THE STEAMER SALVED.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2858, 1 February 1916, Page 2

THE STEAMER SALVED.

Up-to-date American metihods have been, responsible- for the salving of the ex-Goruiaui turret steamer Walkure, Avhich was sunk early in tho war 111 Papeete Harbour by gunfire. Advice that the Walkure. (how Republic) has been raised was received when the Mai-lai arrived from San Frano>co. Tho work, which has occupied about two months, was carried out by a San Francisco syndicate, and the vessel is "U> bo talieti to the American port in order to again enter the. merchant service. Mr Joseph Liggiiis is reported to have sold bis swamp at Tokomaru to a Wellington syndicate at £50 per aero. A fishing launob, with four men 011 board, lias been missing in 'Wellington for two days. It was last seen in tho fog in Cook ■β-trait. Ainorioim wool-arowvrs have, been pretty bard bit diiring tho past, year owing to it ho prevalence, of foot-and-mouth disease, states Mr i). Evans, well known in the Feilding district, who returned by the Maitai to Wellington. Tho'annual report of the .Shipwreck Eclief .Society of Now Zealand mentions that the- year ended December 31, 1915, was free from any .serious shipping disaster, amcl, conseijuontly, tho amount the society nas called upon to expend for relief to shipwrecked mariners was tlie modest sum of £35 O.s i)d. There, have been people who lived all their lives in their native town, and never left it even for a day; tint with such rapid travelling as is possible nowadays such cases arc few and fay between. Although not very remarkable, I |io case of a licensed porter at Lytteltoiii 'in interesting. In conversation with a representative tjif The I'.ress ho moniioncd 'that on the last occasion that be bad visited Christclum'li the present tramway system had not been installed; so that, although the city is .separated from the portijy a stretch of only seven miles, accomplished by train in 21) minutes, ho bad not yet scon tho municipal oleytri/u pars.

Tbo toll of 'the war has been felt heavily by a nptnber of large. English manuiacturers, and probably b,v nolle 111010 than Messrs Oadbury Bros., Ltd. Up to wniie montbs ago no fewer than, 850 men Jjad left tbe firm's Hinploy in connection with the war. Messrs Cadbury Bros., Ltd., nrc paying to tho dependents of its employees suriplemejital maiiitenaiice allowauces ainounting in all to nearly £5000 per aninum. Tho principals of tlio lirin aro well known as members of the Society of Friends, and a recent .notioe posted in' the works at Bounwiyille explains .their atfcitudie towards recruiting. Inter alia, the notice reads: "Wo greatly respect tlioso w'lilo feel ,it their duty to respond to tbo call for service in the Army a.nd Navy, and ixa.vo without question released all sncJi. from our employment. We beiieye t}i : at it is the duty of everyone ijx these critical times to give wholehearted service for the nation. Suoli service may take many forms. them, we consider, may properly bo included tbe rnaintevnaince of oxisting factories, and so lielpiiig itbe balance of trade, which is so vital it} tbe .country. All who ■wero in our einpios merit at tbe outbreak of the war we ,have diving tuken to reinstate."

A chase after a largo stiiig-ra^ — called by tbo Maoris wcku—tho otiier afternoon was attended with rather disastrous results for a> valuable dog owned by ,7, well-knowii Native resi-don-t of tbo Mvi.tiipihi (.says the Bay of Plenty Times). A nuni.ber of Na-1 tivos, armed witb tliree-protigcfl tVvJ'lfS, wero wadiog in shallow water' in a portion of tho harbour between Wbareroa- a.n.fj liiatapi,bi in quest of fish, when they sighted tjip wei;i and pursiifxl it. Two dogs were accompanying the party, and on© of the .cd.n,in'es got too 'close 1o tif« .stujg-ray, which succeeded itt <Jfiying one of its fctings through a. foreleg and then into >-he body of tho dog, tlio feting penetrating several iiiiclies in the vicinity of the bftart. Tlho woku made off, and the (Jog wfyt) taken ashore, where the sting was extnipled. The poor aninuil lost a great, 'j.uajiii.itcy of blood and eventually collar>s.ed. 'i'-b.e p.o>s'sibility of. its recovery wne very remo'le. iJ.ubiWio Maoris secured n boaf and rosrtiint'«i tbo pursuit of fbo wpko, , wliidi (bey Mux-eed/f-i'l in Jcrlling. Tlk , \ atinjr-ray ini?;i^i | .i,red uiyM+i' fi\,v ;fwt,: ac.ro.se. A few w-eeks ago n j party killwl » large &t.iuig-ray. and i so\-cTei/l otiters Jiav«> f.afoJy ■boen i __sig , bt- 1 ed in shallow wait-p-rt; u< ffo« jjuu-r I rcaclifs of tbe liiarDo-ur. i