PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 3

PASSING NOTES.

(Prom Daily Times.)

The success of the Great Liberty Loan has set us all cock-a-hoop and, in the opinion of Sir Joseph Ward's immediate friends, has merited him another step in the peerage. He asked us for twelve millions, and we gave him sixteen. Somehow the praise for this generosity seems his, not ours. To him go the honour and the glory. That is nothing. The whole business of this Great Liberty Loan is stuck through and through with paradoxes. To begin with, we are both borrower and lender; though, of course, and I admit it, the same thing holds of all similar operations in domestic finance. We borrow from ourselves and we lend to ourselves. To ourselves is the interest paid, and we tax ourselves to pay it. Apparently we go round and round in a children's game the term and goal of which is "As you were." But there again things are not what they seem. All these millions will be spent in war, and war is waste. Two nations that spend money in shooting at each other might as profitably burn the money or sink it in the sea. On the other hand, our millions go to redeem New Zealand from the Germans. Along with all the Empire, New Zealand is staked in the war, and with blood and treasure we buy it back. Hence in every million spent, as in every life laid down, we are both the richer and the poorer,—the richer by saving the country, the poorer because we ought not to have needed to save it. To end this budget of paradoxes, the Great Liberty Loan is a voluntary loan, and we volunteer at the point of the bayonet. Sir Joseph Ward graciously promises that he will not " chase" anybody with his lethal weapon;—why should he when we give him more than he asks? But none the less has he flourished it and feixited with it.

Whilst Russian affairs go steadily from, bad to worse, it is poor consolation that we might have foreseen it. Revolution in war time, swapping horses in mid-stream, — what could follow but a general overturn*? Let us assume, as we may, that everywhere amongst the Allies responsible men did foresee it and applied themselves to

meet it as best they knew. To the rest of us it was left to be fascinated by the magnificent uprising of a multitudinous democracy to efface, abolish, and destroy the single-handed tyranny of an autocrat. We have gloated and gushed oyer that. And now, when we see multitudinous folly and frenzy ruining everything, it remains to us to wish the single-handed autocrat back again. He will not come as he went—a shy, hesitating, vacillating sentimentalist." He will come, if at all, as a soldier, and the historic "whiff of grape shot" will not be wanting. With suspicion! of this, the fools and knaves that make government impossible are diligent in combing out every conspicuous soldier. The Grand Duke Michael whose Grand Dukery would be fatal in any case—where is he? For General Brusiloff and others that have left a name you watch the cables in vain. General Korniloff still lives and moves, but with fanatics on his track to hunt him down. We may say with King Harry in the play—

There is some soul of goodness in things evil, Would men observingly distil it oufcj

but it takes a valiant optimist to believe it. And in Russia the alembic for this distillation threatens to be counter-revolution and

civil war.

"No Death Penalty!" the Petrograd election cry, will carry all before it, doubtless. Nothing could be more popular. Men deserting the trenches to set up the Russian New Jerusalem and bring in a lubber-land millennium don't want to be shot before entering into possession. This is a point of coincidence —one of many—with the French Revolution. Active French patriots, famous in their later time for the cutting off of heads, began as opponents of the death penalty. Robespierre himself first came into notice as an extreme humanitarian. At Arras, holding an appointment as judge, he faithfully did justice to the people, says Oarlyle, " till behold, one day, a culpiit comes whose crime merits hanging; and the strictminded Robespierre must abdicate, for his conscience will not permit the dooming of any son of Adam to die." Apropos of this, one of Robespierre's French biographers recalls the tenderness of another extreme humanitarian —Nero, to wit, who, in his early time, being required to sign a death warrant, wished that he had never learned to write! It is to be hoped that M. Kerensky will not make a third to this pair. An anti-death-penalty man he certainly is or has been. The same may be said 'of his colleagues. We know this type of revolutionist. They begin by voting down the death penalty and end by sotting up the guillotine.

The Kaiser and Czar conspiracy against Britain in 1904 (records unearthed in Petrograd) : Next day tho Kaiser sent a telegram: ! "No"time to lose-. Not a third party must hear even a whisper of our intentions, otherwise the consequences would bo most dangerous." The Czar replied, agreeing that the German and Russian Governments must come to a permanent understanding. The Kaiser's telegrams were signed " Willy Nilly." To which the obvious and inevitable rhyme is " Silly Billy." At the date of these telegrams Russia was at war with Japan, and in no small risk of having Britain on her hands as well. There was the Dogger Bank affair, when the blundering Russian fleet fired into and sank British trawlers. The Czar's willingness to secure himself against Britain is intelligible. But what wa3 Silly Billy doing in that galley? Why should he interfere? Conspiring with one neighbour against the life and goods J of another, all the time professing friend- | ship,—this is German honour, as we since have had abundant reason to know. But why, oh why, leave thi3 compromising record, certain of leaping to light at some time soon or late? Had Silly Billy no cipher at command? Did it never occur to him to stipulate " Burn this as soon as read"? Pouring contempt upon him now —British contempt —is pouring water on a

drowned rat. " Willy Nilly " or " Silly Billy," he is mainly for us a tragic figure of fun.

What Frenchman of the Revolution time it was who said that if God did not exist it would be necessary to invent Him, I do not remember. Mr H. G. Wells might stand as his representative to-day. With the God of Christianity Mr Wells will have nothing to do. He denies and defies Him. Worse, —in relation to that God he compares himself to a missionary smashing " some Polynesian divinity of sharks' teeth and oyster shells." But he has invented a God of his own and with this H. G. Wells God he will make us all acquaint in due time. Meanwhile we may judge the We]l3 theology by the Wells politics. Kings are to disappear. A king at best is an " effigy," by which word I take Mr Wells to mean a scarecrow, a king of shreds and patches. Our own King 'i3 an effigy, he says, and an alien effigy to boot. Both of which things are untrue. The King is the King because the • blood representative of the Stuarts, the Tudors, and the Plantagenets;—not much of the " alien" about that. In what degree the people think him an "effigy" may be seen in an incident at Glasgow. Mr Lloyd George, speaking in St. Andrew's Hall on his being presented with the freedom of the city:— " There is one man who is working as hard as any man in this country, and he is the Sovereign of this Realm." (At this point the vast audience Peered and cheered again vociferously. They rose, and, led by the playing of the organ, sang with gusto the National Anthem, afterwards oheering again.) Mr Lloyd George, proceeding, said: " I am quite sure his Majesty the King will appreciate the fact that the citizens of _ Glasgow realise the contribution he is making to the work of the nation under those trying conditions." —(Cheers.) Glasgow and the Clyde have had a bad name of late for labour troubles. All the more significance in this spontaneous outburst of feeling. Mr Wells has posed much as a prophet of the future; but it looks as though he didn't understand his own time the least little bit.

The conscientious objector in a new phase,—defendant in a breach of promise suit. He was a Christchurch draper of mature age (57) and he had courted for years and years a widow somewhat younger. There had been chaste embraces and a good deal of kissing, joy rides, junketing trips (to Lake Wakatipu, for example), and the widow's children had been permitted to call him "Father." The Rev. "Mr North, Baptist minister, whom at times they "sat under," once addressed the pair as man and wife; whereupon " a slight, and simultaneous confusion was apparent in both " ; and he, the minister, as an experienced observer, concluded that " if not married they were engaged." Not so, however. The draper had scruples of conscience. According to the S'wedenborgian doctrine marriage is eternal—one man to one woman, world without end. Hence the widow was no widow. Still bound to her husband " gone aloft," she might be courted and kissed; but married?—no. And so the draper, professing himself a disciple of Swedenborg, went away under stress of conscience and married another.

Swedenboi'g's doctrine was that there was but one union of souls so far as marriage was concerned. True conjugal love was the union of only two souls — the one, Man, representing Truth, and the other, Woman, representing Love. This could not exist in any second mar-

riage. That was what he said in the witness box. But to the widow —who had often demanded marriage, had once locked him up in a room to bring him to reason, and was always "upset" when marriage conversations took place, tending on these occasions to become " cataleptic,"—he had held a very different discourse. " Defendant invariaoly kissed her, comforted her, and assured her that all would be right." The jury, taking a severe view of these proceedings and making light of the draper's conscience, brought in a swingeing verdict: —Damages £SOO with costs. Swedenborg had proved an expensive luxury.

In last week's Notes, having mentioned nettle soup as an English war time delicacy, I remarked unguardedly that except perhaps in Mr Tannock's Shakespeare garden there were no nettles in this country. To show how little I knew about it a correspondent sends me a box containing specimens of New Zealand nettle and a card: ''Dear ' Civis,' —Should you care to make soup there is plenty more of the enclosed, not in Mr Tannock's garden either." With submission I also make room for the testimony of " Margaret, aged nine years," dated with commendable formality "Alexandra, Central Otago, September 2nd, 1917 " i

Dear Mr " Oivis," —Mother says you said in yesterday's Passing Notes that there are no nettles in this country j but excuse me, please, Mr " Civis," I think there are some, because when I

waa playing by the river hero the other day I got my hands pricked with them, and they are not better yet. Shall I send you some nettles?

Thanks, no, it is unnecessary. But in gratitude for the offer I will give a curi for nettle-stinging. Did Margaret evef hear the old proverb, "In nettle, out dock "? (It is as old as Chaucer, though Margaret need not know that:— Nettlo in, dock out, now this, now that, Pandaro ?) In English rustic belief rubbing with A dock leaf cured the sting of the nettle— • "In nettle, out dock." If there are nettles in Central Otago there are also docks. Like the rat and the rabbit, both " follow man in his migrations," say the botany books, —doubtless in fulfilment of the primal curse.

But I have still some cleaning up to do., Last Saturday, referring to something eaicT by Mr G. K. Chesterton, I described hira a 3 "chanting pasons"— not peeans, which would be right, but preons! With thia crumpled rose-leaf under me I have hacl no rest all the week. Next, treating of the word "sabotage," and noting that it is not in the Oxford Dictionary—which has been more than 30 years in process of publication and is still incomplete, but has got beyond the letter S—l quoted a French definition from the " Petit Larousse," 1914. Whereupon three kindly, correspondents hasten to my assistance— M.K., Outram, with Chambers' gOth Century Dictionary; J. P. T., Napier, with the British Empire Universities Modern English Dictionary, 20s, 1916} and T. B. M'N., Hastings, with Addenda to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1914 j from which last concise definition, may ba quoted: "Doing of damage to plant, etc., by workmen on bad terms with thei* employers." The " sabot " at the back of the word appears to be not the French wooden shoe thus called but the iron shoo (sabot) or cushion (coussinet) by which the metals of a railway line are attached to the sleepers. Sabotage began on the French railways. Finally, for this time, a correspondent confronts me with a paragraph—copied, and copied too faithfully, by the Daily Time 3 froin a northern paper —describing injuries suffered by a war , victim at the front:

A shell completely blew in the trench in which he was standing-., and buried him to the chin in the earth and debris. When he was dug out his ribs were found to be broken, and one of his left legs was fractured in two places. His leg is still giving him trouble, but his general health and spirits are excellent. "An extra leg or two would be useful to soldiers/' says my correspondent. May be. But there is another view. We are told first of the victim's ribs; at that point in the storv both legs are left. Consider the remarkable fact that in putting on your stockings, begin where you will, it is always with the left leg you end. g Civis.

Speakings in committee on the Finance Bill on the 4th inst., the Hon. R. H. Rhodes urged that an old-ago pensioner should be allowed to earn up to, say, £52 a year without suffering any deduction in his or her pension.

A Press Association telegram states thai) in Wellington on the 4th sheet and corrugated iron was practically unprocurable, and no price was quotable.

The first indication that it is was at all likely that the notorious Jim Larkin would visit Australasian countries was a cable* gram from the commonwealth to say thai tho Prime Minister (Mr Hughes) had declared that the Government would not! allow him to land in Australia. In the. House of Representatives yesterday, Mr Wright gave notice of a question to ask tha Government whether any steps would bo token to prevent Larkin from landing in New Zealand. Mr Massey said that Larkin would not be allowed to land in New Zealand.

Speaking at a social function of railwaymen on the 4th, Mr J. Young (president of the Railway Officers' Institute) referred at some length to the ever-increasing cost of living and the attitude that his executivo had taken up regarding the matter. This question had been kept steadily before the management and the Minister of Railways, and about 18 months ago the executivo had assooiated itself with other representatives of the United State Service Council, which had been established in Wellington for the purpose of representing matters of general concern to the Government, axid the cost of living problem had been dealt with very thoroughly by that body. It had been decided not to ask for an increase in wages, beca.use they realised that if they did so ?ihey would be misrepresented and misunderstood by the publio. The course decided upon, in tho best interests of all concerned was to ask the Government to use every endeavour to reduce the ocst of living, as they considered it had tho power to do so»

Methods were suggested by which that end might be arrived at, but Sir James Allen's reply had not been very satisfactory. Recently this State Council, which comprised between 25,000 and 30,000 members, decided to petition Parliament, and petitions, which had been extensively signed throughout New Zealand, were being gradually presented to members in order to keep the msttor fresh In their minds. A Cost of Living Committee had been set up, and a request had been made that the council should have a repre-

sentative at the sittings of this committee, and that it should also have the right to cross-examine witnesses. The chairman advised, in his reply, that while the committee was willing to hear their evidence it could not allow a representative to attend its (meetings, nor could it allow them to crossexamine the witnesses. They had therefore deolined to give evidence before the committee, and now intended to approach the Fiime Minister and endeavour to get him to alter his mind. " We have decided," con-

tinucd Mr Young, "to inform the Prime Minister that our only alternative, in the event of it being found impossible to reduce the cost of living, is to ask for an increase in wages. That is tho position to date. I may say that we much prefer to see the Government take over the control of the foodstuffs produced in this country, and enable local consumers to have first call on them at a reasonable price—that being the price ruling in the markets of the world. We do not wish to [prevent the producer from getting full market value for his produce, but we consider the people of this country should first be provided for at a fair price." Continuing, the speaker said that if economic arguments were raised against this proposal, he would answer that the war had changed the old order of things entirely, and eoonomios had been blown skyhigh. Instead of supply and demand being the ruling factors in the price of commodities, these were now regulated in a most arbitrary manner by combinations of capitalists. Their action in this matter had been dictated by a desire to avoid being placed in a position that bore any resemblance to exploitation, and they wished to show the public that they did not want extra pay if relief could be obtained in another direction. —(Applause.) The other day Mr Glover, M.P., toJd a sad tale about the unhappy state of a woman in Auckland. It was said that her four sons had gone to the war, and that the bailiffs were in her house distraining for some £8 of rent. Mr Lee asked the Minister of Defence on the 4th whether he had made inquiries into tho case, and, if so, would he give information to the House? Sir James Allen said the matter had been inquired into, and he understood that it had been settled up in a way quite satisfactory to the member for Auckland Central. He was quite prepared to give tho House all the information, but he had been asked not to do so.

Some time ago it was suggested, through Mr J. A. Frostick, National Efficiency Commissioner for Canterbury, that Messrs B. Tripp, D. T. Little, and D. Manson should be authorised to issue certificates recommending chairmen of Military Service Boards to exempt from service reservists who are bona fide high-country musterers, and whose services are considered indispensable. Sir James Allen has written, stating that the question has been discussed with the Primo Minister, and that the appointment of those gentlemen as a committee to undertake the work has been approved. The Shops and Offices Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr Hindmarsh in the House of Representatives, has emerged from the Labour Bills Committee with the following (amended) operative clause:—"No woman shall be employed about any hotel, private hotel, restaurant, or refreshment room after 10.30 o'clock in the evening, except on Christmas Eve and New Year Eve, and except and unless permanent and suitable sleeping accommodation is provided for each woman employed after 10.30 o'clock in the evening on the premises to the satisfaction of the Inspector of Factories. Provided that no woman shall be employed in or ahout any private hotel, restaurant, or refreshment room after midnight." Mr Hindmarsh asked the Prime Minister if he would give facilities for the passage of the Bill, the main object of which was to regulate the hours of the girls employed in tiie marble bars and similar refreshment rooms. Theso girls, lie said, often had to work till after 11 o'clock at night, missing the last car home, and in some cases they had been molested while walking home at that late hour. Girls, he urged, ought not to be allowed to be kept at work so late. The Prime Minister said that ho would take an opportunity of looking at the Bill, and at the report of evidence given before the committee, and later on would be able to tell the hon. member whether he was able to support the measure. "So far as I know no naturalised Germans are employed on any wharf in Now Zealand," declared the Prime Minister in Parliament on Thursday. "Some months ago instructions were given to clear them off."

A report that Sir James Allen would soon go Homo as High Commissioner was referred to in the House on the sth by MiBrown, who asked whether the report was true and if so, when would Sir James Allen be leaving New Zealand? Sir James Allen said that if tho hon. member would only rest his soul in peace and tell those who came to him spreading these wild rumours to do likewise it would bo better for them. He added that he denied the rumour absolutely.

Tho Postmaster-general is issuing a poster announcing that letters for tho United Kingdom are forwarded by the San Francisco and Vancouver routes only unless specially superscribed, that persons and

firms in the habit of posting duplicates to tho United Kingdom in order to avoid sending the originals and duplicates by the same mail should subscribe the original letter "via San Francisco" and the duplicate "via Vancouver," and vice versa. The superscription of duplicates "by direct steamer," if the originals are posted without superscription will also serve to ensure the despatch of originals and duplicates by different routes. The Minister of Defence stated last week that if a vacancy occurred on the War Pensions Board he would be glad to give consideration to the appointment of a returned soldier to fill it.

The Postmaster-general announces (saysour Wellington correspondent) that he is prepared to permit tins of condensed milk to be forwarded to soldiers at the front at the rate of postage for parcels of lib —4d. He is willing to do this until the weight of these tins can be reduced to lib gross, but before he can do 60 he must consult the British Post Office. It may be found necessary to exclude semi-liquid matter like condensed milk from the post unless it its packed in stronger receptacles than the tins it is usually put in; In the House of Representatives MiBrown asked the Prime Minister whether he had noticed that the firm of Armour and Co., Australasia, with a capital of £20,000, divided into £4OOO shares of £5 each, had been registered on October 3, 1916, Mr W. J. Cannery being allotted 3998 shares, Mr W. J. Kingdon one, and Mr 0. T. Alpens one. Mr Massey replied that the matter was being inquired into by the Commissioner of Taxes, under the provisions of section 102 of "The Land and Income Tax Act, 1916."

In reply to representations made by Mr Brown the Prime Minister etated on the sth that the allocation of all retrigerated space in oversea stoamem was undertaken by the overseas ship-owners' committee, appointed by the Lnperial Government, from which it received direct instructions. It was found some time ago that a quantity of lamb was shipped by the Wellington meat companies when beef or wether mutton should have been shipped owing to the instructions received from the Imperial Government and passed on to the freezing companies having been misinterpreted. As soon as it came under notice that some freezing companies had departed from the instructions steps were taken to adjust matters at other ports where freezing companies had respected the instructions of the Imperial Government. Other cases of the irregular shipment of lamb were brought under the notice of the Overseas Shipowners' Committee by trade rivals, and the matter was taken up with the companies conoerned. The New Zealand Overseas Ship-owners' Committee had relied in the past on the freezing companies giving effect to the notifications issued from time to time as to the class of meat to be shipped, but it had now taken steps to secure adherence to the instructions of the Imperial Government.

At a meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association on Tuesday, 4th inst., Mr Geo. M. Smith, who left Now Zealand with the Main Body of the (Expeditionary Force and served in Gallipoli, was appointed temporarily to the position of secretary. Through the good services of a prominent business man the use of a set of offices in the centre of the city has been given gratis to the association for a period, and the new secretary will commence his duties there in the course of a few days. It may also bo mentioned that the same gentleman has guaranteed tho secretary's salary for two years and so removed any fears the committee of the association might have had regarding its ability to meet the expense necessarily incurred by the appointment of a secretary.

Mr Webb gave notice in the Houesu of Representatives of his intention to ask the Minister of Defence whether it was a fact that at a recent examination at Trentham for commissions 100 candidates came forward and only four were successful, that among the candidates was the son of an Anglican bishop, that the oandidate was one of the youngest, and; his name came at the bottom or nearly the bottom of the list, that this candidate nevertheless received one of the four commissions granted, that his brother was, or had been, an aide-de-camp to the Governor-general, and that his father was a guest of his Excellency at the time the commissions wore allotted. The Speaker remarked that the question would have to be revised before it went on to the Order Paper. Our Wellington correspondent subsequently asked Sir James Allen for an explanation of the points raised in Mr Webb's question, it being understood that tho officer referred to is a son of the Anglican Bishop of Auckland. SHr James stated that young Averill

passed second on the list of all the candidates examined, and he was quite satisfied that the examination was a perfectly fair and proper one. As regards the question of youthfulness, Sir James Allen stated that all who went into camp were placed on exactly the same footing-, and advancement depended upon their own energies and abilities. The examination was not merely a written one, as practical knowledge, capacity for leadership, and general efficiency were also taken into consideration, if young Avcrill had been passed over he would have had very 6trong and just grounds for complaint. Bill last evening, the Hon. R. H. Rhodes of Edendale, informed the Motor Club yesterday that the Southland League was A young man who was engaged rolling wheat near Pleasant Point last week, was taken from his work and lodged in Timaru gaol by two military police, who had been given instructions to do this. The young man's father applied to the Second Canterbury Military Appeal Board to allow hi» son time to help him get the crop in, and the board granted leave till September 17. The young man had a telegram from Mr Bishop, chairman of the board, in his possession, stating that leave had been given him till September 17, and though he showed this to the policemen they said they simply had to carry out instructions. On Friday morning the father went to the Defence Office in Timaru to try to secure the release of his son from gaol. The Defence Office got into communication with Christchurch by telephone, with the result thafc the young fellow was released. The father feels very keenly the indignity that has been put. upon him in thus taking his son to gaol. He is a man well up in years, can do only light work, and the son in question was the only one ho had on the farm.

"Can the Finance Minister give us any indication as to when the bonus will be paid to civil servants?" said Mr Webb in the House of Representatives last week. Sir Joseph Ward said that the bonus would be voted on the Supplementary Estimates, and would be joaid soon after the end of the session.

"Some members who talk during this time of crisis don't care if they burst everybody," declared Sir Joseph Ward in the House this evening. " They don't want to assist their country in the war, and they have no sense of responsibility." The better section of the community, among which was 90 per cent, of the working men, was, he declared, anxious that New Zealand should come out of the war pure and unsullied, but some members of the House forgot their sense of responsibility, and sought to create an impression with a certain extreme section of the community in order some day to try to get into power. The Lord help this country if they got into power. In this country and +he Motherland, and in all the belligerent countries, there was an extra period of stress, yet members were looking out to see if they could put someone in a position 12 months hence, or later with the object of saying they did not vote in a particular way. "If they think we don't understand it," he said in conclusion, "they must think we are very foolish people, because we do." When asked by our Wellington correspondent as to the correctness or otherwise of the reported offer of the licensing trade to sell their business lock, stock, and barrel to the Government at a price between £5,000,000 and £6,000,000. the Prime Minister stated on the 6th inst. that no offer had been made to the Government nor had the Cabinet been approached in any way in reference to the matter.

The Prime Minister stated last evening that within the next few days the first New Zealand controlled ship would sail from one of our principal ports loaded to the hatches with New Zealand produce. This vessel would be followed by another at an early date. This had been done to assist the producer. The Government had not bought the ship, but controlled it. iSpeaJdng with regard to the statement made by the Hon. A. Myers, that the most stringent economy was necessary in the use of white lead, in view of an anticipated shortage of that article, Mr D. Lee (president of the Christchurch Master Painters' Association, and of the Federation of Master Painters), remarked to a representative of the Press on Wednesday that he did not think there would be any serious diminution in the white lead supply. An oldestablished English paint firm had recently installed an extensive white lead manufacturing plant at its Sydney branch, and a shipment of 500 tons of its output was expected to arrive in New Zealand early in November. Formerly lead had been sent from Australia to England, prepared thece, and shipped back, but now that the new plant had" been set up in Sydney, the material could be received there direct from Broken Hill, and converted into white lead forthwith. The process after the raw material reached the factory was a lengthy one, as the oxidisation took several months, but' once the output had commenced a steady supply would bo assured. Sufficient supplies were available to enable necessary work to bo carried out until the Australian shipment came to hand, so that no serious inconvenience need be feared. It was obvious, however, that the due arrival of this shipment would depend largely upon whether the shipping between Australia and New Zealand would have been sufficiently reorganised by November. Another 6ide of the Auckland case in which the bailiffs were placed in possession owin" to the fact that a woman with four Bons°at the front was unable to pay her rent (£8 9s) has been revealed by the Auckland papers. The landlord of the house stated to the Star that at the woman's request he allowed the rent to run on four weeks, by which time he was given to understand she would receive her sons' monthly pay, and then as she did not pay the overdue rent he placed the matter in the hands of a sheriff's officer. Ho maintains that his action was reasonable and justified by the circumstances, which h» intends to set out in a communication to members. Mr Lamer (chairman of the Relief Board of the Auckland Patriotia Association) said ho could readily identify

the case referred to as one which the board had already investigated. He had sent a wire to the Minister of Defence informing the latter that the woman was in receipt of pay allotments totalling £4 4s a week; that she was paying £2 a week rent, against the wishes of the sisters who wore associated with the Patriotic Association In such inquiries and who had been visiting her on behalf of the committee; that he understood that she had lately purchased, on the time-payment system, a piano valued at £93; that the sisters and the board alike considered that the case was not one for patriotic assistance. In the House of Representatives on the 6th, Mr Glover said he ought probably to have gone to the Minister of Defence or telegraphed to the Auckland Patriotic Society before making the matter public He admitted that Mr Hannan had been persecuted and prosecuted, probably wrongfully. If he (Mr Glover) had done wrong he could only say that he would not do it again.

Speaking of New Zealand manufacturers before the Christchuroh Chamber of Commerce, Mr J. A. Frostick said that repeated endeavours had been made in other countries to produce a rug equal to a particular rug made in New Zealand, but the attempt had never succeeded. There was a particular form of blanket, also, which had never yet been made outside of New Zealand, although often attempted. The dominion had raw materials probably second to none in the world, and if the people did not use it to the greatest advantage they would not be faithful to the trust reposed In them by those who had handed the country over to them. A rumour that has gained currency in eome quarters that quantities of cheese in store" had to be destroyed through its deterioration is denied by the authorities, who state that only one case was destroyed last week. During the whole of last season the quantity of cheese that had to be destroyed was very small considering the huge quantity, that was in store. It was true that shipments were sent away in overheated condition, but it is confidently expeoted that with the advent of cool storage there will not be a recurrence this season of the trouble. All consignments of cheese are now put into cool store at Auckland. Arrangements are being made for the storage of 100,000 crates at Wellington, under similar conditions, and for upwards of 50,000 crates at Patea. / Short letters received from Private Charles Richardson (son of Mrs Richardson, of Greymouth), who is a prisoner of war in Germany, show that he was working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in driving a team of bullocks, draining land, and planting potatoes, at the command of the Huns, a "mob of women" being employed in the same field. One parcel of many Bent, from Greymouth relatives, reached him on his last birthday. It was a parcel containing oake, and it arrived " just in time, for there was not too much food about."

Written in the drily-official tone that characterises the methods of the British Army authorities, a most interesting "reoeipt" has been received by Mrs William Fitzpatrick, of Wellington, from her husband, Rifleman William Fitzpatrick. of tho New Zealand Rifle Brigade. The receipt is as follows: —"Received from W. Fitzpatrick, 2nd Battalion N.Z.R.8., 12 (twelve) German prisoners.—(Signed) H. T. Harmsworth, for A.i J .M." Rifleman Fitzpatrick brought in thoso men single-handed at the battle of Messines, where he was subsequently wounded in the knee. To be told in effect that he was dead, and that the insurance policy on his life had been paid over, was the experience that a well-known resident of Hokitika had a few weeks ago (says the Greyrnouth Star). It seems that this gentleman, who can be designated as John Smith, had a policy of insurance on his life for the sum of £2OO. In the same street as John Smith resided thero was also an old man of the same name. It had been the custom of the wife of the first John Smith to send the halfyearly premiums on the policy by post to the head office. Frequently the receipts for tho premiums so forwarded did not come to hand, but this did not cause any concern to the party insured. Later developments ehowed that the missing receipts had been delivered by tho post office to the second John Smith, who filed them away, without making any inquiry as to why or ho\v they came to be delivered to him. Some few weeks ago this second John Smith died, and the local agent of the Public Trustee iook possession of his hut and eifects. He found in the hut the receipts for a number of insurance premiums, and on inquiry at

the head office of the insurance company a reply was received that the company had a policy on the life of John Smith for £2OO, and that on production of the policy and probate the amount, with bonuses, would be paid over. As the policy could not be found a new one was issued, and the money was paid over to the Public Trustee. By this time another half-yearly premium on the policy had fallen due, and, following his usual custom, the first-named John Smith forwarded the amount to the office. Judge of his surprise to receive a letter which, in effect, told him he was dead, and that the amount of his policy had been paid over to the Public Trustee. Inquiries were speedily made, with the result that the true state of affairs was revealed. Fortunately, the Public Trustee had not distributed the estate to beneficiaries in England, and the amount of insurance received was refunded. Representations have boon made to the Government by some of the looal millers that a special regulation should be introduced pionibiting the use of wheat for feeding fowls. This course has been forced on millers by the alleged action of a South Otago farmer. This farmer has been holding over 1000 sacks of milling wheat for several months, with the hope that the Government might permit an increase in the prices fixed by regulation. At present the highest price which can be received is 6s lOd per bushel. This hope, however, appears to be doomed to disappointment. But the farmer has now gained hia ends by other means. When the regulations were passed it was laid down that they should not coyer any transaction under 50 bushels. The farmei therefore is simply selling his 1000-odd sacks in small lots of under 50 bushels, and has received as high as 6s 6d per bushel from 'buyers, who intend to use the wheat for feeding fowls As regards utilising wheat for feeding fcwls, it is stated that at the Milton poultry farm no wheat is now used, and that highly satisfactory results are obtained from feeding oats, barley, and ryecorn, with plenty of green food. Messrs Leo (Kaitangata Coal Company), Bremner (Green Island Collieries), and Allan (J. Mill and Co.) have been selected by the local coal mining companies to act as the Government representatives here under f he regulations recently issued whereby the distribution of all coal is to be controlled. The regulations as drafted by the Government are, however, held by the coal merchants to be unworkable, and the first work of the three men appointed has been to write to the Miniser in charge pointing out the weaknesses of the regulations, and making suggestions how these may be overcome. An excellent record for a youth only 17 years of age was unfolded at the City Police Court on Friday morning, when Frederick Dance was chaa-ged witn deserting his ship. From the information submitted to the court by the police it appeared that the lad was quite a veteran in the world of experience. At the age of 15 he became associated with tho 3rd Queen's Regiment, an association which lasted for some three months and a-half, when he was discharged, it is believed, because of his immature age. Following upon this discharge, however, Dance enlisted in the sth Royal Fusiliers, being discharged for the same reason in October of last year, after seeing six months of active service on tho Continent. Subsequently he obtained employment on rhe ocean-going liner Rotorua, aud continued as a steward in this vessel to the time when she was torpedoed in the English Channel, early in tho present year. Dance's father, it was also learned, had seen two years and a-half of active service in the present war, serving with the Royal Engineers. Dance, jun., however, deserted his ship quite recently at Lyttelton, but in view of the boy's splendid record the magistrate (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) consented to the withdrawal of the charge by the police. Sergeant Hugh Fraser (who was for some time on the literary staff, of tho Christchurch Press), writing from "Somewhere in France" to a New Plymouth friend, says, in the course of his letter: ''That was really a great day for New Zealand, for wo captared Messines, a place the Allies had won before and could not hold, and which had practically been a German stronghold for two years and a-half. A few days before, certain troops, who recently won an equally strong position, were laying the odds against New Zealand. These troops had won Messines, but had lost it, and they said to our chaps, 'You will take it, but you won't hold it.' Well, our chaps did both. A few days before tho battle I had a splendid view of the village from our front line, and saw it to be little but a crumple! ruin in brick on the top of a low rising hill, but in this

land of flat country it is these ridges which mean so much to the army which holds them."

Humours are current at present among civil sorvants (says the New Zealand Times) as to the possibility of the Government placing certain departments under military control.

A prominent Dunedin business man who has several times visited the Waitedci River and has obtained all the intoimation possible regarding the quinnat salmon which have now become thoroughly acclimatised there, has great faith in the future of a tinned salmon industry for the dominion. He says that the people of Dunedin have but a faint idea of the enormous numbers of salmon which every year travel up the Waitaki, and, presumably, other rivers, to spawn. He has also taken the trouble to obtain all the data possible regarding the habits of the salmon which are caught in the rivers of the west coast of Canada and the United States, and has no doubt that the New Zealand salmon are of the same species as that which provides the' basis of the great Canadian and American tinned fish industry. The salmon in these great rivers of the northern hemisphere spawn only once, then die, and float tail first, dead, battered, and emaciated, down the rivers. Once a salmon of the American species enters a river to spawn, it never turns back. Escaping ■ the perils of the ooean, it enters the river mouth on the last journey Nature requires from it. In the river it ceases to eat, but presses on towards the spawning grounds. Some manage to evade the traps, the nets, the water wheels, etc., which line the river banks, to surmount the rapids, and finally to reach their last destination. The Dunedin business man had the idea that, as the salmon in New Zealand have but a few miles to swim in the rivers to reach the spawning grounds, as compared with the hundreds of miles in the rivers of British Columbia and the United States, they might not die as the northern fish do, but return to the ooean. From information Avhich he has received, however, he lias ascertained that fish have been seen in the Waitaki, towards the end of the spawning season, floating tail Grst down the river.

Inadequacy of pensions to widows imder the Public Service Superannuation Scheme was the subject of a reference by Mr H. A. Huggins at a Post and Telegraph smoke concert at Wellington. The pension at present was fixed at £lB a year, which had been fixed when the old age pension was also £lB. Since then the old age pension had been increased to £26, and now it was proposed to make a further increase to £39. The question had been submitted to actuarial investigation, and it was found that the pension could safely be increased to £52 if the men themselves were willing to make a sacrifice in their superannuation for this purpose The men were willing, but before the change was made there must bo legislative authority.

When the cars on the southern lines were stopped on Friday evening through the breaking of an overhead wire a ljn<wnan proceeded on his bicycle to repair the damage, and while he was engaged in this work someone stole the machine.

A Press Association message from Taumarunui states that Fred Bain, a single man, employed by a farmer down the river, and formerly employed at Otorohanga and Taihape, disappeared from the Club Hotel at 2 a.m. on August 28, leaving his watch behind, and taking a fellow boarder's cap. It is believed that ho has met with a fatal accident while crossing the Wanganui River making for Rait's farm, where he worked. The police have so far made an unsuccessful search for Bain.

A further letter, dated May 15, has been received from Flight-lieutenant Hugh Hamilton, of Nelson, a prisoner in Germany. He states (says the Colonist) that ho lias had another move, and at the time of writing was at Magdeburg, this being tho fifth hospital of which he has been an inanato. He says that his right arm had so far recovered that the bandages were taken off, his face was practically all right, and it was expected that in another thrco weeks or a month the skin would have grown over the burnt flesh on tho left arm. When he had recovered he expected to be shifted to an officers' prison camp. Ho repeats that he is allowed to write one letter only each fortnight, and, as he has to make provision by letter for his needs to be met by parcels from England, this restriction prevents him from writing as regularly to his relatives as he would wish. He also states that, exclusive of bread and biscuits, most of the parcel came through a committee

sot up by the Government, and the allowance per man was three 101 b paroels in each fortnight. In addition to that relatives or friends were permitted to forward articles to an aggregate weight of 221 b per month, exclusive of apparel and "smokes." Incidentally Lieutenant Hamilton gives a few additional particulars of his descent from the height of 9000 ft in a flaming 'plane. He says that a bullet perforated the petrol tank and tho spirit took fire. He got from his seat on to one of the "wires," and, reaching over, was able to manage the aircraft. When approaching the ground he was frightened to snake a landing, as the machine was so much on fire that he thought it would collapse under the shock and bury his gunner and himself under tho burning debris. He, therefore, "stalled" the machine, and! called on his gunner to drop off, and he himself dropped to earth, both of them escaping without further injury. In practically the whole of the Methodist churches in Dunedin on Sunday a resolution was carried bearing upon the subject of six o'clock closing. The general purport of this resolution is conveyed by the following motion unanimously adopted by a largo congregation at the Dundas Street Church: "That this congregation comprising electors of Dunedin North strenuously urges the Government to grant in full the petition presented) on behalf of nearly 200,000 electors of this dominion asking for legislation restricting the selling of intoxicants to between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. as tho irreducible minimum demanded in the interests of war economy and national efficiency, and the stern conditions imposed by the present war. Failing six o'clock closing, we demand that the question of national prohibition be submitted to the publio vote this year." Replying to a question in the House of Representatives by Mr Brown, as to whether the Minister of Publio Works would state when he was likely to start the Waikaremoana electrical installation, and whether the Government could not employ some of the interned Germans to carry out part of this work, the Minister stated that several schemes were submitted for tho consideration of Parliament, but only one, the Lake Coleridge scheme, was adopted as an experiment as to practicability and cost. The result had been so favourable that steps were now being taken to submit to Parliament for authorisation, as soon as they could be prepared, certain schemes to provide Wellington and Auckland districts with electrio energy. It would be quite impossible to provide tho necessary funds and labour for cither of these schemes until the war was over. The Waikaremoana scheme was never adopted by Parliament.

A young Anzao has had an interesting experience, which may also prove profitable. ' Whilo djgging a trench in Flanders one day, ho found a curiously-shaped piece of flint, which looked'as if it would make an effective weapon of offence. Attaching it to a stick, he made a knobkerry, with which he cracked German crowns in many raids. Eventually he took it to England with him when he got leave, and it happened to catch the eye of an expert in these matters. "This," pronounced the expert, "is a relio of the Stone Age; a weapon with which primitive man fought in those very same trenches tens of thousands of years ago. As a curio, it's worth quite a lot of money."

A movement is on foot at Hamilton to erect a returned soldiers' memorial upon a central site in the town. The idea is that a substantial building should be erected, consisting of club room, hall, and museum, which would bo available i'o- all purposes connected with the military an'airs of No. 4 Group, and where trophies and regimental colours could bo housed. About £IO,OOO will be required to erect the building and provide a fund for its future maintenance, and it is proposed to raise the amount by public subscription in Waikato. It is hoped to erect a marble column on which would be inscribed tho names of all men from No. 4 Group who lost their lives, and also a roll of honour of those who left tho area for active service. It is also proposed that the Home authorities should be approached with the object of obtaining some cannon and other souvenirs from both Gallipoli and France. Mr T. Harland, driver of one of the Now Plymouth-Opunake mail motor cars, and a passenger named A. Thompson, a returned soldier, had a marvellous escape from death while driving from Opunake to Wanganui at night on Saturday week. When passing Kai Iwi Hill at a dang-erous point in the road the car skidded, and went over a bank, where, after backing a considerable distance, it capsized,. Both

the occupants were rendered unconscious, but fortunately they were thrown dear of the car, for when Mr Thompson, who waa only stunned, recovered about 1 a.m., some two hours later, the car was a smouldering heap of ruins, having caught fire. Mr Thompson obtained assistance, and Mr Harland was taken to a being later removed to Wanganui Hospital, where ho is now being treated for injuries to the neck and a hand. The car was owned by Mr E. Wooldridge.