The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1911.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10719, 18 March 1911, Page 3

The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1911.

[ , Labor is leaving nothing to chance in connection with municipal elections (says the Wellington Post). On Saturday next a novel idea will be carried out. Wellington has had "Hospital Saturdays" and "Ambulance Saturdays," but never mil "Enrolment Saturday." It will, however, this week-end. The Trades Council has arranged for volunteers to take up their stations at various parts of the city, aud instead of the collection bos they will be armed with pen, ink, and municipal enrolment forms. In this way it is hoped to put many hundreds of names on the roll. Apparently potatoes are not the only vegetables to be ruinously attacked by insect life within North Otago's droughty area. We were shown a broad bean pierced through the shell with a caterpillar snugly ensconced in a bed which, it had hollowed for itself on the bean inside. Such instances of destruction are, we are assured, quite common in that part of the district from whence the bean came. A case of peculiar interest came, before the Magistrate this morning, the police proceeding to obtain an order for the committal of Roderick M'Arley, a child whose parents are in indigent circumstances. It appears that the child was adopted some little while ago by the foster parents; but shortly after its adoption the foster mother being ill and it was sent to the Karitane Hospital. Ia reply to the Magistrate M'Arley, the foster father, stated that his wages were 30s a week, and lie could not afford to contribute anything to the child's maintenance. His Worship commented strongly on M'Arley's behavior. It was a scandalous sort of thing, he said, that the man should come forward to a 1 t the child and pretend that lie was of it and was able to bring it up. "The next thing that I hear is that it is in the Karitane Home; practically turned out in the street." The Sergeant said that defendant supplemented his wages as night-watchman by going out gardening. His Worship committed the child to the Home at Caversham, and ordered. M'Arley to pay 4s a week towards the cost of its maintenance. The potato moth (Lita sotanella) is doing considerable damage to the potato crops, and will continue to do so unless some effective means are used to stop its savages. The potatoes near the surface are those showing the worst results of its attack, but the deeper ones are by no means safe. If one wants to see how rapidly it spreads it is only necessary to stack a quantity of tubers as if for pitting, and cover with sacks, when in a short time numbers of the grub will be found crawling on the cover. Professor Kirk asks the farmers i to study page 33 of Bulletin No. 7, which is obtainable at the office of the Stock Inspector. The Professor deals fully with the treatment necessary to keep the pest in check. One thing is certain, that is, that it is obligatory upon all persons storing potatoes that they should carefully examine every potates before bagging, or they may find the whole putrefying in a short time. We were shown to-day at Messrs Bruce Christie's store some bags of potatoes which liave been attacked by the potato worm, the tubers being borod to a. considerable depth and destroyed -for further it.se. The potatoes comprised the whole of one farmers' digging. Since being in store the bags outside have become covered with cocoons. The worm is general throughout tho district, some crops being infected worse than others. Mr Christie has sent a box of-the infected potatoes to the Agricultural Department at Wellington, asking for information regarding the disease, and also as to how some potatoes should be treated to prevent attack. Some years ago, wo understand, a similar outbreak occurred in Tasmania, and it is the opinion of several growers that the worm has been introduced through potatoes brought from Australia. With regard to the Otekaike and Totara State settlers the Otago Land Board has decided to recommend relief, which will lie more satisfactory and helpful to the settlers than the concessions for which they themselves asked. The Board has resolved iipon this course because of the continued dry weather which has made the condition of the tenants worse than it was when they first asked relief. Invitations are being issued by the Matrou of St. Helen's Hospital, Dunedin, to citizens to be present at the celebration of the 1000 th birth in the institution. The occasion will be most interesting. i In connection with next Thursday's North School Floral Fete, the ringing of the firebell need not necessarily denote an outbreak of fire ; rather that an imaginary fire has occurred in the infant room at the school. An alarm will be rung by the firebell at 2.4-5 p.m., and the brigade will make a dash' for the scene with their paraphernalia. The test will be in taking the time occupied -from the sounding-of the alarm to the . turning on of the water. The Brigade will travel by Thames and Exe streets. I In addition to the comprehensive programme previously advertised, a number of natives from Moeraki will perform a Maori haka, having kindly volttntered to do bo as a compliment.

The tenants under the Lauds for Settlements system have paid their rents during the past year more promptly than ever. With regard to other Crown tenants in Otago I.lie amount that they are behind in their payments is immaterial, only a few shillings ill most cases.

The announcement made by ' the Oamaru Starr-Bowkett Building Society of a sale of £SOO brings into view the advantages offered by societies of this description to people wlio are desirous of creating homes for themselves, but who have not at command the financial means of attaining their desires. What the Starr-Bowkett Society offers to the public is tho means of getting money cheaply and on easy terms of repayment—terms' that. amount to only the payment of rent for a limited period. Through tho operations of such societies thousands of people have been enabled to acquire their own homes who would otherwise havo remained rentpayers all their lives. There remains something more than 200 shares still open for application in tho Society, and it is well that those who arc looking forward to building homes for themselves should bo made acquainted with tho fact that it is easier to enter at the outset than ultimately to have to malte a heavy preliminary payment. You cannot hope to succeed when your health is always poor —you must have enthusiasm —to have that you must have energy —Stearns' Wine of Cod • Liver Extract supplies it. 16 Mr S. J. Davys, Dentist, will Visit Kurow, Thursday, 23rd March, and may be consulted at Spiers' Hotel. 821