AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 175, 2 January 1915, Page 6

AUSTRALIA.

INTERNED STEAMER ARRIVES. A NEW ARMY RIFLE. j Eeceived 31, '6.45 p.m. i Sydney, December 31. The Wheat Board decided not to restrict the sale or purchase of seed wheat, provided that a necessary declaration is made, and traffic in wheat stored at country stations is absolutely prohibited without the Board's consent. The State Workß Department proposes to increase the number of working days to five weekly for the building trade operatives instead of half-time adopted at the commencement of the war. iAd vices from Capetown states that the German steamer Birkenfels, interned in August, will be allowed to proceed to Australian ports early in January. The Colonial Secretary has asked the Department of External Affairs to direct the Australian Courts to arrest the Birkenfels upon arrival, and to adjudicate on cargo claims unproved when tho vessel sailed. Melbourne, December 31. A new pattern service rifle shortly to be employed by the Imperial troops will probably be adopted by Australia. Features are the abolition of the wind gauge and a cut-off lock which closes the magazine, preventing cartridges from rising automatically into the breach. MORE MEN WANTED. Melbourne, December 31. Mr. Cook is mainatining the necessity of increasing the number of the reinforcements. Commenting on the New Zealand quotas, ho said:_ "If we sent the same proportion as Xew Zealand we should have already despatched sixty thousand instead of thirty thousand,' and should require nine thousand men monthly; just three times the number now contemplated. We are much behind the other dominions in supplying men for the land forces." Mr." Pearce describes Mr. Cook's utterances as hot air, and points out that . tho resources of the Commonwealth ; would be hard put to it to arm and '■ equip a hundred thousand men in a . reasonable time. , The Victorian war gifts total half a

million.