DEMORALIZATION AND CRIME IN GERMANY.

Grey River Argus, 4 October 1918, Page 2

DEMORALIZATION AND CRIME IN GERMANY.

EVIDENCE that the war has brought n great increase of crime in Germany is forthcoming in many forms. At a conference held in Berlin early this yeaTTo discuss "public insecurity" in all parts of Germans', it was stated that- most of the burglaries and other crimes were committed durtng the nights between Friday and Monday. Statis'ETcs were given of the payments made by companies which issue insurance policies against burglary and theft. Payments on account of burglaries increased from £80,000 in 1914 to £220,000 in 1916, and to . about Cl ,000,000 in 1917. Compensation .for stolen goods to the nmoun't of nearly £3,000,000 was paid by the Prussian railways in 1917. as compared with a total of £210,000 in 1914. Owing to the constant thefts of food in Berlin an official order has been issued flint no wheat or flour is to be moved *?T?bugTi the streets after dark. The theft of fetters is becoming more and more common. One night nineteen letter-boxes in Cliarlottenburg were broken open, and the letters we**e destroyed" "after tKe postage stamps had been torn off. Owing; to frequent thefts of letters at a small Town named Mitten walde, the Postmaster laid a trap for the thief, witß the result that his own wife has been sent to pr'son for six, months. .

A five-roomed house, together with its contents, owned and occupied by Joseph Fisher, wiis totally destroyed by fire at Runanga all an early hour yesterday morning. The insurances are in the Northern Office.

A cottage in Sewell Street, Hokitika, occupied by Mr, E. Butler, ,was early yesterday morning destroyed by fire. Three was a small insurance- on the building which was owned by Mrs D. Dowell. .<

Shortly after n'Aic o 'clock on Wednesday morning at Christchurch, a head-on collision between two electric cars on the Burwcnd line occurred at the Burwood Church corner, resulting*in a motorman and conductor receiving. i'n,iuries which necessitated their removal to the Huspital, whilst .the cars susi'aincd considerable damage.

The Attorney-General proposes providing in next session's war legislation for hardships, wherein the wives of soldiers on active ervlce were compelled to relinquish the tenancy of their homes on account of the landlords. selling over their, heads or demanding possession of the properties for the use of their families.

A Press Association telegram from Hokitika, yesterday afternoon, states at Humphrey's G-ully the largest pontoon built in this district was successfully launched in connection with the Chambers .Enterprise, an important dredging proposition of the Westland Gold Prospecting Syndicate, in the Arahura Valley. Mr David" Ziman, -managing director, delivered a short address, and complementary speeches were made by the Cbtintv chair of Westland ( Air. 9. Ward), aud the mayors of Hokitika (Mr Perry) and Kumara (Mr Murdoch).

All over the West Coast, much interest in the result of yesterday's Wellington bye-election was evidenced Last evening telephone calls from plages as distant as Westport, Boss, Hokiltika. Blackball, and elsewhere, not to menton an incredible * number* fiom withn and about town, omtiimed to reach this office until a lave "hour. The Press Association wire giving the figures did *not arrive till late, so that private telegrams merely stating that i"ho. Labour candidate, had been elected were all the rnihrmation previously available.;

An advertisement^ appears elsewhere calling- a meeting to-\iight at the Recreation Hotel of all members and supIWters of the United Football and Tennis Clubs. The meet'.i'ug is the outcome of a discussion at the last GreyBorough Council meeting, when attention was called to the destruction at the Pavilion of the Clubs. So maw members of both clubs being away at vhe front, it is felt that efforts' should be made to keep the pavilion in order. Further suggestions have been made that the Tennis club's throe' eonrts shmld be thrown open to senior school children, placing} one at the disposal of the. boys, one for the girls and one 'for combined. These and other matters will, be discussed at the mectino- to-' night, when it is hpped that all" supporters of the good old United Football and Tennis Clubs will rally round and help to keep the flag flying

An evangelistic mission of a fortnight's duration is shortly to.be. conducted by the Rev. Mr. Cummins, at Greymouth Presbyterian Church.

A Gazette calls up for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force 7:> members of the First Division • ot the Native Expeditionary Force Ke-

serve,

Eighteen thousand ttons of meat are required weekly to supply the meat ration in England.

Two Goldsborough ladies, Mesdames Atkinson and G. Roulhan have since May, 1914. knitted 259 pairs of socks ij.,l- the Lady Liverpool sock department, the former 149 pair?/ and the latter 110 pahs.

Large strong, Hand Baskets at prices from 1/- to (i/ti each are procurable from' B. Dixon, Tainui Street. Gpod value here. — Advt.

The Union Company have just reccived'advice that the Moeiukrs trip to Sydney next week has boon cancelled and that vhe next sailing will be the Manuka from Wellington on the 17th.

The. Westfprt Borough Council has been requested by a deputation to grant an area of six acres opposite the Hospital as a site for a technical school. The matter has been referred to special committees fior consideration.

Those in want of a Christmas suitshould place their orders early with James Kyle, Gents' and Ladies Tailor, Mackay (Street, Greymouth. There is always a rush at this time of the year, so to save disappMu'in'inent it is necessary to place your order as early as convenient.— Advt.

An Auckland press wire states that Colonel Patterson instructed the Third Auckland Mounted Rifles Band not to attend an Irish National Concert there, as it had previously arranged to do, owing to the National Anthem Jje'ng omitted from the advertised md souvenir programme. The programme bad a portrait of Robert Emmett and 'raft of ,Ins "Speech from the Dock," Before the concert opened, however, the National Anthem was sung by the audience.

Your advantage as we sec it is to buy your sheetings now, 72-inch heavy white twill, from 4/3 per yard. Good thick whfte Turkish Towels from 2/(5, 3/(3 per pair at Tymons' and Co. — Advt.

The net decrease in the German birthrate in 1917, according to Dr. Raymond Pearl, statistician of vhe food administration, was 4S per cent ; it. was 54 per cent in Hungary. in France and England it was 24 per cent. Germany's loss in population was 40,000 per 1,000,000 ; Hungary's 70,000; and England's 10,000." The marriage rate in England showed a marked increase, while it declined in the Central Powers.

Getting the best means buying now. Our first shipment of the new cotton dress materials has come to hand. Prints fipni lOd per yard, Voiles and Gabardines in all the latest colours and designs, double widths, from 2/6 per yard. Tymons and Co., Mawhcra Quay, Grey mouth.— Advt.

The French Missibn was taken, for a vrip in a 'launch' up the Sydney harbour a few days ago, and the reason for the long lines of coal-loading berths was easily appreciated by the French visitors. Dr. Sei'gfried- explained: "You hero have more coal than- you can sell, but we are icvnly producing one-third of our requirements, and two thirds of .that is produced in what you might' describe as the 'war zone.' '* Coal is selling^ for £16 per ton in Paris.

Ladies, do you require a go.(fd puii of glove fitting corsets? if so,' we «an recommend the celebrated D. and A. Corsets (all British made), -imported direct from the • manufacturers and sold at wholesale price at O. Smith, Ltd., the wholesale .cash drapers, clothiers, boot importers, and house furnishers, Grcyinouth aud Wellington; — Advt.

A measure which ; provides f or : the guarantee of bank deposits has been drafted in the United States. If is to assure credits up to £1000, upon which interest, up to 4 per cent, is paid. In a circular letter, copies «oif which were sent to all national bankers, the controller of the Treasury contended that the enactment of such a law would bring- from their hiding-places many millions of dollars of hoarded money; would afford complete security "to some 16,000,000 depositors in , the national banks, whose balances amount to £1000 or less, would largely prevent runs on such banks, and would contribute more to the unification and solidarity of the entire banking- system than anything else that' could be* done at this time.

Does Organised : Labour favour State Qmtrol as a solution for the Liquor Traffic? The New Zealand Labour Partyj although declaring, for democratic reasons, ■ that State Control should be ion the ballot-paper, decidedly refused to obmmit themselves to it fis a policy. The Labour mtm of Great! Britain want Prohibition. Reeeni) votes in industrial' centres in Enoland, Scotland, and Wales give a majority in every case for War-time Prohibition. Annan., where the Government public h -roses are, voted over 3 to 1 for Prohibition. Paisley, in Scotland, registered 11,182 for and U,6 against, or over 9to 1. Hull gave an 11,512 majority, while Lesmahagow, in fecotland, topped the lot with a 30 to--1 verdict. The total for the 27- cent res ; was-For Prohibitpn, 166,693- a-ja-tast Prohibition 78,066;' a S rit^ for Prohibition 88,627.' Ncw-ZbalSd' Labour will follow this splendid kad

Clothes, like everything else 1«U gone up m price, and me n who wish to SStv 600 f ""^^ • WithoUt sa cr/fi| n g « «ni «* ? U advise d to give the -Clothes by Post System a trial It 1B t s P eciahs t business, whereby the problem O f. fitting has' been rl duced to a fine art. You obtain the very best and latest materials, with a saving of from two pounds to thirty shillings. Furthermore, it is impossible for you to be disappointed, because « you are not satisfied in that the suit is correct, in fit and in tailoring, you have only *to »asfc for your money back or have the suit altered a t no further expense to you. ■•, A . large assortment, of patterns, the colour you prefer, will be sent to you, post free, on application to John E; Glasson, C^shel Street j. Christchurch, together with' his easy- self^measurement chart, which is so simple a 'child ca n follow it. "By buying, your suit direct from the workroom in thiß way it will only cost you 755, 85s, 955, 105s, according to the material you select, against six, seven, and eight guineas in the ordinary retail way. Drop a line tonight, and the materials' will come to you by return 'mail.^Advtj, ■

! -'The' general'" entries for tEe V.R.O. [spring meeting total 11081, as comparj ed with 1074 last year.

'• There nxe 353 students enrolled at the ' Masterton. technical school of which lb'9 are free place pupils.

A further diminution in the amount of building in Auckland is recorded tn the rerjrt of the city engineer for the year ended March last. During \lie 12 months the value of the buildings for which permits were issued was £154, 758 less by £120,000 than the year before.* The value of the Market buildings £49,000, started during 1916 help ed to increase the apparent decrease.

A district court-martial held at Tren ;tham Camp, having found the undermentioned soldiers -guilty of disobeyin<>- in such a manner as to show 1 a wilfulful definance of authority, a lawful command, given personally by their superior officer, in the execution of his office, they, have been sentenced to imprisonment with hard iainmr for two years: — 85641 Private J. S. Me Donald, details; 55G43 Private J. O'Brien, details.

Motorists Hand Books: — "Motor Cycles;" "Dynamos and Electric Motor Building;" "Electric Lighting;" "Electric Primary Batteries;" "Electric Accumulators ' ' 2/- each posted 2/4. "Motor Mechanics Handbook" 3/-, posted 3/4; "The Maintenance md Depair of Motor Cars," 3/6, posted 3/10; "Faults and Hnw to Find Them," 3/0, posted 3/10; "Hints and Tibs for Motor Cyclists" 1/9, posted 2/- from B. Dixon, Tainui Street. — Advt. k.

It was offically stated at the end of Vunc that the li'al.'an was costs up to that date had been £1,840,000,000 , (at par), and would reach £2.400,000,000 byi'he'end of this year. -This latter amount was regarded as an under-esti-mate. The fall in the value of the lira is efl'eeting the rate of expendiI tine consiredably, as it is stated that the average 1 i-j^e in prices since the war svarted has been nearly 300 per cent. Italy dc.sires that the exchange able value of the lira shall be regulated by arrangement with her Allies. On, August 1 the Italian war costs (a ir* nth later than vhe above) -were placed by experts at £2,000,000,000, and that figure i« a fair approx.!mation.

There is said to bo prospects of quite a boon in England in 4 cylinder Motor Cycles, after the war.' Manycyclists appear to think that a . fourcyWnder cngined machine must be

heavier than 'a twin. This is not so; a four-eylnder engine like the "Henderson" and the "P.N." weighs no. more than a twin engine of the same capacity, and as the 1,000 c.c. twin has such a reserve of power that its

maximum! is never used .by the average driver, we can afford to sacrifice a little at this end to have the r smooth, toiquc of the "4". Four small cylinders do not gl've the same power as one with a capacity equal to the total of the former. There is the question of silence too.: a four-cylinder engine can be made to whisper, but a single or a-twhi- of the same capacity must growl, if it does not bark.; aud while many mo.torists like a "nice exhaust note", silence appeals to more. Once the motor cycle is silenced there will be no Hiom for a noisy machine.

The report, of the Savings Bank of South Australia for the year ending June 30 shows that the deposits have increased by £1,097,094, to £11,537,442 inclusive of interest, the average at credit of each depositor whose account bears interest, being £4S 0s b'd., an increase of £3 12s 7d. for the year. Estimating the population of the State at 439,000, the proponion of deposits to population at June 30 was 63 per cent. Total earnings were £'470, b«2*, an increase of| £63,625, ■ wlu'ch with £31,\jf 566 brought forward from the previous x*■ year made £502,418 available. Inter-^ v cst paid and expences of management "v?) absorbed £467,169; there was transferred io reserve fund £17,256, and £3426 to. officers '.fund, leaving £14,567 to be carribd forward.

In view of the success which, has attenderad the- paper-making trials carrie out at the Imperial Institute witn South African waitle .bark after it had been used for tanning purposes, the liti perial Institute ' Committee/ for Australia has asked, for large samples -of .Australian spent bark for trial. The Imperial Institute' has been making enquiries with regard to the prospects of obtaining commercial supplifes of, seal and penguine oil from " the antartie. Samples of these oils, which, have been submitted by SLY . Douglas "Mawson for examination, have proved to be of excellent qualify, and by a ne\V process' could be utilised for. margarine manufacture. Sir Bpuglas. Mayvson- is ot opinion that the luanufacture of these, oils in the Antartie i»: feasible, . but will require several ~y:-.ars ! preparation: The present animal production & estimaved at 425 tons. :

v Mr. T. G. Wade, of fknedin, has - just returned to- New Zealand from a sojourn in the East. He, spent eight months in Japan. As one whp has seen service in the present war with the Australian Forces before being invalided, through' many wounds— -lie was aide-de-camp to Lieuvenant General Sir William Bird wood on Galtipbli, and Held the rank of captain when he was discharged— Mr. Wade was particularly interested in the mili tary life of Japan as well as in the. engineering business which took him there. He noticed that the training of, the Japanese army, formerly modelled on German, lines, now closely follows the British sysvem, as improved: by the present war, but is most severe. It is, he said, a vory^rigorous training-,' and the result** a~ Very file soldiery. So far asjie c^uld ascertain, Japan^s regular army stood ai : about 1,800.000; but, under the present system of compulsory training for definite peritfcls at short intervals, her available f-oree^f was increased to about .8,000,000 ot% well-trained troops. The 1 equipment - of the Japanese soldier also follows th :! ~ British type, and the artillery ■i s o r the- most trp-to-date models. The nre parations'forwar are nn'a vast seaL he stated to a Sun reporter. Mint SJ^l aUd a Wnition depots OtfcoT£ ? bC mw *W »ncl large. Other ttsstnn^y to J apan > s pnrt f cl . - S? <* m W warshfps being built Hi % new shipyards. "The- impression 1 jas that Japanese are waiting for something-waiting to land f \ could not discover. . The '-Jam "-**£• ' shrewd-yery shre^" P ' m [.