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Otago Witness, Issue 3254, 26 July 1916, Page 5

According to a Press Association message from Auckland, a close investigation of all tho circumstances surrounding the fire at Government House on the night of the 15th has failed to reveal any clue as to the origin of the outbreak. It is understood that experts who have viewed the gutted structure increa-singly incline to the belief that it cannot be effectively restored without being completely rebuilt, for, apart from the estimated cost of the work (eome £6OOO or £7OOO, exclusive, of course, of furnishings), the building is looked upon as being out of date, and totally unsuitable for a modern viceregal residence. " Probably never in the history of Duncdin," says Superintendent Napier, of the Fire Brigade, in his annual report, "have tho wharves and adjacent sheds contained anything like tho amount of valuable material constantly stored there as at the present time, and quite a small mishap could cause lire loss such as would stagger business men, many of whom are already hard pressed to obtain supplies to fill orders. The responsibility for the adequate fire protection of the property has been disclaimed both by the Fire Board and the Otago Harbour Board, but there can bo no denying tho fact that I would be the unfortunate individual who would be asked, to do the impossible in combating a wharf conflagration with a most ridiculously inadequate supply of water, and no pumping plant available. The Hon. Dr M'Nab, in his capacity of Minister of Marine, paid a visit of inspection to the Aurora on tho 18th. The Aurora ;.s at present in the small dock at Port Chalmers, and is being prepared to proceed as soon as possible to attempt tho relief of tho men on Elephant Island, and, as soon as tho summer is sufficiently advanced to permit of it, to proceed through the ice to tho Antarctic to rescue the men left there. The vessel, which suffered badly in tho south, is in need of very extensive attention, and this she is receiving, the expense being borne half by the British Government, and the other half by the Commonwealth and New Zealand Governments on a population basis, New Zealand's sharo thus amounting to about one-eighth of tho whole. What tho amount will be cannot yo£ bo told. Everything necessary is being done, with the result that tho Aurora will bo as good a ehip as when built, or, as Mr John Mill said yesterday, even bettor. Nearly 100 men are engaged on tho work, the object being

to get her ready for sea at the earliest moment. If more men could be got a inonth might see her away, but the present prospects arc that about six weeks will be necessary. Dr M'Nab displayed the greatest interest in the vessel, and saw all that was to bo seen, Captain Stenhouse taking him all over the ship and giving some excellent descriptions of what she had come through. At the meeting of the Dunedin Fire Board on the 18th a table was submitted showing what losses had been incurred in individual fires during the past 12 months. The table was arranged as follows: Amounts over £2500, £2OOO, £ISOO, £IOOO, £750, £SOO, £250, £IOO, and the respective figures were two, one, one, nil, one, one, five, seven, with 54 .fires involving damage under £IOO. The value involved in separate fires was:—Three at £20,000, three at £15,000, two at £IO,OOO, five at £7500, three at £SOOO, six at £2500, seven at £ICOO, two at £750, nine at £SOO, 13 at £250, and 19 under £250. An old Dunedin landmark in the "tin shed" situated at the corner of Stuart street and Moray place is now being demolished. The site has been secured by Messrs Moore, Moore, and Nichol —at a price, it is said, of £3OOO. They intend to erect a four-storey stone building on the property. The tin shed was originally built on the water's edge on the site now occupied by the Bank of Australasia, and was removed to give place to the Otago Daily Times and Witness- Company's office. Among the passengers on board the Paloona, which arrived here on the 18th, was a party of 18 soldiers, under the charge of Sergeant-major Hcsp. These men misused the troopships at an Australian port while en route for the front, and have been returned to New Zealand for inclusion in the next reinforcement draft that will leave the dominion. Those who have no relatives fighting at the front have, nevertheless, some idea of the apprehensive tightening of the heart strings which beset the fathers, mothers, wives, and sweethearts of "our boys" when they see a uniformed telegraph boy enter the gates of their homes. There appears, however, to be a formal red-tape procedure which must accentuate such feelings. Yesterday the relatives of a Dunedin soldier, who is lying in an English hospital "dangerously ill," received no fewer than three telegrams, all notifying the fact—one from the Prime Minister, another from the Minister of Defence, and another from the Minister of Finance. The receipt of the first telegram was bad enough news; but when the second telegram came, an hour or two later, a deadly fear oppressed the mother and the rest of the family that the worst had happened. At an interval of another hour or so, the household was again quite upset by the receipt of the third notification. The relatives of the soldier referred to have no doubt been thoroughly assured that he is really "dangerously ill," but there does not appear any good reason why their feelings should have been harrowed in such a manner. A popular idea in the dominion for some years has been that there are more women in the country than men. This idea is exploded on reference to the last census taken in 1911, when it was shown that there- were 531,910 males and 476,558 females, or a proportion of females to each 100 males of 89.57. The birth-rate, on referring to the Year Book for 1914, shows that there were 14,535 boy babies born to 13,803 females, of a proportion to each 100 of the latter of 105.3. One of the returned soldiers by the Ulimaroa, who was present at the civic reception at Wellington on the loth, stated that those who returned by the Ulimaroa wore among the last of the New Zealand soldiers to leave Egypt. All the big hospitals, including the New Zealand baso hospital at Pont do Koubbch, had been cleared out, and as far as he was aware the only New Zealandcrs in khaki left in Egypt were a few who were still convalescent in the Aotea Convalescent Home in Heliopolis, the homo established by the people of the Wairarapa and Wanganui districts. The soldier, who had spent some weeks there, describes this home as the best spot in Egypt. "You could not have been better treated if you had been at the best hotel in Wellington, and I would like the people who subscribed to it to know that," ho said. The Legislative Council Act Amendment Bill, which was introduced in Parliament on the 19th, suspends the application of the elective principle for a further year, thus making it 1920 before the Bill will apply (supposing no further alteration is made in the meantime). The mcasuro also provides that members appointed prior to 1920, instead of January 1, 1917, shall retain their seats until January 1, 1924, instead of July 1, 1921. The reappointment of present members and the appointment of new members is left open. A general meeting of members of the Dunedin Branch of the New Zealand Heturned Soldiers' Association was held at Anzao Club on the 19th, for the purpose of appointing delegates to represent the branch at a conference to be held in Wellington on July 28, 29, and 31. Messrs Skinner and M'Lean were appointed. Among other important matters which the delegates were instructed to bring before the conference was the use by business peoplo and others of the word " Anzao" in connection with their places of business, etc. Members of the association are strongly of opinion that the Government should prevent the use cf the word except for military and memorial purposes, and a strong effort will be made to have this brought about. The manufacture and sale of Anzao badges simi-

lar to the official Anzac Club badge also came in for caustic comment, from which those who wear them did not escape. Quite, a number of returned men are now wearing the new' association badge, which is of similar design to the Anzac badge, but, instead of the words " Anzac Club," has the inscription " N.Z. Returned Soldiers' Association." The public are assured that men wearing the new badge are in the true sense of the word returned soldiers. It is issued only to members of the association, who must have served abroad before they can be admitted to its membership. The Otagc- Education Board on the 19th received from the Auckland Education Board a letter asking it to support a resolution asking the department to recognise a standard of 12 square feet per pupil in the floor space of schools. The present standard is 10 feet. Mr W. Scott said that the cost of putting such a proposal into effect would bo too great. In his opinion if the schools were properly built as they were in ,Otago, 10 feet of floor space was quite sufficient. On the motion of Mr Mitchell, who pointed out that more space would be needed in the Auckland, climate than here, seconded by Mr Scott, it was resolved that while the Otago Board concurred with the Auckland Board as to the desirability of the proposed reform, it did not believe that the present timo was opportune for pleasing it. A public mooting to arrange for a public farewell and presentation to men who are leaving with the reinforcements took place m the A. and P. Society's Hall, Middlemarch, on the" 15th instant. The chairman (Mr B. Irwin) explained the proposals before the meeting. After some discussion it was unanimously decided: —''That this meeting approves or the proposals and endorses the action of the interim committee, and, whilst thanking it for the work clone, pledges itself to support the elected committee financially and otherwise to carry out the proposals submitted." The following was elected a walking committee: Mr B. Irwin, chairman; Mr H. Gibson, (treasurer), Mr W. D. Mason (hon. secretary), Messrs Wn). Moynihan, J. Dcaker, A. Robertson, J. MTlardy, T. M'Clintock, sen., G. M'Donald, F. Moynihan, A. Tyndall, H. Moynihan, J. Robertson, sen., anel John Steel, a committee. ' A case of unusual sacrifice anel hardship entailed by patriotism was mentioned in the House of Representatives on the 12th instant. The circumstances, as outlined by Mr Sykcs, were that a young farm worker in the Wairarapa, in the interval between his being accepted for active service and tho date for his going into camp, sustained a slight accident to his knee. It did not trouble him, but, fearing that he might not be allowetl to leave with the forces, he wont into hospital to undergo a minor operation. Complications ensued, and ho lost his leg. The M to Z Petitions Committee recommended tho Government to give most favourable consideration to the prayer of the would-be soldier for some compensation. As a climax to a scries of thefts which have been taking place recently among boardinghouses in. Auckland, a woman named Jessie Jacobs, aged 37 years, was caughj; after midnight on the 14th in the act of entering a boarclinghouse in Eden street. Plain-clothes Constablo Trotter and a companion were on the watch, and about half an hour after midnight they noticed a person stealthily going along a waterpipo running along the wall of the boardinghouse. Tliis acrobatic feat was rendered possible as there was a space of only about 3ft between the wall and the wall of the next-door boardinghouse. The apparent burglar workeel along tho pipe to tho roof of tho verandah / opened an upstairs window, and disappeared. Constable Trotter also climbed.on tho verandah, and through the window. When he got inside he found the woman in the kitchen. She had lit a candle, stuck it in the sugar bowl, and had a cloth spread on the table. At first the woman seemingly mistook tho constable for a fellowcraftsman, for she cautioned him against making a noise anel awaking tho household, but was very much surprised when informed that he was a policeman, and that she was undor arrest. r J i>>> woman lad no boots on. On the 15th tho woman >,'..... brought beforo Mr F. V. Frazor, 8.M., on a charge of

breaking and entering, with intent to commit a crime, and she was remanded for a week, Sub-inspector M'llvency remarking that it was probable that a number of other charges would probably be preferred against the accused. There has beer, a .marked shortage of hardwood timber in Dunedin for some time, and it is understood that a part shipment, said to be the first since May of last year, is due at this port in the near future. This will be brought by the barque from South Australia, but as she has also loaded a part cargo of scrap-iron, tho quantity of timber will probably not be largo. A Christchurch Press Association telegram advises that, in an interview, Mr Skinner (Commissioner of Crown Lands for Canterbury) stated that the Land Purchase Board had been endeavouring to arrange for the purchase of land for the use of returned soldiers, but, though cmite a number of places suitable for such settlement had been offered, the board had been compelled to refuse them on account of the values set upon them. The South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce is in receipt of a letter from the head office of the National Mortgage and Agency Co., setting out what interest on mortgages will work out under the now taxation in Now Zealand. For a mortgage bearing 5 per cent, interest, tho not return tc the lender would be £4 9s lOd, for a 6 per cent. mortgage £4 18s, for a per cent, mortgage £4 13s. The letter wont on to say: "If you compare the above returns with tho war loan proposed 'to be issued at 4i per cent, free of income tax, you will see that the latter is probably the moro favourable investment of the two, even compared with freehold mortgage at 6 per cent., inasmuch as the war loan is for 25 years, whereas there is no saying what further increases thero may be on tho mortgage tax during the next few years. Supposing tho calculations are correct, the inevitable result until the war loan is fully subscribed will be to harden the price of money, although once tho Government get what they require and things become normal again, rates will find their own level, and bo guided altogether by supply and demand." A link connecting "with the old days of bullock-teams has just been broken by <ho elisposal of a fine team got together by Mr C. M'Lay, of Waikouaiti. Mr M'Lay leased from tho Borough Council tho right to cut fencing material from the bush at the back of Mount Watkin; but a bush fire destroyed the best of the timber, and Mr M'Lay found it necessary io surrender his lease. On the 14th Mr M'Lay trucked to the south "six bullocks out of a lino team of 16 driven by his father (Mr John M'Lay) at the Palmorston jubilee. Mr C. M'Lay's grandfather was the first to own a team of bullocks in Waikouaiti —in 1855—making a period of 60 years during which the family has held to the pioneer system of carting. Provincial Deputy Grand Master Bro. Holm stated at a meeting of the Kilbirnie (Wellington) Oddfellows that there was an army of 150,000 Oddfellows fighting in tho present war. That was equal to one in 10 of the total membership throughout the world. It happened that the proportion of Oddfellows in tho Now Zealand quota is also one in 10. Bro. Godber, in enlarging on those figures, stated that tho amounts contributed to keep these brothers good on the books of their lodge amounted to £IBO,OOO per annum, this amount having to bo made up by those who stayed at home. Lieutenant Drummond, who was well known as chief officer of tho Government steamer Hincmoa, and who wont Home in the Tainui two voyages ago, was given command of a mine-sweeper '\somewhorc at soa, near the British Isles." Lieutenant Drummond was in charge of one minesweeper when she was chased by a German submarine (says tho Dominion). Ho headed his vessel for port, and had to traverse a minefield near a certain coast. The ship's bow struck a mine, with tho result that her stem was blown off. Lieutenant Drummond, by carer ul navigation, however, manoeuvred his charge- safely to port, and was complimented by tho Admiralty for his achievement. Ho is now in ehargo of a larger vessel in tho North Sea. Mr Peterson,

who was second engineer of tho Hinemoa, and Mr Mitchell, who was third, have both received engineer lieutenants' appointments on board armed cruisers. A roll of honour, which form 3 a noble commentary on the scrupulous impartiality of British police methods and the undeviating fairness of British justice is isays the Daily Express), in the proud keeping of the authorities at New Scotland Yard. It is a roll of honour of men who forsook their life of crime and voluntarily offered their lives to their country "on the outbreak of war. There are 70 names on tho roll—all of them of men who were criminals and became clean-living, self-sacrificing soldiers when they realised that their country was in peril. The majority of these 70 men have been killed in action. Some of them were decorated for bravery. One man was awarded the Victoria Cross for a brilliant achievement in the German trenches in France; another was decorated by tho Tsar -with the St. George's Cross. Dr J. L. Elmore, of Kansas City, U.S.A., has returned to Christehureh from an inspection of tho ancient rock paintings at Wcka Pass, North Canterbury, and he reports (says tho Lyttelton Times) that they have puzzled him as deeply as they have puzzled other investigators. He is impressed with their marked dissimilarity to the curved lines and scroll work which are the principal feature of the ancient arts of the and he is inclined to favour the theory iliac they were done by a race different from the Maori — a race which probably came to New Zealand before the Maori immigrants. The scarcity of steel for building purposes in New Zealand is becoming more and more acute as the great war drags on, not because the steel supplies cannot be obtained in tho producing countries, but owing to tho difficulty of getting steel shipped to New Zealand. One leading Wellington architect, referring to the subject (says the Dominion), is highly indignant because steamers are being allowed to carry big consignments of motor cars—as a general rule a luxury—whilst building propositions' are being held up all over tho country for want of steamers to bring forward long-ordered consignments of constructional steel. At Oamaru on tho 21st instant Lionel Ernest Archer appeared before Mr A. Eraser, J.P., in tho Police Court, charged with stealing an overcoat valued at £2 10s, a pair of gloves valued at ss, and with entering Messrs Reid and Gray's premises and stealing on various dates brass valued at £lO. Accused was remanded (says the Mail) to appear before Mr J. 11. Bartholomew on tho 26th inst, bail being allowed — himself in £SO and two sureties of £25 each. Tho agreement arrived at between the Board of Trade and the Colonial Sugar Company, under which the latter wiil charge £2l per ton for sugar for another 12 months, means that the dominion is now obtaining its sugar at a lower price than any other portion of the British Empire. The wholesale prices are: New Zealand. £2l, f.0.b., Auckland; New South Wales, £29 ss; Victoria, £29 7s 6c!; South Australia, £29 17s 6d; Western Australia, £3l; Great Britain. £4l 12s. We are obtaining sugar at £l6 per ton less than if it were brought from America—an annual saving of £860,000. Last year tho rate hero was £2l, and since then extra taxation in Fiji and New Zealand and higher freights have cost the Sugar Company £25,000 annually, but that amount has not yet been passed on to the public. Advice has been received by the Minister of Marine from tho Imperial authorities that it is not necessary to send the Aurora, now under repair at Port Chalmers, to Elephant Island, as Sir E. Shaekleton left Puntae Arenas for that spot on July 12. In addition the British Government has almost completed arrangements for another vessel to go to Elephant Island. The decision not to send the Aurora will enable the authorities here to relieve tho high pressure work in repairing and refitting the ship, which was badly squeezed in the ice. She will probably remain in New Zealand now until December, when she wiil proceed to the Boss Sea. "It is very humiliating to have to confess that at the present time choice dessert apples are unobtainable, and that agents here do not know where they are going to secure further supplies," said a Dunodin agent to a member of our staff on the 21st. Orders from Hobart have not come forward owing to shippers there having failed to secure the necessary certificates stating that their fruit is clean. Touching on the Australian markets, a Dunedin fruit seller who has just returned from a visit to the other side, says that at Helensville he sav; apples hanging from the trees just like ropes of onions. Best Jonathans could he purchased in tho first class shops in Melbourne at 2d per.lb, and from barrows 21b of choice pears and 21b of choice Jonathans could be bought for 6d. Tim visitor could have purchased 1000 cases of Jonathans in Melbourne at Is 9d a case. h\ striking contradistinction to these prices, he found on arriving in Sydney that Jonathans were selling there at Is 6d a dozen. A question which was addressed to tho Minister of Railways in the Lower House on tho 19th inst. indicates that concessions in railway fares are granted to the families of members of Parliament. The question, which was asked by Mr Isitt, was whether it was true that a railway ticket at reduced faro from Napier to Wellington was on the 11th July issued to a married gentleman' of about 50 years of age on the ground that tho said gentleman i - 3 the son of a member of the ■ Legislature; ami whether the father of the said gentleman signed the necessary application certificate';'

Mr Herriea replied: "A railway ticket at reduced rate from Napier to' Wellington was issued to the son of a member of the Legislature on the 11th inst. This is in accordance with the regulations of tho Railway Department and the arrangements that have been in operation for many years. There is no age restriction in so far as the concession to sons or daughters of the members of the Legislature is concerned. In tho case in question tho gentleman presented tho usual certificate signed by his father, and was given tho concession to which he was entitled." In the course of a discussion on the Minister's reply, it was stated that the ticket was issued to a sun of the Hon. J. D. Ormond, IvI.L.C. At the Dairy Conference in Wellington a few weeks ago it was pointed cut that as a result of the war and tho blockade on German trade great difficulty was experienced in securing adequate supplies of rennet for the use of dairy companies in tho manufacture of choesc. To solve the difficulty it was suggested that the dairy companies in the dominion should amalgamate and undertake the manufacture of rennet. The Government has now undertaken to make provision in the Statutes Act Amendment Bill to give power to the dairy companies to form an organisation such as was proposed at the Dairy Conference to undertake tho manufacture of rennet. This provision will particularly interest tho country districts, and wi'l form the first step in securing the independence of tho New Zealand dairy companies of foreign supplies. A Press Association telegram reports that, owing to heavy rain at Wellington on Saturday, all sports fixtures were abandoned, and shipping work was dislocated. Mr F. Norris, organiser of the National Service League, completed his mission in Dunedin on Friday, having spoken to over 8000 school children during his visit on how they can help tho Empire. Mr Norris expressed Lis appreciation of tho keenness shown by the eager and willing little folk to do ail they possibly can to help our soldier lads. He is quite sure that in the future maimed men and little war orphans will be honoured and helped by these children. Mr Norris finally spoke at the Training College, tho LTiiversity, and to the Boy Scouts. He will proceed to Invercargill. Writing from an aviation school in England to his parents in Dunedin, a New Zealander who is graduating in tho art of flying conveys some interesting information. His experience so far has been brief, but he states that he has already seen two "crashes." In the first the man made a bad landing, and struck the front skids in the ground. ■ The machine somersaulted, and ended up-side-down. The aviator was unhurt, but tho machine was wrecked. The other accident was more serious. In landing, the pilot misjudged the distance of a fence, and at the last minute tried to rise again. He knocked the fence over and smashed .the machine to pieces, but wasn't badly hurt. "It is astonishing," comments the writer, " what- can happen to the machine without the man being hurt." Referring to the Pemberton-Biiling incident, tho budding aviator says that, he is now utterly discredited, yet he has gained his object. The writer goes on to utter a word of warning. "Don't believe the thrilling accounts of new aero-motors, etc., you get out in New Zealand. They are generally inventions. Vast improvements have been made, but nothing new (to-my knowledge) has been evolved since the war." The conclusion of the letter is also of interest. The writer says: "The daylight saving business seems very strange. It isn't dark now till 10.30 p.m.. However, from a national point of view, it must bo a great saving, especially in coal, so one doesn't mind." At the request of tho Ettrick Fruitgrowers' Association, Mr W. T. Goodwin, Government Instructor, gave a pruning demonstration in the fruit-testing plot in Mr F. G. Duncan's orchard on Monday, 17th instant. There was a largo attendance of growers and others interested. Mr Goodwin pointed out the necessity of hand-prun-ing as being essential to the forming of a stout tree that would carry a load of fruit without being tied up The results of this pruning could be seen in trees that two years ago were very straggly, but now were showing very strong growth and good shape. In proposing a vote of thanks to Mr Goodwin, Mr E. Patchett suggested that the demonstration each year should bo field in the same plot and on tho same trecs. Mr Goodwin, in replying, said that arrangement would suit him, for he would then be better able to carry out his method than by going to a different orchard each year. In a letter to a Picton friend, Mr W. Jcromsen, writing from tho Shetlands, in the Old Country, toils of the difficulty he experienced in securing a passport for his return to New Zealand. Mr Jcromsen, who was employed by the Railway Department, left Picton last year for England with the intention of bringing his wife out to tho dominion. When the time* eamo for his return, he found himself blocked by the Admiralty, which insisted upon proof being given that, his services were required in tho Government service of the country to which he wished to return. Tho letter from the Railway Department in New Zealand having gone astray, Mr Jcroiiisen was blocked, and nothing could persuade the officials that the case was a buna lido one. Fortunately, a copy of the Marlborough Press, containing a paragraph that Mr Jcromsen had been granted P\x months' leave of absence to enable' him to visit England, eamo to hand from a Picton friend, and (his evidence proved successful in gaining for him the required passport without any further trouble