GENERAL NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 41, 19 February 1915, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

According to the Paris “Figaro,” Count Baschieri has predicted that peace will be declared on April 27th next. Germany, he declares, will be vanquished and the Kaiser will commit suicide.

The crew of the steamer Port Albany, during the voyage from London to Melbourne, saw, while crossing the Southern Ocean, 40 icebergs of various dimensions. They wore lying somewhat to the southward of the regular steamship track from Capetown to Australia. The icebergs were spread over a fairly extensive area.

Little hope of “seeing active service” is held out by the Commonwealth Minister for Defence for wives of Australian officers. Certain ladies act. ually set out for Egypt recently with the idea of seeing their husbands, who are serving as officers, with the first Expeditionary Force. The Minister has announced that wives would ceilaiufy not he permitted to follow the troops. With regard to their ability to laud, he said it-was possible that they would not be allowed to do so,

Patea bids fair to become unpleasantly notorious in connection with New Zealand hangings (says the Press). It is a well-known fact that some years ago a local resident forwarded an application to the Justice Department for permission to act as hangman- in the case of Bosher, the Petone muiderer, and even went so far as to for. ward samples of .knots and running nooses with tire application as evidence of Ms skill in the hanging line. On Monday night another aspirant for the office of Lord High Executioner for the Dominion waited upon the local representative of the law with /the request for information as, to the best means to be adopted to obtain the appointment. The office is one that we should have thought would not be run after; however, there is no accounting for taste. . ■ >

The German threat of an indiscriminate attack on merchant ships by means of submarines is (says the Christchurch Press) very difficult to criticise adequately. Its wickedness almost transcends criticism. But there is a certain fact which will help to a fuller understanding of the villainy of Admiral Tirpitz’s policy. We quote it from the “Manchester Guardian” : —“The idea of Sinking merchant ships and consigning to death their passengers and' crew is the happy thought of a man; whose own son’s life was saved by gallant English sailors, with immediate danger to themselves, who picked him up and bis shipmates from the ’ sea during the action in Heligoland Bight. That son is now safe in England.”

In the Otago Harbour Board’s an■liual report; in reviewing the past yeHt’s \Vorh, J tlie Chairman (Mr H. E. Mbller) 1 sthted' “At the outbreak ofhostilities we recognised that the continuance' of our oversea, trade could only be assured by the control of the trade routes by our Navy. That this could be done we had every confidence, but still we were necessarily compelled to recognise that the regular course of trade must, for. a period at least, be dislocated. This- has eventuated somewhat, but I am happy to say not to such an extent as some anticipated, and it gives me peculiar pleasure to be able to present to you such a favourable, -statement of revenue, trade, and shipping. In our calculations for the ensuing year; we are endeavouring to take .a moderately optimistic outlook, and 1 am hope, ful that we shall be more than warranted in this by the year’s results.”

Gisborne had a remarkable experience last Saturday evening, reminiscent of the English towns which are suddenly thrown into darkness as a precaution against aerial raids. About 7.45 on a busy Saturday night the electric lights flickered and died out, an outbreak of fire at the power station being responsible for the suspension of the electric service. A fire broke, out in a portion of the paraffin stock situated near to the switchboard. , It was promptly extinguished by the staff, but not. before a number of wires had been fused, completely dislocating the service to the, town for several hours. At two public theatres dependent for current on the municipal supply, the exhibitions had to be stopped, whilst at numer. ous shops candles, hastily obtained, were made to do duty for the electric light, and the whole town wore a very dismal appearance. Fortunately the tram service, being rim on storage batteries, is independent of the power station, and was able to run uninterruptedly’.

This year the Methodist Conference of New Zealand will he held at Christchurch, the function taking place on the 2oth hist. There will not be the customary conversazione this year, as it has been decided to hold a monster Methodist tea meeting instead. This is to he followed by a big missionary meeting at which Dr. viloorge Brown, a veteran missionary, will he the principal speaker. One of the many subjects with which the con. ference will have to deal is the question of the modification of the itinerant system. The synods have already given a divided vote upon this qnes. tion, and it is very uncertain which way the conference will vote in the matter.