LOCAL & GENERAL

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 7

LOCAL & GENERAL

A Press Association telegram from Waimate states that the Waitaki Licensing Committee was engaged on the Ist in dealing with an applicatian for a license for an accommodation house at Weston, four miles from the Oamaru Post Office, the idea being to allow the Livingstone license to fall in. The committee refused to grant an adjournment in order to facilitate the creation of a vacancy in the licensing district. The matter has not yet boon concluded.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that tho Prime Minister, accompanied by tho Hon. Mr Hcrrics and the Hon. Dr Pomare, visited Ngaruawahia on tho Ist inst., and unveiled a memorial to the Waikato soldiers who fell in tho Maori war. Afterwards the party went on to Hamilton, where Mr Massey opened tha Winter Show. .Mr Massey and Mr Herrics returned to Auckland last night, and tho former will remain there for a day or two. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the trustees of the T. G. M‘Carthy estate will give £2OOO a year for three years for tho purpose of providing a children's’ convalescent home.

A Press Association telegram from New Plymouth states that at a public meeting on Monday, 31st ult., it was decided to set up a committee to organise town labour to assist tho farmers at harvest time, with a view to encouraging an increased growth of cereals. The hope was expressed that a similar movement would be made in other parts of the dominion.

At a sale of unclaimed goods left with the Wellington Harbour Board, a s;xcylinder 90-horsepower American racing automobile was sold for £360 (says the Dominion). The machine is said to have been, loft in Wellington by an American millionaire, who, having toured Now Zealand with it, became bored with the prospect of having to ship it back to the States, and simply ■ left it on the wharf, careless of what became of it. It is stated that the car-, which has both a touring and a racing body, originally cost £I7OO. Its dashboard was covered with the metal emblems of motor touring clubs of nearly every country in the world. In the opinion of Mr A. M. Myers, M.P., an ex-Ministcr for Defence, it is desirable that a register should forthwith bo made throughout the dominion of all men between the ages of 20 and 35 who are eligible to enlist, and who are not barred by physical disabilities. These men should bo called upon to undergo an imnfediato course of military training, in order to make themselves efficient'. This need not interfere .with their ordinary vocations, which they could continue to follow- until a later stage, when they might be called upon to enlist. “If we did this,’’ said Mr Myers, “it would mean that every able-bodied man would be doing a duty to his countiy. It might not be necessary for them to be called upon, but, should it become necessary, much would have been done in preparation for such an eventuality. We must remember,” he added, “that the present is a life and death struggle, and the position is too serious to bo temporised with. From this time forth an effort should bo made in the direction I have indicated. By doing this we should bo doing our best to make it possible to send away whatever quota of men the authorities desire the dominion to provide.”

The results of the investigations by the commonwealth statistician (Mr G. H. Knibbs) as to variations in prices of food and groceries have been made available for the month of April. The aggregate result for the 30 towns covered by the investigation shows that prices wore 13.2 per cent, higher in April than in Juty last. The increase since the outbreak of war is greatest in Queensland (21.3 per cent.), followed by Victoria (16.3), South Australia (14.5), Tasmania (14.1), and Western Australia (10.3), the increase being least in New South Wales (8.6 per cent.). The result of this is, of course, to reduce the relative cost of food and groceries in Sydney compared with other towns. Thus, in July-the cost in Sydney was 4 per cent, greater than in Melbourne, but in April the cost was greater in Melbourne than in Sydney by 2£ per cent. An incident in the -way of recruiting that is worth chronicling happened last week in connection with a thrashing mill (Mr A. Harris’s) on tour throughout the Maniototo Plain, Central Otago. One of the members of the team, being too old for service, spent many of the evening hours of idleness as a voluntary recruiting officer, reciting “Kitchener Sits in His London Don” (which appeared in the Daily Mail before it turned against the Secretary of War), and inciting the younger members, reminding them that “ their country needed them.” 'Hiis was at first lightly thought of, but one young man, who left, passed for Trentham, and another bade farewell after passing the doctor. On the eve of his departure a “ sing-song ” was hold, and he was presented with a substantial cheque for a souvenir.

A number of prominent citizens of Dunedin telegraphed to the Prime Minister gj omo days ago asking that the Lotteries Act bo suspended, to enable certain valuable gifts, such as motor cars and pianos that have been donated to various patriotic funds, to be disposed of by moans of raffles. The Minister of In tenia i Affairs (the Hon. H. D. Bell) has telegraphed in reply to his Worship the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), stating that no Minister has the power to grant permits for the disposal of any-

thing outside the Lotteries Act, otherwise the Government would freely give its consent. As the law stood, all raffles were illegal and could not be legalised. The Prime Minister would propose to the Cabinet, however, that legislation on the linos suggested bo introduced to Parliament to allow of the disposal by raffles for patriotic purposes of articles other than permitted the law at present. The Minister added, in conclusion: “I am sure the Government sympathises with your efforts, and you will have any assistance which, as the law stands, can be granted.

A Press Association telegram states that at the conclusion of the meeting of the Auckland Licensing Committee on the 2nd. Sub-inspector MTlvcny stated that for reasons which ho was not at liberty to divulge ho had been instructed to put before the bench a request to licensees that no liquor should be sold in bottles for consumption off the premises between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Mr Gotten, S.M. (chairman of the committee), said that everybody had to make sacrifices just now, and it was asking a comparatively small sacrifice of the publicans to request that they should not sell liquor in bottles to anybody after 8 p.m. There were excellent reasons for the request, and if it was not complied with some other stops to meet the difficulty would have to be taken by the Licensing Committee. Ho felt sure, however, that the publicans of Auckland would comply with the request. During the course of a highly interesting address on “ The Antiquity of Man ” at the University on tho 2nd inst., Dr Gowland, professor of anatomy, threw some light on the origin and development of tho human chin. Ho pointed out that tho earlier types from which mankind had sprung were provided -with large and powerful tusks, similar to those now possessed by gorillas and other anthropoids. In the course of time the tusks gradually disappeared from tho jaws of prehistoric man, but eventually his receding low'cr jaw developed a different and less powerful typo of teeth, allowing the lower jaw to assume tJie shape of chin with which mankind is now provided by Nature.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Otago A. and P. Society on the 2nd inst., Mr John Roberts, C.M.G., made reference to the blocking of the frozen meat industry so far as export was concerned. lie stated that although this congestion had been very acute of late, and would probably not bo relieved until about the end of July, New Zealand had on the whole been fairly well sfirvod by export ships, especially in view of the risk from submarines and the heavy rates of war insurance. The round trips of the larger steamers, extending as they did. over some four months, must have cost the shipping companies fully £6OOO for war risks alone, and, despite these handicaps, the companies had endeavoured to carry out their contracts, and had given New Zealand a very fair supply of frozen meat ships.

Our Invercargill correspondent states that the proposal to set apart a day for the shooting of game in Southland, the “bags” to bo afterwards sold in aid of the Belgian fund, has had to be abandoned, a reply having been received from the Minister of Internal Affairs, stating that ho regrets that % he cannot give permission to sell game.

The pea rifle nuisance has again made itself felt on the Taieri, where a valuable three-year-old horse, belonging to Mr J. Haggan, was found dead on the 2nd inst. with a bullet w'ound in its body. There was evidence to suggest that a duck had been fired atf and that the bullet struck the horse. The loss of the horse is a groat disappointment to Mr Haggan, who was looking forward to the animal making one of a complete team which he had hoped would be hard to beat.

A Press Association message from Auckland states that during the passage of the Taluno from Rarotonga a passenger named J. W. IX Noble created a sensation by suddenly jumping overboard in mid-ocean without giving any warning. The engines were stopped and a boat lowered. Noble was picked up and brought aboard, not much the worse for his experience. He was placed under restraint till his arrival in Auckland, and then handed to the police. Some time ago, old Bristolians residing in Dunedin formed a branch of the “Colston Society ” —a charitable institution founded in the 17th century, by Edward Colston, a citizen of Bristol, and of this branch Messrs D. E. Theomin and O. W. Chamberlain, natives of Bristol, and expupils of tbo Bristol Grammar School, were respectively appointed president and treasurer. In view of the distress in their old town, caused by the war, a donation was sent to the parent society, and a grateful acknowledgment has now been received. A praiseworthy example of self-denial on the part of a lady who was anxious to do what lay in her power to help our wounded soldiers came under notice on the 2nd. The lady drew her old-age pension, amounting to £2 3s 4d, at the North Dunedin Post Office, and as soon as she received the money she handed 10s back to the official, with instructions to devote that sum to the fund referred to.

Somc months ago the Otago Education Board promoted a vegetable competition amongst the various schools of Otago. No fewer than 30 competitors took part, and the results, which were made known on the 2nd, are as follow:—Carrots —Benhar 1, Waiwera South 2, Waitahuna 3; parsnips— Greenfield 1, Ngapara 2, Bonhar 3; codons —Benhar 1, Sutton 2. The judge (Mr S. Cousins), in making his award, stated that the quality and general excellence of the exhibits were very high and

quite as good as the exhibits by professionals at the leading shows. This is distinctly creditable to the practice of school gardening, and should be very encouraging for the young folk.

A speaker at the Tarniors’ Union the other afternoon mentioned that ho had seen a sheep attacked by a weasel in the Maniototo district. It was a two-tooth ewe in good condition, and though the pest was at once chased the sheep was found dead two days later.

At last week’s meeting of the Farmers’ Union it was resolved unanimously, on the motion of Mr M’Math (Lauder) —“That the Farmers’ Union throughout the dominion take steps to start a National League of Farmers, having for its object the boycotting of all German and Austrian goods imported after this date, also Gcr man and Austrian shipping and firms who deal in German goods.” The motion will be forwarded to the Dominion Conference for consideration.

Captain Fleming (marine superintendent at Auckland) advised Mr E. S. Wilson (secretary of tho Shipwreck Relief Society) on Wednesday that three of the sailors of the wrecked Norwegian vessel Fram had lost everything, and suggested that a grant of £4 might bo made to each man. This suggestion was approved by the committee, and the secretary telegraphed to Captain Fleming authorising him to pay £4 to each of tho men on behalf of the society.

A Pros? Association telegram from Rotorua states that in an interview on the 3rd the Hon. Air Rhodes (Postmastergeneral) said that, in order to provide facilities for settlors residing beyond easy distance of a post office, it was proposed that the drivers of mail vehicles on certain delected mail delivery routes, in addition to the delivery of mail matter into, and the collection of mail matter from, rural boxes, would undertake at all stopping places the sale of stamps., the issue of postal notes, the registration of postal packets, and the receipt of telegrams from the public.

The Liicdertafel is of no creed. The membership test measures a man musically, or according to his qualifications for office, and for the rest acknowledges that harmony is quite possible from a combination of Jew and Gentile, Christian and Pagan, when moved by a common impulse, to which principle the following interlude is .more or loss vaguely related. The president —instinctively one almost wrote “chieftain”— lolled in his chair, in characteristic comfort, blowing rings from a cigar, while members discussed a proposition to abstain from the very appearance of evil by abandoning their hitherto eminently respectable, but now hopelessly Gorman, title. Presently a gentleman familiar in presbytery arose and - addressed the chair: “Mr Moderator.” “No, no,” hastily interposed the astonished chairman, modestly refusing to lay the pleasing unction to his soul, “not yet, not yet.” -It was some moments before the laughter subsided sufficiently to enable the embarrassed speaker to develop his theme.

A New Zealand Herald correspondent in Samoa says that the great drawback at present there is the high duty on the real necessities of life, such as potatoes, flour, plain meats, building material, etc. Everything is subject to 124 per cent, nd valorem duty on the invoice, ■ p'us freight and an extra 5 per cent. For instance, at the present time flour costs £lB 10s per ton, but with freight £2, the extra 5 per cent., and 12i per cent, on the whole, the landed price comes to £24 7s 6d per ton. In addition, there is insurance, and the carting from the Customs House costs 5s per ton. With cement the freight is 45s per ton. Duty also makes the price*of horse feed very high, and horses in Samoa cannot work unless they get imported food. There are other articles, remarks the correspondent, which can well stand a much higher duty than 124 per cent., but arc taxed in the same way as the real necessities of life.

A very important question in regard to the administration of the funds of friendly societies has been raised in connection with the war. A “death benefit” is paid by the societies to the relatives of members who die, and among tiio men who have sacrificed their lives in Europe there arc members of friendly societies. The question raised by the societies is what evidence they are to have of tho death of a member on active service before the “death benefit” can bo legally paid. Tho statutory regulations under which the societies work provide that a certificate of death must be produced before payment can bo made. The question was put to tho Minister of Defence at Wellington on tho Ist by Mr James Craigio, M.P. (says the Lyttelton Times), who asked whether the Minister could give a certificate of the death of a soldier so that a lodge could act upon it. Mr Allen thanked Mr Craigio for bringing the matter under his notice, saying that it had not previously been mentioned to him, and ho promised to obtain an opinion from tho Crown Law Office before deciding on a course of action.

Our Wanganui correspondent states that a strong effort is being made by the local bodies interested to have the Manawatu Gorge road nationalised. Mr E. Newman, M.P. for Rangitikoi, has notified the Kairanga County Council that, as the road is the principal connection between the East and West Coasts, the State should take it over, and ho promised to support the proposal in Parliament. Members of the Land Purchase Board visited on Tuesday (says the Oamaru Mail) to inspect some land which, is under offer to the Government.

From Juno 1 the price of milk in Napier w A to be raised to 5d a auart.