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Otago Daily Times, Issue 16963, 27 March 1917, Page 4

There has been a good deal of speculation in recent weeks (says our Wellington correspondent) as to tho probable date of the meeting of Parliament. ' The Acting Prime Minister (Sir James Allen) stated yesterday that he presumed that Parliament would meet at the end of June as usual. It could not postpone its meeting beyond that date, and he had no idea that it would meet earlier. He thought it was probable also that Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward would not return much before tho end of June, but he had no information on this point.

A Press Association message from Wellington advises that the publication of tho arrival and departure of ships is prohibited except in tho case of thoso engaged solely in the New Zealand coastal trade.

Information has just come to hand that tho Government has authorised a grant of £500 toward the cost of repairing tho Main. North road between Dunedin and Waikouaiti. This is in response to repeated requests from the Waikouaiti County Council for assistance in putting the road into repair. Tho arrangement is now complete for spending £1900 on tho road, this amount being contributed as follows:—Government, £500; Waikouaiti County Council. £300; Otago Motor Club, £200. It should bo pointed out that tho originator of tho scheme to repair the road somewhat on tho basis now adopted is a member of tho Otago Mo' v Club, tho Roads Committee of which body also materially assisted the Waikouaiti Council in tho movement to have tho road put in order.

A Wellington Press Association telegram reports that in connection with an application by an American film corporation to the Government to take pictures in New Zealand, the Hon. G. W. Russell stated yesterday that the Cabinet considered that it was undesirable while tho war was on for any kinematograph pictures of New Zealand to be taken by anybody. Consequently no authority would bo given in this direction until after the close of tho vrar.

A Press Association message from Wellington states that the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) is considering tho establishment of a special board to deal with applications for financial assistance for reser vists called up by ballot or for voluntary k'ecruita.

Three wholesale jewellers and two diamond merchants, representing largo English and Continental firms, have visited Dunedin during tho last week or two. They report that so far as their lines are concorned business in New Zealand has been very satisfactory. Mr W. G. Compton, manager of the Queensland Insurance Company, whilst motoring to his homo at North-East Harbour last evening, was tho victim of an accident arising from most unaccountable circumstances. When approaching the Bangor Tea Rooms the car suddenly becamo enveloped :n flames. The arrival of a willing band o£ holjjprs headed by Mr Allan Johnston saved tho car. from total destruction, the proximity of tho harbour rendering a good supply of water of great service. Mr Compton was severely burned about tho arms and hands, and first aid was rendered by Mr Johnston and his family.

As Mr F. O. Shaddock (ono of the members of tho Harbour Board elected by the ratepayers of Dunedin and St. Kilda) is at present on active servico with the Y.M.C.A. and Mr H. A. Lo Cron (elected by the ratepayers of Maori Hill and Mornington) now resides xat Timaru, they will, it is understood, not seek re-election to tho board. No candidates are as yet mentioned for these seats. Mr G. It. Ritchie, one of tho two representatives on the board of the payers of dues on ships, is at present in and it is not known whether he intends to stand ag&in. Tho other repiesentative (Mr H. L. Tapley) is standing again, and thero is a likelihood that Captain Sundstrum will also be a candidate as a representative of the payers of dues on ships. Practically all the other members of tho board will seek rp-elfcctkm. Cγ J. Harris will not be a candidate for a seat on the St. ,Kilda Borough Council next month. Cr Adam :s on active service, and Cr Sutherland has obtained leave of absence. Cra Scurr and Dove, who are candidates for the position of mayor, will not contest seats on the council. As matters stand r.ow, it is thought that about five new councillors will bo required.

From as far north as Auckland information has been -received bv the exe:utive of the New Zealand National Association that great interest is being manifested in its operations. When the association was formed it was rumoured that a new political party had been formed, but the replies sent by the. executive in response to requests, for information set any fears on this score at rest, and a great deal of support is assured in the northern centre. Mr C. N. Scurr received a* letter from a friend in Wellington yesterday stating that much interest was being taken in the association there, and that matters weie progressing in the direction of forming a strong branch. From Middlemarch word has been received that everything is in readiness for a public meeting. , A programme has been drawn up for the holding of future meetings right through to Invercargill, at the request of residents in the various towns en Toute. A branch is to be form-?d at Green Island tonight, at the conclusion of a public meeting convened by the Mayor (Mr Lindsay). Mr Justico Sim, after summing tip, strongly against the accused, the Evidence in a charge of assault and robbery, which was tried before him at Greymauth last week, is reported to have spokon as follows:—He would like to say to any juryman that if he thought the evideace did not leave any douibt as to guilt and that juryman allowed a verdict of not guilty to be returned, he (the juryman) would be guilty of a breach of the oath taken, as well as failing in his duty as a citizen. His Honor further impressed on them the neees sity of having the law vindicated. Jurors who brought in a verdict of not guilty where they believed the prisoner to be guilty committed a crime worse than that of the accused and one that would upset our social order. In the vindication of the law, where the ultimate responsibility rested with the jury, any man who believed an accused to be guilty and still desired a verdict of not guilty was a greater criminal than the person charged. Was it «to go forward that thieves, rogues, and abortionists were to go unpunished in Westland, that all they had to do was to get a common jury in Westland to try them and they were safe? Would they allow it to go forward that a Westland jury would not convict? four hours' retirement the jury was unable to agree upon a verdict, and a new trial was ordered.

Tho attention of the Minister in Charge of Hospitals having been called to the questions raised by the returned soldiers' conference regarding the treatment of rev turned soldiers as mental patients, the Hon. G. W. Russell states that he recently made inquiries into the position. Hitherto tho department's policy regarding soldiers suffering from neurasthenia, shell shock,* and other forms of mental diseases has been to treat them in the' special institution at Puketeraki, under trained specialists in those troubles. The treatment is largely outdoor, with facilities for fishing and boating. Great success has resulted, but in cases where tho disease took, a more advanced form the men ax-e unfortunately compelled to be sent to the mental hospitals, and as the ■ law provides for no distinction between soldier and civilian patients none could be observed. "I find," adds Mr Russell, ''that there are only 10 returned soldiers in this category. They are in three different mental hospitals. When recently in Auckland I consulted, Dt Beattie (Superintendent of the Auckland Mental Hospital), who stated that an institution thero known as the Wolff Homo has every qualification for uso for these patients in the North Island. I therefore propose to utilise it in tho same ,\va,y as Puketeraki 'is used for the South Island, for neurasthenia and shell shock cases from the war. I have received no letter from the Returned Soldiers' Association, but directly it arrives it will bo answered"

Dr Fitzgerald (house surgeon at the Wellington Public Hospital) wrote to the board on Thursday (says the New Zealand Times), asking if he should enlist at once or wait till drawn as a member of the First Division. Tho request provoked a discussion in which it was generally agreed that the country's stock of doctors needs to be conserved to some extent. Mr W. J. Thompson said he did not see why any medical man or minister should be exempted while other men fought their battle. Some members agreed with Mr Thompson, and that no more doctors could be spared. The Chairman said tho honorary staff was doing what it could to assist at the hospital. Personally, ho did not favour appealing, but this was a special case, and it was necessary to retain sufficient doctors here. It was decided to appeal if Dr Fitzgerald is drawn in tho ballot.

Action is contemplated by the various interests concerned to overcome the waste of shipping space -which results from the slow handling of cargo, particularly coal, at Melbourne wharfs. From the point of view of the Victorian railways the shortage of shipping space between Melbourne and Newcastlo is a serious menace, and, although there is no immediate shortage, the necessity for improving present conditions is imperative. Recently a conference was held of representatives of the intor-State shipping companies, the Navy ■ office, the Railways, and the Harbour Trust, with a view to devising means to make moro efficient use of tho tonnage now available. At present coal lumpers work only one shift— and that a short one—per day, and the rato of discharging coal is many times below what it should be, in view of the shortage of tonnage. It -was stated to the conference that appliances are obtainable which will unload coal from a. vessel si, the rato of 100 tons per hour, which is .about as much as is now removed in a day of ono shift. An engineer from each of tho interests mentioned was appointed to investigate and report on mechanical means of unloading coal and other cargo from vessels.

A petition asking the Hon. J. T. Paul to contest the Mayoral election is being circulated for signature.

It is understood that Crs Sinclair, H. H. S. White, Williams, M'Millan, and Hastie will not seek re-election to the City Council. There was shipped from Wellington on Friday for exhibition at the Sydney Royal Agricultural Show a monster lat Shorthorn bullock, estimated to -weigh over 25cwt (says the New Zealand Times). ■So largo was the beast that the doore of an ordinary cattle or horse-box used for shipping stock could not be closed, and the bullock was squeezed tightly into the box. The bullock is owned by Mr W. I. Lovelock, of Palmerston North, who also despatched five Frisian cathe for the show. Mr Birch, of Marton, forwarded two Devon bulls for the show, and Mr E. Short was represented by fivo Romney Marsh rams and four Hereford bulk.

New Caledonia recently has been visited by a devastating hurricane. ''The land line," a message from Gomen stated, on February 18, " is still down between Gomen and the rest of the island, whose fato is still unknown. At Ouaco, 10 miles distant, to which place messengers were sent for assistance, it was found that the township had suffered the samo fate as Gomen. Most of the houses wero blown down, but so far no loss of lifo has been reported. Gomen's only inhabitants are. the cable station officials, their families, and a few native servants. All the buildings have been destroyed, and instruments are fitted up in tho open air. A 400-ton steamer, owned by Mr Johnson, of Noumea, went ashore, but it is expected she will soon bo refloated."

The Hon. G. W. Russell is much impressed with tho possibilities of the municipal fish enterprise which has been established in tho north. He told a Wellington Post reporter on Friday that the previous day, when passing through Hamilton, he saw 10 cases of fish which had been consigned there from Thames as ordinary freight. If fish could bo carried such a distiinco there, ho saw no reason why a proper fishing scheme inaugurated in Wellington could not supply the Wairarapa and Manawatu districts with fish. He added that he was going carefully into the matter, and ho intended to study the report in connection with the experimental fishing cruise of the Nora Niven. Mr Edgar R. Wait 6,. Director of the Canterbury Museum, who was the best scientific man in New Zealand as far as fish varieties were concerned, had accompanied the vessel on her cruise, and as the result of the investigations made, he (the Minister) believed that some excellent fishing grounds had been found around this part of the coast. The whole scheme would need to be based •on scientific lines, and if this were done, he believed that great work could be done in New Zealand. • The Minister further stated that he had cabled to Professor Prince, of Canada, stating- that he hoped the professor would' have his report on fishing in New Zealand waters ready for presentation when Parliament met in June.

A country man, whom events subsequently proved to be unbalanced, made a meteoric tour of Timaru on Friday, when (according to tho Herald) he gave free rein to a desire for purchasing all manner of things. Among other things he bought two organs, various articles of jewellery, cigarette and pipe tobacco, two tomb-stones, and signed for the purchase of two houses. In most casc3 he paid cash, and in others he .left a deposit. Ultimately, however, the police were informed, and after examination by two doctors he was taken away to a mental hospital. ' r

'Writing to a members of the Southland Times literary staff from France on January 9. Major T. M. Wilkes says:—"Bishop Cleary is with us, and he is great—always round the lines amongst the men, no matter what is 'coming over.' Ho is a real sport, find liked by all. A soldier was killed alongside him the' Other day, and the Bishop himself was knocked over by the force of the debris thrown up by the 5.9 shell, but was otherwise uninjured. He tended the dying man, who was unconscious. Many would have finished with the lines after, that; but not so the Bishop. He continues to go round, and no amount of ' Bosche persuasion ' puts him off his rounds; in fact, he goes where there is most of that commodity because he seems to think he is most needed there."

By the last steamer to arrive at Auckland there were several animals consigned to dominion breeders. Tho most important was a valuable Jersey bull calf named Canadian, which to go to Mr Chas. Goodson, a well known breeder of Hawera. The bull was shipped by Mr J. A. Perree, of Jersey. There is also a border Leicester ram, and at the commencement of the voyage there were three ewes, but one gave birth to a young one on the way out and later died. The sea born animal is quite strong. The ram and ewes are for Timaru. Three collie dogs arrived by the same steamer. They are for Mr Lilico, of Southland. ;

Some particulars of tho comet which is approaching the earth, and will this year bo visible to tho raked eye, are given in the Daily Express. It is one of the largest ever seen, and not expected to be visible from tho earth again for 60,000 years after its disappearance. It will be known in astronomical circles as "Wolf's Comet," in acknowledgment of' its discoverer. Professor Wolf, of Heidelberg, who first saw it on April 27 last. Dγ A. C. D. Orommelin, the astronomer, says the new comet was "followed" by telescope from. April nntil July, when, owing to tho fac£ that the pun passed in front of it, it became invisible. It was "picked up" a few days ago by the telescopes of ono of tho great observatories m America, and tho fact was briefly cabled to Greenwich. "It is now observed as a morning star," says Dr Crommelin, "but it is visible only through telescopes. It wnl continually approach nearer tho earth until July, when it will becomo a faint naked eye object, but not a grand one, owing to its great distance from the sun. Its least distance from the earth is ono and twothirds the earth's distance front the sun— that is to say, it is far outside the earth's orbit, and comets that distance awayldo not make a brilliant display. As the sun'« mean distance from the earth is about miles, the nearest point to the earth which the comet will reach will be about 164,000.000 miles. "In July," added Dr Crommelin,' "the new comet will be getting away from tho sun, and nearer the earth. It will bo followed by' telescopes for a year after that, until towards the end of 191 C Altogether it will be under observation for about two snd two-third years, whereas Halley's Comet was visible for only ono and one-third years."

The annual meeting of the Dunedin Choral Society will bo held to-night in the Bristol concert chamber. members will have an opportunity of hearing some of tho music to be given at nest month's concert. "The motor cycle magnificent." Remarkable 1917 models. Engine develops over 16 actual h.p. Foolproof gearbox, sturdy construction throughout.—Wilson and Co., Princes street. —Advt. ~T At Mollison's Easter sale you can secure all classes of holidav apparel at bargain prices. See window display.—Advt. We're only too glad to recommend "No Rubbing Laundry Help. Ladies are loud in its praise, and say it makes the washing wonderfully oasy.— Wardell Bros, and Co George street. —Advt. Things we ought to know: Witson's No. 10 whisky is the doyen of whiskies.—Advt! A.. K J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Aus tialasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets, (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1559.— Advt. Who is Peter Dick?—Tho most reliable Watchmaker, Jeweller, and Certificated Consulting Optician, 490 Moray place (off Prineei •meet), Dunedin. Charges moderate,—Advt.

Launch owners, motorists, and others, don t have trouble. Buy our Columbia Hotshot Batteries. We have a fino assortment ?t u Dry I3atter ' ea > Accumulators, Lamps, Holders, etc., for ignition and lighting purposes.—Turnbull and Jones (Limited), electrical engineers. Dunedin.—Advt