THE KAISER IN HUMBLE MOOD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16285, 19 January 1915, Page 4

THE KAISER IN HUMBLE MOOD.

The terras in which the Kaiser has couched the request that his birthday shall not be the occasion of any festivities reveals him in a chastened frame of mind. It is more becoming than that in which he has at any previous time sinoe the war began presented himself to the world. It has been recorded that his speech at the opening of the Reichstag on the day after the declaration of war by Great Britain was concluded with the words, "Now, gentlemen, we are going to whip them." A great deal of water has flowed under the bridges since then, but the Kaiser's utteranoes have generally been marked by boastful predictions of the achievements which his " glorious armv " was to accomplish. It was noticeable, however, that towards the close of last year he ceased to claim that the Almighty wa-s necessarily his partner in the great enterprise into which he plunged his Empire and of which the execution has been accompanied by so many devilish practices and attended by Such a tremendous loss ! of life. A message which was addressed by him to the Imperial Chancellor about tie end of November contawed tl;» admia-.

sion that luck was necessary to pilot the ship of State through stormy times into the harbour. But 1:0 he seems apprehensive that hick may have deserted him. " Ho desires all to realise the gravity of the situation and the direction in which fortune seems to have turned her face." Coming at a time when he might have been expected to be cheered by the success which his army has gained at Soissons, the humility of spirit illustrated in this pronouncement must bo regarded as highly significant. It furnishes the first official suggestion which has been vouchsafed to th© German people that the war may not have the favourable termination which they have hitherto been encouraged to expect. "Days of tribulation" have come to the Fatherland not only in the steady, remorseless thinning of the armed forces which the Kaiser has at his command but also in the economic pressure that is being felt by the civil population. The acknowledgment that this is so will be not more bitter to the man whose dream of a world-hegemony is being shattered than it will be encouraging to the allied forces.

The Hon. J. Allen, accompanied by his private secretary (Mr F. G. Matthews), left Dunedin yesterday morning for Wellington. Mr H. D. Bedford, M.A., LL.M., of this city, has been advised that he has been elected a Fellow of tho Royal Economic Society of London. Tho English mail which was despatched from Dunedin, via Brindisi, on December 26 arrived in London on the 16th inst—eight days late The Railway Department advises us that the paragraph in our Saturday's issue in regard to conveyance of fruit by rail does not correctly state the position, and that, if tho transit arrangements are not satisfactory to those interested in the fruit trade, tho looal railway traffic manager will be glad to receive representations on the matter. A meeting of the Public Reception Committee of tho Otago Expansion League was held in tho league's office yesterday morning, Mr Mark Cohen presiding. A letter was received from Mr H. J. Manson, New Zealand Government representative at Melbourne, advising the date of the Right Hon. A. Fisher's visit to Dunedin. It was resolved to invito Mr Fisher and party to luncheon on Tuesday, the 26th inst. The chairman and secretary were authorised to make any necessary arrangements for the entertainment of the party in Dunedin in the way of affording facilities to visit any of the local industries. Mr J. J. Clark was appointed a member of the committee. The secretary (Mr J. L. S. Stewart) has received the following telegram from the Right Hon. Mr Fisher in response to the invitation to luncheon: —"Very pleased accept kind invitation luncheon at Dunedin January 26." Tho luncheon, at which' Mr Fisher will be afforded an opportunity to address those present, will be held in the dining hall at the Y.M.C.A.

It is notified by the Postal Department that, as it is improbable that the foreign postal administrations concerned will accept registered correspondence for British prisoners of war interned abroad, correspondence for such prisoners is not now to be accepted for registration. Letters for British prisoners of war interned abroad must not contain articles which are not in the ordinary course transmissible by letter post Such articles include hosiery, tobacco, etc. If posted as letter packets they will be returned to the senders. They may be sent only by parcel post. A case of overcrowding of cattle in trucks consigned from Oainaru to Invercargill was brought under the notice of Constable Fox by the railway authorities on arrival of the consignment at Milton last week. Inquiries are being instituted, and it is probable that a prosecution will follow on a charge of cruelty to animals. A large sunfiah (orth&goriscus) was observed swimming feebly about the steamers' basin at Port Chalmers last evening, and after some difficulty several bystanders managed to drag it ashore. This pelagic curiosity measured about sft in diameter and a foot in thickness. It was minus an eye, and was punctured in several places, as though it had -been wounded by rifle shots, which probably acoounted for its appearance in shallow water. Sunfish breed and attain maturity in the open ocean, wheie they probably remain at great depths during rough weather, but are occasionally seen basking on the surface of tSie water during hot weather, and it is probable that this habit suggested the name it now bears. They are widely distributed, and several very large specimens have been captured n New Zealand waters.

At last night's meeting of the Port Chalmers Borough Council Cr Stevenson reminded his colleagues that a sum of over £20 was required, to clear the Scott Memorial Cairn of debt, and suggested that steps be taken to pay it off without further delay. Several councillors expressed surprise at the tardy response to the appeal for the necessary subscriptions, and on the suggestion of the Mayor it was decided to call a meeting of the Memorial Committee to consider ways and meana for clearing off the existing liability. Mr W. T. Monkman, Imperial trade correspondent, has just received a number of pamphlets from the London Board of Trade, in which information is given concerning German and Austrian-manufactured goods which have been imported to the dominion in the past, but which are now being manufactured in the United Kingdom. The list of articles touched on in the pamphlets embrace cutlery, electroplate, glass, toys, fancy goods, etc. Copies of the pamphlets may be seen at Mr Monkman's office, and also at the office of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce. The committee of the" Dunedin Horticultural Society lias appointed the following judge* for the carnation and sweet pea show, which will take place in the Garrison Hall on January 27: —Carnations and sweet peas, Mr Durio (Christchurch); pot plants and other cut ilowers, Mr S. iSpiers; fruit and vegetables, Mr Alex. Youngson; decorativo and floral work, Mr Tressider. One of the most vivid impressions of the visitor to the Otago Central district is the enormous number of rabbits to be seen in some localities, and tho lack of interest shown in their destniction by the adjacent townships' residents. Round about Clyde, for instance, the rabbits can be seen in hundreds on the surrounding hills, and they also come right into the township itself. Tho work of weeding them out appears to tho casual visitor to be practically nil, and the rabbit, unless some drastic means are shortly adopted to deal with the plague, rmtac further increase. Certainly, a fairly big industry has arisen in the export of frozen rabbits and skins, but it cannot bo said that the return from this trade can be nearly as profitable as from the export of sheep. Seeing that it is estimated that four or five rabbits will cat as much grass in a day as one sheep, it does not require a great deal of imagination to enable ono to come to the conclusion that tho export of frozen sheep can be very largely augmented once more energetic measures aro taken to clean out the rabbits. Why the iiuthorities iu Central Otigo—and, in fact, in other localities where the rabbit is very little less than a curse — do not show more enterprise in taking steps to destroy tho rabbits, for the sake of the ultimate advancement of their districts, is difficult to understand. As showing tho numbers of rabbits round about Clyde, two Dunedin young men, who are at present holiday-making there, find no difficulty in shooting with pea rifles 50 or 60 rabbits every afternoon and evening. Tho damage wrought by the rabbit since its introduction into Sew Zealand, many years ago, must in tho aggregate run into thousands and thousands of pounds. And the damage is still going on. 1

In response to t.n invitation from the Mayor (Mr Thomas Scollay), tho Hon. Andrew Fisher, Federal Prime Minister, ha* notified his Worahip that he will be pleased to visit Port Chalmers on the 26th inst. for the purpose of inspecting tho harbour and shipping facilities- The council decided to arrange a fitting welcome to Mr Fisher and his entourage. Mr W. G. Wickham, Tr&.'.e for New Zealand, in ins report Board of i raU-e on the dominion for x 913, iffiued in London, mentions the question of deiay in delivery of goods (.says the Auckland Star), lie says he has heard many comments, directed particularly against British manufacturers, in oontrast with those of other countries, in promising earlier delivery. Mr Wickham writes: —'"Some firms secure orders by deliberately promising earlier delivery than they can give. This method does not pay in the long run, and my experience is that British manufacturers are not the chief offenders, though they are not blameless, in this respect. It is doubtful , whether there, is any practice more productive of irritation to the importer than systematic late shipment; and in normal times it is inexcusable, as it is either deliberate or due to careleasness. Manufacturers should remember that, even when their buyers live at the other side of the world, season goods are wanted in the season, and not at the shippers' convenience. A manufacturer has no more right to give unpunctual delivery than the importer has to be unpunctual with payments, and the former should be penalised as heavily as the latter i&"

The traveller who may happen to journey down from Xarras to Cromwell in the evening may be puzzled for the same reason that caused the scientific gentleman mentioned in the "Pickwick Papers" to write ai treatise on a wonderful meteorio display which he thought he had witnessed*—the display being actually caused by the reflections from a lantern which Mr Pickwick accidentally, at intervals, allowed to flash its light around the locality where Mr Winkle and Sam Waller were engaged in a little adventure. In the instance under notice the flashing of lights may be seen on the surface of the Ckitha River, and are the result of the same phenomenon—with the difference that the glow comes from acetylene lamps, and not from lanterns. One gentleman whose business last week necessitated him travelling down the Clutha River to Cromwell asserte that he saw altogether anything up to 50 lights gleaming at intervals on the water—the reader can imagine the hefty Bpear held in th,e other hand. Evidently the trout in this stream are having a bad time. One reason advanced for this illicit onslaught on the finny tribe in the Clutha River is that the high cost of beef and mutton haa forced the frugal householder in to _ ether ways of supplementing the dietary of the family. Should the destruction be continued, however, the treat mast soon be cleared out of this river at least.

For some reason or. other the rodenta —the weasel, the stoat, and the ferret — brought into this country some years ago, for the purpose of killing out the rabbits, are viewed with a great deal of antipathy, more especially by gun men, who merer mi* an opportunity of shooting them whenever it offers. Trappers, also, wage consistent warfare against them; but, in spits of these several disabilities, the rodents appear to be increasing. Whether they are fulfilling the purpose for which they were brought hern is hard to say, but the majority of opinion is that they are not, as, if there is any feathered game or poultry in the district, the rodents pay all their attention to them. As an illustration, the foreman of the electric power house at the Fraser River informed an Otago Daily Times reporter last week that he had lost % whole batch of 42 chickens in one night by the depredations of stoats. A remarkable instance of maternal devotion was brought under our reporter's notice. It is a wellknown fact to at when a weasel starts to track down a rabbit it sticks unerringly to the trail of the one doomed victim—it will ■• pass by other rabbits which may cross its path and follow on the trail of the one first selected. This rabbit appeals to realise the situation, and soon becomes paralysed with fear. Qn the other hand, should a rabbit be with young and a weasel come anywhere near, the doe will at once attack it with the greatest courage, and easily put it to flight. There are a number of weasels and rabbits round about the power house, sod the sight is often witnessed of a weasel fleeing before a desperate doe which has a nest of young in the vicinity.

At a sitting of the Police Court at Lawrence on Friday, before Mr E. W. Burton, S.M., Thomas Collins and Timothy Joseph Collins (our correspondent states) were charged with wilfully damaging two violins and a mandolin, the property of Messrs A. M'Corkindale and K W. Hayman, of Tuapeka Mouth, on the morning of October 31, 1914. Mr Irwin (Dunedin) appeared for the accused, who pleaded ''Not guilty," and Sergeant Higgins conducted the oaae for the police. The allegation against the accused was that, after a dance held in the hall on the night of October 31, tbey entered the hall surreptitiously and destroyed the musical instruments in retaliation for the committee having refused admission to another member of the family, who, it -was stated, was the worse for liquor. Evidence was given by A. M'Corkindale, E. W. Hayman, J. E. Keenan, C. Sweeney, and H. Warburton. There being no evidence to convict Timothy Joseph Collins with the crime, he was discharged. Evidence in defence of Thomas Collins was given by himself and Timothy Joseph Collins. His Worship, in giving his decision, accepted evidence of identification, convicted the accused, and sentenced him to one month's imprisonment.

"Well, perhaps the press might •exercis* its discretion," remarked a solicitor at tie Christchurch Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning (says the Star). "Sometimes they use discretion and sometimes they don't" rejoined Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., looking over at the reporters' desk. "1 suppose you criticise the press sometimes?" he queried. The lawyer admitted that on occasion he did. "Well," remarked the magistrate, "if you stood in tile public gaze, as I have to, were mixed up with the press six days a week, and open to 'criticism every day of your life, you wouldn't criticse the press." In last Tuesday's issue of the Southland Tunes (says a Press Association message) there appeared a local describing a plucky incident that had been noted at Biverton the previous day, when two little girls were playing on a raft at the tourist camp on M'Callum'e parade, near Howell's Point The wind was blowing off shore, and the raft gradually drifted to sea. A boy about 14 years of age perceived the panio with which the giris had been seized, swam out to them when the raft was several hundred yards from the shore, and pacified them until help arrived, in tho shape of a launch, which came on the scene in response to an urgent telephone message. The boy and girls were taken aboard the launch and th» raft was left to the mercy of the ocean. The sequel to the story duly came to light on Saturday, when a man discovered a raft that had been washed ashore at tiio back of Bluff Hill, and speculation at Bluff was rife as to whether it belonged to the missing trawler Endeavour. The wireless authorities at A-warua were communicated with, and a fruitless attempt was made to connect with tho Macquarie Island radio station. The description which has been supplied of the raft, however, places it beyond doubt that it is identical with the one that got loose at Rivcrton. It measures 6ft by 6ft 3in, and is built on crossbreams of 2 by Is, Oregon pine, painted chocolate colour, the deoking comprising thin red pine scantling. Eighteen empty benzoline tins comprise part of the structure, and these are lashed 'with rope, .virr, and strips of galvanised iron. Four rouffhlj-cut wooden wheels, which have seen little cr no use, have been placed underneath to act as. runners,.

"&* Remuera, on her from Capotown to Wellington, steer.;d what is probably the most southern course takon by any steamer for aumo years (says the Dominion). So fax south did she go that she passed within close view of little-known Heard Island, a email island lying about 200 mile* to the south-cast of Kerguelen, and perhaps half that distance from M'Donald Island, which islands lie in the fiftieth parallel. So littlo is known of Heard Island that it is marked on few maps, and a mention of it is included in few Gazetteers, whilst Emerald Island, which appears in every atlas, » little to the south of the M&cquarie Islands, has no existence at all. Mariners have sailed over tho spot where it is supposed to bo, and have found no trace of land. In the caao of Heard Island the land is of a volcanio nature, and very mountainous. When passed by tho Remuera the mountains were cove/ed with snow, and some of the passengers dcclaro that there are some large glaciers moving seaward in declivities between the mountain ridges. The sight was an extremely interesting one to all on board. The West Coast has recently suffered severely by floods. In somo districts there have been three in the last few weeks, two of them very heavy ones, and the last, not so heavy, only a few days ago. The damage has been considerable, as a matter of course. Tho Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) has taken steps to restore communications, and to have flood damago made good. The district engineer has forwarded reports for certain districts, and for others he hsa still to report as to the nature and extent of the damago. Whero bridges have been carried awuy ferries liavo boen established where necessary and practicable, and everything has been done to allow ordinary traffic to go on. The Government is also assisting local bodies to repair roads, and, indeed, to make good all other flood damages. Last session the Government passed a measure under which a portion of the cost of maintaining overhead railway bridges on public roads has to be defrayed by local bodies. Probably the first case under this measure (says the Auckland Stax) is connected with the overhead bridge in Manukau road, Newmarket borough. At the meeting of the council the Railway Department submitted an account for £216 19s 4d in connection with this bridge. One member strongly objected to the claims against the council. He claimed that local bodies should not be charged with these bridges, which were necessary only for tho carrying on of tho railway service. Tho present Government bad brought in a Bill last session throwing these added burdens on local bodies, which he considered unfair. Several other members spoke in a similar strain, and ultimately it was resolved to writo to the department objecting to paying the amount demanded. The question was asked what action other local bodies had taken in similar cases, but the town cleric stated, as far as he knew, this was the first in tho district under the new Act. The 2} Vibrationless Douglas motor cycle does wonders with a sidecar: Brooklands track. September 22, 43 miles 1730 yards in one liour. Flying Mile, lmin 8 l-ssec: in.p.h., 52.79. The sidecar was a standard pattern.—W, Stuart Wilson and Co., Bond street, Dunedin.—Advt. We are in receipt of a neat, little memo, tablet from _ the general manager of the Provident Life Assurance Company. Mollisons offer to-day 30 dozen ladies' white woven spencers at one shilling each. Usually sold at 2s 3d.—Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist. Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859 — Advt What men ask for, enjoy, recommend— Watson's No. 10 whisky.—Advt. Mr Ernest Boot, surgeon and mechanical dentist, 63 Princes .street, Dunedin,—Advt. Who is Peter Diok!—The most reliable Watchmaker, Jeweller, and Certificated Consulting Optician, 490 Moray place (off Princes street), Dunedin. Charges moderate.—Advt