LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 23 July 1914, Page 7

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

FARMERS AND DEFENCE. ME UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, July 22. Delegates to the Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union were entertained -at luncheon t<>dfty l>y the Dominion executive. ;Hon. James Allen (llinister for Defence), in replying to the toast. ""Hie Army and Navy" (Major J). H. Lusk), lipid tliat behind the Territorial movement was mare than a question of local defence. There was a conception of a Uliited Empire and a desire to he in readiness to send our men to. heip the Elnp're whenever the Empire needed assistance. Ho did n>t look upon the Army as merely a defensive machine, for behind it all was the inculcating of, discipline and the characteristics •which went to make ,gc~d c.t:zens. tinder the scheme all ranks stood shoulder to shoulder mi absolute equality and it waa the only quality which got a, man to the top. They had learned that there were other things besides the development of the country. There was the development oi the individual themselves. ' ; Coming to the naval question, the ijjmister sa.'d that he did not agree with the contention that the farmers shou.d, not interest themselves in the question; of, defence, for of £23,000,(KM) or] £'wj4,ooo,ooo wortii ot produce sent; ?n?ay fj-om these shores 70 or 80 per cent, came from the farmers themselves, tind surely they were concerned in. the insurance of the protection ol their own interacts. Since .the Bi;i:sh Government had found it lie'es'ury lo break tho naval agreement of 3000 a change in the naval i>ot:cy bad beeai found to bo necessary and ho quest on j had arisen of what was to take the [ plji"© oil the naval subsidy. The policy of training our own men in Imperial ships o,nd under Imperial officers i-o tjiat they would automatically raw to the Imperial fleet was, he <on tended, the most statesmanlike course tl:»t could be adopted. (Applause ) FIRE AT OTAKI. OT'AKI, July 22. At 11 o'clock last night a fire started in Barrett's boot shop and in a i-horl tamo swept-tho whole corner* block ujkiii which stood .Mrs Devonshire's drapery establishment, including the promises of Messrs Mackenzie /.chemist), Barrett's boot ehop, Oldham (frniterer), i\.nd Stevens (kind agency). The fire burnt with great rapidity, and in the absence of fire-fighting appliances and water gave it free scope. The insurance amounted to £1275, and the loss is' estimated at : £I4OQ. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. ■ . , ■ . , WELLINGTON, July 22. - -A largely-attended meeting of the Bib!e-in-Schoote League resolved not to work until tho Bible is restored to bo schools, and further resolved to snpHort candidates for Parliament who Bdedge themselves to favor the move- ■ WEEK-END CABLE SERVICE. ■ WELLINGTON, July 22. ■ The popularity of the cheap week-end System of cablegrams is fully evidenced r in. the adoption of tho system by a I number of countries. Since it war. t'irnt inaugurated between the Dominion and Great Britain, Burma, Canada, Ceylon, liid a and the Union of South Atrica already enjoy the choap method. Hon. R,. Heaton Rhodes (Postmaster-Gen-eral) hag just sanctioned a further extension, of the system ;from Ist proximo to Aden,' Ascension, the Coco:,, Labuan, Malacca, Mauritius, Penang, Perim, Portugal, Rodriquoz, St. Heena, Seychelles, Singapore and Zanzii btw. • The- mto for tho week-end cable service is one-qiyirtor of. the ordinary charge with a minimum of 20 wards.