The Otago Witness. (WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1916.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3254, 26 July 1916, Page 43

The Otago Witness.

(WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1916.) THE WEEK.

! WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. i -

! "Nunquam allud natura, allud sapientia dixit." i —Juvenal. "Good nature and good sense must ever join.'—• | POPE. i The tidings from all the fronts strengthen! the deepening conviction The Price of that victory is now surely Victory. within the grasp of the Allies, although the con- ! summation of the victory Ls not yet. The I consideration which bulks most largely at I the moment is that if that consummation is not to be unduly delayed every man, 1 woman, and child • who belongs to the

British Empire, who enjoys the protection of the British flag, and who lives in the enjoyment of the freedom for which that flag 'stands, must be prepared to pay the price of victory to the uttermost farthing. Writing in the Observer, just two months ago, Mr J. L. Garvin said:—"From nowonward we must prepare without the avoidable loss of a day for the campaign of 1917 and beyond. We must get ourselves into a position to concentrate. wr<h certainty next year the utmost of our equipment and fighting numbers upon the main European affair." This, of course, was written before the commencement of the Allied offensive in the West, and before the full strength of the great Russian advance had begun to manifest itself; nevertheless the force of the con tention remains true to-day. The need for concentration is seen in the appeal made by Sir Douglas Haig to the munition workers of Great Britain, and in the decision made by those workers to postpone all holidays until the end of the war. This is the spirit which if diffused throughout all classes of the community all over the British Empire will bring the right sort of victory. Mr Garvin continues:—"The plain and vital tiling 'we have to do without further mistake or illusion of any kind is to wear down the German offensive this year, when it is in some ways at the climax of its energy and resources, to wind up resolutely meanwhile the side-shows in the East, and to prepare by every means the supreme effort of 1917, with a full recognition of the fact that the struggle may last more than three years, if we mean, as we do, to reject to the end all thought of a bad and disastrous peace." The price of victory demanded of every man and of every woman is a high one; but it is being paid without flinching by the brave men in the trenches and by the mothers and wives who have so heroically given up to the war those who are nearest and dearest to them. The daily casualty lists now being published reveal the extent to which this Dominion in the deaths of her best and bravest men is paying a part of the price. It is impossible to read without a thrill of exultation of the gallantry of the pfighlanders' charge at Longueval ; the description given by a correspondent is sufficient to stir the" most sluggish blood and make it course through the veins like wild-fire: "It was one of the finest exploits of the war. They were led by their pipers into the thick of the battle. One regiment advanced to the tune of ' The Campbells Are Coming '; then the pipes screamed the charge. • It is most awful music to those who have tha Highlanders against them." Equally' thrilling is the same correspondent's account of the advance of the London Territorials at Gommecourt; and from various sources it is declared that the Australian and the New Zealanders. are bearing themselves with considerable gallantry. It is a melancholy reflection, so fierce is the fighting and so continuous the conflict, that but few of these heroes will ever return to tell the tale of their prowess and victory. Lord Ernest Hamilton, in " The First "Seven Divisions," that stirring account of the fighting from Mons to Ypres, tells the story of "the way in which the old regular army, led by the best in the land, saved the national honour in the acutest crisis in history, and practically ceased to exist in the doing of it." In the same way, judging by the intensity of the fighting, it is to be apprehended that the British divisions, upon whom is falling the brunt of the present offensive, will " practically cease to exist in the doing, of it. ' A German officer,, interviewed by a German newspaper, is said to have remarked : " I do not know- howgreat the English reserves are. The length of the offensive will depend upon this." Here is the position in a nutshell : before the present offensive in the West is over, the armies now in the firing line will .have exhausted themselves. The ultimate advantage will lie with the reserves.

This question of reserves is worth careful consideration, since, it inThe Questions volves so many important of Reserves, issues. Russia is invincible mainly because of her immense reserves of men ; General Shuvaieff, the Russian Minister of War. has declared that even if her present armies should disappear she would be able to "put a ■fresh army into the field as numerous as before, and, if necessary, to renew the operation once again, and yet again." Great Britain is invincible because of her immense reserves of money, which enable.-; her to continue prosecuting a war costing at the present time the enormous sum of. more than six millions sterling a day. Germany is beaten, whether the Kaiser is willing to recognise defeat or no, because her reserves, both of men, munitions, and money, are giving out. A German war correspondent virtually makes this fateful admission when, writing from headquarters, he says:—"The enemy suffered fearful losses, but we do not blind our eyes to the new mourning which has come to Germany. We are shaken by a burning pain as new streams of German blood are flowing, and we recognise our powerlessness after two years of war. The angel of destruction is passing over the ranks of the German army with merciless fury, as if the death dance had just began. It is now a question of life or death for our nation." Just in proportion as the German nation as a whole accept the war, in its latest phase, as a life and death struggle, will they exhibit a determination to fight to the last ; and nothing short of a similar determination upon the part of the Allies can bring the complete and crushing victory which will ensure for the world a permanent peace. It may be questioned, in so far as the people of this Dominion are concerned, whether anything approaching a proper determination has been reached —viz., a determination which, will utilise to the uttermost every ounce of the reserve power now being frittered away in mere pleasure, or, what is worse, in money-making for individual gain. Questioned in tho House- of Commons as to the reason For the rise in the national **»<M«iiUir*j on account of the war, the

Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the increase was due, first to the Government's purchases of American securities, and secondlv to the rate at which advances to the Allies and the dominions had been drawn upon. "He was nopeful that the expenditure would diminish." The fact that the munition factories of Great Britain are now in full swing will render unnecessary further large purchases from America, and this should help to equalise matters. But it is a scandal that NewZealand, which has benefited financially from the war, should continue to be a drag upon the finances of the .Homeland.

The members of Parliament, in which the Cabinet are of course inThe New Zealand eluded, cannot be congratuParliament. lated upon any high level attained in their legislative deliberations. Maybe they have been demoralised by the influenza epidemic which has attacked so large a number; but their actions and utterances continue to prove that they do not realise the acutencss of the crisis through which the Empire at present is passing. It is_ a pity that the average Parliamentarian seems so unable to see beyond the end of his nose, and is thus precluded from taking the long views so essential in all vital matters. This criticism applies to the discussion upon the War Regulations Bill, and especially to the remarks made upon the early closing of hotels and the restriction of venereal disease. There is a conflict of testimony as to the real need of any alteration in the existing licensing system. The Chief Justice, for instance, is of opinion that all hotels should be declared out of bounds to the soldiers; the military authorities, on the other hand, incline to* let well alone. _ The mischief about all personal opinions -on these matters is that they seem to be_ largely determined by the previous -predilections of those who give utterance to them. So far as pan be gathered there is little hope of Parliament moving at all in the matter, and still less hope of the matter being submitted to the people by referendum. But whatever the outcome Parliament can scarcely be congratulated upon the tone or temper of the debate on the subject. Nor is the outcome of the discussion on the spread of venereal disease any more satisfactory; under the War Regulations Bill the Government is given a free hand to deal with this difficult and menacing problem; but it.does not follow that anything adequate will be done. The Minister of Public Health made a speech upon the matter, of which he is so proud _ that it is to be printed and circulated in spite of the high price of paper. This is supposed to be the beginning of our educational campaign, and which is to be accompanied by the compulsory segregation* of all infected persons. This sounds very well in theory ; but in actual practice it will be found very difficult to carry out.

The settlement of the Irish difficulty, judging by the latest cabJeThe Irish grams, seems as far removed Problem. as ever. Mr Redmond is

pressing for immediate action on the lines of settlement laid down by Mr Lloyd George, and he declares that further delay will render a settlement on those lines impossible. Some of the irreconcilable elements in the situation are seen in the meeting of the Nationalists at Derry, which carried resolutions opposing the exclusion of the Ulster counties, and declaring that, if a separate Government be appointed they will resist its authority. It is said that the Roman Catholic .Bishop of Derry expressed his approval of the resolution. The most vigorous criticism of the suggested settlement comes from Sir Horace Plunkett, who inveighs against the popular idea - that Sir E. Carson's and Mr Redmond's endorsement implies that the opposition to Mr Lloyd George's scheme is confined merely to the rebels. " The real opposition to the scheme," he writes, " comes from the great body of moderate Irish opinion which accepts the Home Rule principle, but considers its application at the present juncture mischievous and inopportune." Sir Horace Plunkett while recognising the merits of Mr Lloyd George's scheme outlines an alternative scheme—viz., that a provisional wholly-Irish system of administration be formed to carry on the Irish Government for the duration of the war without prejudice to' the solution of the major pro blem, which may be found possible hereafter. Sir Horace Plunkett inclines to think that such a provisional settlement would be accepted by United Ireland with relief and gratitude, and this on two main assumptions—viz., that Home Rule is inevitable, and that Ulster mast not and cannot be coerced.

The traffic returns of the City Corporation tramways for the fortnight ended July 3 show the receipts to have been £2790 7.s Bd, and the mileage 49.593. Last year the receipts were £2735 4s lid, and the mileage was 49.695. The latest "pricking of the card" in regards to the prospects of compulsory closing of hotel bars at 6 p.m. is said to disclose tho fact that there are in favour of the proposal 33 members, and 39 against tho proposal 33 members, and 39 against. Mr Martin Geary, being the only person nominated to fill the recent vacancy on the Poriobello Road Board, has been declared elected. The Clutha branch of flic Farmers'Union has for some' time been endeavouring to impress on tho Government the necessity for taking in hand a, scheme of afforestation in the djstrict, and in response to a communication from tho secretary (Mr Ralph Kenton) a. letter has been received from the Uncler-secretary of tin; Department of Lands and Survey (Mr '!'. Brodriok), enclosing a map of the Clutha County and asking tho union to mark the land it wishea to have inspected with a view to hn\ in: it reported on for afforestation

purposes. The matter will be discussed at the union's meeting on Saturday next, and it is understood that the land which will probably bo recommended as suitable is the area which extends along the foot of the Warepa Hills, between the Waiwera and Puerua Streams. When asked in the House, on Wednesday by Mr Poole what steps he was having taken to extend the system of open-air schools throughout the dominion, the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education) said (reports the New Zealand Times) that he was very much impressed by the benefits of the open-air system of schools, especially for weakly children; and he was considering the matter of the application of the system to this country and its extension throughout New Zealand.

A difference of opinion has arisen between the Victorian and the New Zealand Departments of Agriculture regarding consignments of fruit trees from Victoria (says a Melbourne exchange). Considerable quantities of young trees have been sent from the Victorian orchards to Wellington, but in spite of the fact that these orchards have been carefully inspected, and the young trees have revealed no traces of disease, the consignments have been condemned by the Wellington inspectors. Mr C. Brittlebank, an expert officer from Victoria, is at present in Wellington conferring with the Now Zealand officials regarding the reason for condemning the trees, in which the latter officials declare they have found traces of a root disease. The Victorian nurserymen are bearing the expenses of the officer, and .the Victorian Minister of Agriculture is anxious that the difficulty should be overcome, as the shipments of trees from Victoria to New Zealand are of considerable value to the State.

Mr W. 11. George, of Wellington, told his audience in His Majesty's Theatre on the 24th that he had not spoken on a prohibition platform for 20 years, but ho evidently felt inclined to go on one when he came to speak of the big military riot in Cairo and of other things he had seen recently in Egypt. "I believe," he said, ''that, if England had clone what France and Russia have done, and absolutely prohibited the sale of spirits during the war, there would have been no riot. —(Loud applause.) If she had clone that, I believe wo should have been nearer the end of the war than we are to-night. In my opinion, based on what I saw and heard in Cairo, chink is the tap root of the social evil there as everywhere else. I walked through the huge dermatologies! hospital, which is costing the Government more than the whole work of the Y.M.C.A. there, and I am satisfied that 75 per cent. —perhaps 90 per cent. — of these cases would never have been there had the men not had spirits first. Had there even boon 6 o'clock closing in Cairo, there would have been no riot, for ninetenths of the mischief is done between the hours of 5 and 11 o'clock at night.

Excuse me. if 1 speak somewhat strongly on the subject," concluded Mr George.

A two-storey six-roomed house, No. 1 Steep street, 'off Maitland street, was totally destroyed by fire on the 24th. The premises were owned and occupied by Mr Alex. Watt, of Messrs A.& J. Watt and Co., furniture manufacturers. The insurances were not definitely ascertainable, but Mr Watt stated that he thought there was £2OO on the house and £IOO on the furniture in the South British office. The house was a fairly old one.

A Press Association telegram slates that the Auckland wireless station, which has been closed since May last year, has been reopened. The Lands Department is at present making inquiries with a view to securing suitable properties in Southland on which to settle returned soldiers (reports the News), and already close on 20, situated in various parts of the district, have been offered. Generally, the prices asked for arcsaid to be in excess of the real value of the land if a living is to be made off it, and in some cases they are exorbitant to a degree. There is an instance in which the owner asked for a certain price, raid it was afterward found that, though the department, for rating- purposes, valued the property at £5 per acre less, lie lodged an objection in the Assessment Court. Al! offers will, of course, have to be carefully gone into, .is it would be a wrong policy to give values on a basis that would not permit the returned soldiers to work 'lie land at a reasonable profit. Mr Ritchie (the chairman of the Land Purchase Commissioners) and Messrs Haszard and Middleton will shortly make a personal inspection of the properties offered. A number of young lambs have made their appearance in the \\ hare Flat district.

A large number of rabbits have been railed from Central Otago to the freezer this season. Rabbiters are now getting lDd a pair on the fence. On the Maniofcoto Plain a four-homo team fit to run in any coach service has been bringing rabbits down from tJio Styx, between 20 a*id 30 miles from the railway. The Alexandra Freezing Works are despatching large quantities of rabbits ready frozen. The winter in Central Otago has been very open, with an exceptional rainfall for Ibis dry area. Stock are in splendid condition, and every day for weeks past special trains have been leaving for Dunediii with fat sheep and cattle. The Central Otago grazier has bad a splendid season for taking advantage of the abnormal war prices for his stock. Home farmers hare refused 27s per head for Bheep on trucks, preferring to tako the chance of a larger price at the Burnside yards. Times have changed for the old identities who took up land jnder the l.i.p. title.