NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 566, 2 December 1915, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Telegraph Office advises that, at 9 a.m. to-day, the Waimakariri North, Opilii, and Waitaki Rivers were clear; the Waimakariri South discoloured, and the Rangitata. and Rakaia dirty. I A half-day parade Of the Senior Cadet | companies is to be held in Christehurch | on Saturday. ' The" following- companies \ are to parade at King Edward Barracks at 2.30 p.m.:—Christehurch Cadet Bugle Band, Companies 78, 79, 66, 10, 17,, 83, 86, 87, 71, 67,* '76, 92, 90, 72, and 96. A full attendance of all ranks is required.

A sitting of the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court was this morning before Messrs G. C. Smith and L. A. Stringer, J.P. 's. George Home was fined 5/-'on'a "charge of drunkenness, and on a charge of having stolen four tumblers, valued at 2/-, the property of Joseph Mandell, of the United Service Hotel, was fined 10/- and costs. Mr W. A. Gray, of Kaituna, has presented a site for a caretaker's cottage on the Port track: The site is on the edge of Parkinson's Bush, and commands a splendid view of the Lyttelton Harbour, Lake Ellesmere, the Kaituna Valley,-and surrounding hills. Mr Ell, M.P., describes the, gift as a splendid one, which will be of material assistance to the Summit Road Association in the work it is carrying out.

The Spreydon Borough Council agreed last evening to endorse the following resolution which had been passed by the Petone Borough Council:—"That as an aid to recruiting the Government be requested to amend the "War Pensions Act," 1915, setting forth therein clearly' and definitely the amounts payable to the soldiers' dependents in the event of death on active service, such amounts not to be subject to reduction 'or variation by the Pensions Board set up under that Act, and, in view of the dissatisfaction which, generally prevails regarding this matter, urges that Parliament be at once summoned to amend the Act, and that a- copy Of this resolution be forwarded to the Rt. Hon. the Prime Minister, the Hon. Minister of Pensions, the member, for the district, and to all borough councils, county councils, and town boards throughout the dominion, asking their co-opera-tion."

In the Juvenile Court this morning, before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., a small boy, 11 years of age, appeared on two changes of theft of money from, a jeweller's shop in High Street; The first theft 'was*-half-?i-crqwn and the seeond ■9/-1 The Chief-Detective said that the boy had luade frequent visits to the shop, and had Wstited his opportunity, and stolen the money. His 'father, who had seven children, had enlisted for the front, and his mother appeared 1 to be unable to control the boy. They pro-1 posed senxling liim to his grandparents. The Magistrate ordered the stolen money to 'be'returned, and gave the parents an opportunity to send the boy south. This time he wohld be convicted- and discharged, but next time he would be sent to 'an industrial school. "The Telegraph Office advises that deferred' cable messages cfor Italy, or lor transmission over Italian lines, v may now- be accepted. A: number of, persons desiring to depart from Duriediri by the Wimmera were somewhat surprised to find that they could not get; their tickets ? on ■Wednesday _ (says the "Otago Daily Times"). The Huddart-Pai'ker Company's officials were obliged to pacify the intending passehgfers by advising that special permits hiad to be secured before tickets could.be issued. A gentleman over 60 years of age was annoyed, 'perh'ap#» haturally in his case,- at •put !to the inconvenience' of having 'to wait for permission to leave for Australia. "Why, I am too old to fight or' do anything else; so what is the use of' all this 'red tape' business'• with me!'' •he said. The retort; courteous was, of course, that no differentiation could be made, but'that he would, have to call again! "How ccfn- you refuse me? I dori't; belong to this' country; I belong! to the United States," asserted another person with an independent air. that announcement failed to impress the company, and f the man had to comply with the- request to wait till ;next day, pending the arrival of the Government 's' 'permission. . ■

Seven performing sheep, a bucking ram, tjtfo young gymnastic pigi, and a German on parole, comprise collectively a proposition that is occasioning considerable bewilderment to the heads of the! Victorian Intelligence Department (says'; the : Melbourne '' Age''). The German, is the. owner of these somewhat extraordinary animals. Prior to the war the ; trqupe had been appearing in all quarters of the globe. But owing to the war the owner has found himself stranded in an enerriy country,-and, with his col-; lection of trick animals, he has thrown himself upon the protection of tlie military authorities. He has asked to be: interned, but his request bristles with' difficulties, inasmuch as he to be parted from tjie animals. The regulations contain no provisioii applicableto the internment of performing sheep and pigs. A suggested solution that: the sheep be turned into mutton and: the pigs into pork, was rejected as< hopeless on the owner's' admission that] the "youngest sheep had reached the; mellow age of 10 years. Further, he has asserted that their. value has in-: creased rather than deteriorated with age, and he places an upset price on the lot of £2OO. The authorities have their ovyu ideas on this matter. So far," however, they have come to no decision re- : garding the disposal of the menagerie, and the German is still abroad with his flock.

' The new system of assessing the beer duty in the Dominion came into forceyesterday. The change from; the old system has been effected without airy difficulty in Christchurch. The Mayoress of Spreydon (Mrs W. H. Winsor) desires as .many gentlemen as possible to attend the monthly meeting of the- Spreydon Liverpool Fund on Saturday evening next, at the Borough Council Chambers, as there are matters of importance affecting the organisation to discuss. The Puller Proprietary Has decided on a temporary closing of tlie Opera House in Tuani Street from the end of this •week, owing to thd fact that .extensive alterations and improvements to the building are contemplated. - Due notice will be given of- the reopening of the theatre. A. farmer who enjoys a rqpresenta-, fcivo position in jthe Feilding district; furnishes further evidence .of . .thej 'foolishness of-, the JBritifeh. race towards the enemy in its midst, says &n | Auckland exchange. This farmer has; a- neighbour^who:is.a German, and who? is in receipt of the oldhage pfension.; Over the family * is a large pbr-j trait of the /Kaiser. ; The Englishman clid not like to. see that picture there,] so he offered to buy it from -the .German:! 5/-, 10/-, 15/-, 20/' offered—all refused. 3 Patriotism ? -.Love of the Fatherland | unseeD for.a lifetime? No—"for," re-| plied the old man, "if the Germansji come here and see that picture—-I'll be I all right! " > ; .) | The- overseer employed by the South j Waimakariri Kiver Board reported to : the board yesterday regarding-the re-1] cent flood. He stated that it was "the) largest since 1911, and was within 3ft' 4in of the height of the flood in 1905. No ; damage had been caused to any of' the works. The of the river had changed' in several ".flactSs in the bed, ; but the stream wiis not- touching any of tlio embankments at the upper: works, and there was only a small; stream touching No. 1. embankment at; |Mason's Flat. The effect of the island I near the Empire was to .throw; the stream againsti tlio southern".bank■!! in that locality. :No "damage had been.j caused to the embankment on the oppo- | site side. Accounts amounting to £62lj 12/5 had been passed for payment.