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Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 30

A member of our staff, whilst on a recent visit to the Fortrosc district, \va.-> told a story of love and fide-lit}' that is worth recording (says the Orepuki Advocate). About three years ago a lady from Auckland visited Fortrosc, and expressed a wish to see the graves of the victims of the illfated Tararua, which was wrecked in April, 1881. Mr James Templeton, who is now .a baker at Waimahaka, accompanied the lady to the lonely spot, which is some 12 miles distant. After carefully inspecting the numerous mounds that were overgrown with long, dank grass, the lady wa.s manifestly affected through being unable to locate the grave of a passenger man, whose body was picked up on the beach, his principal identification being the name which' was stamped on the neckband of his shirt. Mr Templeton made inquiries after the lady's departure, and through the police records at Invcrcargill, and the assistance of an old identity, the cxael sito where the man was buried was located. The lady was communicated with, and she instructed that a headstone bearing both the man's name and her own be erected over the spot where lies the disintegrated remains of the lover she lost in those far-off days. During last week several breaks were discovered in the Taicri contour channel between Woodside and Maungarua, and we understand that one or two of these appear to have been caused by interference with the channel. The breaks may, of course, have \iw.n made in order to obtain water for slock during the dry weather that was experienced, some time ago; but it should bo pointed out that such a proceeding may involve • serious consequences, as it is liable to be visited with a penally not exceeding £SOO. ■ Hearing is not an active sense until three or four days utter birth.

Judge Lindsey, who was with the notorious Ford peace party, did some good work in investigating the conditions of war orphans. Ho loft the party and remained behind for a month, to find that more than 5C0.0C0 children have died from starvation in the fighting countries. The main difficulty, as Judge Lindsey told the New York Times, was to get milk and other food for babea past the linos on either side. In some parts of Poland practically all children under six have died. All over the country few babes are left. In France, Belgium, and Hungary the little graves are multiplying. Even in neutral countries the high price of miik is fatal to (he "poverty baby," And the slaughter of tho innocents is on the mercy