TO-DAY'S NEWS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17402, 13 March 1922, Page 6

TO-DAY'S NEWS.

Local and General. A fire in "Wellington on Saturday morning destroyed ten houses, situated off The Terrace. In tlio inter-island cricket match the Northerners made 214 in thejr first inninps, civing them a lead of 75. The hatting of the South Island team in their second innings was disappointing, f-ix wickets being down for 121 at the drawing of stumps. The Tramwavmcn's Union and the Christulmrth Tramway Board have arrived at an agreement in regard to wa^es. The new Catholic church at Papanvti was blesesd md opened yesterday l-.v his Lordship Dr. White, Bishop of Dunedin. At the New Zenlnnd Chnmpimship Repittn, he'd at Wnncnnui on Saturday, I'nion Boat Club, Wnn£?nniii, fron thr» Champion Fours. Canterbury Rowing Club and Union Rowing Club, Christdhurch, each won two events. A number of innttors of to beekeepers were dealt with at the National Association's annual field day. Foreign. It is reported that Germany haa notified the Reparations Commission that sho cannot continue payment o? the ten-day instalments fixed at Cannes. The American representative at tiro conference of Allied Finance (Ministers at Paris has been instructed to formally demaricl that the cost of the American army of occupation shall be paid out of Germany's reparation payments. A strong fight is being waged in the United States Senate on tike FourPower Pacific Treaty. An extraordinary crime wave is sweeping over England, many murders and suicides being reported. A Paris message reports a similar state of affairs in that city. Arrangements have been completed for the resumption of commercial relations between ftaly and RussiaFour steeplejacks were killed and two injured bv the oollapse of a chimneystack in Glasgow. The Premier of Queensland announced that the Royal Assent having been given to the_ Queensland Legislative Council Abolition Bill, the Upper House was therefore dead. Two cases of plague have been discovered iu a house in a Sydney Buburb.

Heavy fighting between the strike commandos and the police and troops occurred at several mining centres on the Rand and in Johannesburg itself on Friday. The casualties are estimated at several hundreds, including many police and' civilians. The Workers' Hall at one place was , destroyed by an aeroplane bomb. Troops are being concentrated and hurried to the affects ed districts. The Primo Minister in a grave statement says the country must be prepared for heavy bloodshed.

Negotiations between the employers and the unions representing the British shipbuilding and engineering t- ades failed, and a great lock-out affecting nearly 1,000,000, was to start iit midnight, on Friday;:

A number of murderß, including the shooting of an annyofficer'and apolioe,;man, in the streets of Belfast oiflMd&y;

- The House of Commons by a large majority authorised the payment of a call of £950,000 on the Government's holding of shares in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

/For the purpose of encouraging earlier marriage in Fiance the proprietor of n bis departmental store in Paris has .provided on endowment fund for annual prizes to parents under 50 y«Mirs of age with'a minimum of five children.; v ; • ; In, »n address to his constituents at Cambridgo, Mr E- 8 Mohtagu explained -tiro t reason for his resignation bp Secretary of State for India.