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Evening Star, Issue 15778, 15 April 1915, Page 4

For the second time within 16 days the I price of butter has risen, a penny per lb j advance yesterday bringing the retail jriee to Is sd. Nor is this likely to be Tire limit, for the abnormal demand and consequent high price for cheese now ruling will tend more and more, so long as the war lasts, to its manufacture rather than that of butter. Numbers of creameries in both islands have been converted into cheese factories, and these turn out hugo quantities, which, shipped to London, realise 94s per cwt, whereas butter on the same, market- only brings Mbs, The situation is easily realised when jtis remembered that the troops at the front absorb hundreds of tons of cheese weekly. The Harbor Board have had in hand j some extensive works during the year. I The Black Jacks’ wall, the southern eu- j dowment wall, and the reclamation at | Port Chalmers for the Union Steam Shi)-) I Company being cases in point. These and j other big schemes will be completed within the next year. The Priestman dredge, filled with drilling plant, is now at Port Chalmers, engaged in work in connection with the blasting away of rock preparatory to building the new sheer-legs wharf. -This work, which the old 222 -dredge was unable to cope with, will occupy about six months, and within a year Port Chalmers will have the satisfaction of possessing a sheer-legs wharf -that will still further enhance the excellent clocking arrangements already in existence. A leading merchant points out that it is a notable fact- that trade has been affected very little by the war. That is to say. the turnover keeps up most satisfactorily, the payments are regular, and the public are qnito complacent regarding the cutting off of their supply of certain lines, taking substitutes quite cheerfully and with an- | patently satis factory results. While trade | fluctuates in a- somewhat perplexing manner from month to month, the gross roan It has been as stated. The new signalmen’s houses at- the Heads are well on the way to completion, and should he ready for habitation within a few months. The postal authorities announce that Soldiers Gift Club parcels may be despatched to Egypt or Samoa containing matter for delivery to members of the Xew Zealand Expeditionary Tones. They ! must bo .superscribed “’Soldiers’ Gift ( lub, a.nd be addressed to the officer commanding a regiment. Thev mav contain packages addressed separately* or to different members of the torccs. _ The rates can be ascertained on application to the postal authorities. A new stimulus has been given to the enthusiasm o[ amateur gardeners in Auckland by the generosity of Mr A. M. Myers, M.P.. in donating to the Auckland Horticultural Society the sum of £2O for award in four prizes to the best cottage gardens. The competition was limited to occupiers of sections not exceeding a quarter of an acre, and upwards of 50 entries were received. Judging was commenced in September, and lias been continued throughout the summer. “I have just heard” (writs a correspondent- m an exchange) “ the real story of why German officers on the Mainz, the light cruiser sunk in Heligoland Bight, fired at their own crew''in the water. Jt makes that curious episode almost unintelligible. A? the Mainz was sinking a. British destroyer backed rigid up anc] called out to the Gorman officer.-' to put their wounded aboard. They agreed, but many of the crew, instead of looking to the wounded, jumped overboard u, .save themselves. It wa-.\ then that the men in the water were fired' upon by their officers. The officers. i n spite of urgent offers from the British, refused to go aboard the destroyer, except a doctor wno was sent to look after the wounded. Some officers, however, were picked nut of the water bv another British destroyer after the Mainz went down. There was no doctor on the desl rover, and' to show tne versatility of a British naval officer, the British commander himself amputated two legs. I_ understand that the Admiralty is putting medical students on destroyers now.” The first contingent from New Zealand which was despatched to South Africa a litGe ovc r 1,5 vr:n . s n ,w vrr ]j roprf ,. smitcd in jhn fighting forces of the present day. There were onlv 214 officers and men in the contingent, ami 25 of t m ,n - nf ;M»mi all but three ,- m . commissioned officers, are again on active service. Hevcn officers are now with the forces on the western front-—namely, MajorGeneral Davies. Lieutenant-colom-l fT;lytor, Major Maddocks. Major Ward. Major Bartlett. Captain I dudsay, and Captain Miller. Men:hers of the ’ contingent who arc with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force gathered in Cairo at dinner to cele- | bra-te the 15th anniversary of their former departure from New Zealand, those mho were present being ; Maim- -I. G. Hughes, I DM.O., Major Harmwoll, Major TT. G | Orbed. Major ,T. Mitchell, Captain, A. TT. i Wilkie. Captain Smith. Contain F, A. | Wood, Lieutenant P. T. Emerson, Lieutenant A. S. Bniclmlar, Sergeant W. Mahotvl. Sergeant W. Johnson,'and Corporalsaddler J. Aitken. _ Wherever rum goes one meets the khakied .T;i.p (writes a Lon don correspondent). Ho fills the skating rinks and- music halls, and lie is never absent from the big military parades which are of dailv occurrence throughout the British Isles. ‘ People are asking what these Japanese soldiers are doing in England. It is suggested that they are here to take part in the final scrunch when Joffre gives the long-wished-for order to advance. These .Taps are very reticent, and one seeks information in the club rooms and daily Press without success. Question the average military man, and he will favor yon with a, lingering side glance that puts further speech beyond the pale. We know that France would welcome half a million Taoa.icse troops to clear the ground for the last grand assault. But British statesmen, up to date, have professed to lend only a thick ear to such suggestions, alt lough Asiatic and Algerian troops arc being freely employed against the Kaiser’s hordes. It is stated that, there will be at least three, possibly four, candidates for the Mornington mayoralty’.

Mr Paulin telephoned at 2 p.m. ; —S.W. to N.W. winds, and some cold rain showers; fine after 12 hours. At the Municipal Tepid Baths on Wednesday evening, Messrs W. M. Matthews and I*. B. Footo, two of the examiners for the Royal Life-saving Society, examined Misses B. W. and E. D. Ashcroft, members of the Dunedin Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Club, for the society’s award of merit. Tn the opinion of the examiners, both these young ladies passed very ci'editably. The examination for the award of merit is an exceptional’y severe test. ‘ Lake W aha tip Mail’ states that two lady visitors to the town set out walking to Moke Lake last Thursday at about 2.30 p.m. During the afternoon they overtook a gentleman who was making in the same direction. Tito three v compared notes and continued the journey together. The gentleman subsequently parted company with the ladies and commenced the return journey. Both parties, however, must nave reckoned without their book, for they were benighted, and were unable to return until daylight next day. An alarm won given and the police communicated with,, with the reulb that a search party was organised. The latter had not gone far when tile wanderers returned, between 9 and 10 a.m. All three were in a more or less exhausted state, but little the worse for their exposure to the severe climatic conditions. Little lias been heard of the Edison storage battery cars with which Gisborne began its tram system. .Many averred that they were only in the experimental stage, other* declared that the batteries would give constant trouble and require frequent renewal, while some predicted that they were foredoomed to failure. These cars have been running in Gisborne for over a year now, and the Southland ‘News’ is informed by Mr Stanley Clare, who is on a visit to Invercargill from Poverty Bay, that they have proved an unqualified success. They are quite noiseless and smooth-running, and if they do not travel as fast as the overhead car no one complains about the speed—they are quite lafil enough for all practical purposes, and probably faster than the Melbourne cable cars, which have been spoken of as the most, comfortable in Australasia. Owing to the doubts cast upon the system, Gisborne built only one line of comparatively length at the outset, so that if the- prophets of failure proved correct the overhead system might be resorted to; but so satisfied is the Borough Council with the results achieved that it is now extending the linos on the storage battery principle. The great saving in working costs, as well an in initial outlay, assures the financial success of the scheme in towns where the population could not provide sufficient traffic to make the overhead system pay. Leslie Harris, a teller at the Commonwealth Savings flank, in Sydney, found that he was £IOO short in his cash when he made up his books the other week, tie will, according to hie statement at the Central Police Court, have to make that amount good, as it has not Ik'cii located. Bryce Wynne Dillon Cox, a middle-aged man, was charged with stealing (he money. Hards stated that he gave Cox four £SO notes instead of two, and at the .same time marked the fact on the hack of the vouchor. Cox should have received £IOO, and would have then had a balance of £2. Evidence was given by an estate agent that Cox had paid him £IOO fur an interest in a business.. He gave him two £SO notes, and had other notes in inks hand, but of what denomination witness could not say. Cox, who paid he was not. guilty, was committed for trial. Speaking on the subject of recruiting, the Minister of .Defence (Hon. .1. .Vilen) .said (wires onr Wellington correspondent) that he had been invited to attend a sendoff that was to he given to the Oetago section of Lite 6th reinforcements. Unfortunately he could not go, hut the letter accompanying the imitation stated that t!;e full number of the Otago quota is available. “ I liSr\e not got the full details of registrations throughout, the Dominion.” he added, "hut I am pretty sure that the whole of the 7th reinforcements are already registered, and probably sonic of the Bth. You can tell those likely to join that if they don't hurry up they may have to wait for a very late contingent. I have not yet had to fake the platform lor the purpose of stimulating recruiting, but if lam called upon 1 shall do so. I am very grateful to the various recruiting committees, who have kept the thing going splendidly. I, would much rather that Ihe work be left in their hands. They are doing it. very efficiently. No one could do it hotter.” Tin; profits, of fho City trading depni! • meins for ihe year ended March 31 were as follow:—Car, department. £5,919; water department. £16.151 : tramways dm pmmoni. £5.255; elect We nsw-w depart, nient, £5.869: total £31,188. The cleat!! of the- boy (Veil Rhodes at tho Auckland Hospital last, week has resulted in the exhumation of the hodv havitig been ordered so that the tacts of the case may he investigated. Cecil Rhodes last Thursday fell into a. tub of boiling water and was considerable scalded, dying in the- hospital on Saturday. Tho body was buried without an inquest. Tho General Committee, of the City Council have appointed in spec-tors whose duty it will lx; to prevent overcrowding at picture shows ami other places of entertainment. In connection with the recent, assumption of the Viceroyalty of Ireland by Lord Wirnh-orno. a carious custom was observed at his installation. Behind the closed doors of (he Privy Council room in Dublin Cas-tlo every member of that body kept on his hat when tho new Lord-Lieutenant, entered tho Council Chamber. He was received with (.hilling indifference till be exhibited tho Royal Letters Patent appointing him Viceroy, whereupon the assembled Privy Councillors rose, too); off their hats, and bowed low to the King's representative, who wap then and there sworn in. Detective-sergeant Keren and Detective Hall yesterday 'afternoon io-'e.l two women named Catherine M’Dowcil and Agnes .Maher on a charge of stealing an overcoat, a. mutller. a. cigar holder and case, of the total value c,I £5 ss, the property of William Aitken Johnstone. They were afterwards brought before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., when they both pleaded guilty. Chief-detective Herbert explained that, the eda-t and other articles were stolen from Bastiugs's Hotel on the 15th in.-t. Tho complainant was staying at tho hotel, and hm# up, his coat in the sitting room. During his absence the coat was stolen. The detectives went to the house of Mrs M‘Dowell, and there (omul tho stolen articles. The women slated that they went to the hotel to have a drink. Tho accused wore, remanded for sentence until j his morning, when His Worship said that they appeared to have previously borne a good character. Ho advised them to give up drink. Both women were convicted and ordered to mine up for sentence any time within 12 months, and a prohibition order was issued against them. Amoug.-T Waters, Rilehie, and Co.’s offerings at the won! sales in Dunedin on Tuesday was a line of 18 bales super cross-bred Otago-grown wool for which tho record price of 171,(1 was obtained—a Now Zealand record for at least 40 years. Mr E. M. Wilson, secretary nf the Shipwreck Relief Society, telegraphed to Grc-y----mouth this morning, with a view to ascertaining if assistance was required for tho crew of t!m steamer Rakiura, which struck a rock near Stephens Island yesterday morning and sank. The Otago Women's Association lastweek forwarded 380 complete, kits for the use, of the. Otago men attached to the Fourth and Fifth Reinforcements. Another complement of 310 are now completed and will be distributed to the men of the Sixth Reinforcements on Saturday morning. The Bellamy Settlement, and adjoining pastoral runs, which lie between Lawrence and Beaumont, will bo ready for balloting about the end of next month. The Bellamy Settlement proper consists of 2.550 acres, which it is proposed to subdivide into three small sections suitable for workmen’s homes, four for agricultural farms, and a similar number suitable] for mixed farming. The whole of these will | lie disposed of under renewable lease tenj ure. There are five pastoral runs, eum- | prising a total area of 55..540 acres. .

Watson’s No. 10 is a litfclo dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— [Advt,] A glass of Speight’s beer at lunch and supper is better than all the tea in China.— [Advt.] St. Hilda Platoon of the National Reserve parade this evening to consider proposed miniature rifle range.

It’s bright and sparkling, it’s wholesome and palatable, it’s read good—Watson's No. 10 whisky.—[Advt.] The Railway Department advertises in this issue that holiday excursion tickets will be issued to passengers travelling to Tsma.ni by tho excursion train, which leaves Dunedin at 6.35 a.m. on Saturday next. The return train leaves Timani 7.0 p.m. same clay. No lady should be without Martin’s Apiol and Steel Pills. Sold by aB chemists and stores throughout Australasia. —[Advt.] Tho anniversary social of tho North-cast Valley Baptist Church will bo bold on Friday evening, when addresses _ will bo given by several ministers and music rendered by the choir. ,