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Otago Daily Times, Issue 17427, 23 September 1918, Page 4

The eleventh anniversary of tho declaralon of New Zealand as a dominion will be celebrated to-day. The day will be partially observed as a holidav.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a Gazette Extraordinary announces the prorogation of Parliament irom Octobor 5 to October 24.

Major Hickey has received word that a hospital ship will arrive at Port Chalmers frL «"!; ?£ Wednesday. Patients will leave Port Chalmers by the 7.9 a.m. train, and. the usual number of motor cars will meet them on arrival at Dunedin. Tho«c who live in other parts of the district will leave Dunodin as followsOtago Central, a.m.; south, 8.30 a.m.; north, 8 a.m.

The weather gods do not reserve their smiles for sports gala days in ' Dunedin. m the year the sports bodies combined to hold a .gala on the Caledonian Ground m aid of tho Y.M.C.A. Fund. That it was financially a success was not because of, but rather in spite of. the weather lor on the day "rude Boreas" was at his rudest, expressing himself in a bleak, blustering wind that chilled the blood and cooled tho enthusiasm. On Saturday, when a gala for the praiseworthy object of erecting dressing accommodation for the young people using tho Oval was to be held at Carisbrook, Pluvius interposed with his healthful rains" and effectively quenched & ala spirit for that day, necessitating a postponement for a week.

Some six months ibgo a meeting of ratepayers of North-East Harbour was held when a committee was set up to devise ways and means of erecting- a public hall. AH wero completed, and it wa»s thought advisable to form a society having for its object the expenditure of the money accruing from the hall to some useful purpose. Last week a meeting was held, and the original Hall Committee became merged into tho North-East Harbour Improvement Society. Mr W. Rowlands was elected chairman, and 25 members were enrolled at an annual fee of 2s 6d. A commencement will be made this week with tho erection of the hall.

In the Juvenile Court on Saturday, before Mr J R. Bartholomew, S.M., an uncontrollable child was committced to the St. Vincent de Paul Home. Evidence was given to show that the child was illegitimate. the father being on active service, while the mother, a married woman, had been living apart from lier husband for a number of years. An affiliation'order was made against John Beat, ox parte, vfhom the magistrate declared to be the putative father, and accordingly made an order' for the payment of 10s a week. During the past three weeks the Rev. \Ym. Scorgie, of Dunedin, organising agent for the Presbyterian Men's League of Jvew Zealand, has been visiting Canterbury ar?d Ohristchurch (says the Press). Ho has been holding men's meetings, and haa formed branches or arranged for them to be formed, in all the Presbyterian cjty congregations, and also at A6hburton, "iyttelton, Rangi-' ora, and Methven. In a little over three months he has formed over 30 branches between Invercargill and Ohristchurch. During October he will go to the North Island. Wellington, Taranaki, Auckland, and the Wairarapa, returning for the Presbyterian General Assembly, "which meets in Christchurch on November 19. The purpose of the league is to. rally the men of the Church to the work of the Church, to create a stronger spirit of brotherhood, develop Christian character, encourage congregational loyalty, and quicken a greater enthusiasm in the duties and responsibilities of good citizenship among the 60,000 men of the Presbyterian Church.

A list has been published in Australia of members of the Australian Imperial Force who have been found l guilty by courtmartial this year of the crime of desertion. Seven men have been sentenced to penal servitude' for life, one to 15 years' penal servitude, 16 to 10 years' penal servitude, one to eight years' - penal servitude' four to seven years' penal servitude, one to six years' penal servitude, 15 to live years' penal servitude, and 25 to shorter terms of imprisonment (these including several whoso punishment has been commuted from longer terms). The Archbishop of York (Dr Lang), speaking at the Mansion House, London, on July 19, respecting his recent American tour, related a story of the launching of tho Vaterland. "How many troops do you think I can put on board her?" tho German chairman of the company asked an American naval officer, who replied that lie did not know. "I can put 10.000 men on board, and some day I shall bring them, across to the United States." "If yoil do," said tho naval officer, "I hope I shall bo there to meet them." That same officer said Dr Lang, put 10,000 American troop.? into tho Vaterland and sent them across to fight the Germans.

Are vce going to escape the dread Spanish influenza bacillus? asks a London writer in an exchange. The creature is the smallest microbe known, but he works in the inverse ratio to his size. Having exercised his capacity for mischief in Madrid and elsewhere, ho has come to London. / Scores hundreds, and thousands of Londoners are hourly falling victims to the scourge. A cold in tho head, a sore throat, and, lastlv fever, are tho symptoms. The only cure seems to 1m bed—though doses of eucalyptus, cinnamon, and quinine are useful in the early stages of the complaint. But the real object of sending the invalid to bed is to prevent tho spread of infection. The smallest microbe known is a terror for perpetuating his kind. A conscientious patient should remain in a lonely bedroom for at least five days. Unfortunately there are too few conscientious patients, or they become conscientious too late. The latest influenza outbreak is proving remarkably contagious, and it is estimated that 8,000,000 people may be laid low before the epidemic endG. .If so a hundred thousand working years will be lost, having a money value of ovct £20,000,000, not to mention the cost of _ medicine and doctors' bills. And all this on account of "the smallest microbe in tho world." Fortunately the epidemic is mild in character. A day or so in bed and a day or two more of isolation usually effects a core.

The Government lias acquired Mr John Grey's " Kinlocli" farm near Otautau for a soldiers' settlement (says the Otautau Standard). The property, which contains 471 acres, is one of the richest blocks of land in Southland, and should prove an ideal place for dairy farming, and it grows heavy crops of wheat. The proposal is to cut the property up into five farms, and the Purchase Board has expressed the opinion that it is (ho richest piece of land submitted for its inspection. Mr Grey expects to remain in possession until after shearing.

Air T. G. Wade, of Dunedii), has just returned to New Zealand from a sojourn in the East. He spent eight montlis in .Japan. As one who lias seen service in the present war with tiie Australian Forces before being invalided, through majiy wounds—lie was aide-de-camp to Lieutenantgeneral Sir William Birdwood on Gallipoli, and held the rank of captain when ho was discharged—Mr Wade was particularly interested in the military life of Japan as well as in the engineering business which took him there, lie' noticed that the training of the Japanese army, formerly modelled on German lines, now closely follows the British system, as improved by the present war, but is more severe. It is, he said, a, very rigorous training, and the result is a very lino soldiery. So far as he could ascertain, Japan's regular army stood at about 1,800,000; but, under the present system of compulsory training for definite periods as short intervals, her available force was increased to about' 8,000,000 of well-trained troops. The equipment of the Japanese soldier also follows the British type, and the, artillery is of the most- up-to-date models. The preparations for war are on a vast scale, ho stated to a Sun reporter. Munition factories and ammunition depots he found to be numerous and large. Other testimony to Japan's participation in the war was found in the sight of many warships being built in new shipyards. "The impression I got from what I saw, said Mr Wade, "was that the Japanese are waiting for something—waiting to land a knock-out blow; but against whom I could not discover. The Japs, are shrewd—very shrewd." Arrangements had been made, stated Sir James Allen at K.arori on Monday niglit, for Mew Zealand mcdical olticers to take spccial training courses in England, so that they might be better able to help to look alter the • sick and wounded soldie<rs when they were back in New Zealand. The improvements made during this war in the treatment of sick and wounded had been simply wonderful, and so they had to get their medical men this special training. Quite recently a medical officer had come back who had gone through an orthopaedic course with Sir Robert Jones at a great hospital at Home; and shortly a complete orthopcedie unit was to follow him. Eighty per cent, of the wounded wore orthopoedic cases—cases of damaged bones, wliich required most skilful treatment. The unit would be stationed in Christchurch. Not only had all those engaged in such work — whether doctors, masseurs, nurses, splintmakers, or orderlies—to acquire great skill, but they must also possess an "orthopcedic conscience"—a conscience that made them say, " This is a man who is in my tender care, wounded fighting for mo. I have to care for him and euro him; and he has" to feel that, and then he will get better quickly." And, said Sir James, we had to develop—all of us—an orthopredic conscience regarding tho sick, wounded, and disabled soldiers to feel that we must do our very best for them, and make them feel that we do our very best for them, though without spoiling them; and thus we would make them once more useful men, not only for themselves, but for tho community at large. Tho Harley-Davidson motor cycle is a distinct type originated by the Harley-David-son organisation. "The master motor cycle."—Wilson, Dunedin. —Advt. New Goods now showing in all departments. Inspection respectfully invited.— Mollisons Limited.—Advt. St. Kilda ladies are greatly pleased with the quality of "No Rubbing" Laundry Help. A large packet. Is 3d—sufiicient for 7 weekly family washings.—Sneddon and Son.—Advt. For children's hacking cough at night Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Is'fid 2s 6d.—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 usmg a " Hotpoint" Electric Radiant Grill for all light cooking. Users state: "As indispensable as an electric iron, and so inexpensive." Call and inspect.—Turnbull and Jones (Ltd.), electrical engineers. Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859.— Advt. Eyestrain!—Consult Mr Peter G. Dick, D.8.0.A.. F. 1.0. (London), consulting and oculists' optician.—Peter Dick, jeweller, etc., 490 Moray place. Dunedin.— Advt.