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Otago Daily Times, Issue 18320, 10 August 1921, Page 4

An Australian mail, and also an English and Eastern mail, reached Wellington on Monday attemoon by the Manuka from Sydney. The local portion of the mail will be delivered this morning. The Marama, which ia due to reacts Wellington on August t 6 from San Francisco, has on board an English and American mail.

Prior to his departure for Wellington yesterday to attend a conference of dominion butter producers, Mr G. A. Lamb, secretary of the South Island Dairy Association, stated that the producers were determined to have the Government lift the Order-in-Council prohibiting the export of butter. Mr Lamb pointed out that the result will mean that butter based on the present export value must rise accordingly, and it is only the subsidy being paid by the Government that keeps butter at the present figure. It was not likely, in Mr Lamb’s opinion, that the Government will continue to subsidise butter after August 31.

Complete account sales concerning a shipment of beef to London were brought under our notice yesterday. They illustrate very clearly the difficulties of shippers in these days of high freights and general charges. The shipment consisted of 101 quarters of beef, and the average carcase weight was 5481 b. The cost worked out at £1 7s 9d per 1001 b, or £7 12s per head, totalling in all £l9l 17s lOd. After drawing 3id per lb against documents and crediting fat there was a debit of £3 10s lid on the transaction.

A few days ago a prominent Government official, who was a passenger from Lyttelton to Wellington by one of the ferry boats, was surprised to discover on arising in the morning that the money and jewellery that was in his clothing when he retired the previous night had vanished (says the New Zealand limes). The gentleman in question occupied a deck cabin. It was a calm night, and the cabin ddbr was left open for ventilation purposes, but a curtain was drawn across the opening. He hung his clothing up; in the pockets of his trousers was a sum of money, and the vest contained a gold watch and chain of considerable value. On going to his clothing in the morning ho found that he had been robbpd during the night of everything that his clothing had held, oven to a collar stud. In the same cabin was another gentleman, who, before retiring, had token the precaution to put his valuables in a place of safety, but the inconsiderate trifles’ that he had left in his pockets were found to be missing. The shipping company, in order to prevent the possibility of thieving, had placed a watchman on duty, as is its custom, but this precaution did not have the desired effect. Some time ago, on the same vessel, officers’ cabins were rifled, and an endeavour h&s been made to discover the thief; but so far without success.

Private advices have been received in Christchurch that the dispute at the Linton coal mine, near Nightcaps, Southland, has been satisfactorily settled, and that the miners are now back at work. The dispute arose over the men’s refusal to fork the coal so as to separate the lumps from the slack. They were told that if they would net fork the coal the mine would be closed down. The men adhered to their decision, and, in consequence, the mine has been closed down for the past five weeks. Supplies are now, however, coming to hand again.

Referring to the statement of the Maoriland Worker regarding the alleged flogging of a child in a school at Palmerston North for refusing to sing a portion of the patriotic song, “Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue,’’ the official organ of the Teachers’ Institute says:—“The Maoriland Worker, which up to the time this protest was written has maintained a discreet silence, should either explain or retract. If it won’t do this of its own volition, then it is to bo hoped that decent opinion in the Labour movement will take some steps in the matter. The statement as published is not only inaccurate, but offensive. It suggests that it is possible for a girl in a New Zealand school to be flogged. In short, the profession as a whole has been gratuitously libelled.” '

The usual meeting of the Dunedin Orphans’ Club was held in the Art Gallery Hall last night, the occasion being the entertainment of the members, their wives, and lady friends. The president, Bro.’ G. W. MTntoeh, in welcoming the visitors, said that the club owed much to the ladies, and that it was a compliment to the Orphans to see them present. The following added considerably to the enjoyment of the evening in song, music, and story:—Bros. J. W'Connell, J. Gibson, R. Bryant, J. A. Haggitt, J. T. Stewart, and A. W. Martin. During the course of the evening the Orphans’ Club Orchestra, under the conductorship of Bro. J. Coombs, rendered most enjoyable selections, and also provided the music for the dancing, which was indulged in by about 60 couples after 9.30 p.m.

The Otago Institute met at the University last night, Mr G. Howes (president) in the chair, and about 70 members present. Dr Fulton exhibited a specimen of red pine with marked of branches and a specimen of visoum on hrond-k-afcd manuka. Professor Benson presented n series of photographs in a frame of early geologists of New Zealand, these being Dr F. von Hochstetter, Sir Julius von Haast, Professor Hutton, Mr A. M‘Kay (late Government geologist), Professor Ulrich (first professor of the Otago School of Mines), and Sir James Hector ('ate Director of Geological Survey, New Zealand). The attraction of the evening was a lecture by Dr Inglis on glass, chiefly consisting of a demonstration of glass joining and blowing for the making and repair of laboratory appliances. He began with a short introduction, in which ho explained the nature and composition of glass, giving the reason for the confinement of the industry to certain localities of the globe that the best quality of sand was readily available on the spot. The best glass was made from pure sand, but was very expensive in manufacture. He demonstrated its remarkable property of nonexpansion and contraction by heating a piece in the flame and plunging it redhot into cold water without fracture or loss of colour, the piece of tubing being exactly ns it was when first taken up. He proceeded to deal with glass as ordinarily manufactured for common usage, and then exoxplained the working of various blowers. The lecture as a whole was suited particularly to those interested in the practical side of dealing with glass tubing, and besides conveying very valuable information showed Dr Inglis to be a thorough master of the. handicraft, which requires no little skill. Some of the appliances were very intricate/ and Dr Inglis's practical demonstration frequently drew applause. He was somewhat handicapped, as he explained once or twice, by the fact that he had to lecture, the great thing in working glass being not to hurry, but despite this he successfully carried out' quite a largo programme, and was heartily applauded and thanked at the dose.

The two youths, Forbes and Weavers, who were arrested by Detective Palmer and Constable Weir on Monday, were broiight before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday and remanded to appear at Owaka on August 17 on a charge of stealing £24, the property of Chas. Collins. Victor Dickison and Jean Turpin were each fined 40s for drunkenness, the alternative being seven days’ imprisonment in each case.

The exhibition billiard match arranged between C. Burtenshaw and A. Lindsay, and played on the new Standard match table in the Returned Soldiers’ Club Boom last evening, resulted in a win for A. Lindsay, the scores being: Lindsay 7CO, Burtenshaw (conceding 200) 520. , The match was followed with close interest throughout by fully 200 members of the club.

The police have not yet apprehended Allan Aitchison, who is wanted ia connection with the violent assault committed on Constable Hesse on Friday evening.

A meeting of the provisional committee of the Dunedin branch of the League of Nations Union was held yesterday afternoon, the Mayor presiding. Mr G. M‘Cracken was appointed interim secretary. It was decided to communicate with various women’s organisations inviting them to nominate members of the provisional committee, and a Membership and Propaganda sub-committee and a Constitution and Finance sub-committee were set up. The lifting of the embargo on Newcastle coal to New Zealand is likely to relieve all anxiety in regard to a scarcity, and may also lead to a greatly needed drop in prices (wires our Wellington correspondent). Gas companies and manufacturers will now be able to look forward to regular supplies at fairly moderate prices, and this will be good for industry. In this connection it may bo remarked that there is a very general opinion that the Coal Control Department should cease to exist

A family which has earned some notoriety in the Auckland district has just been broken up by six member? being committed to the Auckland Receiving Home. In the family there were 14, all illegitimate. The father had been resident in New Zealand for 30 years, and the mother came here from Australia 37 years ago. She was a quarter Australian aboriginal, a quarter Irish, and half Maori. Her father’s record was not stainless. None of the children could read or write, and only two had attended school. The six committed to the home range in ages from two to 12. Two of the members not committed were recently in gaol. The whole family had been living in the ti-tree near the Wairoa River, and gainihg a livelihood by a campaign of thefts from goods lying at a nearby wharf, The plunder collected included good* of all kinds, from silk blouses and other clothing to a bicycle, petrol, a ship’s lights, and a launch anchor. An official report on the case shows that members of the family < have not paid anything for goods for years, but have cheerfully followed a career of piracy on the Wairoa River.

A warm tribute to the New Zealand police force was paid by Mr V. R. Meredith at the farewell social to Inspector Johnston on Friday evening (says the New Zealand Herald). Generally speaking, he said, the public did not realise the value and importance of the work of the police. The people lived in safety and security, but usually the public did not recognise that this security and safety was ensured by an efficient and responsible police force. When trouble arose the police dealt with it firmly, tactfully, and quietly, but the force did not advertise, and therefore these services were often overlooked by the public. They had in New Zealand * police force of which the community had every reason to be proud. It was a force which would hold its own with the finest police in the world. It was highly efficient, and was free from any breath of scandal, because it was officered and manned by men whose integrity was beyond reproach. For the efficiency of the police force such officers as Inspector Johnston were responsible. On his return to Australia, Archbishop Mannix was cabled the following welcome message from the' Greymouth Hibernian Society:—“Archbishop Mannix, Melbourne. Hibernians of Greymouth, the oldest branch in the dominion, extend you a welcome home, and regret the persecution and indignity you' were subjected to, especially being prevented seeing your dear mother and motherland. —Respectfully. yours, Harry M’Keowen', secretary.” It is fairly generally known that severe influenza epidemics are periodic, invading the world at intervals‘of, roughly, SO years. Thug there was a severe epidemic in 1890 and the following years, in which New Zealand suffered to some extent; and 28 years later came the scourge whose mark* are not yet effaced. The epidemic preceding that of the nineties occurred in the fifties, but was not very severe. Probably few reports of its having touched New Zealand are easily available, out one came to light recently in an old weather record which is now in the hands of the Dominion Meteorologist at Wellington. The record is from Dunedin, and was kept by Ur Burns. In October, 1057, Dr Burns wrote that the weather was cold and the seasoit backward. There whs much sick- ’ ness, colds, and shivering—influenza, accompanied with vomiting and bleeding at the nose, and a number of sudden deaths'.

The American Customs authorities will have unwittingly done the Australian people a public service (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) if they have turned our Davis Cup team into missionaries against the passport system. Because of an irregularity in their passports, they were held up for some time at the b°rder, and apparently if they had been ordinary citizens, instead of distinguished 'athletes, they would have been referred back to their starting place. It is not to be supposed that the Canadian officials who perpetrated this informality, or tile American officials who noticed it, are loss competent or more exacting than engaged in the same calling in other countries. , The passport system. lends itself to such petty annoyances and to others that are very far from petty. Tourists are so much harassed that they prefer to derive their knowledge of foreign countries from books of travel, and undesirable aliens find that by the simple process of forging or 'stealing a passport they can provide themselves with a certificate of good character. Conditions in Australia ' have greatly improved by the establishment of an all-Bri-tish passport. But the system, so far as it is compulsory, should bo swept away. It is a relic of the war, which should not exist any longer. It was introduced in New Zealand as a necessary adjunct of conscription. It was adopted in Australia because Ministers and officials have gained some arbitrary power, and wanted more, and it has boon maintained for the same reason.

A planter at Rarotonga writes to a relative in Masterton as follows: —Here, like everywhere else, we are feeling the depression. Never before was trade so bad. This state of affairs is chiefly duo to the fact that wo cannot ship our produce. In addition, the price of copra is low, so there is very little money circulating. The new Resident Commissioner (Mr J. G. W. Hewitt) is quite a success and everyone likes him. Ho found an empty treasury, so there is no money for anything. Our roads are in a deplorable state. Mr Hewitt will visit New Zealand shortly to try to raise money to carry on with. There exists a very bad feeling between the whites and the Maoris, which will take years to remove, so the new Commissioner has some grave difficulties to overcome. Government money has lent freely to natives all over the group. One wonders how and when it will be repaid. There is plenty of labour* offering just now, but when the Union Steam Ship Company won’t carry your fruit what is the use of planting? \Ve can only hope for better times soon. On the approach of a thunderstorm or at the first intimation of its proximity, those in charge of wireless stations are under standing orders to “earth” their aerials (says the Dominion). The reason for such action is obvious. An aerial is an attraction to any str?y bolts or flashes of electricity, and were they not “earthed” the current might do serious damage to the plants. The precaution is taken for the self-sarfie reason that it is considered advisable to equip a tall chimney stack with a lightning conductor—a copper wire, which directs the current from the structure itself and conveys it to earth. During the thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon and evening, local aerials were all “earthed.”

Tha Acting Minister of Railways says decidedly that a reduction of services on nonpaying linM must bo made, and that the proposed “cut” will mean a saving of not less than £IOO,OOO this year (wires our Wellington correspondent). The only reason that the “cut” was not made at an earlier date was that Cabinet was loth to interfere in any way with trade facilities, if it was at all possible not to do so. As time went on, however, the necessity of retrenchment in this direction became apparent, and the country will benefit as the result of the large saving that will be effected. On the property of Mr E. Maxwell, south of Rahotu, in a five-acre paddock in which weri running six pedigree Jersey cattle belonging to Mr M. G. Maxwell, a strange occurrence took place, presumably during the thunderstorm on Monday night (says the Taranaki Daily News). , The paddock is an open level grass paddock, and towards the middle of it was found on Tuesday a hole about five feet across, giving the appearance of having been blown out by explosives, much soil being thrown out in a south-easterly direction, some to a distance of a chain and a-half. From the edge of the hole, extending to a distance of half a chain towards the south and south-east, run several peculiar branching and very irregular zigzag tracks along the surface. Each branch end terminates with a hole about the thickness of a shovel handle, all descending into the ground with an outward incline. Towards the north-west a slightly raised rib of turf, 12 feet long, with one hole about tho middle and another at the end, indicates the track of a discharge that has passed along under tho surface. The cattle were not injured.

This is a specimen of a certain class of journalism clipped from a Vancouver pdper: Auckland, July 2.—An earthquake was felt over the whole North Island early Tuesday morning. Violent shocks, accompanied by loud rumblings, lasted over a minute. The disturbances were severest in the middle sections of the island. Auckland is used to volcanic activity. The roads everywhere around tho city are the despair of automobilists. Repeated efforts have been made to obtain roads which would remain in good state of efficiency, but always without success. Nothing, it has been found, can be done to provide thoroughfares through which the crust of the earth will not break. The reason is the volcanic workings which are always going on under the ground. After leaving Queen street, the principal artery of Auckland, every road is affected in expry direction, and there is not the least prospect, apparently of any remedy being found.

The mental acrobatics of some" irresponsible youths are certainly more than passing strange. An apparently much agitated young man presented himself at the Christchurch police station on Saturday night, and told a story of how he had been accosted and stabbed by some unknown man in Riccarton road. He proceeded to divest himself of his overcoat, coat, waistcoat, and underwear, and revealed a slight scratch on his chest. The police officers quickly saw that he could not have been stabbed through the clothes he was wearing, and the youth then confessed that his whole story was an invention. Mental weakness wat the only explanation the officers could give for his extraordinary action. Needless to say, his exit from the station was even more hurried than his entrance.

News from Niue by the mail which arrived in Auckland by the barquentine Ysabel states that the famous murder trial came to a conclusion during the second week in July. The Islander who was charged with having murdered a native policeman was found guilty and sentenced to death. Another prisoner, the nephew of the condemned man, was found guilty of assisting in the crime, and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The evidence and all the papers connected with the trial have been forwarded to Wellington, and it is stated that the sentences will have to be reviewed by the New Zealand Cabinet before they are carried into effect. The crime for which the two men were tried was a particularly brutal one. The native policeman was a zealous officer, and his attention to duty led him into conflict with the principal prisoner, the result being a longstanding feud which ended in the murder. The unfortunate policeman was simply hacked to pieces with a knife. There was some uneasiness after the arrest of the alleged murderer, as he had a good deal of influence among a certain section of the Islanders. The warship Veronica was sent to'the Island, and, in addition to landing rifles and ammunition remained there for some days.

The annual meeting of the Otago Expansion League -will be held to-morrow evening. Tho executive of the league is anxious that all subscribers and sympathisers with the work so assiduously carried on by this organisation should attend on this occasion. Two very fine specimens of the New Zealand silver fern are at present on view in the window of the Strand Tea Rooms. These were gathered at Logan’s Point and preserved by Mr C. C. Armstrong, photographer, some 30 years ago. The fronds are displayed in connection with a shield on which the Springbok is piped in sugarwork, with the words, “Welcome to the land of tho silver fern,” the whole being mounted on a black and silver background.

Impossible to pass a 7-9 Harley-Davidsor. motor cycle on the road. Buy one of those machines yourself, and be first on the road W. A. Justice and Co., Otago Agents, 292 Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt.

Ladies discussing politicians visually differ: regarding “No-rubbing” Laundry Help, however, they voice unanimously; “Simply wonderful!” —Advt.

Here’s a Plum.—2o only jute sofa squares, 7ft x 4ft, good colourings; usually 65s—to be cleared at 39s 6d each.—ldollisons (Ltd.), Advt.

“Cheerio.” Conviviality and friendship suggest the best—Watson’s No. 10 whisky. —Advt.

A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859. Advt.

For Influenza take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. —Advt.

Save Your Eyes.—Consult Peter G. Dick, D.8.0.A., F. 1.0., London, consulting and oculists’ optician.—“ Peter Dick,” jewellers and opticians, Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt