Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16611, 7 February 1916, Page 2

The Southland Times says that the eport of the Queenstown Regatta Club contains the following clause: —"The committee desires to heartily thank the officials of the Otago and Southland Rowing Association for the valuable assistance rendered by them. Considering the abnormal state of affairs at the (present time, and the fact that the greater portion of tho rowing men have gone to tho war, and ill viow of the decision of tho Otago and Southland Rowing Associations not to hold any regatta this year, the club will require seriously to consider the advisability of holding a regatta this year."

The Chief Engineer of the Tasmanian Hydro-Electrio Department (Mr J. H. Butters) recently threw out the idea, in a report to the Premier of that State, that tha hydro-electrio power should be used in the fixation of nitrates from the air, as is now being done in Norway, Germany, and elsewhere. This would provido material immediately useful in the making of high explosives, while the industry, once established, would be of permanent value, since the nitrates will be of use in time of pence. The suggestion, in so fax as it referred to the making of nitrates for explosives, was submitted by the Premier to the commonwealth Defence Department, which took the advice of the Federal Munitions Committee, >vhich replied that as the supply of nitrates was at present fully equal to 'the demand, it oould see nothing to be gained by the notion proposed. At this the matter has since rested, but it may be revived again. The world's supply of nitrates is at present mainly derived from the Chilian deposits, but these are far from inexhaustible. The richest areas are practically worked out, and it has been stated by experts that the field is within sight of exhaustion. It may yet nrove to be sound policy to look ahead beyond the present and the immediate future, and to try to make Australia selfsufficing in this most important matter.

In Sumatra the bom of the rhinoceros is esteemed as an antidote to poison, and on that account is made into <k~nJting-