Untitled

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 14025, 17 January 1918, Page 4

A cable message- from London aniiowues the death of Dr Henry. Butler, D.D, Master of Trinity College, Cami bridge. A£ Ngapara to-day J. 1). Hamilton and Sons will conduct a sale/'on behalf of Mr H. Koppert. Fiirniture, poultry, and general farm. accessories' will be sold. ' y. To-day the New Zealand Loan aud Mercantile Agency Company will con. duct an important clearing sale Ut, the estate of the late Mr Geo. v Barney, 'Higliliekl," Georgetown, ■ • ; Despite counter-attractions a goodly number of people assembled' at the Gardens last night to listen to playing of the 10th.Regiment Bapd.. The programme, which appeared in our columns yesterday, was well dispensed, as ..is usual when Bandmaster 'Fox calls oil his instrumentalists to provide music for the public.

'A'very sad story concerning the return of a soldier has been told to the Elthani paper. He. arrived, trecently, and was surprised and; disappointed at (here being no friends or:relativ.es to meet him. On the way up to-Wan-ganui in the'-train he learned; that'during his absence his father and mother had both died, also a brother, and "that the home had now changed hands.

Last evening the Dominion MeteorJogist issued- the following. ' weather ;uniinary and forecast: The atmospheric pressure has decreased in the south, and north-easterly winds have predominated. Very warm, humid conditions have ruled; cloudy, and hiisty. in .parts, with passing showers. Present indications are for increasing north-easterly to north-westerly winds, Weather eloudy.,and unsettled, withrayi following generally, the. barometer falling everywhere. .' ■ • ;

The ballot taken > hj the Agricultural anil Pastoral Union, on the proposal" to link up with the,.Australian Workers' Union,.resulted: For,. 1325; against, 450. The election of officers res.ulted: ■President; Arthur.' Cook (Christehurch) 755; Arthur King (Timaru) 584, J. Townsheml'.. (Wanganui).: 474. .'Secretary: C. Grayndler 1465,"■ ; M. -Lavaey 389. Executive (fourteen nominations): 'William. Boone (C/liristehureh)' ; ll3l/ A; Middleman (Gore) 1045; J: ilee. (Wellington) '1023, S. Boreham - (Duiiediil) 966, .J. Baldwin. (Chriatelmrch)'- 917; ti "Register (Blenheim) 837. r .Thelpositions' of the la'sfauhiacl .three,may 4)e!affecte!l by the returns still to"cotie, -but"their return is oonsideved eevtaiii.-. fe v ; :

The question of NeW Zealand's representation at the, Imperial r War Cabinet (says a Wellington message-) Wis postponed by Cabinet for a week/ r, ' A 'Wellington message states that Cabinet decided yesterday that theminimum wag« for manied men in the Public Seivice, and also in the Postal Departments be £136 per year. The iron ore deposits at f Pavsfpara,* 'Nelson, are being investigated for law material to be used in'tbe manufacture of painty A Government analyst and other practical experts visited the district last week, and an exhaustive investigation, ftas made of the various mineial deposits, the results, "it is stated, exceeding their most sanguine ex-, pectation9. '

'?:' The number of Victoria Crosses edjin ,: sixty-odd,years since. Queen Victoria' instituted) the : - d/coration-to. re-' ,ward;herpes of the.Crimea does not yet reach:looQ.'Probably the total will have veaolied'j four • figures before, peace '.arrives, .but'a recent return- showed-: that' it stands at 839. Before the war started 5J2 had':been bestowed and '317 have now been Won in'the.last three years.

"For a.small profession, the architects of New Zealand have a fin? record: in the .war," said Mr-Tv". H. Winsor,. president of the Canterbury Master ,i Builders' at a social gather-J ing recently. "No fewer than 15 fellows and's7 associates have gone to the front. Four,have gained military honours- and: eight .have given' their live?. That} for a profession with such a limited.;, number'of members, is, a record which would'be hard to beat;'''

-Regarding the fixing of meat prices in the United Knigdom,'a Wellington message: states that'Mr Massey has cabled the. High Commissioner asking him to inquire whether the restrictions applied to Argentine meat. The Hon. Sin Thomas Mackenzie'';replied: "With reference to your telegram of January !),' the fixing of retail prices applies equally to New Zealand and Argentine meat. The maximum'' wholesale prices have been fixed for all meats, the difference being made between homekilled and' imported. Irrespective ■of the maximum wholesale prices, retail prices must be based on the, actual wholesale cost, retailers being limited to a profit of 24d per pound, or 20 per cent, whichever is the less.," -

'; A scheme is now in operation in the United Kingdom for affording to owners of property not exceeding £SOO in value compensation for damage caused by air raids and bombardment, no premium being required for this "cover," which is provided by the British Government., Owners of property exceeding £SOO in value are compensated up to £SOO without payment of premium, provided that all value in excess of £500 ; is insured under the- Government insurance s.chemei The scheme is administered -by a committee, under the' chairmanship of Sir Thomas Elliott, and is worked in close connection 1 with the Government insurance scheme, which is,under the superintendence of the Board of Trade. The detailed scheme contains the following paragraph:-~" In no circumstances will a refund of premium be made in respect of any insurance that may have been, effected with the Government." ' ■

Puring the performance of "The Marriage of Kitty"-at the Theatre Koyal, Chvistehurch on Tuesday night, a-heavy sigh from the family circle, followed by considerable: laughter, interrupted: for a second or two a short sen-, timental passage "between 'Misi Man? Tempest and Mr Graham Browne just before the close of the, second act. "When the. curtain felly Mr Brown/i>d ■Miss.Tempest back to ■the stage to acknowledge' the. applause, and some-thing-hurtled through the sir and fell at their feet. Miss Tempest picked it up, and, advancing to the footlights, briefly addressed'the audiw.ee, ''Ladies and .gentlemen,'' she said, "I am a stranger to this and "some 'gentleman' has done' me the honour to throw a• matchbox at ir,e.'' "He's no gentleman/" cams a voice turn the ; .stalls. "Thank you, sir," i";p!id Miss Tempest, and left lhe stage amidst loud applause.

An appeal was mad? to the First Wellington Military B?rvi:e Board at - Palnierston North last by J. Cobbe Ltd., on behalf of -Mr. "-Francis Johjn Fraer, .manager of the firm's Feijding business,-who was foreman in .charge of a Wellington tailoring establishment. Mr J. G. Cobbe stated that through the death of his son in acjion,' he and his wife were compelled to look after a farm up the Wanganui river, which was formerly managt;l by their son. The extent of the farm was' 1034 acres, and it carried SS4O sheep, and 75 head of cattle. He could not give the necessary time to both his farm and business, as the latter, of which appellant is manager, employed 62 hands', and did a large mail order business; ty/o of witness's sons had enlisted, another was farming ' on the Wanganui, river, all his time being taken up on his own property. Mr Praer the appellant, did practically all the business. In reply to Captain Walker, who asked witness if he had tried'to get someone to replace Mr Praeiy Mr Cobbe stated that when .he had a good man fo manage his business he -desired, to 'keep him.. If. he adveitised for a manager, he would get 50 applications in a week, and per haps not one-suitable man. Francis John Fra&r stated that he had five brothers, one of whom was, at the front, one in camp, on,e was tinned (loßii, one was chaplain at Walton Hospital. The other wis ovei ago. A'ppellant said,,he was 41 years old and married eight years ago. He agreed that the business would still go on if he-left, although it might suffer to some'extent, THe appeil was dismissed, With leave to April 3rd. :• \ * .-, J