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Otago Daily Times, Issue 17341, 14 June 1918, Page 4

Tho Telegraph Department has received advice that the Italian Administration has notified that from June 10, oodo addresses will not ho permitted in cable messages. The address and signature must bo indicated by the Christian and surname of the addressee and sender respectively. The Waterside Accidents Commission, over which the Hon. T. M. Wilford (Minister of Marino) is presiding, sat in.Dunedin yesterday, and heard further crvidence -on behalf of the waterfront workers. Evidenco was also taken from the representatives of shipping companies and tho Otago Harbour Board, and further testimony on behalf of tho companies, also the evidenco of Government officials, will be heard this morninf. It is probable that the commission will concludo its sittings in Dunodin to-day. The New Zealand Public Sen-ice Conference will meet in Wellington on June 18. Tho Otago delegates are Messrs C. K. Andrews and F. I'' Mackenzie (Valuation Department), and H. B. Eeid (Justicc Department). If tho School Journal, the monthly publication issued by the Education Department, for uso as a reading book in the public schools, wero accurate in its specification of tho date of Empire Day, w.ei should have to conclude that there was a great public misapprehension on the point. The School Journal for June describes the King's Birthday, June 3, as Empire Day. The celebrations of that day throughout the Empire are held, ftowever, on May 24, tho anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, which is officially designated as Empire Day. It is singular that the. education authorities, of all people, sho-uld! fall into error over a date which should bo a matter of general knowledge. One of tho decisions at which the conference of fruitgrowers at Auckland arrived a few weeks ago had reference to the size of fruit cases for apples and pours, and it is understood that the Department of Agriculture proposes to embody theso decisions in regulations. Although there is reason to believe that the regulations, when issued, will not at first be strictly enforced 1 , as a certain latitude must ha allowed to fruitgrowers who have already purchased timber for uso next season, it is important that growers who are now purchasing timber for boxes should know that the decision of tho conferenco was two sizes of boxes for apples and three sizes for peaches should bo recognised. The sizes of the boxes for apples Mill be sin by lliin by 19' i n (half-bushel), and lffln by lliin by 19|in (bushel), and those for peaches will be 7in by B:'n by 193i.n. 7in by 6in by 28in, and 16in by 4iin by 12in. * 3 Thcro is a feeling amongst certain members of the Otago Harbour Board tliat Mr Mason (the board's consulting engineer) should; have been given an opportunity of submitting a report on the condition of the boiler of tho tug Duncdin. Mr Mason, who is now resigning from" the position of' consulting engineer to the board, is a mechanical as well as a civil engineer, and was in receipt of a salary of £500 per year. Some members seem, also, to have"dewioped a scoptkism as to tho value of the report of the committee of inquiry set up by themselves to go into tho history of the planning, construction, etc., of tho cracked boiler. A view that is frequently expressed by members is that tho pressure of 3001b to tho square inch to which tho hotter was subjected under the Government test on its trial run laid! tho foundation of the woakness which has now bceomo so pronounced as to cause the condemnation of the boiler. Whatever tho 1-f.port of the inquiry may elicit, it would appear that if a decision is comc to by tho board to enrleavour to repair the damaged boiler in preference to obtaining a new one, the presßur.i? in it will bo so restricted by the Government- engineers that the usefulness of tho Duncdin will be severely curtailed. Mr Thomas Morris has called our attention to what ho considers some neglect on tho part of the authorities in leaving an obstruction on tho Main South road, at tho tramway loop. Mr Morris states that in crossing the road yesterday lie tripped and struck Against, what appeared to bo an old iron girder, falling or his faco and narrowly escaping arariwis injury.

Our London correspondent mentions (writing 011 April 26) that a writer in tho United Service Gazetto saya: "On strolling rouiul Westminster Abboy tho other afternoon with ,'l friend, 1 was amazed to see an ollieinl at a money table (right in tho centre of tho aisle) selling tickets to a group of about 20 New Zealand soldiors shephenlcd by an middlo-aged lady. 'You will take your tickets here,' said she, pointing to tho table, 'if you want to seo tho tombs of tho kings.' So tho soldiers linodi up and paid their money." Tlio Gazetto says: "It surely cannot bo right that men who aro risking thoir lives in dofenco of the Empire should bo called upon to pay to seo monuments aiul emblems in tho gocred. building. It is not surprising that somo indignation should havo been expressed. It is impossible not to feel that it is altogether a wrong principle to expect any lighting sons of tlio Empire to pay for tho entry into any ]>ortk>n of Westminster Abbey. It is an ex- I hibition of petty and inhospitable behaviour." Another haro drivo was hold at Middlemarch last Saturday, and 86 hares wero sent to f.he freezing companies. Writing from Franco under date April 1, n. soldier says: "We had to shift very quick one day, and all each man oould take was his little haversack. I only had shaving and eating gear, and! towel and soap—.no Vv.crcoat or blankets—and wo havo boon that way for over a week now. I managed to salvage S. rug and a French tablecloth, which served for a blanket. Tho people had to get out sudden, and they loft nearly everything in their houses. In somo places tho fowls and tamo rablxta had a very bad run." t A young Aucklander, Arthur Evans, son of Mr \V. S- Evans, of Mount Eden, was an engineer on tho steamer Kenilworth Castle, which collided with another vessel at night 011 her voyage from South Africa to an English port. Th© Kenilworth Castle was badly damaged, but eventually reached port. At tho tirao of the collision somo of tho passengers jumped overboard, and ono boat that was launched capsized, involving some loss of life. Mr livans had made inquiry by cable as to tlio safety of his son, but so far (says the Auckland Star) has not received any reply. In his latest mail letter, our London correspondent wroto; "There is a school of world-wido reputo situate on the northwest coast of England, whoso scholars have recently been provided with a novel occupation. But joy has been mingled with sorrow joy at tho excitement of it all; sorrow at the condition of their harvest. A certain New Zealand liner went down— torpedoed—not so many miles away, and she' must havo been full of good tilings for tho 'boys.' Numerous were tho parcels lescued from tho sea by tho girls, many in a stato of extreme dilapidation—contents doubtless quite ruincdL Others, manifestly packed in tins, wero outwardly in a sorry state; but one may havo hopes that the stout container has saved the contents from being completely spoiled. Largo parcels, seemingly containing cakes; smaller parcels whoso contents were loose—sugar for sure. And goodness knows what more. The sequel to the rescue was usually tho problem, but with it tho school-girls had no concern. Their responsibility was over when tho parcels were given to tho care of the postal officials, and it was thoso latter who had to do their best to decipher tho usually nearly illegiblo addresses, consisting by this time of a stream of purple ink. After a timo tho sea gave up all the parcels it intonated to part with, and the girls were left without excitement. Now tho sea is taking a fiendish delight in casting up wholesale carcases of dead rabbits. Needless to say thero is no attempt at salvage!" A fully attended meeting of tho local Executive Committee of the Sudan United Mission was held last night, Mr J. B. Shacklock presiding. The treasurer (Mr W. Gow) reported the receipt of £83, and said that £75 of this had: been remitted to tho headquarters of the mission in Melbourne. Mr H. 11. Driver was appointed to draw up a special circular setting forth the aims and objects of the mission. A letter was received from the organising secretary (Miss L. F. Boniwell), reporting satisfactory results of her meetings at Oamaru, where sho now is.

Reference was made at the sitting of the \\aterside AcckLcmts Commission on Wednesday to the fact that tlie dangerous cvanido of potassium fumigation of ships was usually carried out without the supervision of tho Public Health Department. Inquiries show that thei disinfection of transports and hospital ships is oarried out by the Union Steam Ship Company's staff, instructed and supervised l by tho local Defence Department. The cyanide of potassium process is not really a disinfection after cases of infectious disease, but is to destroy vermin, etc. On only two occasions the Health Department, requested by tho Defence Department, supervised disinfection of ships, after smallpox occurred on a tiansport, in May, 1916; and on a hospital ship's return to New Zealand after having had cases of enteric on board from Gallipoli, etc., at the beginning of 1915. On these two occasions the Health Department did not use cyanido of potassium, but tho usual formalin, etc., methods. Tlia Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. H. Hagger) yesterday afternoon heard an application by tho parties to the Ota»o chemical manure, tallow, and acid workers' award, and by Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser, and Co. for an interpretation of the clause providing for shift work. After hearing an explanation from each side tho commissioner announced that ho would give a written decision at a later date. A man was arrested by Detective Sergeant Cameron yesterday afternoon on the unusual charge of stealing a totalisaior ticket. Tho value of tho ticket represented the substantial dividend of £15 9b, and tho ofTenca is alleged to have been committed at the Palmerston North races. The person accused will be brought before the court this morning, when a remand to Palmerston North will be asked for. * Hie City Fire Brigade was called out at 10.13 a.nv yesterday to a chimney lire ij: Castle street, but no damage was done. While agreeing to the request of the Clutha County Council that representatives be appointed by tho Kaitangata Borough Council to attend a conferenco of delegates from local bodies to discuss matters generally in connection with hospital business, the Borough Council instructed its representatives that no severance from tho Otago Hospital Board would! bo entertained by the council. It was freely admitted that the Hospital levy was steadily increasing and now stood at a high figure, but the amount was as nothing compared witii tho benefits derived by local patients in the Hospital. Mr T. S. Cairns (Mayor) and Mr D. p! Clements (town dork) worn deputed to represent tho Kaikuigata Council at the I conference.

Tho funeral of tho lato Mr Richard Cook, for many years connected wi(.h musical matters in Duncdlin-moro especially band music—took place yesterday. Tho funeral procession loft hie residence in tho vicinity of Duke street early in the afternoon, the following being conspicuous for tho presence of musical people of many grades. It i s a testimony to the memory of tho deceased that in other directions tho gathering was fairly representative. The Mayor (Mr J. J. dark), busy man though he is, put j n on appearance, along with one or two councillors. The brass bands of the city had apparently combined •to show a last' mark of respect to tho deceased, and wore strongly represented in united force, and. played Chopin's majestic funeral inarch as tho procession move<l off from tho residence, of tho deceased. At tho pravo the son-ice was simple, yet impressive, the Rev. Canon Small officiating.

Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., presided at the City Police Court yesterday, when David Alexandci AVelsh pleaded guilty to of stealing a bicycle valurd at £5 ICte. the property oi Wm. Robert Petrio; and also to procuring liquor during tho currency of a prohibition order. Senior Sorffivuit Murray suited that, the bicycle was stolen from outside the Provident I.ifc Assurance Company's building between 12.50 and 1 50 p.m. on Wednesday. At 2.15 p.m. the bicycle was disposed of by accusal to Gaudin, Marr, and Thompson for £2. Shortly afterwards accused waa arrested bv Plain-clothes Constable M'Oulloch. Ho had served with the Expeditionary Force and his pooplo resided at Oa.mn.ru. Accused asked to be sivon a ciiance. aixl said that, he was under tho influenco of liquor when he committed 1 thin theft. Ho was remanded until Monday for a report from tho probation officer.

Tlio Firo Brigade received a call at 4.7 p.m. yesterday to Wilson's Malt Extract Factory, in Mill avenue, Water of Lcitli, where an out.bmak had' occurred in the drying kiln, which was damaged to some extent. The rest of the premises was unharmed. The building -was insured in the .Standard oflirro. and tho contents ill the New Zealand office. In discussing a request for permission to fence oil' part of iin unformed .street in the Borough of Kaitangata, a councillor stvitcd, "wo have not yet reached that stage in this war when it becomes the council's duty to grajit the use of street-lines on "which to plant potatoes for private gain." It transpired that one member of the council had removed a fenoo erected by him on the street line to enable him to gain access to his ad joining property. lie then ploughed up tho street line, and later asked permission to fcnce in the ploughed area to grow potatoes. The request was refused. A consignment of Roman Catholic theological books from a firm at Frieburg, Germany, arrived in Sydney in Deermber, 1916, and was seized as a prizo by tho Customs. Application was made a few days ago on behalf of tho Crown Solicitor for the condemnation of the consignment. Tho book.* arrived by tile Dutch steamer Iloutman, having been transhipped from a steamer which sailed from Genoa, and were consigned to Timotliv M*Carthy, St. Patrick's College, Manly. Tho president of the i/ri/." Court (Sir William Oullen) held* that the goods were enemy property and should bo confiscated and delivered to the Crown. Somo years ago an attempt was made to start tho manufacture of salt in Auckland (says tho Star), and work was begun on Rangitoto by a company with the object of securing supplies by evapoi'ating sea water. The low price of imported salt .probably accounted for tho non-success of the undertaking. Now that Australia has prohibited tho export of salt, and supplies arriving from the Old Country are very small, local salt works would be a boon to merchants, who aro wondering where importation can bo mado from.

Tho Government's decision to grant an increase of mufti allowance to returned soldiers will not bo retrospective. Tho recent conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association at Auckland did not press for retrospection in this matter. Under tho old 6ystem, a discharged soldier received 30s as mufti allowance and was permitted to retain a great coat and two uniforms. Under the new order the mufti grant will bo £5 ss, with one uniform and no great coat. This means that the State has a setoff against the 75s increase—it will have one uniform and a great coat. Thus each side believes that it has made a satisfactory bargain. The details of tho new arrangement will bo fixed soon. "If the birth-rate in New Zealand between tho years 1882 and 1886 had been maintained, there would have been 240,000 more people than there are in the dominion to-day," said the Hon. G. W. Russell at the Auckland Town Hall on Friday night. ' Tho question of birth-rate is largely an economic one, and if we want an increase in the population tho State must share with the parents tho responsibility of looking after the children. After the war is over one of our great problems will be to secure a large increase in our population. Wo shall havo to adopt some scheme to encourage a stream of immigrants to New Zealand. Wo want the right class of people—men who will go to the back blocks, fell the bush, farm the land, make roads and railways; and women who will be willing to enter domestic service and help the wives and mothers of the dominion, on some of whom the burdens of the homo now fall very heavily. New Zealand must be prepared to pay for the passage of those whom wo want to help in the work of colonisation. Our lands are not being opened up for want of men, and unless a remedy is provided we will reach a state of stagnation in regard to the development of our primary industries." Our Wellington correspondent informs us that tho .National Efficiency Board has been discussing lately such matters as wheat production and the last man on the farm. A statement is promised regarding the last man on the farm, but it is understood that tho Government does not propose to mako any great chango in the existing policy. Tho board has also, at the request of the Government, been making a preliminary investigation regarding tho proposed regulations for so-called national service. Before anything delinite can bo done, even in the framing of regulations, the promise of the Government that all the parties interested, and particularly the Labour people, must bo consulted will have to be kept. To this end a conference will be held shortly, and if it is to bo a success the proposals to come before it must bo put into soino sort of shape, and some information should be available to the Government and to the conference as to the channels in which information of a, useful character may bo collected. It is in these preliminary matters that the board has lately been interesting itself. The New Zealand Times states that a correspondent has received tho following letter from Lord Jellicoe in England: — "Hatfield, 8/4/18.—Dear Mr . I hardly know how to thank you for all tho interesting papers and cuttings you have sent me from time to time. They are road with avidity, and some of the pictures of New Zealand life havo almost persuaded me to bring my family out to settle in that most charming dominion aiter tho war is won. Tho spirit of New Zcalanders, too, is as splendid as their fighting qualities. Well, perhaps I may come out yet.—l am, etc. (Signed) Jelliooe." Hio trail of pennies -which is ono day to reach from Wellington to Auckland had reached on Monday as far as Khandallah (says tho Dominion), a distance of five miles. Thirty pennies go -to every yard, so that 264,000 pennies had boon rocoived for tho Rod Cross effort in Wellington. At the Auckland end tho copper trail had reached Green Lane, a distance of four miles. Tho well-known Wellington sportsmen, Messrs V. and E. Riddiford, havo telegraphed to Mr W. S. Spciice, secretary of tho Auckland Racing Club, instructing him to' allot £300 to tho Auckland fund in the "copper trail" contcst and £300 to the Wellington fund out of their winnings at tho recant laco meeting. A somewhat novel point cropped up in the Supreme Court at Wellington concerning tho will of tho late Heinrich Heuer, bootmaker, Reefton. The Solicitor-general (Sir J. W. Salmond), acting for the Attor-ney-general, made application to the court under "Tho War Legislation Act, 1917," for an order declaring to be forfeited a certain piece of land on tho West Coast, vested in an alien enemy; the court was also asked to order that notices of the application be served on tho Public Trustee. Ileuer was a German who died in New Zealand in 1917. and who by his will loft tho wholo of his estate to his nephews, all of whom reside in Germany. The order asked for was made, with the consent of Mr Hay, representing the Publio Trustee. Highly-skilled inspectors, each a specialist in his own work, ensures the very finest work in Ilarloy-Davidson motor cycles.— W. Stuart Wilson, Dunodin.—Advt. Mollifons offer Men's Fleecy-lined Winter Undershirts and Pants, medium weight, at 2s lid garment: postage 4d extra. — Advt. A Is 3d packet of the famous "No Rubbing" Laundry Help is sufficient for seven weekly family washings. Truly a wonderful boon to every housewife.—W. Aitkcn.— Advt. Ladies, lighten the labour in your homes by using a "Hotpoint" Electric Radiant Grill for all light cooking. Users state. "A3 indispensable as an electric iron, and so inexpensive." Call and inspect.—Turnbull and Jones (Ltd.), electrical engineers.— Advt. Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— Advt. A. E. J. Blalccley, dentist. Bank of Australasia. corner of Bond and Rattray street.-" (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1359.--Advt. Brisk demand for " No Rubbing " Laundrv Help. Remember, "clothes washed white and out by 9" when "No Rul>bing" is used; Is 3d largo packet.—Wardell Bros, and Co. —Advt. • Eyestrain !—Consult Mr Peter G. Dick D. 15.0.A., F. 1.0. lLondon). consulting ann oculists' optician.—Peter Dick, jeweller, etc 490 Moray place, Dunedin —Advt-