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Otago Witness, Issue 3239, 12 April 1916, Page 48

The Huddart, Parker Company's steamer Riverina has been making a reputation for the speed with which eho has accomplished recent trips between Australia and New Zealand. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the vessel did the run from Sydney in three days and nineteen hours, arriving at Wellington at 7.10 a.m. on the 10th inst.

A meet.'ng of the Otago Early Settlers' Association was held on the 10th inst.; present —Mr I). Itcid (president, in the chair), Messrs Denniston, Nicolsoii, Hazlett, M'Dermid, Calder, Proudfoot, Dr Fulton, Mrs , Hayward, and Mr 3 Barnes. Mrs Kcdzlie forwarded a largo framed photograph pf the late Mr and Mrs Kedzlie, of Halfway Bush, as a gift for the museum. A vote of thanks was accorded the donors. The following deaths were recorded since last meeting:—William Ryrio, arrived 1860; John Borton (89), Cornwall, 1849; Mrs Isabella Hardie M'Laren (68), Henrietta, 1860; Mrs Jean S. Cochrane (87), Alpine, 1859; John MTndoe (57), Alpine, 1859. Seven new members were elected. A resolution of condolence was passed with the relatives of the late John MTndoe, who for a number of years was a member of committee, and keenly interested in the welfare of the association.

Ernest Devoin, who is charged with having shot at and seriously injured Lou:sa White in the Nairn Street Reserve, Wellington, recently, and then attempted his own life, was removed from the Wellington Hospital to the Terrace Goal on the Bth (says the Post). Miss White is still in a serious condition. The lower part of her body is paralysed.

The New Zealand flax trade is at a diffi cult pass through the shortage of ships. A conference between the executive of the New Zealand Flaxmillers' Association and the Hemp Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, representing tho Wellington hemp exporters,' was held at the Chamber of Commerce at Wellington on the 7th (says the Post), when the position of the flax industry owing to the short-ago of tonnage was gone into. It was pointed out that owing to general shortage of tonnage for London and the recent loss of the Rangatira and Matatua that there was no possibility of getting flax already i'n store away for some months. There were 26,000 bales in store at the end of March, and at the end of April would be increased to 45,000. As the shipping companies were only carrying to London during the past five months 7000 bales per month, at the present rate of shipping it would be six months before the stores were cleared. The position was discussed in all its bearings, the opinion being that flax was not being accepted for shipment by the shipping companies as freely as wool and other cargo. As, however, there was no possibility of shipping much flax during tho next two or three months the conference decided that millers had no choice but to close clown. This will take effect from May 1. Tho conference also decided that in view of the serious position ahead for tho exports of the dominion generally, that they should interview the Prime Minister, as the interruption of the export trade, if it is to extend, as from all appearances it will extend, and get worse, is eo important a matter that the Government should take a hand and endeavour to find a solution.

For 28 years Mr David Zanders, now of Sydney, has been wondering why a ton of coal he ordered when living in Timaru, New Zealand, on May 10, 1388, was never delivered. Ho has just solved tho puzzle (says the Sydney Sun, of March 28). When ho ordered tho coal, ho did so by addressing a postcard to Mr Ralph, coal merchant. Timaru. Tho postcard, which did not reach its destination, was found the other day secreted behind tho private letter boxes in tho Timaru Post Office, where it had lain since the day it was posted. An effort was made to deliver it to tho coal merchant to whom it was addressed, but he had long since departed for a land where the postman's whistle is never heard. The postal authorities then discovered that the sender, Mr Zanders, had gone to live in Melbourne, where his coal order followed him in due course. By that time, however, ho had changed his place of abode to Sydney, and there his long-lost postcard found him. As the card was in the possession of the postal authorities from the timo it was posted in Timaru until tho day it was delivered in Sydney, this probably constitutes a record in its w;iy.

Replying to a deputation in Wellington on the 6th inst., Mr Maesey mentioned that he was in communication with the Imperial authorities concerning the accumulations of moat in New Zealand. ]t was estimated that the beef and mutton in store at April 30 within the dominion would bo 2,400,009 freight carcases. Ho knew the shipping difficulty existed also in the Old Country and in Australia. He had communicated with tho local shipping committee, and they had informed him that they eaw their way

to got tho wool out of tho country in a reasonable time. Wool was being urgently asked for by tho Imperial .Government and by other parts of the Empire. Referring to tho demand for shipping.. Mr Massoy said lie knew of a ship which had cost about £70,000 to build, a good cargo vessel of her typ . a :■' this ship had recently born sold for £150,000 cash. This was an illustration of the tremendous demand for shipping space. The difficulty with regard to flax was that it occupied more space in proportion to weight than any other article of export, and consequently the shipping companies were not anxious to take it when they could fill up with more profitable cargo. It was not only with flax and wool that trouble had arisen. The Government required a certain number of ships at present to carry coal. It was part of the duty of New Zealand to supply coal to the Admiralty, and tho Government had no end of difficulty in getting coal ship-. Tho coal must bo sent away. Also, the Minister of RaTways had told him that day that un less some arrangement were made to bring oil down from the East Coast ports of America there would be serious trouble in the Railway Department. And it was possible to get the oil here only by sending a ship. Cheese and butter were piling up in the stores, and he saw no prospect of getting the produce away for the next two months.

Some time ago the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand resolved to approach the shipping companies "wrth a view to obtaining preference for British seamen who have enlisted a. 3 against foreign seamen who have entered the service since the outbreak of war. The Executive Council decided to communicate also with the Australian Union on the matter. The Dominion reports that up to the present no reply has been received from Australia, and in the meantime the following letter has been addressed to New Zealand ship-owners:—"The Executive Council of the Federated Seamen's Union has had under consideration the case of those seamen of the New Zealand merchant service who have enlisted with the forces since the outbreak of war; and seeing that these men ha.e left their positions on the ships to defend their country (including its commercial enterprises) it was concluded that the. shipowners should, in return, render some practical recognition of the-fact on their return to the dominion. The council accordingly resolved to recommend that these men be given the first opportunity of rejoining your vessels by eliminating in their favour those foreigners who have engaged in the New Zealand mercantile marine since the declaration of war, and we shall be pleased to receive from you an early intimat : on that this will be clone upon the individual concerned producing evidence from the military authorities that ho was engaged on active -service, and is a member of the above union; and that your ships' officers will be instructed accordingly."

At the Auckland Police Court on the 7th Frederick Clarence de Berry, aged 30 years, was charged that, at Dtmedin, he failed to provide his wife with adequate maintenance. Mr Haddow (for defendant) stated that he could not oppose the chief detective's application for a remand to Dunedin, but he protested that the whole matter was more or less of a farce. The man had left Dunedin with his wife's knowledge, and ho had left her with comfortable furniture, his month's wages of £l3, an order on his superannuation of £4O (due a fortnight ago), and, in addition to that, he had agreed to eend her £1 a week, and had sent the first instalment, which would be now in Dunedin. Counsel suggested that defendant be allowed to proceed to Dunedin without bail. His Worship: I understand there is a suggestion that he went away with another woman. Mr Haddow: That is the wife's suggestion. His Worship stated that, as there was tho suggestion made, he could not do other than order tho usual bail of £IOO. Defendant would be remanded to appear at Dunedin on the 12th inst.