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Evening Star, Issue 16837, 12 September 1918, Page 4

Tie nest European and American mail is duo to reach the Dominion about September 23. Another European and American mail will be duo on September 29. Tho local portion of tho latter mail should arrive here about October 3. There are at present some 21 conscientious objectors at tho State Farm at Levin, and about 2S more will he sent to the farm in the near future, when tho necessary accommodation has been provided for them. These men have all signed the undertaking to do non-combatant service. Since conscientious objectors wore first sent to the farm two of their number, who are Quakers, have joined the Medical Corps. These men found that •while at tho farm, which is entirely dissociated from military control, their objections had been respected. They accordingly offered their service with the ambulance, and have since been posted to duty on hospital ships. Mr Frank H. Taylor, of Tuturau, was doubly unlucky at the Dunedin competitions test night. Unlucky, in the first place, in not being declared the winner of the vocal solo (No. 89). We do not question the judge’s decision in favor of Mr Arthur Alloo. It is open to argument that Mr Alloo did win. All we say on this matter is that in tho opinion of unofficial judges who were present it is equally open to assert that Mr Taylor’s performances entitled him to tho first- prize. Some say that Mr Taylor’s worst fault w'as that he gave a weak ending to the prologue from ‘ Pagliacci,’ whilst Sir Alloo did not maintain tlho pitch in tho restrained passages of ‘ The Arrow and tho Song.’ Moreover, Mr Taylor sang each piece from memory, whilst Mr Alloo had the book with him for his opera air. The second misfortune that befell Mr Taylor was distinctly aggravating. It was in the Burns song._ lie chose ‘ Annie Laurie,’ substituting this for 'Afton "Water,’ the song named on tho programme, and musically he scored an easy win, according to tho judgment of the audience, and inferentially according to the judgment of the judge, since Mr Page said that it was unfortunate that Mr Taylor could not bo awarded a prize, because ‘ Annie Laurie ’ is not by Burns. The judge was quite right. ‘ Annie Laurie ** is not by Burns. The author of the verses is not known. But the blame for this mistake is not solely with Mr Taylor. Ho sang ‘ Annie Laurie ’ at the qualifying trial on Tuesday afternoon, and surely ho should have either been stopped then or told at the moment ho started last night that he was wasting his energies. It smacks of unfairness to let a man go through a song that he cannot possibly win with. Assuming that the committee did not know on Tuesday that ‘ Annie Laurie ’ is not a Burns song, one can hardly suppose they were equally ignorant at 10 o’clock last night. We suggest that they ought to have.given Mr Taylor a chance at some period, even, perhaps, to the extent of letting him sing a real Burns song, seeing that on his form he had a chance and was defeated by a misunderstanding. It is a pity that the bungle arose at the business end of a festival which has been singularly well managed in every other respect. The Minister of Railways, replying to a joint appeal by Messrs Sidey, Statham, and Walker, says that he is looking into the case of Fitter Smith, and that the representations made on his behalf will have 101 l consideration. 4

Mr Paulin's forecast:—Strong S.W. to N.W. wMnds, and some rain showers. Andrew Frederick Chapman was before the City Police Court this morning charged ' with indecent assault on a female at | Ravensbourno on tho 10th inat. Mr Hanlon appeared for the accused, who was, at ' the request of the police, remanded till 1 Wednesday next, bail being fixed at self in £IOO and one surety of £IOO. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., was on the bench. Just now there are great shoals of eels wriggling about in many of the shallow bays of Auckland Harbor (says the ' Star'). Everyone is well aware of the aversion of cats to getting their feet wet, but ono day last week a sleek-looking cat was seen to go into the water, and, catching a small ©el in her mouth, dragged it up a bank and placed it beside a box where her young kittens were lying, and by her own example encouraged them to play with it as it twisted itself about. At a recent conference in Melbourne of Directors of Education, they discussed tho question whether the present systems of education were calculated to produce the efficient citizen that was needed, in a democratic community (says the Melbourne 'Argus'). It was suggested that the>man who had not acquired the habit of independent thinking, and was easily influenced by any specious argument, was not a satisfactory citizen in a democratic State. Readily-swayed masse* of men who had no definite opinions of their own, and were accustomed to have their minds made up for them, and to repeut the views of others, were a real danger to the community. President Wilson had pointed out that the great object of the present war was to mako the world safe for democracy, and it should bo the aim of education in the meantime to make democracy safe for the world. It was felt that in. schools as constituted at present there was too much treatment of children in the mass, and too little study of tho individual. Class teaching had been developed fco a very high pitch of excellence as a means of instruction, but was not by itself an efficient instrument for assisting in the development of tho individuality of each pupil. Its defi.uencies in that respect were accentuated by the unreasonable size of the classes in most primary schools, and by the fact that, for tho majority of children, schooling censed just at the age when the power o r independent thinking was rapidly developing. If anyone should see, late at nicrhfc or in the w.ee snm' hours, a mercurial figure apparently fluttering a few inches abore pround through the deserted streets of the West End, making for Whitehall, the Ix>ndon ' Evening Standard' pives wai'iiintr that there will be no need to capture this rara avis. It will be a distinguished British Admiral making for the Admiralty on a 20-mile-an-hour "scooter." To give the machine its proper name, it is an " Everready Autoped," the latest thing in American getabouts. The Admiral in question, called up for important matters at all hours of the uipht, is away on his "scooter" in the twinkling of an eye. It is the last thin"- in official live-wireism. and its possessor believes that others will come. " Whv, all the girls in America have them," he savs with enthusiasm.

In tho ''Sunday Times' appears an interesting item from the Amsterdam correspondent regarding a Berlin bank manager who was summoned for having illicitly purchased two pounds of butter. Tire accused was described as a veritable giant, about Bft high, and weirhing over 17st. He was fined £3, although medical testimony was produced to prove that he could not subsist on tho rations allowed. As ho left the court the man remarked that to avoid death by starvation he must face perpetual prosecution. A fine specimen of red rainbow species of trout was exhibited at the Lakes District Acclimatisation meeting (says the 'Lake Wakatip Mail'}. The fish, which would probably weigh 121b or more, was obtained from Lake Hawea. We understand that red rainbow fry were liberated in Lake Hawea about five years ago by the Otago Society. With a view of preserving the rails, the Tramways Committee of the City Council yesterday gave instructions to the manager to reduce the number of stopping places on the -v-ii-ricms routes, so ii-s to enable t3ae service to bo run by use of the hand-brake, as the magnetic 'brake seriously damages the rails, and it is found impossible to procure any now ones. This is to be done purely as a war measure, in order that tho rails may be preserved and the service kept running until such time as it is possible to procure tho rails necessary to repair the line. Tahuna Park is onco more beintj used by the military authorities. On tho 6th inst. the officers and non-commissioned officers of the secondary schools went into camp there for a "refresher course," under Major Shand, the caimrp adjutant being Lieutenant M'Crorie. This camp lasts till the 14th inst. From the 16th to the 21st the Otago High School Cadets will occupy the camp, the camp commandant being Lieutenant-colonel iSleeman, with Major Shand as assistant camp commandant. Our Clyde correspondent telegraphs : Big meetings of fruitgrowers at Alexandra and Clyde unanimously decided to insist on a charge for fruit-cases. Many growers outside the Co-operative Association have declared their intention to follow suit. Another meeting will he_ held at Clyde on Saturday, when the chairman of directors and the manager of the Cooperative Association will attend. Never retreats; always wins for its wonderful quality: Watson's No. 10 whisky.— [Advt.] Mornington ladies are greatly pleased with the quality of " No Rubbmg " Laundry Help. A large packet, la 3d. J. M'Callum.— [Advt.] Ho lady should ba without Martin's Apio* and Steel Pill*. Scld by all chemists and stor*« throughout Australasia—TAdVt.l Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— [Advt.]