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Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 52

Frees Association message from Wellington states that the new rates for press telegrams have been gazetted. Where the former rate was 6d per 100 words, it will now be Is, and, after 11 p.m., Is 4d, with the exception of parliamentary news, for which it will be Is until the close of the office. Evening papers will be allowed 1000 Words counted in the aggregate and 1500 during the session, but the special Monday Tate is abolished. On Sundays the rate between 5 and 5.30 p.m. for cables will be Is, and for ordinary news Is 4d, and after 5.30, Is 4d for both. On holidays the rate will be the same as on other days, but xncssagos for evening- papers will be counted separately. The now tariff will come into force on Monday.

The Prime Minister said in the House of (Representatives on the 4th that he had 40,000 acres of land in Otago and Southland available for the settlement of returned soldiers. A good deal of it was pastoral, and some of it was suitable for fruit-grow-ing. Irrigation would have to bo proceeded with to some extent.

In regard to the proposal which emanated from the Board of Agriculture that county councils should constitute agricultural and pastoral bodies known as “ Local Committees of Agriculture,” the Clutha County Council has received two replies to the circulars from branches of the Now Zealand Farmers’ Union in the district. The secretary of the Clydevale branch stated that his branch had discussed .the subject, and agreed that three members should be nominated from the Clydevale district, and appointed Messrs C. F. Overton, D. Murray, and H. Snushall. The secretary of the Clutha branch advised that his branch had approved of the scheme. At the meeting of the County Council on the Ist inst., Or Steel reported that the Clinton branch would appoint three delegates to a conference. Cr Maginness said that the Catlins branch had approved ’of the scheme and appointed Cr fchristie and himself as delegatee at the conference. It was resolved that a conference of delegates bo held at Balclutha on Friday, October 29.

'A Press Association telegram from Napier states that the petition in favour of the remission of tho sentence for manslaughter on ‘Alice Parkinson has 62,187 signatures to date, including 10,590 for Hawke’s Buy. Petitions with over 60,000 signatures have been forwarded to the Governor, and tho last volume is now in course of preparation.

One Sunday afternoon last month (says {bur Wanganui correspondent) a bottle of rum end a bottle of whisky were smuggled into the house of a Native at Kauangaroa Pah. Several persons partook of the forbidden refreshment, and the proceedings ended in a ijEreo fight. As a sequel,’ Arthur Duke appeared at the Magistrate’s Court on the 4th on a charge of taking liquor into the pah. Ho pleaded “Not guilty,” but after hearing evidence Mr Haeelden, S.M., imposed a fine of £lO. W. Hunter, who did not appear, was similarly charged, and was also fined £lO. The magistrate ordered each defendant to find half the costs. The endeavour that was made gome time ago by the Mayor and residents of Mosgicl to secure increased railway facilities at the township station in the way of providing better yarding accommodation, appears to have failed for the present owing to the fact that the difficulties in the way of acquiring the block of land on the opposite side of Factory road have proved insuperable.

Some idea may be gathered of the elf cots of the continued dearth of rain on the dairying industry when it is learned that the Supply of milk to the Taieri and Peninsula butter factory in Oaranru is at the present time only one-third of the amount that ,iyas being delivered for the same period last Reason (says the North Otago Times). The .Totara district appears to have Suffered tp a ■greater extent than the neighbouring Centres. During last week’s rain, while 51 points wore registered at Kauroo Hill, only 6 points showed on the rain gauges at Totara, One of the most noticeable effects of the dry ivVeathcr has been to reduce the amount of hi cam sent by some of the dairymen to the factory from daily to tri-weekiy; contri-

butions. The outlook generally is far from promising. The opinion is expressed that an indirect result of the drought will be to induce farmers throughout North Otago to go in more largely for lucerne cultivation, as it is on record that this valuable plant has saved the lives of thousands of cattle and sheep during previous dry spells in other parts of the dominion when other fodder plants have failed to make up for the shortage of other feed. It is understood that Mr W. iScott will be re-appointed to represent the employers on the Arbitration Court, in place of Mr id. F. Dnthio, resigned. Mr Scott was appointed to the court in 1905, and hold the position of employers’ representative till the end of last year, when he resigned, and Mr Duthie was appointed. In the House of Representatives on the 4th . inst Mr Payne asked if the Prime Minister would, before the session ended, introduce legislation to provide for a criminal Court of Appeal for New Zealand, on the lines of the English institution. Mr Massey said the matter would be considered during the recess, and, if desirable, the necessary legislation would bo introduced next session. The late Mr Ralph Ewing has bequeathed Co the Dunedin Public Art Gallery an oil painting of Highland cattle near Callander, Scotland, by Donovan Adam, R.S.A. It was reported at a meeting of the trustees of the Art Gallery on the 4th instant that the picture was a decided acquisition to the gallery, and that the bequest would be greatly appreciated by the general public.

The Prime Minister was asked in the House on the 30fch by Mr Isitt if ho was acquainted with the verdict of the Compensation Court in regard to the White Island claims, that the claims could not be allowed because there was not sufficient evidence as to the manner in which the men met their death. Mr Isitt thought it was a matter that demanded the attention of the Government. Mr Massey said that it appeared to bo a legal question, and he did not see that the Government could take any action in the matter. Ho would have inquiries made, however. Interesting observations on details of the work at the Dardanelles are made by an officer of the New Zealand Forces in a letter to his parents at Wellington. “After two months’ strenuous work ashore,” ho writes, “I spent a couple o£ days’ holiday on board a hospital ship in the bay. It was completely staffed with Australian nurses. It is pleasing to our people to know that New Zealand is following suit. . . . There are very few of my old troops left. Most of them, of course, should be back soon, as they were _ sent away sick or slightly wounded. . . . On New Zealand mail

days a spirit of secret, silent cheerfulness obsesses everybody, and it is then you see the far-away looks. . . . At present I am in charge of the bomb-throwers of our section lino and trenches, 15 yards from the Turkish trenches. Bombing is very exciting, and makes one feel like an anarchist. An Indian mule driver “pinched” one of my bombs the other day, thinking it was a lamp. Shortly afterwards there was no Indian. . , , Poor old Captain Henderson was hit the other day, and may lose his leg. He had just gone past my dugout, and was about 15 yards a.way, when he was hit by a shrapnel bullet. The hone of his leg was broken beneath the knee. . . , We have had two months of continuous rifle and big-gun fire, and it gets very monotonous keeping one’s head down and dodging shells. , . . When in Egypt I could write every week. It is impossible to do so here, but I will write a line or two whenever possible.” Unremitting efforts are being made by the Board of Trade to supply in all British markets at least the goods in which German and Austrian manufacturers and exporters specialised. Mr W. G. Wickham (British Trade Commissioner) has received advice showing that the foreign samples section of tho Board of Trade, whose duty is to collect samples of German and Austrian-manu-factured goods and show them to British manufacturers, has held meetings almost every fortnight since September of last year. Nearly 20,000 samples have been exhibited to merchants and buyers, and there are prospects that British goods will replace German and Austrian in a number of cases. Arrangement have been, or are being, made to hold exchange meetings in tho following trades:—Electrical accessories and apparatus, cotton goods (printed and dyed), and stationery and printing - . It is proposed to deal similarly with the trades in hardwaro and tools. Arrangements have also been completed for an exhibition of English furniture, suitable for export, more particularly with the object of displacing the Austrian bentwood furniture. Samples have been received from South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Fiji Islands Bermuda, Straits Settlements, West Africa, Zanzibar, West Indies, India, Portugal, South America, Turkish Levant, and France,

In the Appeal Court on the 30th tilt, their Honors the Chief Justice (Sir Robert iStout), Mr Justice Cooper, and Mr Justice Chapman heard argument on two questions arising- under the will of the late Edward William Knowles, of Napier. The case was an originating summons heard at tiro Supremo Court, Napier, and removed to the Court of Appeal. JHr C. P. Skorrett, K.C., with him Mr S, A. Atkinson, appeared on behalf of .the executors (Mr John "Vigor Brown and the Rev, James Noblo Dodds); Sir E. D, Bell, K f 6., with him Mr P. S. Mi‘Lean, appeared for the widow (Mrs Diana Eden Knowles), and for Mrs Amelia Charlotte Maofarlane (a married daughter); while the Attorney-general was represented by Mr iSalmoncl, ICC., the Solicitor-general. Deceased bequeathed the residue of the re-

aiduary estate to such charitable, benevolent, religious, and educational objects as the trustees should select. The question was raised as to whether the bequest was valid, the amount involved being between £50,000 and £60,000; and, if it is declared void, the question then arises, who is to get the money ?

The disappearance on the Ist of a resident of Oamaru occasioned his relatives and friends much anxiety (says the North Otago Times). The police wore informed of the matter, and up till late on the 2nd inst. made exhaustive inquiries, but no trace of the missing man could bo discovered. On Sunday morning, while .going through some sheep on his property behind the Gardens, Mr Irwin found the lost man lying in some scrub. Ho was much weakened by his long exposure, but, with assistance, managed to walk to a place from where he could bo taken borne. It seems that the missing man had felt ill, and had gone to the place whore ho was eventually found to rest until his recovery, but had been unable to make his way back to town.