THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1915. THE BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16405, 9 June 1915, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1915. THE BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTION

The polling at the by-election in the Bay of Islands constituency, necessitated by the fact that Mr Vernon Reed was unseated on petition, took place yesterday with the result that the state of parties in the House of Representatives has not been changed. The returns of the polling in the district, which is over a hundred miles in length, were not absolutely complete .last night. As, however, the figures from only one booth have yet to come, the totals so far recorded, showing that Mr Stewart, the candidate in the interests of the Reform, party, has a majority of SB6 votes, are virtually final. The result of the election is to be viewed with satisfaction because the effect is that, whatever the issue of the Taumarunui contest next week may be, the Government's slender majority in the new Parliament is not disturbed. If Mr Menzies, the Opposition candidate for the Bay of Islands, had been returned, then—on the assumption that Mr Jennings secures re-election for Taumarunui—the numbers of the supporters and opponents of the Government in the House of Representatives would have been equalised. In default of the formation of a coalition Government, the necessary outcome of this would have been the precipitation of a political crisis with the possible sequel of a dissolution of Parliament and another general election. Such a development would, it may confidently be afiirmed, be viewed with profound disgust by the bulk of the people of the country. It is, however, a development which the Opposition has been strenuously exerting itself to bring about. In the South we have been spared the reports of the progress of the contest in the Bay of Islands, but the election has been fought with as mu:h vigour as though something a great deal more important than the chance of snatch-

ing a party advantage and of reducing the (Jovernmeut of the country to a state of political imjiotoncy depended upon it. Sir Joseph Ward hurried away to the north as soon as the vacancy in the representation of the district was announced in order that the whole weight of his personal influence might be exerted on behalf of Mr Menzies. The prestige of the Leader of the Opposition seems in tho result to have suffered not lass in the Bay of Islands than it did in Dunedin Central. The constituency was condemned, besides, to the infliction upon it of an avalanche of oratory froin a freshly constituted Hying squadron of Opposition nicmbers, —Messrs Macdonald, Witty, Hornsby, and Forbes—to the end that the iniquities of the Government might be fully exposed to the electors, the inevitable consequence being that tho platform was taken by Ministerial members, including tho Attorney-general, in support of ohe candidature of Mr Stewart. In these circumstances the electorate was subject-id to the ordeal of a party contest o*" a somewhat bitter character at a time when the majority of the voters must have felt that the energies of the politicians might usefull}' have been directed into other channels and put to purposes that had some relation to the needs of the Empire. The onus for the occurrence of this strong party warfare at such a time plainly rests upon the Opposition. The desire of it<" leader and his principal henchmen for office is so overpowering that they were unable to resist the temptation to attempt to bring about a result which, while it would not have given them a majority in Parliament, would certainly have had the effect of seriously embarrassing the Government and of. making the question whether the Government should remain in office or not turn on the outcome of the polling in Taumarunui next week. It is satisfactory to see that the electors of Bay of Island? • recognised that it is in the interests of the country that the present Government should be retained in office, even with a ; majority of two only, than that the danger should be incurred of its being supplanted by a Government which would have no majority at all but could hold office only upon the sufferance of a small party of Labour members, one or two of whom may be more or less out of sympathy with the Imperial policy of the dominion. It is manifest that the events of the Bay of Islands contest did not tend to increase the chances that a coalition Ministry might be formed to hold office during the currency of the war.

MEDICAL SCIENCE AND THE WAR. It is recorded that in the Sonth African/ war sickness, over 70 per cent, of it due to typhoid, produced far greater loss of lit'o among the British forces than was caused by the enemy. If the toll levied by sickness among the troops in the present war were to be in proportion to what it has been in British campaigns in the past the loss of life would be enormously greater even than we have any reason to expect, terrible though it will be. The evidence which has been drawn from the titanic conflict that is in progress indicates that within the last few years a great advance has been made in the use of methods of waging successful combat against the attack of ditease upon armies on active service. The whole subject has provided the official "Eye-witness" at the.British General Headquarters with the material for somo very instructive observations. To some extent, it appears, tho very low general sick rate which has up to the present obtained in the British army is due to the fact that in recent years not only the stafi and the regimental officers but the men also have been instructed in the elementary principles of sanitation and practised in the exercise of ordinary precautions against disease. In the main, however, it is' due to the preventive measures that have been adopted by the medical service. These measures are of two kinds—those that are taken in order to prevent the outbreak of sickness, consisting in the bestowal of careful attention upon the water and fcorl supplies, upon drainage and sanitation, and upon the early diagnosis of suspicious cases, and those taken in order to maintain the health of the men, consisting in the enforcement of a high standard of personal cleanliness, and the early treatment of mincT ailments due to exhaustion, exposure, or temporary breakdown. The extent to which modern science has been able to mitigate disease in warfare is probably most clearly discernible from a comparison of the ravages of typhoid—the most deadly scourge .to which troops are subject—during the present and previous campaigns. It is said that in the Nile campaign of 1898 there were in eight months more cases of typhoid in two brigades than there have been up till now in the whole British army engaged in the present war—and this despite the circumstance that in the Soudan operations "were being carried on by a small selected force in a country where the inhabitants were not infected with the disease. Experience gained in the past has shown that the risk of infection does not lie solely in the use of polluted water, although this is a grave source of danger,' but that it proceeds very largely from the early undiagnosed case, and to an im-port-ant oxtent, it is stated, from persons now known as "germ carriers"—individuals, generally, who have had typhoid and have apparently completely recovered, yet may continue to carry and disseminate germs and infect others. In view of the importance of the detection of' typhoid cases at an early stage mobile bacteriological laboratories have been installed expressly for the purpose in the present campaign, each laboratory consisting of a motor-lorry fitted with a complete bacteriological equipment which is under the care of a specially trained officer and an attendant of the Royal Army Medical Corpi. In addition to these bacteriological installations mobile hygiene laboratories have been installed, equipped for pathological work and for the chemical and bacteriological examination of water and food. "Eye-witness" bears testimony to the immense value of the services rendered by tho trained specialists in combating disease among the troops, but does not forget to remind us that by far the most potent weapon in the armoury against typhoid was forged by pathologists before tho war, and that to the extensive use of inoculation must chiefly be attributed the low incidence of typhoid in the British army to-dav. We read also of great success attending the efforts to cope with tetanus, which cost many lives early in tho campaign, and an interesting picture is drawn of the measures that have been taken to ensure personal cleanliness among the soldiers. These would seem to bo wonderfully efficient in all the circumstances. In each divisional area certain large buildings of various kinds such as breweries, dye-works, and spinning-mills have been fitted up as bathing establishments, while others have been couverted into laundries. Another feature of the work which is being done in the interests

of the health of the troops consists in the establishment of " rest camps,"—establishments that seem to have specially attracted Mr Asquith's attention during the visit he has just made to the front. Among tho most important factors in Teducing the wa.stage from sickness, " Eye-witness" tells us, are these depots, where men suffering from minor ailments and exhaus tion. can bo retained for a few days. The effect has been to enable the army to retain at the front a very largo number of men who would otherwise have been temporarily lost from tho strength of their units for a longer period than was Teally necessary. In these and other directions the record of what the Medical Service is doing to maintain the heal! h and preserve the lives of those who arc fighting the battles of the Empire promises to make, when fully written, a splendid chapter in the history of the war.

The Arbitration Court has forwarded, its award in the Southland arid Ocngo cheese and butter factory employees' dispute. The award embodies, without alteration, thu recommendation of tho Council of Conciliation, which tho parties agreed to accept.. Hard froete Ikivo bc*c-ii cxpeirienc<xl iri Naseby during the pact week (says our correspondent). The ioo is good, and skating and curling haye already commenced. The weather is clear and bright. A woman named Margaret Angus, raiding at 334 King Edward street, South Dunodin, attempted to commit suicide last night by cutting her throat with a razor. Sho inflicted on hei-seli a wound 6omo sin long. Tho police at £>o>uth D-uuodin were and the woman was conveyed to the Hospital, where, on examination, it wea found that tho wound was not of a very serious nature.

'An unfcrtunute occurrence happened at Heriofc a tow days ago, when a stable collapsed on Air C. M' Veigh'tj farm, near the township, and six draught horses were destroyed {states tile 'lapanui Courier). It appeare that the man in charge of the horses fed them at 8 a.m., and about 11 o'clock went to turn tho horses out for the aay. He had let one out, and was about to iiberate another, when the shed collapsed, burying the animals. The man was almost caught in the falling mass, and had a most fortunate escape. .Four of the horses were •killed outright, while three others had to be el lot, Some of the animals were highpriced, and the loss is a very serious one. Ihe stable was one oif the oki-fafihioned, straw-oovered sheds. Heavy birch poles formed the framework, and, for covering, straw stacks were thrashed <it different times; thus the weight would be very great. The structure had been in use for about 18 years, and a few days more would have seen it vacated for a new building just about completed. Mr M'Veigh has had a substantial stable erected, with water laid on, etc., and was allowing the concrete work to bcoome thoroughly set before making use of it.

The Hospital Committee of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board will recommend to th© meeting of that body on Thursday evening that a conference of representatives of the Hospital Board, tho nursing staff, the St. John Ambulance Association, and the Hospital Saturday Association be held' to consider Dr district nursing scheme, which deals with the introduction of a new method of distributing the funds collected by tho Jast-namod organisation. Tho question of making provision lor invalided and wounded soldiers returning from tho front has been under consideration by the various bodies interested for some time, and it is recognised that, while medical and surgical cases will come within the scope of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, convalescent men will ha-vo to be dealt with by other organisations. The Patriotic Association lias already given this matter some attention, end has been met by an offer by the chairman of tho Hospital Board granting it the uflo of the secondary hospital site (ft Wakari fcr the nursing of convalescent soldiers, ihin site, it is considered, .should prove extremely useful for such a pmrpose, and should make for greater convenience in treating tho men than if they were located in a number of privato houses. As was stated some days ago, a separate committee is being set up to deal with this question, and it is believed that Mr F. G. Gumming will occupy the position of chairman.

The provisions of one of the Mornington borough by-laws, in reference to tho erection of buildings, came in for a strong denunciar tion by Cr Daiton a I the meeting of tho council last night. It appeared that a washhouse, erected before a pormit was asked for, did not .conform to those provisions, which prevented the placing of a building nearer than Bit to another 'building unless a briok wall mac' ejected. Cr Dalton said that the position -was absurd. No other public body ever interfered with the placing of buildings in relation to tho owner's own property, but only in relation to the property of his neighbours. Waahhouses, though ho did not like the practice, were often built 38 part of the main body of a house, and, in any case, a further distance than sft or 6ft was not desirable if household convenience was studied. If the building were ,to interfere with a. neighbour's property, everything would be different. The Mayor pointed out that the by-law was there, and they could not act contrary to it 110 further pointed out that the bylaws were about to be revised in toto. This matter came up at a later stage, when the whole council was appointed a committee for the purpose. Tho attitude of tho people towards the war formed the subject of remarks by Dean Fitohett at tho function in the Garrison Hall last night in celebration of the laying of the foundation stoue of the new St. Paul's Cathedral. "Tho other day," said the Dean, "a couple of columns of war cablegrams in the Otago Daily Times were flanked by five columns of sporting nows. The last Otago Witness had pictures of killed and wounded at the Dardanelles, and thoso were set off by pictures of jockey club raccs and totalisator crowds. The defence of the newspapers is that they reflect the life around them, and that those incongruities actually exist. But they jar. They are painful." At tho meeting of the Mornington Borough Council last night it was resolved to grant 10 certificates to members of the Fire Brigade, in accordance with a recommendation made. Cr Patton pointed out that, in this connection, a splendid opportunity was presented of bringing the Fire Brigade prominently before the people, and ho moved that the certificates be presented in public, the ratepayers to be invited to be present. Councillors regarded the proposal as a very good one, and it was unanimously resolved to carry it into effect. The monthly meeting of tho Educational Committee of the Otago Expansion League was held in tho league's office last evening, Mr J. C. Stephens presiding. A copy of the new regulations for educational bursaries, as effective from April 1, 1915, was received. The secretary was instructed to write to tho Director of Education and inquire whether the regulations for the election of executive members of High School boards had been gazetted, and when they wero to become operative. Other matters also received the attention of the committee.

That the Anglican community is doing its share in providing men for tho front was 1 suggested by remarks made by Dean Fitchctt at tho function in the Garrison Hall last night. "We have sent more than our full proportion of inen to tho front," saidi the Dcmn. "iSixty per cent, of tho men at Trentiiam are of the Church of England. Tho governing body of the church in Dunedin—the chapter—is composed of eight or 10 persons. Three young men, eons of members of the chapter, have met the soldier's death at the Dardanelles."

It is reported that a section at- the corner of Queen ;nul Clyde streets, Mornington, until recently in the possession of the lute Mr \V. 11. Scott, has been purchased by the Mornington Anglican community a.s a site for a new church. The situation is an excellent one for the purpose, and it is hoped that tin; erection of the church will be undertaken at no distant date. A fund was started a few years ago to build a chancel as a memorial to the late liev. C. S. Bowdon, some time vicar of St. Mary's. This will form pint of the new church. "This d'oceae of Uunedin is the Cinderella of New Zealand dioccses," remarked Dean Fitchett, urn id laughter, last night at the social function hftld to celebrate the laying of the inundation stone of the new Church of Englajvl Cath'dral. "Her sisters walk in liilk att.ro; she goes in homespun. In Ohristobureh they appear to have more money than they can count, and Auckland seems to be a labyrinth of endowments."— (Laughter.) "A former Bishop of Auckland onco said that ho found it diiiicu'.t to pick his way amongst them."—(Laughter.) Bishop Averill, however, speaking later, contended that the old mother diocosa of Auckland was the poorest in New Zealand. There mere, it was true, many trusts and benefactions, but almost all those were provincial, and not diocesan. All the money ho had to spend in the jf Auckland from endowments was £250 a year. l'or special pipes and fittings for the Nihotupu dam (says the New Zealand Herald) two tcTKlcrs were received. Messrs J. Burns and Company asked £554 5s 6d, and Messrs A. and T. Burt £859 4s. The city enginc-or reported that both tenders were considerably in excess of his estimate — £500, —and, on his request, Messrs Burns cabled to see if some mistake had not been made, but their tender could not be reduced more than £35. Messrs Burt stated that the whole of the material offered by tliem would bo manufactured at their own works. The Works Committee rccomm?ndcd that Meiers A. and T. Burt's tender be acoeptcd, conditionally on the whole of the material being manufactured in the dominion. Mr P. J. Nerhray «aid he thought that, when future tenders were called tor, prices for goods locally manufactured and for goods imported should bo obtained, and preference given to locally-made goods, provided that the extra cost was not excessive. The recommendation was adopted.

The monthly meeting of the High Street School Committee was hold last evening; present—Messrs D.- Wtehart (in the chair), Martin, Ewing, Sanders, Taylor, and Cooper. Tho head master's report was considered highly satisfactory. It showod that the attendance, despite the weather, was well maintained. The penny bank showed that the children still practised tho virtue of thrift, while the band had made excellent progress under the able leadership of Mr Dickison. The patriotic school concert, which had been organised' by one of the school pupils (Miss May Brown), was a most gratifying success, the sum of £37 12s having been handed over to the Patriotic Committee. The Visiting Committee reported that the fire alarm had 'been given, and all the children were out of the school in 65 seconds.

The sharp frosts of the last few days have rendered the shady portions of the city highways rather precarious for horse vehicles which have to be actir at early hours. Whilst driving his milk oart along George street on his u«ial rounds on Monday morning a dairyman named Souquet, residing at Mount Cargill, met with painful injuries to his head and thigh through his horso falling on the slippery, frozen surface ncor Hanover street. In making his complaint to a Times reporter yesterday, the injured man pointed out that risks from similar accidents oould bo easily obviated if the City Corporation staff sprinkled the dangerous places with sand, so that horses could keep their feet in frosty weather. It was a fitting link with the. past that the Rev. H. O. Fen ton should tu,ke part in the Ma&onic ceremony at the laying of the foundation stone of St. Paul's Cathedral yceterday, for his father (the late Ven. Archdeacon Fenton) was the first Vicar of Dunedin, as far bade as 1850.

Applications for six sections of the Otanomoiao settlement dosed at 4 p.m. yesterday at the local Lund Board office. Unly lour applications wore received. The land is described as rich swamp land, suitable for dairying-; but ono of its drawbacks is the amount of hoavy manuka timber on it. Applications for' sections in tho Glenmark Estate, North Canterbury, will close in Christchurch at 4 p.m. to-day. for these u considerable number of applicants from Otago are coming forward. When two verses of the National Anthem had been sung at the ooromony in connco tion with St. Paul's Cathedral yesterday there was a pause, and the music etopped. But Bishop Julius would not permit the a&them to be concluded here. "Go on," he said, "sing the verse about 'confound their polities.' We must sing that one." Those present accepted tho invitation, to tho evident satisfaction of the Bishop, who joined in heartily. "I feel better after that," he remarked at the end of the verse, with a smile.

The clothes-line thief has been busy in Mosgiel of late, and during the past few nights washing from various backyards has disappeared. It behoves those housewives not already visited to be on their guard His Honor Mr Justice Sim returned to Duncdin from the south on Saturday, and will deliver judgment in Bingham and Co. v. the New Zealand Express Company this morning. Other business wiil follow, and on Friday his will sit in Banco. On Monday he will proceed to Timaru, in connection with the Guthrie sheep-stealing case.

'ihe commission which recently inquired into the question of altering the boundaries of the 'laieri, Maniototo, and Waihemo Counties has presented its report to tho Governor. With regard to the petition of certain ratepayers in the County of Waihemo to iiave an area of Macracs Riding cf Waiheuao County oxoluded from that county, and included in the Maniototo County, the Commissioners (Messrs R. Sadd, Andrew M'Kerrow, and E. A. Atkinson) state: "Wo are unanimously of the opinion that no alteration should be made with regard to the inclusion of the area of Macrace Riding, nor any part of it, within Maniototo County. Full evidence was given by several witnesses on the grounds set iorth in the petition, and the county and roads were personally inspected by the commissioners, and after duo consideration the above decision was agreed to." In the matter of the petition of certain ratepayers in tihe County of Taieri to have the i.rea ox Strath Taieri Riding of Taieri County excluded from that county and included in the Maniototo County, the report states: — "After hearing evidence cf witnesses and arguments of counsel, and inspecting the district and roads personally, wo have come to tho conclusion that the grounds of the petition havo not been sustained, nor has sufficient evidence boon adduced to render such an extensive alteration, or any other alteration, necessary or advisable." This finding is supported by Messrs Sadd and M'Kerrow, but Mr Atkinson dissents from it.

The sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday oocupiod only a few minutes. Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in two cases, H. Wise and Co. being awarded £10 from Gordon Ilarcourt (Kuinara), for directories supplied, advertising therein, and dishonoured cheque (rests £1 3s 6d); and tho Bruce Railway Company £1 9s 9d from George Churchill (working in Wellington), for goods supplied (costs ss). Then ihe case in which Mis? Margaret 11. Broome, dressmaker, ouod Mrs J:inet Blyth for £3 19s, the price of a costume supplied—ftdjourn' <1 from last week'so that the defendant might have the costume tried on and judged by experts—was called on, it was found that a settlement had been effected out of court.

The tramways organisation in connection with trie Queen Carnival is evidently bent on securing as many votes as possible for its candidate, whose colours- ilue-and-white —waved from the trolley-poles of several cars yesterday.

What appears to have been a very lively "mix up" in a shop oif the Arcade on Monday morning deecribed before Mr Widdownon, S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday morning. A young man aiiics Jrlewitson was charged vjith unlawfully assaulting John Guillemot, and pleaded Not guilty." Guillemot desnribed how the accused iwd entered his hairaressing shop and annouueed himself by saying '"Wliiskera, I'm going to shave myself." Witness told him to wait his turn j but accused became abusive and indecent in his language. When ordered out of the shop accused struck Guillemot, and a rough-and-tumble followed. Otaers joined in, and when Constable M Cullough arrived on the scene two men vM-re protettin-g the old man in a corner, whilo the accused was vigorously attempting to strike him. Accused said he had given tho old man only a tap. He would not say anything in his defence, on the ground that he was no speaker. It was stated tiiat tile wite and daughter of the informant were present when accused used lilthy language. The Magistrate's only comment on the case was to inflict a fine of £5 and witnesses' expenses (6s), with tie alternative of ona month's imprisonment.

A Gazette extraordinary (says a Preae Association telegTam from Wellington) additional regalaiions under the War Regulations Act When any goods are imported into New Zealand, directly or indirectly, from»any country other than the United Kingdom or British Possessions, and the Collector of Customs has reason to believe that the goods are of a bind, description, or quality not customarily exported from that country to New Zealand prior to the commencement of the war, or he has reason? able grounds for suspecting that tho goods are of enemy make, origin, or ownership, or that the importation thereof is contrary to the law as to trading with the enemy, he may detain the goods. They shall-not be delivered from the control of the Customs authorities until the collector is satisfied that they are not of enemy manufacorigin, or ownership, or that they have not been imported in violation of the laws as to trading with the enemy. On any goods being go detained, notice shall be given by the Collector of Customs to the importer. After receipt of such notice it shall not be lawful, so long as the detention continuce, for the importer to pay or remit to any person money in respect of the pur- ' chase or consignment of those goods. When goods have been eo detained, and notice been so given, the Comptroller of Customs ' may, if he think fit, deliver the same from the control of the Customs on receiving from the importer the deposit of a mm equal to the fair market value of those goods, as estimated by the comptroller. The sum so deposited shall be returned as soon as the comptroller is satisfied that the goods are not of enemy manufacture, origin, or ownership, or so soon as the present war comes to an end, whichever first happens.

The weight of the bullock which formed the subject of the open guessing competition at the Winter Shovt was 149351b. Mr A. C. Leary (Evans Flat), whose guess was 14931b, secured first prize, and Mies E. Riordon (South Dunedin) second prize, with a guess of 14951b, while Messrs C. S. Neville, Timaru (14911b), James C. Craigie, Dunedin (14911b), and W. Green, South Dttnedin (14961b) divided third and fourth prizes. The correct weight of the bnllook in the ladies' competition was 1493|1b. Mrs W. O. M'Kellar won the first prize of the large 6tandard Princess sewing machine; Mrs R. M'Arthur, the second prize, the London Piano Company's small sewing machine; and Mrs Shennan the third* prize of £L The guesses were as follow:—Mis W. 0. M'Kellar (Hampden), 1493i1b; Mrs R. M'Arthur (Awamangu), 14941b; Mrs R. Sherman (Berwick), 14931b. Mrs M'Arthur and Mrs Shennan guessed equatly near for second place, and a ballot was token by the president, the former being the winner. The Drapery Importing, Company's special prize of £3 3s, for most points in farmers' batter classes, was won fcv Miss E. Kenapsfaell, Western Lodge, Maungatua.

Mr H. Y. Wicidowson, S.M., presided over a brief sitting of the City Police Court yesterday morning. A middle-aged woman, a first offender for drunkenness, who appeared to feel her position very keenly, was convicted and discharged. Another first offender, who did not appear, wae fined 10-5, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment. Frank Hanley, also charged with drunkenness, was fined 20s, with the alternative of 4? hours' imprisonment. Mr Irwin appeared for the complainant in the adjourned case in which George HarThy charged with non-payment of arrears for the maintenance /of his illegitimate child. Mr Irwin stated 'that Harrhy had not been reporting himself to the police. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

Speaking at the Post and Telegraph emoke concert at Wellington on Friday evening (says tho Dominion), the Public Service Commissioner (Mr D. Robertson) said that ho was happy to think that the Post and Telegraph was one of the first branches of the pubb'c service to offer men for service at the front. Members of the department had rendered good service during tho last war, and he felt sure they would do -well in this. At present there wero something like 300 members of the department at the front or in training, while the whole of the public service had sent 650 men. He wished to make it quite clear that there was no hindrance placed in the way of any man who wished to volunteer, although an erroneous impression to that effect seemed to ba abroad.

An amusing story -was unfolded at a sitting of the Civil Court at Lower Hntt on Wednesday (says the New Zealand Times), when Arthur Payne claimed from Middleton Hobbs £5 15s, the sum paid for a cow which was alleged to be unmanageable. Plaintiff stated that the defendant had guaranteed the animal a quiet one and easy to milk. In answer to Mr J. J. M'Grath (counsel for defendant), Payne stated that /he did not know much about cows, and that after about two hours' chasing round the paddock he was successful in driving the animal into a shed. To get milk was the main thing, so he look a stool, and sitting down at the side of the cow nearest to him (as it happened, it was the wrong one) commenced to operate. The cow, being without a bail, or leg-rope, took exception to this unusual procedure and put in some good work with its hind foot, with th# result that he went one way and the milk pail the other. Not disheartened at this peculiar behaviour, he had another attempt later in the day, and with the assistance of half-a-dozen friends got the cow into the shed, but again met with a hostile reception. Thereupon ho decided to leave this belligerent member of the bovine species to wander at its own sweet will, until the assistance of a more experienced neighbour could be obtained. After three days* freedom the wayward quadruped was taken to an adjoining shed, a neighbour having offered his services, and though a bail and leg-rope were prominent among the accessories, the animal kicked the "wholo time and little more than a pint of milk was obtained. Plaintiff stated further that fie was a married man with six young children, and had parchased the cow in order to procure them. Before coming to New Zealand he had done a little milking, but they were English cows and did not kick. After hearing further evidence, the magistrate (Mr W. G. Riddell. S.M.) held that there had been a breach of guarantee, as the cow was not a quiet one and easy to milk, and so gave judgment for the plaintiff for £5, with costs, the cow to be returned to Hobbs.

As a further illustration of the personal interest the King of the Belgians takes In his army, the following letter has been received by Mr Robert Burns (Acting Consul for Belgium in Auckland): "His Majesty the King has expressed the desire to know the name of the Belgians known to you who have left their wives and families, or who liavo made any special patriotio denial in order to give their services to Belgium. 1 would ask you to please note every cast; whicn merits special attention, and mako it known to the Department of foreign Affairs, it is desirable that you inform me of any special case which might come under your notice previous to the reception of this circular."