NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 272, 21 December 1914, Page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The office of the Supreme Court closed at 1 p.m. to-day for the long vacation. It will be re-opened on January 4. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Government has decided that all Public Service and teachers' pensions are to be paid on December 24.

The secretary, Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, desires to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of £2 2/- from Messrs Lane and Neave, towards the children's Christmas Fund.

The City Fire Brigade received a call to the corner of Darwiu and Antigua Streets at about 11 o'clock this morning. On arriving at the scene it was discovered that some malicious person had broken the fire alarm box.

A special general meeting of the ! Navy League will be held at the league's rooms to-morrow evening, to consider the giving of a Christmas gift to the crew of H.M.S. New Zealand out of the moneys to the credit of the Barge Fund. A letter from one of the troopers on board the Arawa makes mention of a wrestling match between Troopers Hine and Robinson for a purse of £lO. Robinson was the winner, gaining two falls out of three, but he was "sport" enough to divide the purse with his antagonist. The train arrangements for the week, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, are advertised in another column. Excursion trains will run to Arthur's Pass, and in connection with the sports at Oxford and Doyleston, patriotic gala at Ashburton, and the Hurunui race meeting, near Medbury. A number of Southbridge residents were before the Court a fortnight ago; charged with driving vehicles through the township without lights. A question arose as to the validity of the by-laws of the Town Board, and the cases were adjourned to enable the Justices to obtain the opinion of Mr H. W, Bishop, S.M. JJhe Magistrate advised that the production in Court of a copy of the by-laws, bearing the authorised seal of the local authority, could-be'accepted as evidence of their validity. The Justices then decided to convict the persons charged, and the chairman of the Town Board, who was one of the delinquents, was .fined 5/- and costs for driving his motor car without a light. Mr B. M. Wilson, general manager of the Tourist Department, has been, advised that, the Te Anau to Milford Track is this season in splendid order, and that a large number" of travellers have already booked for "the finest I walk in the world." The new suspension bridge over the Arthur River has stood the winter well, and the fitting $f the boats on Lake Ada with auxiliary engines -will make an appreciable difference to the time and comfort of travellers. ' The booking of the Department at Mount Cook and Waitomo Caves and the Milford Track are well in advance of last season.

A very natural question amongst the many relatives of members of the New Zealand contingent who are at present camped beneath the Pyramids at Cheops, is: "What sort of climate has Egypt?" The atmosphere in the Land of the. Pharoahs is exceedingly clear and dry, the. temperature regular and exceedingly hot, thotigh the heat is tempered during the daytime for nine months of the year by the strong wind which blows from the north, and which enables vessels to ascend the river Nile against the stream. The winter months are the most delightful part of the year, the air being cool and balmy, and the ground covered with verdure. In the middle of the year, especially in May, the ground becomes parched and dry, and the suffocating simoon begins to

blow into the valley from the desert plains upon either side of it. At a sitting of the Juvenile Court at Lyttelton this morning, before Mr C. Terrier, J.P.,.two boys were charged with, on December 20, at Governor's Bay, breaking into a building owned by Mr A. J. Isherwood, - and stealing therefrom two dozen bottles of aerated waters, one ham, and four empty sacks, of a total value of £1 10/8. ' SeniorSergeant Ryan explained that there were other charges to be brought, for thefts in Christehurch, and, on his application, the boys were remanded to appear in Christehurch to-morrow morning. The members of the Valuation Commission leave for Wellington to-night and sit to-morrow in that city for the purpose of hearing witnesses from Hawke's Bay. It is understood that the sitting to-morrow does not conclude the Wellington sitting, inasmuch as evidence is still forthcoming from ratepayers within the confines of the municipality. Of course it should be understood that a Royal Commission is open to hear evidence which may be tendered, and therefore the Wellington sittings may not finally conclude the work of the Commission, the time of which has been extended until January 81. MOTOR CYCLES. We have just landed a shipment of .King Dick and Singer Motor Cycles, finished in dove grey, with several improvements. There is no need to dwell on the quality of these Motors, as recent results can prove; winning every sid9 car trial except one takes a lot of beating. These victories speak for themselves. Sole Agents: JONES BROS., LTD., 122 Manchester -Jtreet. Inspection invited. Catalogue free. Note. —We have a few good Secondhand Motors for sale, cheap. 243