TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 21, 24 January 1917, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

Ihe Senior National Scholarship re% Ite in the Auckland district -are. anunced. It is two yeare to-day 6ince the Germ battle-cruiser Blucher waa-sunk in c North Sea. Tγ, Thomas Hastie (41), a miner, fell from j|| c Greymouth wharf into the river yea- •'.; rday, and was drowned. The Germans are again threatening to nfiseate the deposits in the Belgian "7 inks df the levies recently made are >t met. The British Cabinet has set up a comittee to inquire into the practicability : the proposed nationalisation qf -the quor trade. Youths attaining the age of 18 are to . ''1 3 called up for home defence in Great .' r i ritain, preparatory to being drafted to ireign service. Public bodies in Germany, responding j the Elaiser's recent proclamation, aye been demanding unlimite*}. fright- . : * ilness against Britain. '-- .•'--•' The cost to New Zealand 1$ tft . . i- : lecember 31 of the military xxxnpation f Samoa totalled £297£19,"' of .wMcli. :i43,874 was pay for soldiers. •; Z.,'. 2 Half a, million women are vow mak-_ i ig munitions in Britain, anil "though/; ; : he number is increasing at.'tie. rate -,-:.,• f 34,000 a month the increase is not. ousidered sufficient. ; ... .:s Petrograd correspondents declare that. he present political confusion and unest in Russia is only ephemeralj'and._".-;■ i; hat the,devotion of the people to the; lilies' cause should not be doubted- ~ r : Some fear is expressed in-Wellington, bout the condition of the requisitioned r heese in store, in non-ineulat'ed • sheds, ": a the Government pays only- for cheese hat is up to the regular export standard. There are so many volunteer*.--for; ■■!.- dvilian service in Germany the mthorities do not consider a compulsory; 5 evy necessary. Evidently there are nany who wish to keep:out of-the iring line. " -..■■•' Aboard tihe Dutch mail steamer which .■•■■■■■ She Germans recently seized and took to • Zeebrugge was a Belgian:«&•:X40 3 000 : in valuables, and jewels vained at £20,000 were found in the mails. VPh*4 : \ will be the fate of the ..valuables 5$ not stated. - - .. . ..' The Swise, and even two German,. ' princes, are complaining the.'iii«w4leSe ; : ' jruelty of tihe German officials . ■ ing invalid, prisoners . within., .eighty of. .:■• jompamtive freedom on the Swfes frontier, and then back large nunlv bers after fe-esaminatibn. . . •■ , The official estimate of deaths jit. the tondon miundtion factory explosion-is ' 100, while 150 persons have been severely injured, and 500 in a less degree. Prompt measures are to be taken to ascertain , •the cause of the explosion, and to administer compensation and. relief. .. -' '