Australasia through the new Canal. At all events, she will be the first to make the voyage to New Zealand via the Panama Canal.