Mt. Benger Mail. gm Be just and fear not. WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1919.

Mt Benger Mail, 28 May 1919, Page 2

Mt. Benger Mail. gm Be just and fear not. WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1919.

The next sitting of the Magistrate's and Warden's Court at Roxburgh will' take place on Friday sth, at 4 p.m. The Magistrate wil lbe Mr E. D. Mosley. The weather on Monday was cold, and thoroughly wintry. Snow showers were frequent throughout the day and on the higher levels there was apparently a heavy fall. We would call our readers' attention to an advertisement in this issue in I connection with the Golden Jubilee of the Loyal Koxburgh Lodge, M.U.1.0.0. F. The members of the Lodge are leaving no stone unturned in trying to make the Jubilee as great a success as possible. No doubt the occasion will be responsible for bringing together quite a large number of visiting brethren, and it can safely be said that they will have a jolly good time while oa their visit to the local Lodge.

Quite ,a large gathering of fruitgrowers! gathered at Birchdale Orchard on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of witnessing the pruning demonstration given by the Government Orchard Instructor, Mr J. H. Thorpe. The president of the Teviot Fruitgrowers' Asi sociation, Mr J. Bennetts, in introducing Mr Thorpe to those present, spoko of the capable manner in which Mr I Thorpe carried crnt his duties as orchard instructor. The display that followed was very closely watched by-all present, Mr Thorpe giving the methods which he had found most successful in his position as instructor. At the close of the display Mr Bennetts called for a hearty vote of tranks for Mr Thorpe's services that day.

An interesting light is thrown on history as a subject of instruction in secondary schools by a study of the recent matriculation examination resuHs in that subject. There were 1342 candidates who took history for the examination, and no fewer than 758 failed to secure the 40 per cent, of marks required for a pass. The percentage of failures was therefore 56$ per cent. In one examination centre in the Auckland province there were 39 who sat for history, and no fewer than 28 of thorn failed in the subject. In two South Island centres 18 out of 18 failed in history. Judging from the above figures one may reasonably conclude that history is taken for the examination as an extra subject —one that needs no particular preparation. '' Supposing the Prohibition party succeeded in abolishing liquor from New Zealand, would it try to abolish our tobacco next?" a Times reporter the Rev. R. S. Gray on Saturday evening. "I am sure of two things" rfcturned Mr Gray. "First, that we shall got prohibition, and second, that v»e should never be insane enough to advocate the abolition of tobacco. I could never imagine anybody in the Prohibition party being so stupid as to advocate such a thing. They may be doing it in America. There are many kinos of cranks in America, but I am not responsible for them. Personally, lam opposed to a campaign against tobacco as I am positive that prohibitionists in New Zealand as a party would take up my attitude in the matter."

A shag shot on one of the Waitaki islands recently was found to contain 11 young trout. Perhaps this is where the missing millions of salmon fry uuvo gone (says the Oainaru Mail;, ii rtainly seems to account partially lor the poor trout fishing last year, as the river is dotted here and there all up its course by clumps of shags. Harry Lauder is expected to commence his New Zealand tour in Christchurch this month. This singer of comic songs was not so very long ago a miner lad, working among the plain Scoter miner folk not far from Glasgow. Harry commenced as a singer of other people's songs at wee Scotch nichts and Saturday "pops" among the poorer folk in Glasgow, where the admittance was a penny, and if you did not happen to have it, thero was a place to stand at the back. His personal magnetism made him popular, and there was always a call from the audiendes for wee narry. Later the idea dawned upon him that he could write and compose the songs himself. Then managers came 'to hear of the bright young Scot, ayd engagements were offered him and accepted. Since that time Lauder has become-world-famous. When the war broke out Harry Lauder throw his all into the struggle. Not only did he invest largely in war bonds, but he toured successfully on behalf of the funds of the Scottish hospitals, and in Amerida lectured on the Allies' point of view, just at the time when America was trembling in the balance. The supporting company includes Miss Muriel \ Window, comedienne, Santo Snntucci, concertina virtuoso, Eddie Mbntrose, acrobatic comiedian, Moon and Morris, twin dancers, Heather Bell, . Scotch dancer, and an orchestra of 15 performers. Messrs J. and N. Tait are paying the Scottish comedian £IOOO for every six performances, if " I am of opinion that a New Zealand unit could notr-be formed from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force," was General Richardson's comment in Christchurch on Tuesday on the proposed Imperial Guards Regiment. "If I know the opinions of the rank and file as I believe I do, you would \not get a f dozen men to join it."

;.'T~ ' f ' i .-v \»v •• Amhcxgrls, to useful in the manufac- . ton of perfumes, is found in the sperm whale'* stomach, and is probably partly digested by cuttle-fish. It fetches 100 puineas a pound in the Paris market. In 1880 there were no railroads, no Mean steamships, no telegraphs, no cheap post, no fee press, no putilic education no pure water, no main drainaga Trade unions were criminal associations and Dissenters were regarded almost as rebel*. In the early days, of the war aeroplane* were used simply for strategical reconnsisance. It was not until after the battle of the Aisne, when settled line warfare was established, that artillery fire control from the air and other forms of co-operation with the infantry were practised and developed. ' According to the Civil Service accounts, £4828 8s 4d was* spent in tre year ending Maroh 31 last in connection witr the protection of Buckingham Palace against aircraft attack. Protecting the British Museum cost £6Ol, the National History. Museum £209, and the Victoria and Albert Museum £144. There is a street in Qwan'du, Africa, which is a veritable place of skulls. The town, oval in shape, has round it a ring of poles, every one of which is crowned with a human skull. There are six gates to the town, and every one of them is approached by a pavement of skulls, of which something like 12,000 were used. The highest official score for bringing down German aeroplanes goes to Captain Rene Fonck of the French Army. Before the armistice was signed he was officially credited with 75 Boche planes, but virtually he brought down over 100. On two different occasions he brought down six machines m a few minutes. The Government conferred on him early every decoration in its power to give. { , Except for trade with European neutrals and her one-time allies, all of Germany 's trade has vanished. Her overf seas exports before the war reached something like £300,000,000 a year. Her loss in trade during the past four years is estimated at not less than £1,500,000,000. ,

Tim ,Gatftte announces that General Richardson has been appointed general officer in charge of administration, and the appointments of General Robin as quartermaster-general and Colonel Tate as adjutant-general to the forces are cancelled, and the duties pertaining thereto Absorbed into the appointment of general officer in charge of administration. A contrivance has been invented enabling aetfplanes to fly at a rate unheard of mtherto, and at heights previously considered impossible. The engine, which i^based on.the principle of the turbine, is designed to produce 30,- • 000 revolutions a minute. The invention also comprises a small ventilator for the purpose of compressing the air at great heights at whieh the instrument is used. It is said to be thus possible to furnish the engine with compressed air at the pressure usual nearer the ground. This invention, it is claimed, will enable a flight from Paris to Cairo, approximately 1965 miles, to be made in 11 hours. The problem of finding accommodation for female teachers in country districts is becoming more and more acute, according to Mr Wallace, chairman of the Otago Education Board, who stated on Wednesday morning that it was wrong to expect young women to go into lone.y country districts and live alone, and the country people would have to wake up to the fact that they must either inconvenience themselves a iatle 16 get accommodation for their teachers or do without teachers.—Star. The British loans to the Allies and the Dominions included £171,000,000*t0 the Dominions. The amounts advanced to the Allies were : Russia £568,000,000, France £434,000,000, Italy £412,000,000, Belgium £86,000,000, and Serbia £lB,000,000. America during the year, lent Great Britain £325,000,000. The death duties would be advanced on estates between £15,000 and £BOO,OOO from 5 to 6 per cent., on estates between £1,000,000 ■ and £1,500,000 from 30 to 32 per cent., and over £2,000,000 to 40 per cent.

' 'i ■ High Commissioner has cabled in liu 1 New Zealand Government that pcisous contemplating a visit to London should be warned of the difficulty of obtaining hotel or other accommodation and the high cost of such accommodation. Berths for a return to New Zealand are almost unobtainable. It is .estimated that at present about 3000 civilians are awaiting passages to the Dominion. Sir Thomas Maekenaie is of opinion that about October the position will become easier. A London eable states that Mr Guy Scliolifield's book on Paeifie problems is a comprehensive work. It condemns 1 th* system of High Commissioners which has been the policy for 34 years, it also foreshadow a customs union of the Paeifie Islands and advocates the abolition of the condominium in the New Hebrides which is at present an ideal case for a mandatory Government if France would accept Britain as the Mandatory Power. [Mr Scholefield is an old Milton boy, who went to Great Britain some years ago and quickly :uV » name for himself in the Old 3f9|

Since the protection was removed off ilio Blue Mountain facet, the fallow ucer have been persistently hunted bj those after, meat -supplies (says the Courier.) ine older was reversed at ut Grookstoa the other day. The' village Lkcksmith waswending his way homeward, when ha espied a *<raiksr" on the • roadline. This looked all right for a meat supply, and Irat thoughts were to hurry off lor a shooting iron, when a chain indicated that tjie animal was a pet from a neighbouring form. "Barney" made friendly overtures, whieh resulted in a combat, and 'ended in the "spiker" being left chained to a neighbouringfenee. The nest passer-by, with He inbred lovs of the BigMander ttfr the deer speetss, sssayed to 'scratch' the nwittcrfepol!. "Mr Spiksr" immedtetlfy. set out to tnnikHate the elan ■ Ifaekay, but again made> mlssalculap \ ties, 'Apnl aHfcpegi he scoured one tall % , the neat two frcre against Mm, and he . was counted out. The third act was a •<-' v : "I#*" ?* tMif motor w. ui% ■ \\T ffti ,»•. . ™ v <' J J' : 4. \