THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1916. A SELF-RELIANT POLICY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16666, 11 April 1916, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1916. A SELF-RELIANT POLICY.

The resolution which was adopted yesterday by the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association urging the Government " to adopt a self-reliant policy and to find within New Zealand the money required for war purposes '•' expresses in substance, we have little doubt, the sentiment that is entertained by most people in the dominion who have given consideration to the question of war finance. The contrast between the financial burden which has been imposed on the people of Great Britain and that borne by the people of New Zealand is so remarkable that it must powerfully strike everyone who contemplates it. The spirit in which the burden has been accepted by sections of the population in the two countries might also perhaps be contrasted. The United Kingdom is shouldering a load of debt and a load of taxation, in consequence of the war that fairly stagger the imagination. By all classes of the public the load has been accepted with magnificent cheerfulness as an evil that is necessary in the circumstances. Upon all of them it entails sacrifices—upon great numbers of them and particularly, we think, on the class of people with small fixed salaries it entails severe sacrifices—but they recognise that the sacrifices to which they must submit in pocket, in comforts, in indulgences, possibly in things they have been accustomed to regard as necessaries, are not comparable with the sacrifices that are being made by hundreds of thousands of men in the fighting line and that it is essential to the safety of the nation that they should make them. They are facing the exceptional calls that are being made on their patriotism in a spirit of self-denial and in a spirit of selfreliance which have aroused the unstinted admiration of the allied nations. Not only are they bearing their own burdens, but-they are also providing the Allies with enormous sums of money and the overseas dominions with smaller sums to assist them in financing the war. The two most important of the overseas dominions have, however, concluded that they should not continue to throw on the Mother Country the whole responsibility of raising for them the funds they require to pay for their share in the prosecution of the war. Australia and Canada have evinced their determination to relieve the British Government, as far as possible, of the burden of their war finance. Is there any reason why. New Zealand ( should not associate herself with the sister dominions in the expression of this determination ? There can be no question that she is relatively as well able to provide out of her own resources for her war requirements as they are out of theirs. All the tests that can be applied point unmistakably to this conclusion. This being the case, the self-respect of the Government and people of New Zealand is coinpromised in the fact that we are still borrowing from the Imperial Government all the money needed by the dominion for war purposes. There is an unusual abundance of money available for investment in New Zealand and there is no reason to doubt that a, domestic patriotic war loan would be freely supported. The question of the rate of interest which , the Government should offer for a local loan was raised yesterday. It is a question which may be said to have been forced into the discussion by the recent declaration of the Minister of Finance that he would not be a party to the flotation of a war loan in the dominion at 5 per cent. It is very likely that large sums of money would be offered to the Government by individual lenders at less than this price. That is a point which might be determined by the Government inviting tenders for a loan and giving preference in allotment to the tenders at the lowest prices. But from the point of view of the Government itself there can be no objection to paying for a local loan at least the price it is paying for the money which it is obtaining from the Imperial Government. What that price is has not been disclosed. The earliest loans that were obtained for war expenses were secured at the rate of £3 10s for every £95 ; that was raised. It is not even clear whether the dominion did not secure this money from the Imperial Government on terms that were more favourable than those on which the Imperial Government itself secured the money. The price of money has, however, hardened since then. When the last English mail left the Chancellor of the Exchequer was extensively advertising an unlimited issue of Exchequer bonds, repayable in 1920, bearing interest at 5 per cent. If ? in these circumstances, the Government of' New Zealand is at the present time paying less than 5 per cent, for its war loans it would seem probable that it is at the expense of

the Imperial Government that it i 3 obtaining money below tho market price, and we agree with Mr Johnstone that in that case it is not pursuing a creditable course; From the point of view of the community as a whole there is an obvious advantage in the flotation of a local loan— namely, that the interest would be paid in New Zealand instead of at Home. But the main consideration is that, to the extent to which the dominion raised out of its own resources the money required by it for the prosecution of the war, to that extent it would be lightening the financial burden of the Mother Country. And, that consideration is not affected by the fact that the flotation of a local loan of five millions would relieve the Imperial Government of the need to provide the dominion with as much as would pay for the cost of the war for only a single day. A measure of help, even so seemingly infinitesimal as this, would, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer indicated last week, be appreciated by the Government at Home.

GERMANY AND PEACE. Two of the most influential of the German newspapers have solemnly warned the Allies that if they do nofc take their enemy's proposals for peace seriously Germany will fight to the end. The warning which is necessarily inspired, will neitherdisappoint nor alarm the Allies. They will end the war when it suits them to dd so. They did not desire the war. They fully appreciate the blessings of peace. They strove to the uttermost to avert the war. It was forced upon them by Germany. Not only did they not seek the war, but they were also unprepared for the war. Germany took advantage of their unpreparedness to precipitate a war which, she calculated, would make her the mistress of the world. As it happened, the Allies—perhaps by a stroke of fortune which in their too ready acceptance of the peaceful protestations of Germany and in their careless disregard of her great military preparations they hardly merited — were able to stay the Germans in their wild sweep west and east. And they have since by dint of ceaseless and unparalleled excretions put themselves in a position of such military strength that they are now confident of their ability, when the hour strikes, to beat Germany back out o f the territory she has over-run. One nation can compel others to fight unless they are willing to allow her to despoil them and tyrannise over them. But that same nation cannot compel them to make peace on terms that are not acceptable to them. The horror of the situation for Germany is, as has been said by the British Weekly —a religious publication which throughout the war has sounded, a, clear, strong note, on behalf of the righteousness and justice of the Allies' cause in the war—that though she has made war she is powerless to make peace. This horror is reflected in the warning that has been addressed to the Allies by the Cologne Gazette and the Frankfurter Zeitung. ' Why should Germany be no,w desirous of peace? And why should the Allies, up to the present the losers in the war, be unwilling to make peace? The first of these questions is highly suggestive of the anxiety that must be felt in Germany respecting her financial and economic condition. And the second, which' the Germans,"fed as they have been upon the stories of -tihe- successes of their arms, must be asking themselves, cannot but fill them with grave forebodings of disaster. If all they have been told is true, how comes it that the Allies are not begging for peace? The fact, which is noted with concern in , Germany, that the .Allies will not seriously consider proposals for peace at the present time must be at once puzzling and disconcerting to the Germans. But -when they associate with it the existence in their owp country of a food problem which, is ever becoming increasingly pressing, the steadily growing" and appalling lists of casualties in their 'army, and the continued drafting of old men and boys into the fighting line they must be filled with, strange fears. It is inevitable that they should be so. B-ut they will fight to the end. It was not to be expected that they would not —if it came to that. There is, however, an ominous implication in those words "to the end." Is it then to be a matter with Germany, the proud possessor of the mightiest war-machine that has ever been constructed byi any 6ne nation, of fighting "to the end?" The semi-official declaration by the Cologne Gazette and the Frankfurter Zeitung may not inconceivably have the effect of increasing the apprehensiveness of the German people themselves.

The public will probably have noted with satisfaction the decision of the City Council to substitute a supply of salt water for fresh water in the'municipal baths. The question, however, that arises is, Where is the council to obtain at a reasonable cost the supply of clean salt water for bathing purposes? The plan which' it has approved is to procure the water from the harbour at Frederick street. The estimate of the cost of this scheme is £1800. This seems to us to be an estimate which, like many others, is below the mark. But the main question is as to the quality of the water which, the scheme would provide. The upper harbour at Frederick street is not a locality exactly suggestive of all that is clean and savoury. A proposal to erect public swimming baths on the foreshore in that locality would be received with merited derision. The bed , of the harbour there is so much black slime and a sewer, doubtless very efficient, discharges itself exactly at the foot of Frederick street, the point to which the. council has directed an approving eye. At either high or low water an excellent variety of refuse floats about in the upper harbour all along the foreshore on the city side, and any expectation that there would be an equally excellent variety of flavour in the water drawn from such a source would, weapprohend, be in no wise disappointed. The council, while not altogether unmindful or unapprjsed of these little objections to its scheme —these little detractions from its perfection —appears, however, to have confidence in its ability to draw off from the harbour at this point water sufficiently clean for bathing purposes. Perhaps its members believe the public will find the upper harbour water all that it desires; perhaps they have come to their present decision on an insufficiency of evidence. It is because of doubt in this last relation that it seems necessary that the point should be raised. If the council can get clean water fit for bathing purposes from the foot of Frederick street, well and good—but its-business in the interests of the public is to make absolutely sure that it can do so before it proceeds to spend a largo sum of money en the project. £18CJ would be a large price to pay for a supply of dirty salt water. Therefore let the council proceed with deliberation, and, Jest it have cause for repentance, take every precaution in testing the soundness of its scheme.

It is a little more than six months to the next Presidential election, in the United States, and according to a cablegram from Washington a movement to further the candidature of Mr Elihu Root in the Republican interest is meeting with much favour. Whether Mr Root will accept nomination is not yet quite decided. His recont public utterances lend peculiar interest, however, to the possibility that the man who was Secretary for War in the Roosevelt and Taft Administrations may become President Wilson's successor at the White House. In such an event, if Mr Root acts in the spirit of his political professions, a radical change in the policy of the United States ia relation to the war may be anticipated. In an important speech—a frankly party utterance —in February last as temporary chairman of the unofficial Republican State Convention he pledged the Republican Party to " a foreign policy which* with courtesy and friendliness to all nations, is frank and fearless and" honest in its assertion of American rights, and leaves no doubt anywhere in the world of America's purpose and courage to protect and defend her independence', her territory, and the lives and just rights of her citizens under the laws of nations." Mr Root took the same view as that expressed by Mr Roosevelt in his reference to., the failure of the United States Government to assert itself at the time Belgium was invaded. A great demonstration, we read, followed his assertion that "the law protecting Belgium which was violated was our law and the law of every other civilised country." He was on popular ground also in calling for greater firmness in American relations with the belligerent nations " when they attempt to trample on American rights." Loud cheers were evoked when, after reading the "strict accountability" Note which, was sent before the Lusitania episode as an illustration of a policy of threatening words without deeds, he declared : " Extreme and belligerent expression unsupported by resolution is weak and without effect. No man should draw a pistol who dares not shoot. The Government that shakes its fist first and its finger afterwards falls into contempt. Our diplomacy has lost its authority and influence because we have been brave in words and irresolute in action. Men say that the words of our diplomatic Notes were justified : men say that our inaction was justified; but no man can say that both our words and our inaction were wise and creditable."

Stjch words as the foregoing, spoken by a great Opposition leader in the very beginning of a campaign, merit the serious attention of the responsible Democratic leaders. Mr Elihu Root, the New York Times holds, however, would be unable to justify the assertion that American diplomacy has lost its authority and influence. No doubt this is ground upon which political controversy will rage fiercely as the date of the Presidential elec tion draws nigh. That the foreign "policy of the United States Government will figure very prominently as an election issue cannot be doubted. The Republicans, whoever their candidate may be, will strive tooth and nail to justify the charges enunciated by Mr Root against the Democratic attitude towards the European situation. The failure of the United States" Government to make good its' undertaking to prevent the destruction of American life by submarine attack is an awkward fact for the Democrats to fight against, and a great deal of capital will be made of it by the other side. In more general terms Mr Root sounded in his recent speech an appeal which would, .doubtless- evoke a wide response among his countrymen when he said : " Can we expect immunity? Can we command immunity? How shall we play our part in the world ? Have selfish living and factional quarrelling and easy prosperity obscured the spiritual vision of our country? Has the patriotism of a generation- never summoned to- sacrifice become lifeless? Is our nation one or a discordant multitude? Haryewe still national ideals? Will anybody live for them? Would anybody die for them ? Or are we all for ease and comfort and wealth at any price? Confronted byi such questions as these and the practical situations which give rise to them, is the, country satisfied to trust itself again in the hands of the Democratic Party?" It remains to be seen what *fche country will say in answer to this question, but the New York Times deems it wise to warn the Democratic Administration and the Democratic Congress, confronted by a formidable foe with such challenges, to re-examine their positions, to avoid the repetition of blunders, and' particularly to beware of selfrighteousness and isolation with indifference to public opinion.. If the Democrats in Congress persist in stiff-necked opposition to the popular 'will, says this important journal, the people will respond to Mr Root's appeal, to the Republican appeal, by terminating their trust.

A Press Association message from Wellington states that the Governor has received the King's command that no dinners, reviews, salutes, or other celebrations are to take place this year on the King's Birthday (June 3). A boy named Ryan, who escaped from Burnham Industrial School, has been arrested by Constable Hodgson, of Waikouaiti, and stands charged with stealing a horse and trap in the Waikouaiti district.

Mr Justice Sim, sitting in Wellington has dealt with several Chambers matters from Otago. Probate of the wills of Jeannie M'Farland Dunnet, Wong Lee, Isabella Mliaren, and Edmund James has been granted, and letters of administration have been granted in re William John Hessey, Watson Abram, Gavin JVI'CJio, and Agnes Logie Maxwell.

The Huddart, Parker Company's steamer Riverina has been making a reputation for the speed with which ehe has accomplished recent trips between Australia' and New Zealand. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the vessel did the run from Sydney in three days and nineteen hours, arriving at Wellington at 7.1Q a.m. yesterday. It is worthy of mention that the boys of the Maeandrew Road School, as the result of their achievement on Saturday, when they won the Caledonian Society's championship shield, have two wins in succession to their credit. Their score on Saturday— 20 points—constitutes a record total for the competition, which is a popular annual one. amongst the schools in the city and suburbs.

The monthly meeting of the Moray Plaoe School Committee was held last evening; present—Messrs W. S. Pattison (chairman), M'GiU, M'Oleary, Thomson, Kroon, Greig, Miller, Hay, and Swan. The Visiting Committee reported finding ■ everything in first classoorder, and that the children were well and keen in their work. Accounts amounting to £5 93 5d were passed for payment. The annual report was submitted and approved by the committee. A meeting of the Otago Early Settlers' Association was held yesterday afternoon; present—Mr D. Keid (president, in the chair), Messrs Denniston, Nicolson, Hazlett, M'Dermid, Calder, Proudfoot, Dr Pulton, Mrs Hayward, and Mrs Barnes. Mrs Kedzlio forwarded a large framed photograph of the lato Mr and Mrs Kedzlie, of Halfway Bush, as a gift for the museum. A vote of thanks was accorded the donors. The following deaths were recorded since last mooting:—William Kyrie, arrived I860; John Borton (89), Cornwall, 1849; Mrs Isabella Hard jo M'Laren (68), Henrietta, I860; Mrs Jean S. Cochrane (87), Alpine, 1859; John M'lndoo (57), Alpine, 1859. Seven new members were elected. A resolution of condolenco was passed with the relatives of the late John M'lndoe, who for a number of years was a member of committee, and keenly interested in tho welfare of tho association.

Wo loam from the Government tourist agent that there is every appearance of a big exodus of peojjle at Easter. Numerous bookings and inquiries for information arc being made daily at the local bureau. Passengers for tho North Island aro advised to book early and eecuro steamer berths in good time. Ernest Devoin, who is charged with having shot at and seriously injured Louisa White in tho Nairn Street Reserve, Wellington, recently, and then attempted his own life, was removed from the Wellington Hospital to the Terrace Gaol on Saturday (says tho Post). Miss White is still in a serious condition. The lower part of her body is paralysed. At a meeting of tho Committee of the Qtago Early Settlers' Association tho following resolution was passed: —"It having come to tho notice of the committee that a statement has been made in the City Counoil that tho Early Settlers' Association had no objection to the riaipe of tho Main North road, from tho Gardens to Normanby, being changed to Green street, the committee wishes emphatically to state that such is not tho case. The minutes of tho special meeting to consider the question show that it was resolved that tho name Main North was to stand. The committee regrets that the council did not confer with tho Otago Early Settlers' Association as publicly promised, and that no representative of the City Council has so far asked for a conference with, the Early Settlers' Association."

Harvest thanksgiving services were held in the South Dunedin Presbyterian Church on Sunday, when there were excellent congregations morning and evening. In the forenoon the Rev. C. Eaton, of the Methodist Central Mission, occupied.the pulpit, and delivered a forceful discourse from the words, "Howmuoh owest thou unto my Lord?" The evening service was conducted by the Rev. R. Pairmaid, who chose as his theme, "The law of sacrifice" in Christ's Life and ours," taking as his text John xii, 24- and 25. The church was moot tastefully decorated for the occasion by friends of the congregation. A large quantity of produce which was received will be sent to the church orphanages. In addition to the usual congregational hymns the following items were excellently rendered by the choir:—Recitative and aria (Mr Heathcote), "If With All Your Hearts "; anthem, "I Will Feed My Flock" (solo, Mr Baxter); evening anthem, " Sun of My Soul" (solo, Mies Wisden); anthem, " The King of Love My Shepherd Is." Mr J. M. Lomas presided at the organ. The day's services, which were inspiring throughout, concluded with the benediction and National Anthem.

Certain returns have been ■ required by the Government to be supplied by patriotic societies. In the opinion of the chairman of the Patriotic Societies Advisory Board (the Hon. J. T. Paul) some of these returns are entirely unnecessary (says the Wellington Post). Particulars are asked of each item of relief granted, the recipient's name, regimental number, and so on. Mr Paul stated at Thursday's meeting of the board that the preparation of such returns would servo no useful purpose, but would result merely in big additions to the work and administrative expenses of the and thfe at a time when each member of the community should be engaged as far as possible in some useful task! Various members ■of the board expressed, like opinions, stating that office expenses were already sufficiently large. It wae suggested that all the return required wae to show (1) the number of cases dealt with and persons assisted; (2) expenditure on relief; (3) administrative charges.

'The New Zealand flax trade is at a diffi cult pass through the shortage of ships. A conference between the executive of the New Zealand Flaxmillers' Association and the Hemp Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, representing the Wellington hemp exporters, was held at the Chamber of Commerce at Wellington on Friday (says the Post), when the position of (the flax industry owing to ■ the shortage of tonnage wae gone into. It was pointed out that owing to general shortage of tonnage for London and the recent loss of the Rangatira and Matatua that there was no possibility of getting flax already in store away for eome months. There were 26,000 bales in store , at the end of March, and at the end of April would be increased to 45,000. As the shipping companies were only, carrying to London during the past five months 7000 bales per month, at the present rate of shipping it would be six months before the stores were cleared. The position,was discussed in all its bearings, the opinion being that flax was not being accepted for shipment by the shipping companies as freely as wool and other, cargo. As, however, there was no possibility of shipping much flax during the next two or three months the conference decided that millers had no choice but to close down. This will take effect from May 1. .The conference also decided that in view of the serious position ahead for the exports of the dominion generally, that they should interview the Prime Minister, as the interruption of the export trade, if it is to extend, as from all appearances it will extend, and get worse, is eo important a matter that the Government should take a hand and endeavour to find a solution.

For 28 years Mr David Zanders, now of Sydney, has been wondering why a ton of coal iho ordered when living in Timaru, New Zealand, on May 10, 1888, was never delivered. He has just solved the. puszle (says the Sydney Sun, of March 28). When he ordered the coal, ho did so by addressing a- postcard to Mr lialph, coal merchant. Timaru. . The postcard, which did not reach its destination, was found the other day secreted behind the private letter boxes in the Timarti Post Office, where it had lain since the day it was posted. An effort was made to deliver it to the coal merchant to whom it was addressed, but he had long since departed for a. land where the postman's whistle fi never heard. The postal authorities then discovered- that the sender, Mr Zander, had gone to live in Melbourne, where his coal order followed him in due course. By that time, however, he had changed his place of abode to Sydney, and there his long-lost postcard found him. As the oard was in tho possession of the postal authorities from the time it was posted in Timaru until the day it was delivered in Sydney, this probably constitutes a record in .its way.

Leaving a main port on a Sunday entitles the crew of a steamer to an extra clay's pay. Some time between 11 p.rn. on Saturday, January 8, and 1 a.m. on Sunday, January 9, the Mararoa left Wellington for Lyttelton. The Seamen's Union contended that she cast off after midnight, and to settle tho dispute, the question, was referred yesterday to the Inspector of Awards, 'Mr W. Slaughter. The deck-log showed that the boat cleared 'before midnight, but after hearing evidence as to the time that orders were received in the engine-room (says the Post) the inspector was convinced that the last lino was oast off after midnight, and he gave his decision accordingly.

Just on three months ago a private, after being, wounded at Gallipoli and a few months in bed with malarial fever, reached home, and is now at Rotorua. A few days ago his parents received a parcel from the front which was labelled as containing " the deceased soldier's property." Included in the parcel were several articles which had belonged to tho private, and 6everal which had not. The soldier was never previously officially reported killed, although at the front his death was surmised, because in passing a mortally stricken man, he placed his coat on the form, where it was subsequently found. Before the official notification of the supposed death was sent out to the world, the soldier was found wounded and sent to the hospital. The strangest part of the story, however, is tho fact that thp coat sent to tho parents never did belong to the private, it was the coat of a mounted man, and the returned man belonged to the infantry.

Replying to a deputation in Wellington on Thursday, Mr Massey mentioned that ho was in communication with the Imperial authorities concerning the accumulations of meat in New Zealand. It was estimated that tho beef and mutton in store at April 30 within the dominion would bo 2,400,000 freight carcases. He knew the shipping difficulty existed also in the Old Country and in Australia. He had communicated with the local shipping committee, and they had informed -him that they eaw their way to get the wool out of the country in a reasonable time. Wool was being urgently asked for by the Imperial Government and by other parts of the Empire. Referring to the demand for shipping, Mr Massey said he knew of a ship which had cost about £70,000 to baild, a good cargo vessel of her type, and this ship had recently been sold for £150,000 cash. This was an illustration of the tremendous demand for snipping space. The difficulty with regard to flax was that it occupied more space in proportion to weight than any other article of export, and consequently the shipping companies were not anxious to take it when they could fill up with more profitable cargo. It was not only with flax and wool that trouble had arisen. The Government required a certain number of ehips at present to carry coal. It was part of the duty of New Zealand to supply coal to the Admiralty, and the Government had no end of difficulty in getting coal ships. The coal must be sent away. Also, the. Minister of Railways had told him that day that unless some arrangement were made to bring oil down from the East Coast ports of America there would be serious trouble in the Railway Department. And it was possible to get the oil here only by sending a ship. Cheese and butter were piling up in the stores, and he saw no prospect of getting the produce away, for the next two months.

Some time ago the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand resolved to approach the shipping companies with a view to obtaining preference for British seamen who have enlisted as against foreign seamen who have entered the service since, tho outbreak of war. The Executive Council decided to communicate also with-the Australian Union on the matter. The Dominion reports that up to the present no reply has been received from Australia, and in the meantime ' the following letter has been addressed to New Zealand ship-owners:—"The .Executive Council of the Federated Seamen'e Union has had under consideration the case of those seamen of the New Zealand merchant service who have enlisted with, the forces since the outbreak of war; and seeing that these men have left their positions on the ships to defend their country (including its commercial enterprises) it was concluded that the shipowners should, in return, render some practical recognition of the fact on their return io the dominion. The council accordingly resolved to recommend that these men be given the, first opportunity of rejoining your vessels by eliminating in their favour those foreigners who have engaged in the New Zealand mercantile marine since the declaration of war, and we ehall be "pleased to receive from yoa an early intimation that this will be done ( upon the individual concerned producing evidence from the military authorities that he was engaged on active service, and is a member of the above union; and that your ships' officers will be instructed accordingly." .■■-';. "-.,..:: ..

To an Oamsru Mail reporter on Saturday morning, the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald said that with regard to railage conceseions, although he heard that some dissatisfaction had been expressed with* the methods of the department, after investigating reports from the department's, officers there did not appear to be very ' much ground . for complaint. .The' instructions to officers of the department were in cases where, there was a doubt as to the need of assistance, to give the farmer or settler the benefit of the doubt. In addition to free railage of stock the department was railing free, of charge chaff (7000 bags of which had been forwarded), hay, oats, bran, grass seeds, fertilisers, roots, and all kinds of stock fodders. He was pleased now to learn that there was no further need for the removal of stock from the district. Settlers could rest assured that the whole aim of, the Government and the department waa 'to assist, as far ae possible, in the transit of stock and. fodder. In addition to free railage on fodder the department had arranged for grazing both on grass and turnip lands in Southland, a facility that had been taken advantage of to a certain extent.

The adjourned annual meeting. of thd National Reserve will be held on Thursday ovo'ning, when the office-bearers for the year will be elected and matters >in connection with tho successful carrying- on of the reserve -will be discussed. The place of meeting will be notified in to-morrow's issue. Mr R. A. Kempahell informs us that-wha* he 6aid at the conference last Friday with, respect to the siltage of the Waipori Rive* was that there had been 13 floods in .12 months. . ......... '• Tha Imperial Government has just placed an order for 5000 Harley-Davidsons. The "Silent Grey Fellow" has proved his worth. —W. Stuart Wilson, Dunedin.—Advt. Just issued, 1916 winter edition "Home Dressmaking' Made Easy," fully illustrated; - posted free.—Mollisone Ltd., Dunedin.—Advt. Granville H. Sharpe says: "Watson's' No. 10 is genuine, well-matured whisky, of higffl quality."—Advt. , Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, fo< coughs and colds,' never fails.—Advt. A E. J- Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Au»> tralasiai corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859.— Advt. Who is Peter Diok,—The most reliable • Watchmaker, Jeweller, and Certificated Consulting Optician, 490 Moray place (off Prince* street), Dunedin. Charges moderate.—Advi. 8