NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 48

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Latest mows concerning the Wellington Water-help Workers’ strike is to the effect that Mr Massey, Prime Minister, will meet representatives from each side in conference to try and effect a settlement.

Three hundred men employed discharging coal-laden vessels -at Auckland struck work at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, alleging that coal was being pushed into Wellington and Waihi to the detriment of the men on strike.

• The Professorial Board of Canterbury College has selected Mr George Sidey Lanibie as the Canterbury candidate for the Rhodes scholarship, ignoring the recommendation of Mr Cecil T. Malthas by the Students’ Association. The students are wroth over the board’s action. .The Prime Minister made a statement on Tuesday regarding the naval agreement with the Imperial Government. The subsidy of £IOO,OOO a year will be continued, and will bo used to maintain the Philomel as- a training ship. It is also proposed to build a cruiser of the Bristol type at a cost of £400,000 for use in protecting trade routes. The increased cost would bo about £50,000 annually. The Psyche and Pyrarnus would be continued in New Zealand waters. At the Dunedin Police Court on the 24th inst. George Smith and Oriel Frederick Peterson were charged that on October 17 they wilfully damaged a weighing machine in the Triangle, valued at £25, the property of the Automatic Weighing Machine Company. Mr Hanlon, who appeared for defendants, said that on the evening in question the accused had had a few drinks and were more or less merry. The cost of repairing the machine amounted to £8 3s 6d, including the freight to -'Christchurch. Each of the accused was fined 20s and ordered to pay £4 Is 9d, with the alternative of two weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour. ,

In the House of Representatives on the 22nd inst. Sir Joseph Ward wanted to a.secrtain from the Government if the Chief Justice had recommended an increase in the number of judges. Other members of the Opposition also urged that' the House should bo informed whether the appointments of additional judges had been recommended by the Chief Justice, Mr Wilford said he supposed that Mr Hosking, K. 0., of Dunedin, and Dr Sa-lmond, Solicitorgeneral. would become the new judges, and that Mr H. Ostler would succeed to the Solicitor-general’s position. The Hon. Mr Herdman promised, in moving the second reading of the Judicature Hill, that ho would explain the reasons for the proposed change. At a later stage Sir Joseph Ward again demanded that the House should he informed whether the Chief Justiee had recommended the appointments of additional judges. The Hon. Mr Herdman suggested that Sir Joseph should not become excited over the matter.