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Otago Daily Times, Issue 17325, 27 May 1918, Page 4

Major-general Robin and Surgeon-general Henderson paid a visit to Port Chalmers and Quarantine Island on Saturday, where departmental affairs received attention, and an inspection was carried out. The police were engaged on Saturday in dragging the harbour round about the E shed, consequent on the finding on the wharf of clothes belonging to John Mowbray Rodgers, a returned soldier, who disappeared' oil the 11th inst. A very careful search did not produce any result, and it is evident that if Rodgers was drowned, tho body is not now in the place where ho is supposed to have met his death. No further search will be mado to-d'ay. It is understood that the cominitteo of the proposed Anglican Boys' Orphanage has acquired tho residential property owned by Mr Meek, at Vauxhall, for tho purpose of a home. The site is a very fine one, and the building quite suitable for the home, and tho Anderson Bay district will thus have addled to it one more philanthropic institution of tho kind in this sunny and favoured locality. A gentleman who was in Dunedin last week on a visit from tho north, speaking to a member of our staff, drew attention to tho way in which the statue to tho memory of the Rev. Dr Burns, in the Octagon, is falling away. He pointed' out that not only is tho liard foundation stone deteriorating and becoming unsightly, but that tho Oama.ru stone forming the topmost portions is visibly crumbling in a manner that must, in tile course of a few years, cause parts of it to fall. Visitors often notice these defects in a town more readilv than do the inhabitants, and one of our reporters, who has inspected the monument, avers that notice has not been called to the decaying of tho monument too soon. ''A stitch in time saves nine" applies in this case, as in many another. Tho City Fire Brigade wore called a chimney fire in M'Noo street. Mornington, at 3.40 on Saturday afternoon. No dama,go was done to tho housa.

Cr Bradley has given notice to move the following motion at the meeting of the City Council on Wednesday night'"(a) I hat this council desires to protest against the unreasonable attitude of tho militarv authorities at tho send-off of the 42nd Reinforcements on the 21st inst., when loyal members of the council, who have given of their best in the interest of recruiting, together with certain prc6s representatives, were ordered and roughly bustled from the Dunedin railway station, while others were not asked to produce a pass: (b) that tho town clerk be instructed to communicate with the military authorities in Wellington at onco and endeavour to procure a pass for each councillor that will admit him to tho Dunedin railway station platform when troops are leaving or arriving in tho city, or on the occasion of any similar function." With regard to the suggested amendments by tho Government to clause 23 of "The J'inanco Act, 1918," the Otago Labour Council submits the following recommendations to the Federation Executive to obtain tho opinion of the July conference thereon: "That a conference under the auspices of the Government, and to be composed of an equal number of employers and employees, with a Government representative as chairman shall be called to framo tho proposed regulations. The workers and! employers' representatives shall be chosen directly by the different organisations as follows : —One representative each for the Miners' Federation, Agricultural and Pastoral Union, the Transport Workers' and the United Federation of Labour. Where it is found necessary to restrict or prohibit any employment, occupation, or any business -undertaking, it shall be ineumbent upon tho Government to provide immediatelv for tho workers displace! by such restriction. Whore a worker is transferred from one industry to another, •n no instance shall the wages be reduced. W here it small become necessary for the •State to control any factory or other undertailing, the profit allotted to tho owner or owners of such factory or undertaking shall be tho average profit obtained for the three years ended August 1, 1914, the balance thereafter to go to the Stato. The purchase price of any such factory or other undertaking shall be fixed by a committee on which tho workers shall be represented. For tno carrying out of these regulations national and district boards shall bo established, which shall consist of ail equal number of representatives of employers and employees chosen by their organisations, with a Government representative as chairman." Other recommendation of lesser importance arc also submitted.

A confidential circular, issued by the German General Staff to military representatives on the Russian and French fronts, as well as in Italy and Norway, shows that in all branches of German banks in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, China, and the United States, special military accounts have been opened for war needs. "The General Headquarters authorise you to make use of these accounts to an unlimited extent, for the purpose of destroying factories, workshops, military stores,' and the most important centres of food supplies belonging to the enemies." The statement proceeds: "Besides stirring up strikes, it is necessary to take measures to damago motors and other machines, to destroy ships which carry war materials to enemy countries, to burn down ■warehouses of raw material and of manufactured goods, to destroy the electricity works in the cases where electricity is the motive power in industrial factories. Special agents, who will be placed at your disposal, will convey to you the necessary means for bringing about explosions and fires, and will give you a list of the persons in the country under your supervision who are willing to undertake the tusk of destruction and sabotage."

The two factories handling rabbits in Alexandra worked broken time last week. Several rabbiters "downed tools" at the beginning of tho week (o-ur correspondent reports) and did not go to the hills, thenaction being in protest against tho price they were receiving for their catches. Their dissatisfaction was due to the rabbitskin market having taken a sudden rise to £2 10s per 109 skins. Under such conditions, the rabbiters prefer to skin rather than sell the full carcass at a lower figure. Big cheques are being made at this job, £20 a week being said to bo quite an ordinary achievement.

When the Messrs Mackenzie, of Martin's Bay (West Coast), were in Invercargill recently, they stated that some 26 hatches from a vessel, or vessels, had floated ashore at the bay about last Christmas time, but that there were no marks on the flotsam which would go to show to what ship they might have belonged. Amongst nautical men, however, there is an impression that the hatches belonged to tho Port Kembla, which was sunk off Capo Farewell in September —, no doubt, from tho information subsequently made known by prisoners on the German raider Wolf, as tho result of striking a mine laid by tho Wolf. Martin's Bay is only a, small part of tho West Coast line, and it would seem highly probable that if a search were made other wreckage might be discovered, which would place beyond doubt the name of the vessel from which it came. The Aurora, it will bo remembered, sailed from Newcastlo for Chile, last year, and was nevor afterwards heard of. As tho steamer Despatch has sailed to the West Coast with Messrs Miller Bros., divers, of Port Chalmers, to inspect tho hull of tho s.s. Waikare, which was wrecked in Dusky Sound some eight years ago while on an excursion trip, some further information may be obtained from them or their return, as Dusky Sound is only a few miles south of Martin's Bay. Residents in tho Alexandra district were (our correspondent writes) highly gratified at the success which attended" the local fruitgrowers' efforts in tho exhibits at the reccnt National Apple Show in Auckland. In one shop window are displayed to view about 40 prize cards, representing awards won by several growers. One exhibitor gained 11 places out of 16 entries. Some of the. growers proceed to Dunedin this week to arrange their exhibits at the Winter Show. Tho receipts at the Red Cross shop on Saturday wero £68 lis 9d. Some additional sums are yet to come in, so that the total for the day will exceed £70. In accordance with instructions given by Bishop Ncvill, in view of tho probable resumption of the German offensive with its attendant danger and suffering, special war intercessory services wero held in all the Anglican churches yesterday. Largo and attentive audiences took part in the services |-which, being intercessory, were chiefly marked by prayers for repentance from sins which kept back the cause of righteousness, for strength, guidance, victory and peace. Exemplary punishment was meted out by Mr Kenrick, S.M., at Palmerston North to Eric S. Horn for failing to attend cadet drill. Sergeant Henry stated that the defendant had been before the court on four previous occasions. On March 25 he was fined £3 and costs (7s), on April 22 he was similarly fined, and on May 5 and 13 he was fined £5 and costs (7s) on each of those occasions. In reply to a question by Mr Kenrick, S.M., whether he made up his mind not to drill, Horn replied! "Yes." The Magistrate said that the test of a true conscientious objector was whether ho would serve in tho ambulance and give assistance to tho wounded. Defendant had been given every consideration and had oven refused drill for tho ambulance. This settled the question as to whether ho was a gemiino conscientious objector or simply acting in defiance of tho law. If his cxcuse were acceptcd all other sliirkers would come forward with the same story and use it as a means to escape service. Defendant: It is a matter of conscience, your Worship. Tho ambulance is under tho military system, and the military system is wrong. The Magistrate: Thero has been war in the world from tho beginning. I can't do anymore for you. You are simply making objection to the military system to get out of doing any drill. It is open dofiance now. A fine of £5, and 1 costs (7s), was inflicted, in default 28 days' military detention. The following are the details of the entries, which have just closed, for tho practical examination in connection with Trinity College, London, to be held in Dunedin in October and November, the entries of whieh have just closed Licentiates 7, associates 23, higher local 13, senior 31, intermediate 41, junior 66, preparatory 57, first steps 26; total. 264. Theso entries constitute a record for this district.. A first offender, who did not appear, was fined 20s, in dofault 48 hours' imprisonment, by Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M. in the City Polico Court on Saturday morning.

A remarkable outbreak of ptomaine poisoning occurrcd at .Adelaide Children's Hospital 011 May 10, as the result of which 32 members of the staff were prostrated, lho symptoms in many of the cases wero most acute, and the condition of the patients caused considerable anxiety. The matron, secretary, two resident medical officers, and many members of the nursing staff wcro affected, but fortunately none of tho children in the hospital were poisoned. It is surmised that the outbreak was due to the eating of mutton, which was served hot at the midday meal and again, cold, at the evening meal. Those who partook twice of the meat were attacked more seriously than those who had eaten of it but once. Ihe cook, whq also dined off tho mutton, was one of the victims.

ihero w«s a very large congregation in the Methodist Central Hall yesterday afternoon, the occasion being a united Methodist memory of the late Chaplain Alex. Allen, who was formerly stationed at Waikouaiti, Palmerston, and Cavcrsha.ni, and who was killed recently while on activo service with the N.Z.E.F. Chaplain C. Eaton presided, and the Revs. W. Greenslade, S. Griffith, R. Rainc, and Chaplain W. A. Hay took part in the service _ Captain Myers represented the military authorities. Tho local lay preachers were on tho platform, together with a large united choir, under Mr W. R. Don, which made-, the singing a feature of a very impressive service. Miss Harland presided at the organ. Chaplain W. A. Hay gave the address, referring to the sterling qualities of the late Chaplain Allen which made him beloved alike by parishioners and soldiers, and voicing tho sorrow the Methodist community felt at the early death of such a valued member of the Christ of Christ on earth The Last Post was sounded by Mr 0. Judd, and the service concluded with the National Anthem.

When a man goes to a tailor ir. Iheso days to order a suit of clothes he is asked to pay anything up to £7 10s, according to the quality of the material (says the Wanganui Herald). As an illustration of tho mrreased cost of material which has brought about this position, a tailor mentions that his firm in 1914 paid for a certain sergo 9s per yardj now they arc paying 18s 3d per yard, jieforc tho war the best sergo thny used for their suits cost 12s 6d or 13s a yard. The average cost of a suit length used to bo about £1 10s, while now it is 'Over £2, and, this being only tho average, the cost of a length of tho materials in which the riso of price is highest is considerably bigger. Linings and other finishing materials have undergone corresponding increases in price. As to quality, it is still possible to obtain good materials, according to the' tailor above-men-tioned. Some cloths, of course, are very in fcr.or and hardly worth tho making up, but others are as good as ever they wore. The present price of clothes is a strong incentive to economy, and many a suit which in the old days would have done for gardening is now taken to be renovated and restored to respectability for another term.

Stuart Wilson for motor cycles.—Advt. Men's Ceylon shirts, 10s 6d quality for 5s lid (size 16£ only), on sale to-day at Mollisons May Bargain Fair.—Advt. Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is -worth the money. Advt. Ladies, lighten the labour in your homes by using a "Hotpoint" Electric Radiant Grill for all light cookint;. Users state"A3 indispensable as an electric iron, and so inexpensive." Call and inspect.—Turnbull and Jones (Ltd.), electrioal engineers.— Advt. For children's hacking cough at night Wood's Great Peppermint Cure. Is M 2s 6d.—Advt. ' A. E. J. Blakelfly, dentist, Bank of Australasia, oorner of Bond and Rattray streeta (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859.— Advt. The delight of thrifty wives!—"No RnHbing" Laundry Help. "Golden Rub" Soap—A. Goodley, Roslyn.—Advt. Eyestrain!—Consult Mr Peter G. Dick D.8.0.A., F. 1.0. (London), consulting and oculists optician.—Peter Dick, jeweller, eto 490 Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt. *