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Evening Star, Issue 16846, 23 September 1918, Page 4

The steamer Navua, wliicli arrived at | Wellington on Saturday evening from , i San Francisco, brought a small quantity i I of American mail matter only, and also 3 ; fairlv large American parcel mail for New j ■ Zealand. The local portion of this mail | , will arrive horo to-morrow nighty 1 ho | next English, American, and Expedi- I tionary Force mail is expected to roach a j New Zealand port about the end of &e,p- ; ; t-ember, and the Dunedin portion shoiud arrive hero about October 3-4. 1 Building operations have been checked in Australia ty the war, the difficulty in obtaining materials and their high prices cor,trite;ting to the shortage (says the Sydney ‘ Daily'Telcgraph ’). in Sydney almio in*l9l3 new buildings were erected to the | ! value of J07.527.C00, wh.cicas in 1917 the i total was only £3,491,C00, in spite of high i prices. )'he shortage is not so marked j now, ilinr.gh i* certainly exists, but with j : the repatriation of tilw men at the front | | will become much more pronounced. In - 1 i the United Kingdom, where building ope- j 1 rations are stall mors in ,a!>evance. it_ has | i been recently reckoned that the.ro is a | ' : shortage of 175.000 houses already, and i t the number will be greater when pence is restored. In France, Belgium, and the ' e.vt«ri countries of Europe, where de- ! : ttructicn of house property has been enor- > ' mwiis. a fiiimino as regards habitations in ; : inevitable. Turning to Germany, where a . : lengthy inquiry has 1 con set on foot, it i 1 is stated that in Berlin alone another j , 60,000 houses will he needed as soon as j | the war terminates, and that the normal 5 ■ requirements of all Germany arc 200,000 ■ j houses, and tliat for the time the supply > has practically ceased. t I Referring to the death of Air John ! ' M'Oarvie iS'mith, bast known as the ecien- | - tiat who presented to the htato his secret • 1 of making nnthrax vaccine, and who died ' suddenly' at his homo at _ Woollahra on r ( September 6, at the age of 74, the ‘ Syd- . j ney Morning Herald’ says ; “ Anthrax was then a’ deadly scourge among _ the cattle and sheep of New South Wales, 1 and the restless scientist attacked the r problem. Pasteur bad discovered a vac- ■ nine which would chock the diacaso, bat 3 it would not keep, arid was tnerofore piacf; ticallv useless. After long experiment Air Al'Garvie Smith evolved _a vaccine 1 that was capable of preservation for an 8 indefinite period, and it has since 1 eon 7 used with complete success.' Anthrax t no longer a terror to pastoraliats, as 0 shown by the result of the vaccm -tion of something like 25.C00.C0O_ sheep. The importance of Air M‘Oarvie Smith s_ ois--8 . covcry cannot bo over-estimated. For instance, men working among animals suffering from anthrax, or handling the wool and ’skins of sheep or cattle 30 ifleeted, r are liable to contract the deadly <*jfea&e. s The vaccina has reduced these mV# -o a q minimum. In addition to giving the : secret formula to the country—ho value . of which is difficult to uasoss, hut which a the scientist himself placed at £1,500.000 i Ate M'Oarvie -Smith endowed the new " I institute to the extent of £io,ri)o, and 1 also presented to the institute Ins fins j- laboratory and equipment, cstinn-red to j be w or tlr alone several thousands of , pounds. i- According to a letter, in his own handd writirti-, written by General Bird wood to Mrs Trowbdla Bontley, a Molong musit clan, whose song, ‘ Our Own Dear Land, t Australia,’ is dedicated ’to him, the popub la ..m icnl was i-assod during the comg mencemont of the counter-attack of the i- Allies in Juno. After stating that he In.d i- u3j.i lo iking for her son, -Sergeant I’ante loy, and had discovered that he had been n evacuated, suffering from the effects of e i gas, General Bird wood says; “We have i- a large number ot such cases, nearly all I of which recover completely after Unee

I Naturally, General Pau, head of tho French mission to Australia, was appealed to on arrival in Sydney, for a decision on the debated question of the pronunciation of the name of tho French Generalissimo, Foch. Instantly and decisively he replied ‘ Foscho!” And now (says the ‘Telegraph’) there will bo nob.dy rash enough to question the dix-it-ion of the general so high’ in tlio confidence of Foch, or impolite enough to disagree with our guest, A clean effect in tlio Police Court this morning. The police paid a visit to a hotel in tho city yesterday afternoon, and there surprised a party of boarders, who are a:lev.o<l to have been taking part in a game of poker. A prosecution against the licensee of permitting gambling on too premises will follow in duo course. The Soldiers' Committee of the Otago I Patriotic Association and toe local branch of tho Navy League have been trying for some time (tho former body for some | years, indeed) to get the auxiliary naval service men who volunteered from Now Zealand placed on tho same footing as the Expeditionary Force in the matter of allowances to wives and dependents, but havo had no success, individually or collectively, The secretary of the Navy] Ireaguo informed tho executive of tho association tb.is that a- rc-cont ' memorandum from Sir James Allen slated thjat Cabinet had considered the request, and could not acccdo to it. The position fa that tho naval auxiliary men who went from Now Zealand receive the Imperial naval pay according to rating, and the request made is that .the New Zealand Government supplement the amount, to bring dependents’ allowances up to the New Zealand scale. On addresses from both Houses of the (general Assembly, His Majesty the King, by Order in Council dated Pont ember 9, 1907, and by proclamation issued on September 10, 1907, was graciously pleased to change the stylo cf designation of tho colony of New Zealand to “ The Dominion of ’-tew Zealand,” the change tokitv effect from Thursday. September 25, 1907. Such is the official record of a development wh'--b at first was generally regarded as a little before its time, and by some was deemed a fit subject for jest, many little pleasantries being current as to the adding of “M.P.” to the names of our representatives, and as to the added emoluments of certain high offices, and so forth. But the war line .smothered all joking about New Zealand. Our soldiers havo justified tho titular distinction that of itself was a mere phra-o. The Dominion has a place in the world, and wo are proud of it. So proud tho f. it would be in the fitness of things if Dominion Day were, made of some real significance. To-day it was a sort of partial holiday. Banks, insurance oilioes, wholesale warehouses, and all Government institutions cloned their doors, and flags wore flown. That was all. Wo might do more. In what direction? 'Well, for one thing, by emphasising Dominion Day to the children. America understands and practises the methods of inspiring tho youngsters with love of country, and giving them ground for that love. Wo do not fiiicyrest a flood of speeches. Something picturesquely historical would be more to the point. in the course of a war address at Wellington tho Hon. T. M. Wilford referred to the remarkable war prophecies of a young French peasant girl named Claire Ferchnud, living in the parish of Loublaude, near the border of La Vendee. At tho end of 1916 she warned France that some of her most powerful politicians were plotting against her, but prophesied that they would bo speedily punished, and the ‘Bonnet Rouge,’ Hole Pasha, Malv.v, and Caillaui exposures almost immediately followed. She foretold the piercing of the French front, and prophesied the annihilation of the Austrians by tho Italians at the Piave, and the salvation of Venice. All her prophecies have come true. Soldiers swear by her, generals consult her, and Prance awaits her pronouncements with every Interest ; while the Loublautle parish has become a placo of pilgrimage. A remarkable railway accident occurred at- Young (N.B.W.)' a few days ago. A coal train from Young to Harden was mounting a steep incline near Pitstone. , about three and a-balf miles from Young, when the drawbar pulled clean out of the engine, and released 27 loaded trucks and the guard’s van. Tho guard jumped off and put on the brakes, but the whole train, weighing 550 tons, could not be , prevented from bolting back towards ; Young. A school teacher noticed the, runaway, and saved probable disaster In promptly telephoning Young railway station master. A porter just bad time to open the railway gates when the runaway dashed through at between 50 and 60 t j miles an hour. Tho train stopped cn an x J incline three miles from Young, and Ilian I j ran bade half a mile before coming to a j, standstill. Nobody was injured.

At Karori, Wellington, Mr Wright, M.P., told how one man called up in the military service ballot had been rejected because his feet were too small, while another had been rejected because his feet were too big. The first man’s feet were size 4, while the other’s were size 11; and they were both turned down because of too difficulty—for very different reasons—of fitting them with boots. The Government could not very well send a case of special size 4 or size 11 boots away with a man. He hud hoard the two men telling ona another their experiences in a tea room. Contracting work in the backblocks must bo a profitable occupation. It was stated in a Palmerston Supreme Court action that tho profits on a contract for 21 days’ work were expected to be £4OO. His Honor the Chief Justice; “Contracting in the backblocks is more profitable than any gold mine I know."’ It was explained by counsel that part of tho work included crushing boulders. Is there any profiteering in New Zealand? The answer to that question depends upon what you consider is profiteering (remarks the Eltham ‘Argus’). For instance ,a purchaser went into a business place in New Plymouth and purchased a hundredweight of soap at 445. In tho afternoon ho met a friend, who advised him that there was going to be a rise in the price of soap/, and recommended him to purchase some more. Accordingly he wont back to the same store a few hours later to purchase another hundredweight. He got tho surprise of his life when ho found that the price had jumped from 44s to 86s I Is that profiteering? A mother’s appeal was made to tho First Wellington Military Service Board on Wednesday for tho return of Timothv O’Oorroan, now on active service. Appellant said she had six sons ; five had gone to tho front, and three had been killed. There was one son, aged 17, at home. Tho Chairman (Mr I). G. A. Cooper, i S.M.), to appellant: “ You have a ■> ery good record. You ought to ho proud of it. Five eons gone on active service, tlo-eo of whom have given up their lives. The board congratulate you on the miPtan record of your family. What does Vm’r eon at tho front think ; does ho want U I return?’’ Applicant: “He did not say,” Tho Chairman : “ Does ho not want, to he in at the finish?” Appellant: “I do not know,” The Chairman; “ The finish looks very dose now, doesn’t it?” Appellant: “Yes; perhaps so; but my eon may be finished before tho war is finished.” Tho board reserved their decision. We have received a copy of the Dunedin Horticultural Society’s schedule for the season 1918-19. In announcing their intended activity for tho your this society stress the point that they are formed for the furtherance of horticulture in all its branches, and have dons an immense amount of good in the community, both from an educational and beautifying point ; of view, and for that reason, as well as for j others, have no hesitation in asking for ’ the continued support of the public. New classes have been, added to tho schedule, and more especially is this noticeable in ! the vegetable section. Intending exhibit ■ tors will therefore have ample opportuniI ties of selecting suitable < hu-ses we ewe product of their labors may bo exhibited to advantage. The dates of the various shows aro as follows; Spring show, October 9 and 10; summer show, December 11; carnation show, January 22; how, March 6; winter show, May 7 and 8.

Mr Paulin advised this afternoon s— | Squally B.W. wind and sleot showers; | indications improving slowly. ■ J Our Clyde correspondent telegraphs : | Heavy rain fell on Saturday, and the Moiyneux River is rising several feet in consequence. Yesterday was cold and stormy, and to-day it is snowing on the mountain-tops. The cold weather has caused a sovere death-rate among the lambs. The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the Protestant Political Asso- ■ ciatiou and friemia in tho North-east V al- | ley “ That this meeting of Dunedin . North citizens protest against the action j of the Censor m banning certain books which are educative for Protestant readers, . and fail to see any necessity for such ac- j tion.” ■ The hospital ship that reached Auckland on Saturday morning got to Wellington ; tills morning, and is tuned to at ! Port Chalmers at 6 a m. on Wednesday. The sick and wounded will be brought to Dunedin by the train leaving Port Chalmers at 7*9. Arrangements havo been made with the Otago .Motor Club to provide cars to take the Dunedin men hu.me from the station. The men for other* places will travel north or south or to the Central, as the case may be, by the trains leaving Dunodin almost at once. Mr E. C. Brownell, notional general secretary of tho V..M.C.A., gave a lecture on 'America's Work for Men 1 in the Burns Ball on Saturday evening. The lecture was illustrated witn some 120 colored slides. Mr H. K. Wilkinson presided, and said that the lecturer bad hac a wido experience in Y.M.C.A. work in North America. He believed that as a result of his lecture in Timaru there would bo a Y.M.C.A. formed there at no distant dale. Mr Brownell said that many people were laboring under a misapprehension as to tho foundation of the Y.M.C.A. The association was established by George Williams on June 6, 1844, in and was carried to America in 1851 by an Irish sea captain. The lecturer showed slides illustrating the work in North America, India, Great Britain, and China. Ho uRo exhibited a number of slides illustrative of the work in the military camps, lie stated that a modern Y.M.O.A. building in America cost from £230,C00 to i&iO.OOO. Ip one building in North America the membership was over 9,000. and over one million men and boys entered it last year. Tlio various training centres for training employed officers were well illustrated. in North America 82Q.0C0.0C0 was now invested in building.#, and tho membership reached nearly one million.

Asked on Saturday (wires our Christchurch correspondent) whether there was any likelihood of the Wellington tramway trouble spreading to Christchurch, Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the Christchurch Tramway Employees’ Union, said he could express no opinion on the mutter. Iho local men were sympathetic towards the Wellington tramwaymen, but so far it had not gone beyond that. Twenty years ago to-day (writes “ Me.rcurius,” in the ‘ Hobart Mercury ’ of September 7) we wore all tossing up our caps in honor of Lord Kitchener's victory over the Khalifa at Omuurnian. In looking up the records of that memorable time, 1 chanced to come upon a remarkable letter, written by General Gordon in 1&37. “ Every Briton,” ho says, “ should think of the future of his country, and should insist upon the Government pa«&in< r measure for compulsory military training. Bo far as England is concevr.i-d. she need be under no immediate apprehension. Butin 1310, or thereabouts, there will havo risen a naval Power which may prove mightier than she. If that Power gains tho supremacy England will become extinct. both as a sea and a land Power, and all her denpendeucies will fall into the clutches of Germany. You may not live to poo this; but, if you are firing wh -i! it hat time comes, remember my words I” Tt was in 1910 that Germany revived her famous naval programme! Individuals have been known to swallow their principles (states a Sydney paper). It is not so often one hears of a man swallowing a badge which is supposed to denote bis principles. Yet this happened in Sydney tho other day, when a man appeared as “ prisoner's friend ” for a German charged before a military tribunal. A military offher associated with the trial noticed tho I.W.W, badge in the lapel of this man’a.ooat. He pointed out to him that under a War Precautions Act regulation he was committing an offence. “ Well, what do you propose to do?” inquired the offender. “I think,” was tho reply, “ tnat the offence will be met if 1 confiscate the badge.” “Right,” was the response. And the offender took the badge out of his coat, and just as tho officer thought it was going to be handed to him, instead it went into the man’s mouth and was promptly swallowed.

Mrs Isabella Craig, one of the pioneer settlers of Pokeno (Auckland), recently died at the ripe age of 36 years. Mrs Craig came to Auckland with tier husband, Mr Alexander Craig, and two children from Glasgow in the, Ilelenslea in 1864. This ship Drought 500 special settlers for Pokeno,'e-ach of whom received a grunt of 10 acres. Mr Craig and family settled at ilazorback, and lemaincd there for oh years, then removed to the Thames in Isi.tl. Upon trie death of Mr Craig in 1913 his widow removed to Auckland, and resided with her son-in-law, Mr Vv. Dean, at Dominion road. 1 here are 34 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Foul grandsons are on active service. Rather short shrift, states the Wellington ‘ Times,’ was given to a motion put forward at a meeting of the Onslow Borough Council by Cr Ifobbs. It was as follows —“ That, in view of the impending amalgamation of the Onslow Borough with Wellington City, this council appeal for the exemption of His "Worship the Mayor I'iom military service until March 31 next.”. ’ The mover’s principal argument was that the Mayor’s services were iessential in view of tiie important negotiations that would take place with regard to amalgamation. However, quite a different view was taken bv the Mayor (Mr J. M- Tale), who said he considered he should oe v.'iiero his duty lay—in camp. The. energies of councillors would be much better spent in pushing the amalgamation scheme and convincing the City Council that tneir arguments Were sound. He did not believe in appeals, and thought the Military Ser,icc Boards had enough to do in deciding cases of real hardship. Eventually the motion was rather sharply brushed aside, and all councillors joined in heartily congratulating the Mayor on his sens*, of duty. The following is a. selection iron the books added to tho lending •department, of the Public Library during the'week end ed Saturday, 2Ut September t - Belloc (Hilaire), ‘Tho Proo Press ’ i Wells ill. 0.), ‘ln the Fourth Year’ ; RMd (I!.). ‘The Science of Power’ ; Newton 1 edit bv, ‘ The Staple Trades of the. Jwnnire’; ‘Wrh-bt (11. C. S.), ‘Two tears "Under the Crescent’t Martyji (P.J. J-ne in Iho Legion’! Gucdajlia (P. 1, ‘The Partition of Ruropc, 1715-1815’’, Davies (Vv H.l, ‘A Poet’s Pilgrimage’ ; Todd iMarI garet), ’The Life of Sophia. oex-BLko * Montessori (Maria), ‘The Advanced Montossori Method ’ ; Burroughs (K. A.), ‘ World-Builders All ; Vnse (Gillan), A Great Mystery Solved ’ 5 Young (George), • Portugal ; Old and Young ’ t Wilton ißobert), ‘Russia’s Agom”» Pilcher (Majorgeneral T. D.), ‘War According to Cianfcwitz.’

In opening the proceedings, at a social held in Christchurch this week in connection with ilu- ; anterbury Justices of tno Peace Association, .Sir John Bcnuiston er.id that, although during tile Let c'J years he kid oocppiod many public positions —ntost of them detached and m too nature of a figwrehc-ad —-that was the hrsu oooasion on which ho had failed the post of chairman of a public meeting, and, suiange as it may seem, he had to con less to a feeling of uei'vouaness. In xeiurnim: thanks for his election v the (Jiicc of patron of the association, ten- John said tliat he -vi.sheci to pUico c-u reuH’Ci his hi-tfti ap’irochdiou of •'c work which had hj u d. ne. and wa-u • .- : ng done by Jwdi.cs Purine the 30 years'which ho had occupied a seat 0,1 tho Bench ho bad had many opportunities of judging of the value o_! the work done by members of the Oopini iss'caof the Poa.ce, and ho had no hesitation in saying that the services rendered were of a highly valuable nature.

weaka to a month’s rest. I have rarely been one of those cases myself. I trust that your boy wall soon recover ;nnl go through all that is before him 'n safety.

New season's photographic goods; erce>lout stock now arriving. Cameras from 6» Send your order early to H. J. Gil!, 11 and ’t F'-.-fionck street, Dunedin. ’Phone 1,144. •-[Advt., Members of No. 2 Company, New Zealand Engineers, will parade ai the Drill Hall, Ken ingtou, at 7 p.m. to morrow. It pays to remember some things. Ladies, when you need a good costume remember the name Anssll, Octagon.—[Advt.] Never retreats; always wins for its wonderful quality; Watson’s No. 10 whisky.— [Advt.] A sale of work in aid cf the church and patriot io fund,; w.il be held in tire Morning ton Presbyterian Church Hail to-morrow and Wcchie day. “ No Rubbing ” Laundry Help—the ,ioy of thrifty wives. Is 3d packet sufficient for ven weekly faimly washings. D. Miller and Co., Castle street.—[Advt.] Watson’s No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— [Advt.]