ESCAPE FROM LYTTELTON GAOL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17729, 13 September 1919, Page 10

ESCAPE FROM LYTTELTON GAOL.

» MAN STILL AT LARGE. (Pee United Pbess Association.) CHRISTCHURCII, September 12. A prisoner named Reginald Matthews, who was sentenced at Chrjftcliurch on August 8 to nine months' imprisonment for indecent exposure, escaped from the Lyttelton Gaol this afternoon. From the prison drying yard lie obtained several hammock ropes ar a pair of blankets, which ho joined together and throw over the wall. He clambered up this improvised rope, dropped on to the road, and made for the hills. Several search parties set out, but a mist on the hills favoured the escapee, who had not been recaptured at 11 p.m. FREIGHTS PAYABLE IN INDIA LOSS TO NEW ZEALAND IMPORTERS. REPRESENTATION TO THE UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY. (Fbom Oun Own Cobbespondbnt.) INVERCARGILL, September 12. A matter of some considerable interest to importers of Eastern produce was voiced by Mr J. Gilidscn at tho meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to-day. Since tho war, said Mr Gilkison, tho Union Steam Ship Company had adopted the practice of making freights payable in India. During the war this, no doubt, paid oversea importers, as it saved them from incurring the .extraordinary insurances rates. Now, however, a loss was being caused by the practice, owing to the appreciation of tho rate of exchange in India. This rise in the currency rate, an employe© of his firm had estimated, meant something like 8d a dozen on cornsacks alone to New Zealand importers. At the time the runeo was worth Is 10d '7-16 d, a loss of about" £13,750 was met by New Zealand merchants on a shipment by a boat the size of tho "Waitomo, just because tho freight was not paid in Now Zealand. Ho moved that the local manager of the company be asked to communicate with the general manager asking when a reversion to New Zealand for the payment of freight would be made, Mr F. J. Loughnan remarked that tho impost was practicallv equal to an increase of 20 per cent on freights—Tho motion was carried.

Writing to a relative in New Plymouth, a British officer who is engaged an exhumation work near Ypres, says: "We arc taking up the bodies of all .the poor fellows who lio buried (and sometimes unburied) in the line, and, after endeavouring to identify them, reburying them in large cemetcvies whore the graves will bo properly cared for. So far this company has collected some 4500 bodies, 65 per "cent, bsing identified, many of them having been returned as 'missing,' S o thnt we shall relieve tho minds of a number of relatives as to their fate. I have found many New Zealanders on this part of the lino, and havo usually succeeded in identifying t.hem, as their metal discs wear very well, and are still quite legible. They -were all killed in tho fighting on October 17 near Polygon Wood. Other fellows are working in other parts near here." Ho concludes by saying: " If you know of anyone who lost a relativo at or ri?ar Ypres, I will do all I can to get particulars of hi? grave, or to find him." " How can it bo expected that the" skilled tradesman will bo contented with his job when he knows that tho unskilled man is ablo to earn high wages with little or no responsibility?" asked an employer of labour when speaking to a Now Zealand Times reporter. "A bettor system than obtains at present will havo to bo evolved, for tho timo is approaching in tho dominion when tho skilled tradesman ■will .be a man of the past, as there are not sufficient apprentices learning trades to fill tho positions as they become vacant." No musio hall artist over received a knighthood until King Gcorgo conferred that honour on. Harry Lauder.