NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 41

NEWS IN BRIEF.

It would appear from, a telegram from the Wheat Controller that all contracts for the delivery of flour uncompleted at the end of February have been cancelled. As from yesterday the price of the Otago Daily Times has been increased to 2d per copy. The advance is due to the extraordinary high prices for newsprint and other materials At the Magistrate's Court at Temuka Andrew Bind and Duncan M'Bean were charged with the theft of a new motor car. They were convicted and fined £lO each, in' default" two months' imprisonment. They preferred to go'to gaoL The amount paid by the Imperial Government, as on February 29,. on account of wool, meat, butter, cheese, and other products under requisition, was £128.580,000. The largest item was wool (£43,769.596), the next frozen meat (£42.748 480). In the Supreme Court Mr Boyd, owner of the Onehunga Zoo, applied for „an injunction to restrain the Onehunga Borough Council from enforeinsr the by-law empowering them to remove his animals. Mr Justice Chapman dismissed the application. A stabbing aft'ray, in which two foreigners were concerned, occurred at Auckland on the Ist, and resulted in one of them b«i;itr severely gashed about the arm and hand. Subsequently the police a.rrested a Dalmatian on a charge of causing grevious bodily harm. Two Germans, who have been interned at Narrow Neck —W. A. Selrultz. of Tonga,, and A. Nauer. of Samoa, have been released, and will leave for their homes by the Navua. Both men have families. The number of prisoners at Narrqw Neck will be reduced to 17.

Owing to the cancellation of t'ip apple shinrnent by the Port Caroline, there are 5000 cases of fnnev urrade Cox's Orn.ncre annles readv packed for th» market. The Nelson fruit-.srowers have decided to bold an apple week in Wellington on American lines for the qu'ck disposal of this favourite variety.

The sale is reported of premises belonging to the National Bank of 'New Zealand at the corner of Queen and Wyndham streets, Auckland, to the Bank of Australasia. The purchase price is £122,500.

The present building is of brick with three ■ storeys, and ha* a frontage of 133 ft to Queen street and 103 ft to Wyndham street. At the Supreme Court, Invercargill, H. L. Maithuß pleaded guilty to failing to account for £3OO, the property of the Postal Department. His Honor remarked that "s complete restitution had been made and the prisoner's previous character was good, lie would bo admitted to probation for three years on condition that he abstained from betting and paid the costs of the prosecution.

ihe Hon. J. G. Coates (Acting Minister of Defence), referring to the statement that the department was wantonly destroying good clothing -used by the army during the war, said that old, insanitary, and unbearable tunics, etc.. were being examined by the board and sold by tender as rags. was investigating- the cosition fully, ana meanwhile no further action for the disposal of clothing would be taken. The following resolution has been sent to the Ministsr of Internal Affairs: —"That the sports section of the Royal Reception Committee of Canterbury demands the right of deciding the class of sport that should bo held in. Christchurch during the visit of the Prince, of Wales, and should a totalisator permit be considered necessary, then the committee (should be allowed the privilege of deciding the matter." After considerable discussion a complete agreement was arrived at before the Conciliation Council in the d&pute between the Dunedm Amalgamated Warehousemen's Union and employers. The objection of seven Invercargill firms to being included was left over for the decision of the Arbitration Court. The hours of work were fixed at 44 per week. The wages of a man after five years' service was fixed at £3 15a per week, plus a bonus, travellers to receive £4 10s per week.