NEWS SUMMARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15567, 26 March 1914, Page 6

NEWS SUMMARY.

Auckland: A lonjj list of cases will come before the Arbitration Court when it opens its sittings this morning. A substantial increase in the price of aromatic tobaccos will take place within the next few weeks. The fund for providing a motorambulance for the Auckland Hospital now stands at £368 2s 2d. The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, Bart., deli reined a political speech in the Town Hall last night. Burglars visited the premises of a firm of plumbers in Rutland Street during Tuesday night and secured a small sum of money. Another 3000 ft of timber alleged to Lave been illegally taken from Crown lands has been seized by the Paeroa police. An official explanation has been made of the cancellation of the permit to hold bi£ boxing competitions in Auckland during the next few months. A man took possession of a country church near Whangarei and introduced a gramaphone, etc., "to brighten the services." Ho was certified insane. Polling will tak! place to-day on the City Council's proposal to borrow £112,000 for various city improvements and the acquisition of the Gillies Kstate. Parnell, as a park. Hours at the Ami;land Post Office wireloss station arc in future to be from 8 a.m. to 6 pm. Calls from the latter hour onwards will be attended to by the Awanui Station. According to figures quoted by the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, the Maori epidemic and recent strike had little, if any, effect on the .season's tourist traffic at Rotorua, Waitoino, and Te Aroha. The new steamer, Star of Victoria, of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, arrived at Auckland late last night from London and Australian ports, on her maiden voyage to New Zealand. The new sewerage' works at Orakei, by means of which Auckland and suburbs are shortly to have available a complete drainago system, were formally opened yesterday afternoon by the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr).

Floods have done, considerable damage in the Poverty Bay district A bridge was wastoxi away, the approaches to another wens destroyed, and a big boom of timber loi? 6 burst and- the logs went to sea. There wore floods also in the Thames Valley. . New Zealand: The Hon. F. M. B. Fieher last evening addressed the liveliest political meeting ever held in Masterton. During a, flight at Wellington yesterday Mr. Scotland's biplane was thrown by -a squall on to a tree-top, and badly damaged. The jury agfcin disagreed in Wellington yesterday in tie case, in which the New Zealand Times proceeded againet the Dominion newspaper for libel, and a new trial was ordered. A manifesto has been issued by the new "Progressive Liberal and Labour Association/ which has been formed in Christchurch,; and 'has been criticised by the Prime Minister. A conference of Otago Oddfellows made regretful reference to the adoption by the recent Medical Congress of the clause limiting the incomes of persons receiving medical aid under friendly society contracts. Australia West Australia is now represented on the Cricket Board of Control. Preparations are being made to open up a large new colliery in New South Wales.,

Enormous damage has been caused by the recent rainstorm in New South Wales. A jockey has -succumbed owing to injuries he sustained on the occasion of the Rosehill Cup. The Orunge Lodge at Sydney is forming a contingent to .proceed to Ireland and, if necessary, to help the TJlstermen. An inquiry has been promised by the Premier of New South Wales into the legality. otherwise of the totalisator. British Empire: The Canadian Government has chartered a whaler.to search for the missing Stefansson expedition to the Arctic. Lord Murray, the ex-Liberal Whip, spoke on Tuesday in his own defence at the inquiry by the House of Lords into his wireless transactions. The outlook with regard to Ulster appears to bo more hopeful, and stocks show an all-round advance. The King and Queen have left London on a tour of Cheshire. In an interview at Capetown, Mr. Tom Mann, the Labour leader who has gone to South Africa to reorganise the Labour forces, declared that ho would do nothing to- bring himSelf within the law.

The statement has been made by Mr. Asquith that the Imperial Government is considering the proposal to hold a defence conference with Australia'and New Zealand, and in now communicating with the Governments of these countries. Foreign: A special department for sports has been created in Russia. A French analyst has found blue vitriol on imported apples, said to be due to spraying. Through the capsizing of a ferry boat on a German river, 16 workmen have been drowned. Paris is full of excited rumours of acute tension in the Cabinet. Four Ministers are credited with the intention of resigning. The Federals and rebels in Mexico are engaged in a pitched battle near Torreon The latter are said to have scored a signal success. The •• use of black slate* and white pencils by school children has been proved by German teats to be prejudicial to the eyesight.

The Japanese Cabinet has resigned owinz to the naval scandals and the hostility of the Upper House to the vote tor the navy. A force of Epirotes came into collision with a large number of Albanians on Tues day, and in the battle that followed the hitter lost 52 men., Complaints are made from France regarding the despatch of sheepskins from Australasia. Better business can be done with Australasian fruit, if it arrives before April. During severe strike riots in an American town this week, the militia had to be called out. Several charges with fixed bayonets had to be made before the streets were cleared. Masked men in Belgium on Tuesday roasted an old man's feet to compel him to disclose a sum of money that existed only in, their .imagination. Disappointed in their efforts to get the'gold, they set Jus house on fir*, ,