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North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13773, 9 January 1917, Page 4

r IV Chief .Postmaster.-advises that the mails which left New Zealand on

the 2Stli November, via Vancouver, ar rived' in London on the sth instant,

The Alexandra correspondent of the Otago Daily Times states that a resident of Galloway, wishing to have a cold plunge, lilled his bath out- of the tank. He discovered lhe water remarkably hot,, and on placing the thermometer in the tank found that it' registered flo degrees. There are, many complaints about the excscsive heal.

'The officers of the Orchards Division of the Department of Agriculture are at present collecting suitable -fruit for the purpose of exhjbits to be made by the Division at different siiows iu the dominion, and also at the Dominion Apple Show to be held, in Dunedin in iM'ay. 'Case lots are being selected and put' into cool storage in preparation for the show season,

In spite of the holidays which have intervened, the work of building the new hospital at Treutham camp continues steadily, and the buildings are approaching completion. It is possible now'' In ; see, something' of,' the general design of the wards,- verandahs, and oilier portions, ami Hie idea of roominess and comfort is conveyed. The other new ..buildings in the camp are also making progress, Die additions to the dental hospital being nearly completed'.

, (living' evidence before the Military Service Boiinl nl Wellington last week, Captain Mi'Jmlw, sijovlan-'ol 1 . 1 Uio Merchant Service Guild, said that many members. ol' the Guild' had volimteereil for .'Trvii'i! in tlx: Navjyon Iran,sports, 01: tin mi(ic-s\veepers, buyiad been tern-porai-ily.exfiH|il«d. Wiicit Commander Arnisl'roiig came out here for volunteers lot the motor-boat patrol, members of the Guild had been turned away.because they were sailor;;. Fifty of the Guild had gone to the front, and-quite a number had been taken out of the-trenches and given eomniissiions in the Navy.

Yesterday a boisterous southerly wind set in and early in the 'afternoon the weather became threatening. 'Shortly ■ rtfter two o 'clock a heavy: downpour of rain commenced to fall and 1 lasted for some time. As far as can be learned the .rain was fairly general and was most, welcome to fanners, who were'.beginning to fee) some concern for their root : corps. Pastures were also. suffering and .farmers iwera not. al^k'; to get their, sheep ' into'' the , .be 4 condition for 'the market, temporary .sns-' pension" of harvesting'is ;in inconveni.ence siud agriculturists will put up witli In view of the compensating benefits of the timely, raiii.... The freez--ing coinpftnies _will ; now. be able, to look forward to. a .better season and fuliv share.'the farmers' j'atisfactiou?.

<* • • • . ■ * I Marino engineers ■■are-among-the important people Mvho;-are-said- to-.'be scarce in /these 1 days of mi. _Thoiuas R. Wallace,; s'fcrotary; to the Australasian Institute of Marine Engineers; WellingtondiStrifet/ told; the- Military Service Board at Wellington on' Wednesday i thati certificated'marine .engineers., werg not ! bl)tainablejit'tlic present time,' There was, he said, -a notalblc instance of tiiat in tlio case of -one of the Anchor 'Line steamers. The second engineer on(.listed, 1 audi it was found impossible to ■get an .engineer,' to replace him. lie believed the company got over the dillieulty by appealing ti> the military authorities, and the man was put back tiwo or three reinforceiucn ts.

Reference, to the necessity of making provision .to'■ abs'oii) returned' soldiers! into civil life Was made by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr J. P. Luke) when speaking at the conference of teachers on Wednesday. 'Mr Luke said that the Government could'not too soon set up a board'to go into the.question of safeguarding those who had risked life and. linvb for their country and securing their assimilation once more intq "the industrial life of' the country; The City Council -was doing what, it could to'secure employment for returned soldiers on the tramways' and in other council work, but that effort should be organised 011 a national 'scale. They had also to deal with the problem of the women who had stepped out from their ordinary. •• vocations to take the places of men who had gone to the war.

Canada is giving .Way her rich 'soil in lice 160-acre grants at the rate of aii English comity per month. Official returns just to lrand; show that during the moiitli of July 1398 homestead: entries were'made for free land grants of 1 (50 a'cres each in the four' western provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and.Britjsh Columbia. As usual, t|ie largest total is under the heading "American," there being 240 of these, tli<j majority of whom settled in Alberta. One hundred and lifty-eight wore English, fifty Scottish, and twentyOn© Irish. ' The number of individuals represented in this-total-is 3233. Last year the total homesteads-for the same month' was 2032, a falling-pi! this year of 634. "which is fully accounted 1 for by the absence of so many men with the colours.

"'We are not going to cater for the luxury of the public," declared Mr Widdowson, S;M., at the sitting of the Military Service Board at Milton on Thursday.' "But the public insist on it," .'answered Mr IV. R, Brugh, who was conducting an appeal. "The sooner they iturn over a new leaf the better," was 'the chairman's reply. The appellant : in the- case among other duties runs a launcli on the Taieri river, and Mr Brnglr was explaining that the next three months would be his 'busiest tinie. Mr 'Widdowson said this wfis'oii account ,of the holiday passenger traffic, and'was this^ traffic whicli the chairman do-'; dined in an} way to assist.

, During the sittings of the Wellington Military Service Board'several apprentices have sought' an extension of time to complete the period of their indentures. On Friday, tlio chluriiran of the board (Mr D. G. A. Cooper, S.M.) made the following statement on the question: —"The board lias been given to understand 1 that it is.the intention of the Gof'ermneuti to bring in legislation next session dealing with the cases of apprentices who liave been called to the front before their articles of indentures have expired, Under section 28 of 'The War Legislation Act Amendment Act, 1916,' power is giveu for the employer and apprentice or apprentice's representative or guardian to agree that the unexpired term of the apprentice should be worked out on his return from the war,"

The wet weather of early spring in Auckland' Iras (sayi/ the New Zealand Herald) not only beon.responsible for a very poor strawberry season, but has also seriously affected' the crop of stone fruits. Usually, early summer brings a good 'assortment, of apricots, plums, and other fruits, but this year supplies will, be much lightertlran usual,- One reason given for the'scarcity of fruit- is that the continued wet weather earl,in the season -prevented 1 the fertilisation of bloom essential.to the- setting, of the fruit, vYpricots, which usually come iu large quantities from the Thames district, have, "been scarce and high iu price, hardly «■ quarter of the ordinary supply having reached Auckland. Christmas plums have been arriving in fair quantities, but these are just about over. Japanese plums arc now coming in, but in considerably lighter consignments tlran last year. , .Although the: season, lias seriously affected the quantity and the quality of strawberries, the constant. rains have had -one unexpected result in bringing ona second crop of fruit.

The second express from the south, just before reaching the Severn street crossing, near the entrance to the public gardens, 1 jumped the rails. .. Beyond a delay of half-an-hour no. harm resulted for the unusual and uuaccountable accident. The two front wheels of the engine left the rails 'about two chain? before reaching the cattle traps, and the engine ploughed along the" track and over the- cattle traps" before it was pulled up. By -iiieaus of. .jacks the wheels were replaced ou the rails and 'the train was ablo to proceed. The ; passengers were'well- shaken and some were alarmed'lest . the .results' might 'be serious. Otherwise, they were not inconvenienced. Bain was falling, heavily at tlio time, vind'quite a crowd of townspeople .gathered round whilo the officials and woi'knien were engaged''in rectifying matters. It was fortunate that tho train had' slowed down to take the crossing, for had ti been going at tho ordinary speed a varitlv different result would prtfbably have to be re-1 corded. .

Bush ijres on both sides of the Bimu< takn ranges have caused, tjio settlers ■ miißlr Considerable 'ureas? o^,lai^ha^} : |)ecn . buriit over ou the Wairarapa side .and around Kaitoke,- At one place on Tuesday tho. fires had. swept so close to a homestead, that aid taut-to be summoned 'nncl a score; of i rcn turned out to beat do'wii the flinnjs, their combined efforts eventually proving effective. "Essential industries" are ■mounting up. = Mr A,'Parlaiie ; be^oje^e. s i Millitary Board at : Wellington- WeP'v nesday, and claimed that express driving - was an essential industry. He added that drivers were difficult to obtain, and recent efforts to secure men had failpd.:» The work of drivers "...was work, which, he submitted, v was equally' ■■ essential with shearing, slaughtering;, and seafaring. ,

Some years, ago (writes. -au analytical chemist to an Auckland-paper) a friond>of mine was persuaded to buy, at the: door; a small packet of powder, weighing about -one ounce, priec us. This to make one quart of high-class hairwash. guaranteed to keep-for-one year and to" cure; all/the ills is lieir to. ' Doirbting these woMerfiil properties, I analysed it, to find that it was powdered sodium carbonate, this is washing-soda, retailed by all grocers at one jenny per lb! The other case was a packet of pink powder bought by my landlady v - To be dissolved in water aiid'poiireflover a ton of coal, thereby enabling one ton 'oFcdill to go as far as lj tons would untreated,. 011 analysis it proved to be chloride of sodium (common salt), with a small amount of 'colouring ' matter, Price, 2s fid. Value, one'farthing. ' ' The officers and c!;ew of a steamer which arrived at Port Chalmers recently witnessed one of the many diabolical .acts convmit : ted-:by;enemy^!iibniJi^s , ! in Home waters, When off Lizard Head,

those on board sighted a large cargo steamer, and when within a few hundred yards tihey noticed a torpedo -fired from an enemy submarine.- The missile struck the. vessel, midships. Some assert that there were-two siibinariues. A British destroyer,, which accompanied the New Zealand steamer, hastened to the other vessel's assistance and promptly rescued the officers and crew. When nothing' further could be; doije, t)ie Xew Zealand steamer and "'her convoy proceeded on their course, but they subsequently learned through messages received from another vessel that it Was quite two hours beforo the- cargo steamer disappeared, going down by the bow.' Needless to say, the submarine quickly disappeared, but not before the destroyed had opened lire on them. It is now generally understood that the enemy submarines traversing. Home [pliers hunt in pairs.