Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16199, 8 October 1914, Page 4

A small English mail, via Suez, dated London, August 22, also an Australian mail, ex Manuka, reached Dunedin last night by tho second express. It will be delivered throughout the city and suburbs by the letter-carriers this morning. The Chief Postmaster advises that' the transmission of mails from the dominion to Austrian agencies, German agencies and oolonios, Hungary, and Luxembourg is suspended in the meantime. The Dunedin tramways takings for the fortnight were £116 Is lOd less than for the corresponding period last year. Following are tho detailed figures:—l9l4—£l3B6 7s 8d and £1345 14s 7d; 1913—£1435 9s 8d and £1412 14s 6d. During the first week and second week respectively of tho fortnight tho returns were less than the corresponding periods of last year by £49 2s and £66 19s lOd. •

Yesterday afternoon a deputation from the Dunedin Unemployed Relief Association, Messrs M'Farlane and- Loudon being the speakersj waited on the Tramways Committee of the City Council, asking for a concession on tram fares for workmen who were obliged to travel to and from their work. It was urged that the fare should be Id for any distance. The committee reviewed and carefully considered the arguments, that were very forcibly advanced by the deputation, but regretted that it could not possibly accede to the request. ,

The Hon. J. Allen has written to Mr E. Kellett, organiser of the looal branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, stating that work will be available shortly for six carpenters at Seaclift'j and also that arrangements are on tho way for the erection of seven workers' dwellings at Windie Settlement. The Minister, however, regrets that this work cannot be commenced for several weeks yet.

A deputation from the Georgo Stroet School Committee yesterday waited on Mr R. H. S. Todd, of Caversham, and asked him to allow himself to be nominated for tho vacancy on the Education Board caused by tho death of the Hon. T. Fergus. Mr Todd replied that he would give an answer to the deputation within a day or two.

A man named Alexander M'Leod, of 74 Arthur street, a clerk by occupation, has been reported to the police as missing. He left home on tho Ist inst., stating to his wife that ho was going to work, but he did not return. It appears that ; without telling his wife, he had l been out of employment for some weeks, which apparently liad been causing him worry. Ho was last seen in the Empire Hotel, Princes street, when there was nothing to indicate there being anything untoward abo.ut him. He is about 45 years of age, and >a native of Now Zealand.

The Now Zealand Lawn Tennis Association is anxious to make a donation of 100 guineas to the fund for the relief of distress in the dominion, provided that it is legally permissible to take such action. This proposal was placed before the annual meeting of the Wellington Provincial Association on Friday evening, the idea" being that the New Zealand Association should subscribe 50 guineas, the remainder to bo subscribed by tho various affiliated associations. The Wellington Association showed its appreciation by endorsing tho proposal and, heartily agreeing to pit its share (£9).

It is not the intention of tho authorities meantime to appoint a successor ,'to Superintendent Mitchell, of the Otago police district, who is retiring on suiperannuation. Superintendent Dwyer, of Christchurch, will temporarily take charge of tho Canterbury and .Otago districts.

On tho occasion of tho rccent annual meeting of the Patea, Farmers' Co-operative Freezing Companies the Chairman (telegraphs our Wangani'i correspondent) intimated that the company had sent Home 200 bales of wool, and that the account sales showed a profit of £538 on tho first 90 bales sold. Word has now been received of a further sale of 47 bales at a still higher figure. There must be a peculiar quality in the song "It's a Long Way to lipperary" which makes it appeal strongly to; martial minds. Already the Salvation Army has token it up, and ha 6 fitted to the tune words of a suitably evangelistic character. Ihe revised version was sung with much effect at the barracks last night, on the occasion of the farewell to Commissioner Richards, and went with a chaste but cheerful swing.

It will be recalled thatj on September 23, three brothers—Walter Keates (14 years), Clifford Keates (13 yews), and John Keates (10 years)—left their home in Woolston, Chr.stchurch, and for a long time were not heard of. The boys had been sent to attend choir practice on the evening of tho dxite referred to, but did not return. Reports of their presence in the city were received by the police at different times, but the lads could not be found. On Monday (the Star reports; the police received information that the three iajds had been found in Wellington, at the training camp. They had travelled to Wellington under the name of Watson. The trio w&s sent from Wellington homeward on Monday night.

Writing to the Journal of Agriculture, Mr E. Clifton, New Zealand Commissioner for the Panama Exposition, says:—"As an example of the eagerness with which all questions of the distribution of food products is being taken up, the following is instanced: It is notified that there is another competitor for trading in food products from the countries bordering on the Pacific. Russia is, it is said, preparing to take advantage of the line of steamships, fitted with refrigeration chambers, that will sail from Vladivostock. The note goes on to describe tho railway cars that will make the long journey through Russia in Europe and Asia. These oars will distribute their freights in Siberian oities. They are to reload with meat and butter, and to finally deliver their food / products to ships at Vladivostock—it is assumed, to Europe, via Panama. It is not suggested that there need be immediate apprehension on the part of New Zealand in respect of this announced competition."

The complications and difficulties encountered by the Auckland registrars compiling the 1914 electoral rolls are almost wholly duo to the inability of the average New Zealand family to reside long in one house (says the New Zealand Herald). In Auckland, particularly, people are constantly on the move from one part of the city to another, and, while their now addresses are known to their social and business acquaintances, the electoral officers, seeking them at the addresses given them in- the last roll, find it almost impossible to register the majority of them a.t, their new addresses In innumerable instances, it appears, persons have been struck off the roll because they were unknown at their old addresses, while they have been living in other houses, perhaps only a block or two away. One electoral officer in Auckland states that inquiries have indicated that nearly half of the electors shown on his 1911 roll are now not known at the addresses under which they were registered in 1911.

A sequel to tho assault oase which occurred in Paeroa on Sunday, September 20, was heard before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., at the Paeroa Police Court on Friday, when the police prosecuted Jacob Bertelsen on a charge of having assaulted Robert Thorp. The evidence for the prosecution (says the, Auckland Star) was that Bertelsen stopped, Thorp when he was proceeding along the road about 6 p.m., and without any cause or provocation hit him in the face and smashed three of his teeth. Thorp was found in a dazed condition after 1 o'clock the next morning. He stated that he did not feel safe while Bertelsen was about the district, as lie had been assaulted by him on a previous occasion. The evidence for the defence was that Thorp had really been the offender, that he had hit Bertelsen over tho head with a bucket, and that Bertelsen had put out his fist to try and shield the blow and might have hit Thorp. Tho magistrate said that, although he felt sure the assault had been unprovoked, tho evidence for tho defence -was strong that it was not. If he was sure on the point ho would have sent Bertelsen to gaol without the option of a fine. He convicted Bertelsen and fined him £5, and costs (£2 0s 6d), in default 30 days' imprisonment.

Professor E. W. Brown, of Yalo University, who has just returned to Wellington from a visit to the proposed site of the Cawthron Solar Observatory, Nelson, favours a site on the Port Hills overlooking the town. He holds (says the Post) that as good a definition can be obtained there as at Kodai Kanel, in India, where the Evershed solar physics observatory is situated. Mr Cawthron, of Nelson, has already promised £30,000 for the observatory. Professor Brown has been in consultation with the Government regarding the Dotainion Observatory at Kelburn. At present this observatory is solely devoted to the time service in tho dominion, and for this purpose its resources, both as to instruments and 6taff, are barely sufficient. He had made several suggestions, one being that a transit instrument of the best workmanship and tho most modern design should be secured, in order to undertake meridian observations of the stars, more particularly of the South Pole stars, which had been comparatively little observed, owing to the lack of facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. Such a work would greatly supplement the star catalogues which had been published, for these regions of the sky were beyond the reach of the observatories of the Northern Hemisphere. Observations of the planets, moon, and the 6un would naturally be combined with the extended work of tho observatory. He "was in Rotorua when White Island blew up. He regarded Rotorua as the most wonderful place in the world and: compared it to a leaky boiler.

At St. Paul's Presbyterian Church at irivercargill on Sunday evening, the Rev. H. Burridge had some remarks to make in regard to Sabbath desecration, with special reference to the recently formed National Reserve, and their visit to Riverton beach the previous Sunday. He said Sunday might possibly have been the only day available for what it was neceseary to do, but ho could not help expressing the hope that such a use of Sunday might be rcduccd to a minimum, and also his feeling of something approaching regret that the first publio paradek in connection with such a splendid and patriotic movement should need to have been held on and taken up the whole Sunday. He had been told that after lunch on the beach the parade was allowed for some time to become a kind of impromptu sports meeting, and various competitions were held, including pedestrian races, tentpegging, and a cock fight contest, the names of the winners of which appeared in next day's paper. Ho believed ho spoke for a very largo number in the community 'when he said that such a development could, and should, have been checked in some wise way, and that for a body of our national defence force on public parade to spend the after noon of Sunday in such a manner would not conserve the highest interests of the splendid patriotio movement which the National Reserve represented. Mr Burridgo concluded (says the Southland News) with the request that those who had the direction of affairs in this matter do their best to prevent the now movement from helping to drive in any deeper the wedge which seemed destined to diestroy so largely the

sanctity of the Sabbath Day, that great social institution which not only provided for man his physical rest, but also what he needed quite as mu'eh, the opportunity for religious worship and spiritual culture, A meeting of the Port Chalmers Liberal League will be held at the Young Men's Rooms this evening. Mr Soollay (the Mayor) will be in the chair, and the Liberal organiser (Mr Dennehy) will be in attendance. A sale of work in aid of the new church funds of the Anderson Bay Presbyterian Church will be opened in the Sunday School Hail at 2.30 to-day. Attractive arrangements have been made for the function, which concludes to-morrow night. We have received Mr H. C. Campbell's useful Shipping Guide for October B.S.A. motor cycles with the countershaft three-speed gear are badly beating 6 and 8 h.p.'e in side-car competitions.— Wilson and 00., Bond street.—Advt. ' Mollisons Limited have now issued a 4-page circular of "special lines." If you do not ■ get one in your Times, send for one.— Advt. H. Gunthorp, resident dentist, Balclutha, visits Milton. Kaitangata, and Owaka. Telephone 54.—Advt. What people say of Watson's No. 10 whisky: "DjiightfuL" "Purest." "Nicest."' " Splendid."—Advt.' For Children's Hacking Cough at night, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d, 2a 6d. —Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Australasia. corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859.— Advt. Who is Peter Dick?— The most reliable Watchmaker. Jeweller, and Certificated Consulting Optician, 490 Moray place (off Princes street), Dunedin. Charges moderate.—Advt.