NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3292, 18 April 1917, Page 36

NEWS BY CABLE.

WORLD'S WHEAT CROP. The Times states that the world's -wheat crop for 101 C-17 will be 27J per cent, below that of 1916. ■ BAD SPRING WEATHER. There is a heavy snowstorm in England, and it is colder than has been experienced for 69 years. Farmers are anxiously awaiting sunshine for their cereals and root crops. The work is Ave weeks behindhand on many farms. CHURCH UNION. The Christian World istates that the second Cambridge Conference will be interdenominational. Tho committee of the United Free Church has unanimously accepted the Rev. Carnegie Simpson's draft statement of faith, and it is believed that this is sufficiently comprehensive to ensure the co-operation of the broader school of Free Churchmen without offending the right wing. The final, constitution of the council and the definition of its powers have, been deferred for a. further conference. NEW ZEALAND MINISTERS AT HOME. Mr Massey is still urging the authorities to provide greater facilities for the shipment of New Zealand produce, and i 3 hopeful that America's seizure of enemy vessels will soon help in relieving the shipping stringency. The King has invited Mr Massey to spend the week-end at Windsor on the 11th, and Sir J. G. Ward on the 21st. A COMMONWEALTH LOANy. A Commonwealth £3,500,000 loan at 5J per cent, interest, issued at £9B and redeemable in 1922-27, has been underwritten. It is estimated that the loan will yield the investor £5 15s per cent, as compared with the present yield of the British war loan, £5 14s 6d. The advanced issue price as compared with the South Australian loan is due largely to the lower bank rate and to America's entry into the war. The loan is being floated to cover the balance of £7,500,000 borrowed by the Federal Government on behalf of the Slates. . GENERAL ITEMS. As a result of the representation of the Agents-general, the British Government is making an equitable arrangement respecting the boneless beef already snipped. The oil mill at Aarhus, which supplies all the great Danish margarine factories, may be compelled to close unless it receives early supplies of copra. The Imperial Committee that is to ha appointed to inquire into post-war emigration will consist of 32 members. It will include the High Commissioners and Agentsgeneral, and a small working committee will be created, in which the Agents-general will nominate one member. The medical authorities of New South Wales arc investigating an outbreak of a mysterious disease at Broken Hill and Bcurkc. Out of 15 cases 13 have succumbed. As tho disease develops the patients quickly become unconscious. The general symptoms may easily be confused with those accompanying meningitis. The inter-State conference of. peace advocates, meeting in Melbourne, resolved that the time for prosecutions under the War Precautions Act had ceased. Attention was called to what tho speakers termed the condition of the New Zealand workers under conscription, and the conference decided to send an emphatic protest to the New Zealand Government. The Sydney newspapers published appreciative articles on Dr Brown, and referred to him as one of the makers of the British sphere in the Pacific. They also wrote upon his far-reaching and Imperial outlook regarding the future of the Pacific and his steady combating- of German, influence there. Higgins and Harrington, the holders of the Commonwealth championship, have created a world's record by sawing an 18m log in 25 l-ssec. Despite showery conditions at Sydney on Easter Monday, all show records have been eclipsed. At the Royal Show 122,000 people passed the turnstiles. The races drew 60.030 people. The annual conference of the Australian Chambers of Commerce, in view of ■ the necessity for economy, passed a resolution in favour of a reduction in the membership of the State Parliament. The conference also urged the need for the repeal of the Daylight Saving Act. Delegates declared that the scheme had been responsible for more curses, tears, sorrow, and hardship than anything ever previously heard of. Advices from Noumea, state that disturbances have arisen among the natives in several places over tribal matters. The chief Doui, with 50 well-armed natives, is very hostile to the whites A French cruiser hag left Noumea for the scat of the trouble. Mr Holman has announced that tho World's Press Congress has postponed tho Sydney session from March, 1918, "to Easter, 1919. America having become in the war largely contributed to the decision. Mr Holman promises to continue Government support and co-operation in making the 1919 meeting successful. In the meantime there will be a temporary cessation till towards the end of the present year .of activities on the part of the Australian and New Zealand executives.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Sir E. Shaekleton's auxiliary vessel Aurora, has been sold to an oversea buyer. It will be used as a cargo-carrier. Good rains, which were fairly general and much needed, have improved the winter farming and pastoral outlook in New South Wales. Nearly sin fell in Sydney in two days. At a conference of the New South Walea Country Wheat Agents' Association it was stated that a large number of farmers had been compelled to sell out and seek more profitable occupations There would be only half the acreage under wheat next season compared with last year. A serious mice plague at all the wheat centres in New South Wales has alreadycaused groat damage . among the large quantities of stored grain, and the losses threatened are so extensive that wheat agents are associating in petitioning the Government to remove the wheat to Sydney without delay, so as to minimise the evil as far as possible. The mice plague is also causing severe damage in Victoria, and many agents anticipate that 90 per cent, of the gram will nave to be reconditioned. REGULATING TRADE. A regulation controlling the trade in hides in Australia has been gazetted. It compels tanners to make available up to 75 per cent, of their output for local requirements. Mr Hughes is negotiating with the Imperial authorities to secure freight for the export of the surplus. It is understood that the regulation was framed because certain tanners, attracted by the high prices offering

abroad, have been, attempting to export the wholo of -their output without regard to local requirements. The Federal authorities have initiated a, butter pool, to ensure adequate sujjplies for local requirements during winter. Under the echeme the various States will contribute 60,000 boxes. A committee will control the output of the factories, which will continue to sell 80 per cent, of their output to agents at the local sales in the ordinary way, but the balance .of 20 per cent, must bo consigned to cold storage under export conditions. LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA. During the debate to adjourn the Labour Council until after the Federal elections, which was carried, Mr Rippingale (Coachmakers' Union) opposed the motion, stating that an undercurrent was at work in the industrial world. It had started in New Zealand, and would gel here shortly. From the information received they would be asked a momentous question; if not to-night, then next week or later. It would mean a bread-and-butter question for Australia.. The council could not do much, but the members should be in their places to answer the question when the time arrived. ■ 'Mr Brookfield, M.L.A., ha<s refused to obey the P.L.L. ukase to resign from the Labour party, and interesting developments ara likely. At the Labour Council meeting one delegate declared that unless Labour won the Federal elections conditions similar to /those in New Zealand would be brought about. "Over there," he said, "if a man struck work, a military officer put his hand on his shoulder and said: 'Come on; off you go to France.' The situation in Nevr Zealand is due to the workers not doing their duty in political matters." NEW SOUTH WALES STATE ELECTIONS. The second ballots for the Albury, Byron, and Namoi seats in connection with the State general elections resulted in the return of the selected National candidates. The Labour nominees were badly beaten. The candidates for the seats named were: Albury—A. G. Manning, Nationalist; G. 0. Bodkin, P.L.L. Byron—J. Perry, Nationalist; O. Virtue, Independent. Namoi—W, E. Wearne, Nationalist; T,. B. Egan, P.L.L. The two remaining second ballots, those at Gloucester and Hawkesbury, were won by Independent Nationalists, the successful candidates being Mr R. A. Price (Gloucester) and Mr R. B. Walker (Hawkesbury), each of whom defeated a Nationalist candidate. This makes the final state of parties: Nationalists, 63. Independent Nationalists, 4. P.L.L., 30. Of the soldiers' members at the front three are Independents and three are expected to support the Government. The soldier members belonged to the old Labour party, but it is not known how their votes go in the new Parliament.