NEWS SUMMARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15849, 20 February 1915, Page 6

NEWS SUMMARY.

Auckland: A hairdresser pleaded guilty to a charge cl arson at Gis borne yesterday. ' A eitt.ng of the Foodstuffs Commission i was held in Auckland yesterday. i Fifty-eight recruits were examined yesterday, find only two were rejected. A railway worker was killed near Patuma ho? yesterday, through a fall of earth. The Railway Department- is instituting for trial a system of excursion faxes to Rotor ua. The prize-giving ceremony in connection w.Ui the Anniversary Regatta took place last evening. A new public hall was opened yesterday at Taupak: by .Mr. A. Harris. M.P. for Wa:temata. During the past fortnight the Patriotic Relief Committee assisted 63 persons who had 134 dependents. 0«in; to trouble with the firemen, the departure of the steamer Komata for \V,stp..>it had t.« be postponed until today. Twenty-five sections of Crown land, comprions 14.379 acres, in the Auckland land d'-tri'i. will be opened for selection on M-rvh 22. An application is to be made to have the Bay of Islands election petition struck out on the ground that it was not lodged within the prescribed time.

Business in the fruit and produce market. during t-ie week has b?en very heavy. I.oca] fruit of every description is in large supply, and prices are still low. The Belgian Relief Fund was increased last evening by the sum of £65, which was handed to Mr. Robert Burn." at the prize-giving ceremony of the Anniversary Regatta Committee. The inadentia<"y of the shed accommodation at the Parnell Baths was yesterday brought before the Mayor by a deputation. The Mayor promised to bring the matter before the City Council. A meeting of protest against the action of the Postal Department in demanding a deposit from the users of automatic stamping machines was held yesterday in the Chamber of Commerce rooms. Consignments comprising 9000 boxes of butter and 814 crates of cheese will be forwarded to Wellington by the Co rum a day, for transhipment into the Corinthic now loading for the London market. Hew Zealand: Fair to cloudy weather is predicted. The price of wheat is rising steadily. The death of Mr. J. F. M. Fraser, K.C., is announced. A Christchurch solicitor has been suspended from .practice. A New Zealand official war correspondent is to be appointed. A conference was held in Wellington yesterday with reference to the scarcity of ships. A very large number of offences have been -dealt with at the Trent ham militarycamp.

The steamer Koromiso twice collided with a, wharf in Wellington yesterday and was damaged. Consignees of cargo in German steamers detained at Capetown have been advised that the steamers are being sent on to New Zealand. The conference of master plumbers which was held at Dunedin was concluded yesterday morning. Wood ville reports that a change in the wind removed a. very serious danger from bush fires in the Manawatu Gorge. Mr. Justice Chapman yesterday upheld an appeal of the police from the decision of a magistrate who said that a Wellington" hot-elk eepej- was not guilty of permitting drunkenness. The War: The allies captured a mortar and 100 bombs in the trenches north of Arras. Infuriated Germans are reported to have made an attack on a captured British airman. In the Lorraine region the allies carried Xcrroy village, and occupied the whole position. Exciting hand-to-hand fighting occurred after the brickfields' bombardment near La Basse?. The German Ambassador says that next week will see embittered fighting on the British coast. The Dutch Government proposes to entrust the mail service to Britain to torpedoboat destroyers. It is stated by " Eve-witness" that dumdum ammunition has been seized in Che German trenchesThe Russians are reported to have beaten "if the A ustro-German attack, and the enemy are retiring.

Owinjr to Germany's proclamation ».f a "M'ickadp." Norway threatens to stop trade with Germany. An official rn.r.iiage from Benin states '1 iit the Germans took 3000 prisoners near I'lock and Racionz Desperate fight stated to have ex- in-red ;;t certain sections of the right hank of the Vistula Germany will he grateful if America will tnx'p it* t-liinpinp t>> avoid the war zone until the fia„' question is settled. Ann"d only with a shovel, a British P'il,'i-r killed fom Germans, who were attempting tn escape from a treri< h. Iwn lines i f trenches were captured by the I I'encii rth of Arras, and general progress has been made at other points. The German Government's message to America affirms that Germany has hitherto scrupulously observed Valid international rules.