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Otago Witness, Issue 3274, 13 December 1916, Page 38

The Collector of Customs has received the following telegram from the Controller of Customs, Wellington:-" No more wool to bo shipped to any destination, except with tlio authority of the Minister in charge of the supply branch. Any woo already shipped on actual exporting vessel may bo exported."

At a meeting of the Dunedin Master Bakers' Association on the 11th, it was decided to increase the price of bread, as from Wednesday, to 9J,d the 41b loaf, in conformity with tho tariff of the New Zealand United Bakers' Association. Tho latest increase is of £d per 4lb loaf. The following resolution was also adopted: "That this meeting strongly urges upon tho Government tho necessity of fixing the prices of wheat, flour, and bread."

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that as a result of a ballot among tho brigades affiliated to the Fire Brigades' Association, tho conference in 1017 will bo held at Balclutha. Ilclensvillc was the other place submitted to tho vote.

The first section of the Twentieth Reinforcement paraded through Wellington on Thursday afternoon, when tho public saw what a robust, sunburnt crowd the Twentieths arc. On their showing in Thursday's march out (comments the Dominion) they should bo known as " the laughing regiment," as every face appeared to' be lighted with a smile.

The Akaroa Mali states that the recent very dry weather has considerably altered the prospects of this year's cocksfoot crop on Banks Peninsula, and where a few weeks ago there was a prospect of a fair crop the owners find that tho growth has been completely checked and weeds are overshadowing the cocksfoot. In Little River, especially in the lower areas, there will bo practically no cocksfoot harvested, and though tho higher paddocks are a little better,-it is expected that a crop equal to last year will be . hard to obtain. Weeds are also coming very strongly, and the cocksfoot is taking a very secondary place. This is more marked in Little River, though in the bays, also, the lower paddocks give very poor prospects since the dry weather* set in. Ryegrass seems to be flourishing in tho Little River district and elsewhere. Good rains might bring the cocksfoot back, but the dry weather of last year and tho hard grazing will bo responsible for a very poor harvest. The weather has also resulted in tho early flowering of the cocksfoot, and instead of being later than usual, as it seemed to be a few weeks ago, the seed has come to head rapidly, and' in tho lower paddocks reaping should commence at the end of this month.

Shearing is now in full swing on many of the North Canterbury sheep stations, but few, .if any, aro working with full boards. Iho Christchurch Sun states -that the supply of qualified men is wofully deficient.

The Dominion reports that tho Home Missions Committee of the Wellington Presbytery on Thursday considered the cases of two missionaries who were called to camp under first ballot, and it was decided that no steps should bo taken to plead exemption. Both men aro unmarried, and their charges are within a-few miles' reach of other ministers, who, by an effort, may be able to undertake all indispensable pastoral work. Tho Sunday services, it is hoped, will bo kept going by local supply.

Unless a stand is taken by tho railway officials there will bo a dangerous shortage in the staff of tho locomotive running men (states tho Loco. Journal).

At the Commercial Travellers' Club, Wellington, on Wednesday, Sir Ernest Shackleton described how splendidly Frank Wild, his second in command, kept up the spirits of the score of men left in his chargo on Elephant Island. " Whenever the ice waa clear," said Sir Ernest, "Wild would roll up his sleeping bag and pack up all his belongings—to bo sure, there weren't many. It would only take about half an hour—and then he would say: ' Now, boys, you had better pack up, because the boss may come to-day.' And on the day that wo did arrive wo found that Wild had his sleeping bag rolled up, his kit packed, and all ready."

Some landowners in the district (says tho Gisborne Times) who have lately insisted on the unimproved values of their lands being increased, the object in _ many instances apparently having been to frighten away the representatives of the State Land Purchase Board, have in another sense been hoist with their own petard. In such instances where the properties were fairly extensive in size their owners have got a shock upon receiving the notifications of their assessments for taxation purposes, especially in the case of_ the graduated land tax. One such owner is reported to have declared that he now finds that his land taxation as a whole will swallow up the whole of his wool clip profits for last year. A note of caution was sounded by the .chairman, on behalf of the Rakaia Licensing Committee, against publicans supplying too much liquor to men in ebnrgo of teams. Tho chairman intimated that anyone neglecting the warning would have t\ black mark against him for tho annual meeting.