NEWS SUMMARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16435, 11 January 1917, Page 4

NEWS SUMMARY.

Auckland: The'to'tal -ifcS of reclaimer] land In the harbour has now reached 258 acres. A meeting of the Executive Committee oi the. Eatriotic Association was held yesterday. ' ' At Westfield yesterday there was a strong demand for fat cattle. Compel i lion was also keen for sheep. Twenty-eight men volunteered at the city recruiting station yesterday, 26 being accepted for active service. New Zealand; A bov named Maloney, aged five years, was killed by a motorcar at ricton yesterday. The Minister for Defence states that 600 men drawn in the first ballot had been sent to camp. The watersiders' dispute at Napier has been settled, the mens demands having been conceded. The retail price of coal in Christchnrch has been fixed at 66s per ton, practically an increase of 10s. A man whose identity is not known, was killed through falling from a moving train at Aramoho yesterday. The banking returns for the December quarter show increases in both liabilities and assets compared with the corresponding period of 1915. On charges of using seditions language at Napier, one man was sentenced to two months' imprisonment and another to one month's imprisonment. __ - Australian: The Imperial Government has decided to purchase the surplus supply of frozen rabbta in 1917. The Leader of the Liberal Party states that a general election is necessary in order to c!ear the atmosphere. British and Foreign: The Chief of Police at Chicago has been charged with accepting £4000 yearly to protect the underworld. It is estimated that the new pension scheme of the Minister for Pensions, Mr. G. N. Barnes, which will shortly bo unfolaed, will cost. Britain £50,000,000 yearly. Jhe War: Germany has placed important munilions orders in Switzerland, involving the employment of 4000 men. The issue oi the new British war loan has been postponed till January 12 in order to give everybody a fair start. The German campaign of intrigue in Spain continues unabated, and has led to the resignation of the Government. A letter from the Papal Nuncio at . Vienna states that eggs cost 20s a dozen, and most other commodities are proportionately dear. The. Central News Agency states that a new Zeppelin has been completed at Friedrichshaven, the propellers of which work noiselessly. The Sultan of Turkey has sent an urgent financial mission to Berlin for the purpose of raising money to pay the . troops, 1 * who ! have not ; received their allowances for many weeks. The Minister for Munitions has created art agricultural machinery branch to deal ■with the manufacture of machinery and implements of this type, which are classed under. munitions work. The appointment of Sir Maurice Hankey, Sir Mark Sykes, and Captain . Am'ary, as secretaries to the Cabinet is Van unprecedented constitutional depar?;'•"ture. Only : the Prime- Minister has r:1 hitherto been empowered to take a note '; of Cabinet proceedings and report to the : King- ..