THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY. JULY 27, 1917. THE WAVERING BALANCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17067, 27 July 1917, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY. JULY 27, 1917. THE WAVERING BALANCE.

At the present moment an atmosphere of suspense seems to hang over the European battlefield. On the eastern front the enemy is taking advantage of the collapse of the morale of a large portion of the Russian troops, and it is impossible to say what this weakness will cost Russia, or how long it will take her to eradicate it. On the western front, where the fighting has been grimmer, more stubborn, and more continuous than in any other theatre, there has been a measure of German activity suggestive of a etrong desire on the part of the military command to impress political circles in Germany with the belief that the situation is encouraging. But the German sacrifices, heavy as they have been, have brought them no compensation. The Allies have retained their gains, and the initiative is still theirs. The German operations suggest the methods of a combatant anxious to forestall and ward off anticipated attack. That the enemy is apprehensive of another powerful British thrust at any moment is more than probable, but only the event itself will demonstrate from what quarter this will come. A cable message this morning of somo interest contains the statement by the Berlin correspondent of a Danish newspaper that no great German ottensive is expected. "In future," it is reported, "the Reichstag's majorities will be for peace, this action being due to the fact that they prefer peace now, and are convinced that Germany will not get better terms six months hence. They believe that Germany is unable to obtain victory and dictate terme. Although she cannot be defeated, she cannot defeat the Allies." This account of the prevalent German view of the war situation probably contains at least a large proportion of truth. That Germany is looking for every opportunity to get out of the war through its termination on the basis of a draw, which would save her the consequences of defeat, has become fairly apparent. She has no hope of improving her position by a continuance of the struggle, but she has reason for apprehension as to the consequence that a continuation may entail upon herself. Rather, however than consent at the present time to peace on terms that would mean the attainment by the Allies of their objectives, she will go on fighting, trusting to her ability to prove to her enemies that they will never force her to submission. A few months ago Germany professed to hold cheaply the United States as a new belligerent ranged against her. What she now thinks on that subject, in view of the failure of the submarine campaign to reduce Great Britain to starvation before the United States could complete her preparations for active participation in the war, she keeps to herself. If the American sword, though drawn, has not yet been used in any blow of consequence, the German anticipation that it would be blunted by political and internal troubles seems to be happily wide of the mark. The United States is throwing a most gratifying energy mto her war organisation, and a New York cablegram conveys the assurance that the authorities at Washington hope to send a million men abroad within a year. It may be given to the United States to throw into the field the last million men who will turn the scale in favour of a decisive victory for the Allies. Certainly, the enemy cannot be indifferent to the prospect of the presence of such a large body of reinforcements for the Allies on fee astern front before many months will have elapsed, or to the task that will lie his reduced and war-weary armies. The belief that Germany cannot be defeated may survive strongly among her people, and in connection with it interest attaches to the report attributed to American officers who have been visiting the western front, which is to tho effect that the German line is practically impregnable unless tremendous assistance is received from the United States. If this report should stimulate the American Government to increase to the fullest possible extent the measure of its assistance, it will sftrve an excellent purpose. To tho suggestion that the German lis is impregnable it is not necessary, however, to attach overmuch importance, in view of what has already boen accomplished in the reduction of supposedly impregnable positions. The power of artillery fire in this wir has so greatly exceeded all that has ever been regarded as practicable in the past that th« ability of tiie Allies to hsesik

the Gorman lino need not be doubted if they are able to command the services of the necessary number of men and the necessary weight of guns. But it is gratifying to know that the assistance of the American forces is likely to be available at an earlier date than was originally Bupposed, for the wastage among the army of France must have been exceedingly heavy, and it is not unlikely that ite strength has been reduced to such an extent as considerably to impair its ability to participate in a great offensive. That Germany cannot defeat the Allies may be confidently accepted as fact. That they cannot defeat her we may just as confidently refuse to believe. That they wffl decisively defeat her we may reasonably anticipate, if Russia, stirred to increasec exertions by the sense of humiliation created by the behaviour of her undisciplined troops, recovers her ability to attack vigorously on the eastern front.

e MISCHIEVOUS TAXATION." It is to be hoped that the references which were made by the Attorney-gene-ral in the debate on the Address-in-Reply to the subject of taxation axe not to be construed as implying that the Government proposes this session to refrain from securing a more adequate contribution than it has yet exacted from taxable sources for the payment of war expenses. Mr Herdman deprecated "mischievous taxation" which "served no useful purpose." It may readily be conceded to him that taxation would be "mischievous" and irritating if it served no useful purpose. But he will find few persons who will agree with him if he contends that there is no useful purpose to which the proceeds of very much heavier taxation than has yet been imposed for war purposes in the dominion can be applied. The need for the imposition of a certain measure of additional taxation should be generally recognised. Even if the Government should bo content to pursue the mistaken policy of paying out of borrowed money the whole of tho dominion's share of the cost of the war, such as is represented by the pay, equipment, maintenance, and munitioning of the Expeditionary Forces, by transport expenses, and so on, it is obvious that the fixed charges, such as interest on the war debt and military pensions, which have to be paid out of revenue, are mounting up steadily. This being so, it is reasonable to suppose, especially as the receipts from Customs duties and from railways—two sources from which the dominion ordinarily derives a large proportion of its revenue—are declining, that the Minister of Finance will devise fresh taxes to ensure that ho will have enough in hand to meet satisfactorily all the demands on the Consolidated Fund. But the Government will sacrifice a great opportunity if it does not go much further than this. It will be a prudent and statesmanlike act on its part if it decides that the actual cost of waging the war, in so far as it falls upon the dominion, shall be more largely paid out of taxation than has hitherto been the case. The policy of mortgaging the future by relying on loan money to provide nearly the whole of the cost. of the war is one of very doubtful advantage. It is a policy which offers little prospect of a reduction of taxation when the war is over. But the experience of the Mother Country, which we must expect to see repeated here, is that there is a popular demand for a reduction of taxation after every war. Easy though it may be for the Minister of Finance to proceed along what the Economist calls " the primrose path of borrowing," he would, if he tried it, find that it was not difficult to secure by means of taxation a considerable sum of money for employment in the capital expenditure, as it may be called, that is entailed by the war. The dominion is, as has been said of the Mother Country, willing to bear practically any burden of taxation provided the taxes are simple and are acknowledged to he fair. It is not willing only, but it is able as well. Of its ability to submit to much heaviei taxation than it has yet been required to bear the evidence is provided in the banking returns and on every hand. People are daily wasting money as if they had never heard of the war, simply because the Government has hesitated to tax them sufficiently. The more stringent the taxation during the war is tho more beneficial wfll be the effect after the war in lightening the burdens of the people at a time of uncertain conditions. Moreover, the imposition of heavier taxation now upon those who are best able to bear it and who have no desire to shirk it would have the desirable effect of destroying, or at any rate of weakening, the feeling which certainly exists in a numerous section of the population ' that the system of war taxation now in force is unduly favourable to the classes that have actually benefited in a pecuniary sense through the war. "We cannot admit that there would be anything "mischievous" in the imposition of fresh taxation, even of stringent taxation, for the purpose we have indicated.

THE SUBMARINE RECORD. The Admiralty returns for the week that was ended on Sunday afternoon last show that the losses of British merchant shipping attributable to the operatioria- of the German submarine service were somewhat heavier than in the previous week. Yet it might almost be permissible to call the week a good one. The fact that, while 5582 vessels entered and left the ports of the United Kingdom during the week, only 39 British vessels were attacked, of which number 24 were destroyed, suggests that the defensive measures ire not proving wholly unsatb£"ictor_, that the submarines are not showing a very great deal of enterprise. In three successive weeks in April and May, when the losses were most severe, 232 British vesse's were attacked. In the three weeK ended on Sunday Uwt 113 vessels were attacked. The explanation of the worst period *hat was experienced was probably that suggested by Mr Archibald Hurd in the Daily Telegraph— that the enemy was then attempting a coup and sending every available submarine to sea in the hope of terrorising the sailors of Allied and neutral countries. If so the Germans must have bean seriously disappointed for, although their success during those three weeks was certainly disturbing, the volume of shipping that traded to and from the British Isles increased considerably in the succeeding weeks, and has continued at a very high level. And the volume of shipping, all the inward vessel* earrvinjg valuable

cargoes, the destruction of which is aimed at by the Germans, is the test of the success or failure of the submarine campaign. Upon the results of that test the British people have no small cause for satisfaction.

The Address-in-Reply debate- came to a close at 9.50 last evening, after dragging on for three and a-half weeks. No fewer than 44 members spoko in the debate. At 920 Mr M'Combs's amendment was lost on tho voices, and after Mr Smith (tho mover of tho Address) had briefly replied, tho Addresa was adopted on tho voices. The House then adjourned till to-day. In tho House of Representatives last night (says a Press Association message) Messrs Dickie and Reed were added to tho committee sot up to consider tho operations of the American Meat Trust.

"Thogpeoplo of New Zealand will never tolerate our Ministers absenting themselves for a long time from this country to deal with Imperial AJt'airs." declared Mr Malookn in tho House hist evening. The whole of their time, he said, ehould be taken up with tho conduct of New Zealand affairs. He pointed out that the recent lengthy stay of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in the Old Country was unavoidable under the circumstances, but he reiterated that tho people would never stand this as a policy. In the House of Representatives on Wednesday Mr W. H. Field asked tho Prime Minister whether ho was impressed while in England with the necessity of advertising our products more than was being done at present. Mr Massey said he was greatly impressed with tho necessity of doing more than had been done up to the present.When the war came to an end we would havo to tako the matter in hand, Canada and Australia were spending large sums of money, and we would have to expend large sums in advertising to keep New Zealand before the rest of the world. He thought we had been far too modest. The grading of cheese was mentioned at a sitting of the Military Service Board in Wellington yesterday, and tho secrotary of the Department of Agriculture (Mr Pope) stated that all tho first and second grade cheese was now commandeered by the Imperial authorities. Ho caused some amusement by stating that there was only one other grade—the that he supposed it was consumed on the New Zealand market Mr ( Popo added that all tho cheese manufactured was wholesome. In a speech in the House of Representatives on Wednesday night Mr Nosworthy said he had come across cases in which girls under 16 years of age had been left with soldiers' pay, and the soldiers' mothers had been left to starve. He urged the Government- to take steps to bring about a different state of affairs. "A miner shall not be put in charge of any place in a mine unless he "is of the age of 21 years or upwards and has had at least three years' experience in underground coal mining, of which at least one year shall have been at the face with an experienced coal mined." So runs a paragraph in the Coal-mines Act Amendment Act. adopted in November, 1914—some three months after the outbreak of war. The- effect of the inclusion of the paragraph is said to make it very difficult to train a miner to enable him to take charge of a " place " — that is, so far as Otago i 3 concerned—for the simple reason that the majority of places in this district are one-man places, and, moreover, in most of the placee where two men axe required it would not be safe if theso places were not worked by expert enced miners. It is stated that in one Otago mine alone 55 men are employed on other work who could be kept on the face but for the restrictive clause. The matter is now being looked into by the Efficiency Board. * ■ The latest available figures relating to dairy produce held in store in the dominion awaiting shipment and for local consumption give a total of 215,000 boxes of butter and 120,000 crates of cheese. In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr Brown stated that two or three days ago be had asked the Prime Minister if he had any knowledge whether Mr Malcolm Ross was acting as a censor. Mr Brown said he wished to hand the Prime Minister an envelope bearing Mr Ross's signature as censor. He thought it was an extraordinary thing for a man to receive £1000 a year to censor men's correspondence. Mr Massey said he would look into the matter. He knew nothing about it. Members of the Legislative Council (says a Press Association telegram) waited on tho Governor-general yesterday to present the Aauress-iii-Koply. - On returning the Acting Speaker (the Hon. Mr Carncross) conveyed the thanks of his Excellency to the Council for the Address. He added that his Excellency had expressed deep regret at tho illness of the Speaker (the Hon. Mr Johnston), and announced that the Speaker had arrived safely at Vancouver. The only business before the Council in the afternoon was the presentation of papers by the Leader (Sir Francis Bell). The Council adjourned at 2.30 p.m. till Tuesday afternoon. Since the reserving by passengers of ecats for of over 100 miles on the north and south express trains has become general, it has been the practice at the Dunedin Station to admit to the platform persons only who held train tickets. The object was that those who intended travelling less than 100 miles for distances for which seats axe not reserved, would bo abla io obtain seats in the train without inconvenience, difficulty having been caused to bona fide passengers by persons who come on to the platform to see their friends off occupying seats until the time of the departure of trains. As tho exclusion of the publio has entailed some hardship, tho District Traffic Manager informs us it has now been decided to issue a limited number of tickets giving admission to the platform. Mr W. T. Talboys wfll propose at the next meeting- of the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board that a suggestion be conveyed to tho Government that the old age pension should bo temporarily increased by at least 2s 6d per. week, and that other Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards bo invited to take similar action. A South Otago farmer yesterday spoke of the rabbit plague to a member of our staff, and related how he had dealt with it. The farmer owns a largo estate, which is backed by an extensive forest. Several years ago there were thousands of rabbits on the place. By fencing tho front of tho farm with proof -setting, encouraging the pro;agation of the natural enemy, and laying poison, he cleared the rabbita out completely some years ago. To deal with the pest by trapping he considered was a hopeless venture. Referring to the rabbits in the Otago Central, he said it was a disgraco tho way they had been allowed io increase, and anyone who now set himself to agitato for. their destruction had not only the rabbita to combat, but also those who were associated with tho canning and skin industry—an industry which represented a largo amount of money. Tho farmer made reference to tho lack of enterprise and interest by the people of Dunedin in fostering a movement to deal with tho plague, and said tho people were apparently following on the old adage, " What's everybody's business is nobody's business." Ho accentuated his opinion that the majority of tho leading men in the city *-ero satisfied to follow on the old conservative lines by stating that ho had endeavoured to form a little syndicate to purchase some acres of bare barren country at tho Chain Hills—country of no use •for cultivation, but ideal land for tho growth cf bluegiims. Hie idea was to piaut the ground in bluegums, and let them grow on to maturity. Some day they would have been a valuable asset. Tho proposal, however, was not of the " get-rich-quick" variety, and was coldly received by those approached—in fact, nobody could bo found to form one of + Jio syndicate. Travellers by rail have for years been interested in the wreckage of the steamer Elginshire, which has been observable close to the shoro a few miles south of Thnaru, where the railway line runs close to the eea! Fo j urly 20 years (says the Herald) train passengers have watched tho gradual disappearance of the remains of the once fino boat; and more than a few times has the story of the wreck been recounted by Canterbury travellers to strangers passing through. •Of late years only the screw of tho vessel has been observable, but even this seemed to hold a weird interest for people. Now, however, the screw has disappeared, and its disappearance blots out all oridnnce of a, wreck, which at tib* trae aronaefl onuscal intarerfc

A witness in giving evidence before the ■No. 1 Military Scrvico Board in Dunedin yesterday waa explaining to counsel who was conducting tho examination that tho property was situated at North-East Harbour, and added : "You know where Northeast Harbour is." This prompted the solicitor to scratch his head and say, with iv bland smllo: "Well, nobody likes to say much about North-East Harbour just now." iho roai-3 of laughter which gTectcd this remark could scarcely be suppressed, even when tho court orderly called out "Silcnco" in a most stentorian tone

On Monday, tho Auckland police were inquiring for tho parents or guardians of a boy, aged four or Cve, who was left by a woman at the Globe Theatre on Friday afternoon. Thero was no inquiry either at tho theatre or of tho police as to the whereabouts of the child since he was discovered Iho assistant manager of the theatre informed the police that he noticed a woman enter tho theatre with tho child at 1.50 p.m. Twice tho chiid came to tho doorway, but was told to go back, being seen after tho second occasion seated beside a soldier and his wife. The two latter loft the theatro at 5.30. and when asked as to the identity of tho child, disclaimed all knowledge. Search of the theatro failed to reveal the woman who accompanied the child to tho entertainment She was not seen to leave tho building. The boy, who appeared to be weak mentally and physically, was unable to give any particulars of iiimself. The woman who accompanied him is aged about 58 or HO. At present tho child was being cared for at the Salvation Army Home.

A Press Association message from Greymouth states that the Borough Counoil at a meeting last night passed the following motion:—" That the council request tho Minister of Defence to use hie power under the Defence of the Realm Act to prevent a public demonstration of welcome or processions in the public streets of this town to persons who have been convicted of sedition and that a copy of the resolution be wired to Sir Jas. Allen and Mr Massey in tho morning." Two councillors' dissented, lnose who supported it spoke strongly against tho attempted impression that the citizens of Greymouth would welcome P. C Webb. The speakers emphatically said that it would not be a citizens' welcome and they did not wish any such idea to be spread throughout tho dominion.

A well-known Donedin grain merchant yesterday gave one of our reporters some interesting information regarding the recommendations of the Board of Trade in connection with the wheat situation in the dominion, and what happened to the recommendations. Ho states that when the Jx.ard of Trade was instructed by the Government early in the year to consider the question of tho prices which should be paid to farmers for their wheat it at once set to work to obtain a.]} the necessary data —it sat m Christchurch and thoroughly investigated the prospects there—and finally recommended that the maximum price for velvet and pearl wheat should be 5s 6d rising to 5s 7d. with the other classes of cereil proportionately lower. This re commendation was cabled to Mr Massey in England, and he replied that an additional 3d should be added on to the prices named and that these should be fiie fixed Government prices. The increased prices were then gazetted as the maximum rates which farmers could ask for their wheat. "Why the Board of Trade should be asked to go into the question on the spot, and come to certain conclusions, and Mr Massey, away in England, should alter them, is, of course a matter that I cannot explain," said the merchant. He went on to say that last December a committee of millers met the Board of Trade, and pointed out to the board that m view of tho lesser area under wheat and the wet weather in Canterbury there was every likelihood that there was going to be a serious shortage in the crop Tho board agreed with the view taken by the millers, x and it was thereupon decided to send a cablegram to Mr Massey pointing out tho advisability of securing 1,500,000 bushels from Sydney, where the price fixed by the Wheat Board at that time was 4s -d, f.ob., s.i. Mr Maesey replied declining to give his consent to the proposed purchase. ■ It is hardly necessary to add that a few weeks ago the Government purchased 1,000,000 bushels of wheat in Sydney at 5s 6d f.0.b., s.i.

The United Starr-Bowkett Society held a special general meeting last evening for the purpose of considering a resolution altering tho rules and instituting a new system of ballot for loans. The resolution was carried unanimously. ■ A meeting was then held for the disposal of £1500 by ballot and sale. Before commencing the business the Chairman (Mr E. A. Rosevear) stated that a report had been circulated that the Government was introducing a Bfll to stop all building contracts over £500. As this might be calculated to affect Starr-Bow-kett members, ho and the secretary had made full inquiry, and had been informed that there was .absolutely no foundation for the rumour A ballot was then held for the 196 th appropriation of £500 in No. 1 group, cluster No. 307 being drawn, held by two members. Another ballot was held for tho lS7th appropriation of £500 in No 1 group, cluster No. 302 beinjj drawn, held by one member. A sale of £500 was held m the new No. 4 group, in which the chairman said 1047 shares had been applied for to date. The sale realised £39 per £100, the £500 being secured by one member. The operations of the German submarines are at present being- indirectly felt by merchants in Dunedin An oversea vessel which has j-ust arrived at Dunedin has brought a general cargo, but unfortunately some of the invoices relating to the cargo have been lost in a mail steamer, which was recently sunk by a submarine. The result is that in these particular cases merchants will bo put to a great deal of inconvenience, though it is not anticipated that a line of standard grocery goods, say, will require to bo gone through by the Customs officials to ascertain if the contents are as described by a merchant who may have information that tho line is on the vessel. In the case of drapery and other goods the officials may, however, have to open them out to enable them to be assessed. Where a consignee has received no notification at all that goods have been consigned to him by the steamer referred to thero will no doubt be a great deal of confusion. One Dunedin merchant has had a double stroke of bad luck, as both the steamer convejing his goods and the mail steamer carrying tho invoices have been sunk by submarines.

Religious objectors figured rather prominently at yesterday's meeting- in Dunedin of the Otago No. 1 Military Service Board. An appellant of Swedish parentage, when his appeal had bean dismissed, resumed his position in the witness box and said he v-ished to make a statement. He stated tnat if ho was called r.xin to take part in the war he did not wish to kill anyone. Appellant's father alsr sp->ke in support of lus son's, contention, but was cut short by the chairman of the board, who informed tho objectors that the board was there to administer tho law as it stood. If they thought they had a grievance they should petition Parliament. In another case an appellant, who belonged to the Brethren, called a wifcne&s, Mr Henry Wilson, a prominent member of tho sect, from Mosgiel, who said, in answer to the chairman, that ho was aware that some of the Brethren objected to hold property on religious grounds, "but," he added, "there are not very many of that belief." Mr Widdoweon: "Well, soeing that you are not unanimous on this question of holding property, it is not surprising that you are not all of tho same mind on this question of bearing arms." Captain Free pointed out that same 70 or 80 members of the Brethren in New Zealand had volunteered for active service.

Many prosecutions under tho various Food Orders arc reported in the latest English papers to .hand. Severe penalties are being inflicted for waste of bread, fhe manageress of a baker's shop at Howo was fined £20 for permitting 12 loaves to be thrown into the dustbin. At Newcastle a woman who had thrown away 51b of bread was fined £5. A" fine of £50, or two months' imprisonment, was imposed at Highgato on a man for. feeding pigs with bread made of wheater flour, and a second defendant was fined £10, o- a month, for aiding and abetting the cfitence. For tailing to "cultivate land, a farmer, of Anlaby, near Hull was fined £15. It was said that ho had a nine-acre Qcld containing a crop of 1914 or 1915 potatoes which had never been lifted. A fine of £30 was imposed at Stratford on the manager of a shop for attempting to impose a condition in cnnection with the sals of m*rx.

It is not advisable to eat cooked rhubarb leaves as a vegetable substitute, said Dr SpiUbury, tho pathologist, at an inquest in England on a Presbyterian minister who died after eating such a dish. A Home Oifioo analyst gave evidence of finding traces of oxalic acid in the stomach. Ho had also analysed some garden rhubarb and found tho poison present in the form of oxylato of potassium and oxylate of calcium, each to the amount.of 10 grains to tho pound. Dr Spilsbury said death was duo to poisoning by oxalio acid and soluble oxylato contained in tho rhubarb leaves. Twenty grains of oxylato to tho pound was, in tho ordinary way, hardly "sufficient to causo death, but it was on tho border line, and while it would affect some people others would escape. A good deal depended upon tho amount of vegetable consumed, iho coroner mentioned that seven soldiers m camp became very fll after eating rhubarb leaves, the symptoms lasting some time. On the other hand, he had received letters snowing that tho leaves had frequently been used without ill result. Dr Spilsbury 1 explained that either the poison muet havo boon removed in the preparation of the vojetaMe or tho people were not susceptible. Asked if ho considered that tho use of rhubarb leaves as a vegetable was inadvisable, he replied, "I certainly do at present, ae the result of the analysis." ihero was no need, he added, for the publio to bo alarmed about using the sticks of rhubarb, but people should not use soda when cooking the sticks. The. ÜBe of eoda had been suggested as an economy for sugar, but he advised the publio not to do so. If all reservists ehowed tho eame epirit as Jean Iβ Tracey, the troubles of the police and Defence authorities would be reduced to a. minimum (says tho Dominion). Dressed in tho uniform of a ship's officer, and literally bubbling over with enthusiasm, Iβ lraoey came forward at tho Magistrate's Court in Wellington, and complained that he had not enrolled as required by tho Military Service Act. He stated that he was anxious to serve with the Expeditionary Forces at tho front and being unable to enlist voluntarily he had taken the course of applying to the court, ile was convicted and ordered to come m> lor sentence when called upon, which will enable him to be called un for service

A lengthy interview regarding tho present position of the poultry industry and its future possibilities, has been held by the Board of Agriculture with the executive of tue ]New Zealand Poultry Association Tho executive brought before the board the following matters:—Tho appointment of a commercial agent for the dominion; the prohibition of the entry into New Zealand of Asiatio yolks; the stamping of cold storage eggs; the appointment of a resident poultry instructor for the Auckland district; and' the instruction of returned soldiers in poultry farming. After carefully considering these matters and consulting with the Secretary of Agriculture (Mr Pope) and tho Chief Poultry Instructor of the Department of Agriculture (Mr Brown), the board agreed to place before the Minister the recommendations that had been made, and to take steps to further the interests of tue poultry industry as far as practicable. The prevalence of cattle-stealing in the Auckland province is a matter which is being taken up by the National Efficiency tfoard. In one case reported to Mr Arthur Gillies, expert adviser to the board, ■50 fat bullocks, valued at £500 to £600 were stolen, and in another 200 wethers were picked out by the thief from a flock of ewes. In connection with one 'of the board s farm tresis the eoldier asked for a guarantee that his stock would not be stolen m his absence. No such guarantee could bo giren. The cases reported by settlers have led the board to conclude that with so many men leaving the country districte a rare opportunity is offered to cattle etealers. This being so, Mr Gillies has written to the l< armors Union, the various trustee boards and to the police, asking all to co-operate in keepmg a watch on stock in the daytime and especially on cattle driven after dark. Auctioneers are also to be asked to be watchful in stock-owners' interests.

The Dunedin Starr-Bowkett BaHdm? Society will dispose of £1000 by balkrt in R°n 3 groups m tile Oddiellows' ■ttaU, btuart street, on Monday Mr A. E. B. Nicholson wiil deliver a lecture in the South Dunedin Town Hall to-morrow evening on "The End of the Age, and on Sunday evening, in the Queen's Theatre, he will speak on "The Judgment of the Nations." Hβ will jg. sent interpretations of scriptures generallv passed by as too deep to be understood. <"h I *?* describing Church of Kngland work amongst our soldiers, the.omission of the word -'not" from the following sentence reversed the sense • During the last 12 months 12,500 prayer books had been supplied to troopships, ;nd are not used by Anglicans alone." A report of the Military Affairs Committee of Dlocesa P %*od states: rhe books are much valued for their usefulness both by our own chaplains and by the chaplains of other denominations; onlv recently we had an earnest request from a non-Anglican chaplain for the supply of a thousand prayer books for the troopship he was serving." k y Start the day smiling, and you will smile all day. Buy a Harley-Davidson, for yeare.-Wilson, DunedilMγ Dβ Spong. representing the UPS Co-operatrve Stores (LtdJ. ia; viritineOut ram or a week. He shows a ££%g?rf samples, quite 25 per cent, below Duledhi by "^μ* Sent post free to any address on reemrtf of 2s: One dozen ladies' real Shh.rffi handkerchiefs, Mollisons sale.—Advt Don't ask for "Laundry Helo" Ait t~ "No Rubbing." Else you n£y bt victi mised by gettinga wretched imitation The genuine obtainable from A. and T Ml?, lane, Princes street.—Advt. Which won? Well, if you moan whisky Watson s Nα 10—easily.—Advt. """J , " A. 3. J. Blakeloy, dentist. Bank of Aus tralasia, comer ol Bon* , and Rath-jn, L 4 fcert Telegraph Office). TelephSnr ISKJ - Advt L«mch owners-, motorists and other, don't have trouble. Buy our ColnmK w^ , shot Batteries We hawTfi£S^ Ot t of Dry Battens. Accumulators aSSO T r ! m , ent Holders, etc., for ignition and poswj.-Turnbull and Jones (Limitedf tricaJ engineers, Dunedin.— Advt

Eyo Strain.—Consult Mr V r tv i D.B 0.A., FLO. (London). °? optic ia n.-Peter • Dick, jeweller etc., 490 Moray place, Dnnedin.-AdTt?