Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3314, 19 September 1917, Page 3

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that Sir James Allen has announced that the second portion of the 29th Reinforcements has arrived safely at a port of call. Private Tlios. Clark died from cerebro-spinal meningitis on the voyage. A Press Association telegram states that in reply to Mr Parata in the House of Representatives yesterday the Minister of Defence said the New Zealand soldier was the* best paid soldier in the Empire, taking the allowances into consideration. The question of the prices of articles sold in. the canteens was now under consideration, and in all probability the Defence Department would take the canteens over and run them itself. • -

Amongst the many reasons which point to the necessity for better protection at the Mosgiel railway crossing in Gordon road, one was given on Monday night at a meeting of school committeemen in Mosgiel to tha effect that the present state of affairs affected the attendance at the East Taieri School. Though residing in the EastTaicrl school district, the parents sent their children to the Mosgiel School rather than let them cross the lino at the point referred to, where so many trains crossed during school hour 3. In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr M'Combs stated that he had received a telegram from a Wanganui trade unionist stating that kerosene in that town - cost 24s per case. He asked the Prima Minister if he would have the matter referred to the Board of Trade for consideration and report. Mr Massoy said he would refer the matter to the Board of Trade, bub he thought he was justified in Baying that tho Government was making arrangements for the supply of kerosene tor this country ./ from America. Speaking en the work done by the Financial Assistance Board, Sir James Allen stated in the House of Representatives that the total number of cases dealt with up to August 31 was 3190. The expenditure fgt

the month was £17,674. The amount expended up to August 31 was £46,516. He Wanted, he said, the assistance of members and the country generally to protect the board and Parliament in regard to a flaw vrhioh had been discovered. He would give two cases: —"A woman with two children: £he board grained full rent. Husband was previously earning £3 per week. Private Information has just been received to the ieffect that the applicant has purchased a piano for £94 on tho instalment system.

Applicant has been asked for an explanation, and as to whether she can show reason why the board's grant of rent should not be reduced. The action of the piano agent in arranging such a purchase with a soldier's wife certainly lends itself to criticism." "A woman with one child: Husband formerly a tradesman, earning about £3 10s per week. A few months after the husband's departure with the reinforcements this applicant purchased furniture, amounting to £54 2s lid. tfc appears that

this furniture is intended for one room only, and comprises: Carpet square £l4, mirror £3, brass bowl £1 2s 6d, two pictures £3 ss, settee £lO 10s, carpet sweeper £1 17s 6d, two palm stands £1 3s, tub chair £4- 15s. The balance represents expensive curtains, cushions, and covers. It is understood that this applicant has resided in three or four different towns. The board has authorised payment of rent in this case, but has declined to pass any payment on account of furniture."

The fate of the long-overdue steamer belonging- to the Union Company was referred to in Parliament yesterday by Mr Poole, who asked the Minister of Marine whether any steps wore being taken to locate the vessel or to discover whether any survivors might be living on some of the Pacific islands. The Minister said the vessel sailed for San Francisco on May 50, and had never been heard of since. She was probably lost—whether as the result of war conditions or by accident he could not say. An inquiry would be commenced within the next few days, in order to carry out the law and to ascertain the condition of the ship when she left New Zealand. The Marine Department would make investigations as to the probable route of the steamer, with the object of" having any islands in the vicinity searched. Nothing had been done up to the present. It was mentioned in the House of Representatives by Mr Witty yesterday that mounted men who had completed their training in camp, but who were unable to get away, wore anxious to go home to their farms without pay for two or three weeks to assist during the lambing season. Sir Jas. Allen said he could not give a definite answer that day. He asked for time to make a reply.

According to the annual report of the National Provident Fund, the contributors to the fund on December 31 numbered 9847, representing an annual contribution income of £38,664. The total funds amounted to £122,361, as compared with £83,000 at the close of the previous year. Maternity allowances amounting to £3775 were paid to 634 contributors. The expenses for the year 1916 were 19.9 per cent, of the contribution income.

Mr Thomson, M.P., has been advised that, protection has been extended for 12 months from September 9 for the Orepuki Shale Works

During the present year nearly s£ft of rain has fallen in Auckland, or only 3in less than the total fall for 1916, which stands as a record annual fall. The abnormal fall has caused tho low-lying localities in some of the suburbs to be seriously flooded, and it has also caused extensive erosion in the cliffs on the shores of Auckland Harbour.

Figures compiled in Auckland show that there is an increasing tendency on tho part of women to engage in office work, but, generally speaking, their employment is limited to work peculiarly suited to them, such as shorthand and typewriting. A legal firm, which in pre-war days employed two women olerks, has now six on its staff. A lairge firm of warehousemen at one time employed 22 on its office staff, but now 40 are engaged, and a firm of hardware merchants has an office staff which includes 21 girl clerks, as against nine before the war, while another firm of wai-ehousemen employs 21, as compared with six before the war. Some of the Auckland chemists employ saleswomen, and there are women taxica.b drivers. Girl clerks have proved the greatest success in banking institutions. It is recognised that, though they have certain limitations, these are duo more to inexperience in banking work than to ineptitude. Our London correspondent writes that the New Zealand stall at the Albert Hall Bazaar, in aid of St. Dunstan's, of which Lady Hardwicke was president, and Mrs E. Riddiford hon. treasurer, had netted £I6OO, thus doing better than any other stall at the bazaar. Of the total, £1279 represented donations, chiefly from New Zealanders, and £3lB sales at the stall.

There are a number of islands in the Waitaki River, which stream forms the boundary between Otago and Canterbury. These islands comprise a fair quantity of grazing lots, which have been under the control of committees of settlers, who have managed the lots and let the grazing of them to adjoining settlers. There has been somo discussion lately with regard to the advisability of the Land Board taking the control of these lands the committees and having them offered under lease for disposal by tender. The settlers who hold the leases in the Otago district resent interference tinder existing conditions, holding that, if the land is disposed of by public competition, large landowners on tho Canterbury sido will outbid the Otago farmers, thereby inflicting hardship on tifoe email men who have looked to ihese additional

areas as a help in farming their Crown selections. The matter came before the Otago Land Board on the 12th, in the form of representations from the settlers interested, who submitted the full facts to the board, with the result that a resolution was passed strongly recommending that the islands bo retained under the control of the local committees, and pointing out that otherwise great hardship would bo inflicted upon tho email settlers holding Crown leases. \ The Prime Minister states (says our Wellington correspondent) that very careful in- • quiries are mado from time to time by the . police stationed on the waterfront to prevent tho employment of unnaturalised enemy aliens on the wharves. Moreover, the authorities having control over the wharves and the different shipping companies employing labour in connection with shipping, have been instructed that no employment is to be given to enemy subjects or to any enemy alien not naturalised in tho British dominions. Sir James Allen stated in Parliament last week that increases in pensions could not be granted to South African war pensioners and superannuated State employees, a-s had been promised to Maori war veterans, widows, and old-age pensioners. Mr Poole asked the Minister of Marine on the 12th whether he had received any fui'ther information regarding the missing steamer belonging to the Union Company. The Hon. G. W. Russell stated that he had been informed by the Marine Department that the most likely islands for castaways to take refuge on were Christmas Island and Harvey Island. Both the Admiralty and the Union Company had caused these islands to be searched some weeks ago. It seemed as though nothing further could bo done, but he would consult tho Admiralty and make further inquiries. He would be ready to take any steps that might be suggested as the result of such inquiries. Mr Thomson, M.P., asked the Minister of Railways last week whether he would carry beech timber out into short lengths for fruit cases at tho same rate as white pine used for the same purpose. The Minister said he regretted that ho could not consider the reduction of the rates on beech timber at present. He had, however, noted the representations, . and would be glad to give them consideration when normal conditions again prevailed. The loss of their Returned Soldiers' Association badges has recently been reported by several members to the committeo of the local association, and as it is possible that some of theso may have fallen into tho possession of persons not entitled to wear them, the committee wishes it to be understood that it will at once place in the hands of tho police any ease that may bo reported to it of an unauthorised person wearing the badge. It is also the desire of the committee that members of tho public accosted at aiiy time by men claiming to be returned soldiers and asking for money, etc., should ascertain, if possible, their name and regimental number and forward such information to it to be dealt with. A Press Association message from Wellington states that the latest quotation for black sheet iron, 24 gauge, f.0.b., at New York, is £79 per ton, equivalent to about £IOO in store in New Zealand, after payment of the increased freight and insurance rates. It is announced that the prices for steel rails and bars and angle iron have advanced in about the some proportion. A Press Association message from Christchurch states that the special appeal which has been made by the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand for a minimum 6um of £15,000 to add to the capital of the beneficiary fund has met with a very satisfactory response. Mr W. H. Rose, who is | conducting a personal canvass, reports that tho total donations to date amount to . £14,050. He has yet to visit Wellington, : Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Poverty Bay, Nel- , son, and Marlborough, and expects to reach i the £20,000 mark. Canterbury's response , totalled about £5500. i A six-roomed wooden house, owned and occupied by Mr R. J. Stuart, tailor, at j Vauxhall, was completely destroyed by fire ! about 11 p.m. on the 12th. The origin of the oul break is not ascertainable. The building and contents, nothing of which | was saved, were insured in the New Zea- ' land office.

In tho course of some remarks regarding the war work of the Salvation Army, Commissioner Hodder. at the annual meeting in Christohurch in connection with the Army's rescue work, said that he was glad to know that tho Army's children's homes were meeting a real want. As an illustration, he cited the fact that a Canadian in the trenoheis received a letter from his eldest girl saying:—" Mother is dead. What

arc we to do?" H c showed the letter to his colonel, who sent him to the Salvation Army chaplain, and that officer promised that within 24 hours a - representative of the' Army would be at the house and look after the children. That promise was kept. The man went back to the trench, and was k:lled. but the children were safe, and the soldier knew before ho died that they would bo safe. The Salvation Army had exceptional opportunities for doing that sort of work, because of the oneness of the organisation all over the world. This was a help, too, in regard to the forwarding of food to prisoners of war, and in sending money to lads at the front, the syistem being so complete as to defeat the designs of impostors. The Labour Representation Committee has resolved (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) not to adopt the platform of the New Zealand Labour party, because of the inclusion in it of the State control issue. Some of the members agreed that the liquor issue should be left alone by the Labour party. It is understood (says our Wellington correspondent) that Mr Frostick (Christchurch) has agreed to become a member of the re-constructed Efficiency Board, and that,-Mr Gunson (Auckland) has declined. A petition signed by 401 persons was presented to the House of Representatives by Mr Thomson on the 12th, asking the Government to vote £3500 for the completion of the through road between Round Hill and Orepuki in order to link up the far western district of Southland with the other centres of civilisation.

In view of a possible shortage of wheat in the dominion, and a consequent scarcity of flour, Dunedin millers have been rather astonished to receive the following communication from the Collector of Customs at Dunedin: "I am instructed to inform parties interested that the export of 200 tons of flour per month to Tahiti will be allotted to applicants until further notice. Applications must be sent to the Comptroller of Customs as early as possible before each steamer's departure." There appears tQ be a great deal of curiosity as to what will happen when the next shipment of wheat purchased by the New Zealand Government in Australia arrives here. The information received in Dunedin is that this wheat was loaded by free labour, and that there is a possibility that it will be declared "black" by the* waterside workers at the port where it is to be unloaded, and that the seamen in ; New Zealand may also take up a definite ' stand on the situation. Of course, the at- 4 mosphere may be cleared if the seamen call ■ off the strike in Australia before the cargo f of wheat arrives here. Writing to his parents from a port of call, a Dunedin marine engineer thus refera , to a standardised built steamer: "I had » look over one of the standardised ships, of which you have probably heard. Sh« was built entirely in Japan, with the exception of her feed water heater and pumps, in 80 days, and considering that fact, sho looked all right, though the chief engineer did not seem to like her too well."

The financing of rural enterprises is men- M tioned by the Secretary for • Agriou]tine in his annual report. He says that, if Xewß Zealand's production of agricultural diuce of all kinds is to be largely aiter the" war, as will be so eminently sirable, in view of the increasing national debt, he is convinced that it will be necessary for the Government to have power to lend money for the establishment of enterprises designed to promote production. Such provision already exists in the case of the fruit-preserving industry, and there seems no reason to doubt that similar assistance should bo rendered in the ease -of all kinds of co-operative or other semipublio agricultural undertakings. He ~ strongly recommends that legislation should be introduced to enable the Government to make advances to co-operative companies and to proprietary concerns in suitable circumstances for the establishment of suchi businesses as meat works, dairy factories, cold stores for poultry and produce, lime works, works for the utilisation of waste timber, wool scouring plants, and so on.

"If members want to alter the classification system, I quite agree with them," said the Minister of Railways in the House of Representatives on Friday, replying to a suggestion that he should promote promising young men. "The classification is a cast-iron rule. If the Minister of Railways should pick out a promising young man from the bottom of the list, he would have 40 or 60 men appealing from higher up on the list. The system is statutory law, and it almost compels the Minister to pick out the top man from the list, unless that man has done something that makes it quite certain the Minister could convince an appeal board that he should not be promoted. Then the Minister who picks out a promising man for promotion is open to a charge of favouritism. I quite agree that is it a proper thing to pick out the best men, but unfortunately no Minister can do it when he is tied by a classification system."

A telegram from New Plymouth as to the decision of the Supreme Court in an appeal heard there recently is likely to produce a misleading impression (says the New Zealand Times). It stated that tire effect of the decision is that a prohibited person may bo convicted of obtaining liquor not msrely in tho district or districts to which the order relates, but anywhere in the dominion. It was decided long ago by Mr Justice Williams that, short of obtaining liquor, ho was liable to be convicted anywhere in New Zealand if he merely entered a licensed house. The message went on to say, "it is quite lawful for a licensed person in such district to supply him, even if he knows of tho existence of the order." This (says a legal authority) cannot be true, and is quite misleading. Such a licensed person is liable to a fine for merely permitting the prohibited person to enter or be in his house, and can be convicted wit&p out proof of supplying or of any intention to supply the man. This is made clear by the judgment in question. In point of form the conviction would be for allowing

a prohibited person to bo on the premises. No licensed per&on oan sell otherwise than on his premises, so that the conviction is easily obtained, as a licensee who knowingly sells liquor to a.prohibited person has necessarily committed the offenoe of allowing him to be on the premises, "and in this ease the magistrate cannot reduce the fine below £5. In the New Plymouth case the licensee did not know #hat the sale was to a prohibited person, but his barmaid knew it. and was fined for selling to the man. At Tapanui on the 12th, before Mr H. A. Young, S.M., Thomas . Chapman (sheepfarmer, Wharetoa) was fined 10s and costs (7s), an each of four informations, with £1 lis lOd expenses, for failing to send his child to school. There were 32 previous convictions against the defendant for the same offence. The boy is 13 years of age and has passed only Standard I.

In I'eply to Mr Poole in the House of Representatives on Friday, Sir Joseph Ward kstated that a missing steamer had a mail lon board, but not a large one. There [were two bags for Saai Francisco and two for Canada. The mail for San Francisco contained 28 registered articles. According to the Attorney-general, the law in regard to bookmakers is defective. Replying to Mr Wright during the discussion on the Estimates last night he said that it was not illegal at the present time for a person to bet, unless he did hi 3 betting in a public place, or in an hotel, or on a racecourse. The only way to stop bookmakers from operating would be to make imprisonment the penalty. The Police Department had been doing its best. It was .a matter of very great difficulty to detect 'bookmakers, but during the last 12 months the police had secured 65 convictions. The fines inflicted had aggregated £2792. . A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that anxiety is manifested regarding the Antarctio exploring vessel Aurora. The vessel left Newcastle for a South American port about three months ago, but put back to Sydney in a leaky condition She was repaired in Sydney, resailing for South America, intending to call at Wellington for coal,, but though some weeks have elapsed nothing has been heard of her.

The premises occupied by Mrs Patterson—the Railway Boarding-house, Balclutha—were raided on the 14th by Constable Almond (Balclutha), Martin (Kaitangata), Fox (Milton), and Harvard (Owaka), and a considerable quantity of liquor was seized, being discovered in various places throughout the building. A prosecution will probably follow. A new development in educational work is proposed by Mr Benstead, who is establishing a private school for the education and treament of backward,- mentally retarded and delicate children of good social position. At the present time there is no school of this description in New Zealand, so that the provision of such a school ■will enable parents to avail themselves of an opportunity of educating backward children on the latest scientific lines. The object aimed at is to combine with the refining influences and individual care of home lifo the necessary discipline and simple but ordered life of a school. The curriculum throughout will be under tho immediate supervision of Mr Benstead, each pupil being made the subject of personal study. The background of the scheme will be a happy and healthy home life and an avoidance of institutionalism. During the past 10 yeans Mr Benstead has received hundreds of letters from grateful parents testifying to the success of his treatment and the wonderful improvement, mental and physical, of the pupils under his car©.

The curtailment of shipping from Australia on account of the strike was reBponsiblo for an extraordinary demand for passenger accommodation on a vessel which arrived at Auckland recently (says the Herald). Bunks had been hastily erected in every conceivable space on the ship. Even the holds had been utilised for this purpose, and many saloon passengers had been billeted in these quarters. Notwithstanding the extra accommodation, over 200 would-be passengers had been left behind at the port of clearance. At the Supreme Court at Hamilton on the 10th, before Mr Justice Cooper, John Fisher Skipper (for whom Mr Reed appeared), who was reoently convicted at Botorua for an alleged disloyal utterance at a welcome home gathering to some returned men at Matata, and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment, applied for a rehearing. Evidence was given by a number of residents of the discriot tending to ihow that the accused had been most as-

siduous in supporting recruiting, and had contributed freely to all funds for patriotic purposes. His Honor said a legal question had been raised, which, if allowed, would necessitate the appeal being allowed. He knew nothing of the evidence brought before the magistrates, and as matters stood he was satisfied that a single judge would not revise the (sentence. On his Honor's advice it was decided to submit the matter to the Full Court, which will sit in Wellington in about a fortnight. It was stated that Skipper was a nephew of Lord Fisher, late First Sea Lord at the Admiralty, and. a direct descendant of the famous Lord Nelson.

A gentleman who was in Sydney on September 5 told an Auckland Star reporter that he was gravely assured that there was a revolution in progress in New Zealand over the enforcement of oonscription, that 49 men had been shot in Queen street, Auckland, that half Auckland had been burned down, and that Hamilton was in flames. It was also stated that Australian troops were being despatched to New Zealand to quell the disturbances, and that five laden transports were lying outside Wellington Heads. People in Sydney were wont to speak of "the New Zealand revolution " with bated breath, as if it were an undisputed and very dreadful fact. A query addressed by Mr R. Fletcher to the Prime Minister in Parliament a few days ago as to whether it is the intention of the Government to place the Railway Department and civil staff of the Defence Department under military control was replied to in the negative. The Committee of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association report that at a joint meeting of the Soldiers' and. Dependents' Welfare and the Finance Committees, on the question of office arrangement, it was resolved that the present arrangement be continued until March 31, when the whole position will be reviewed. The salaries of the staff (eight in number) were reviewed, and as a result the cost of the whole administration of the association —including rent, the work of the Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare Committee, and the Discharged Soldiers' Information Bureau —was fixed at the sum of £724 per annum.

During the past month, 10 persons have been admitted to, five discharged from, and three deaths have occurred at the Otago Benevolent Institution. At present 186 inmates remain.

During the month of August, 859 cattle, 6842 sheep, 131 lambs, 206 pigs, and 179 calves were slaughtered at the abattoir. Complaint has been made that many men called up for active service have, shortly after arrival in camp, been posted to earlier reinforcements, with the result that their period of training has been reduced. It is also alleged that many men upon arrival in England have been sent into the firing line immediately, though they were only half trained. Sir Jarscs Allen admitted that there had been some curtailment in the training received in New Zealand by some of the later reinforcements; but said that special instructions were in these cases sent to England for them to receive more training there, and so far as he know these instructions were carried out. No man was sent to tho front - until he was fit to go, but some men might be fit to go before others. There was, however, no reason for any curtailment of the period of training in New Zealand in the future, as the shortages were being made good. A meeting of the Otago branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was held on Sunday. The following resolution was carried at the meeting:—"That this largo and representative meeting of railwaymen calls the attention of the Legislature to the large numbers of trained men who are now leaving the service to take advantage of the higher wages and better conditions prevailing outside. And, in view of the Government's absolute failure to lower the cost of foodstuffs, we urge the Executive Council to secure at least 2s per day increase in wages." In the course of an interesting address, in Melbourne recently, Colonel F. Bird, C. 8., who experienced the vicissitudes of war on Gallipoli, at iSalonica, in France, and as a survivor of a torpedoed ship, revealed some facts of history which havo not hitherto received publication. The Gallipoli withdrawal, Dr Bird said, was duo to tho arrival of the Antwerp guns—tho guns that the Germans used to batter their way into Belgium and Antwerp, and that were capable of pulverising the small strips of territory so long held by the Allies with such heroism and at such a cost. General Birdwood allowed the erroneous report to

go abroad that the evacuation was to take place on the Friday night, and that night the Turks attacked in force, losing 6000 men. The following night the Allies withdrew with a single casualty. In his opinion, the speaker said, the landing of the heroic 29th British Division at Cape Helles was a mistake. Had that division been hurled ashore, in conjunction with the Anzacs higher up the peninsula, the Allies would have "won out." The Australian strike has had an almost disastrous effect on trade in Suva, where bo many of the merchants export their produce and' merchandise to Australian ports (says the Auckland Star). The steamers conveying the cargoes of fruit have been held up; their cargoes are lying in the sheds at Suva. The effect on tho fruit market there has been to reduce the price of bananas to twopence a bunch. This very low .price is, of course, mainly increased by the freight, which is about Is 3d per bunch.

During the period 4th August to" 4th September, eight patients have been admitted to, 13 discharged from, and nine remain in the Fever Hospital

When the first war loan was raised in New Zealand arrangements were made whereby the Post Office agreed to take into its custody, free of charge, war certificates which the purchasers did not wish to keep in their homes. The certificates were transferred to the head office in Wellington, which now holds them, to the value of about three-quarters of a m'illion. As the interest on these certificates is cumulative, there was no need for the owners to have access to them, and the Post Office held them only on condition that they could not be withdrawn and redeposited. It has been found, however, that there is a demand for a safe deposit system under which holders of war bonds, title deeds, and securities may have access to their documents. Such a system could not be centralised, and would involve some expense, both in the provision of storage and in dealing with requests for access. The Post Office has decided to inaugurate such a scheme, and will bring it into operation in 40 centres as soon as the special safes, which are now on order, arrive from England. Separate receptacles for each person's property will not be provided, as in the Public Trust deposit system, and articles of plate, jewellery, etc., will not be accepted. Documents only will be received, and theise will be placed in envelopes sealed by the depositor. Charges of ss, 10s, and £1 \vi,'l be made, according to the size of the p»?kage, and depositors will be given access to their envelopes four times a year. People who wish to inspect their property more frequently will be charged 6d for each occasion.

Early in the year a party of four Salvation Army officers from Now Zealand left this country to take up mission work in China. Word has been received from Captain Andrews of the work that is being done. He states (says a Wellington paper) that there are about 40 officers-engaged in this work at Peking, and that at the time of writing a large party of American, Canadian, Scandinavian, and Finnish officers had just arrived, the last-mentioned having travelled overland from Petrograd. A description of the Salvation Army Hall shows it to be a fine large compound, with two or three smaller buildings. The officers' quarters are very comfortable, lit with electricity, and very different from the pioneer type of house the new arrivals had expected. Captain Andrews states that during the two years that Salvation Army work has been carried, out in Peking good progress has been made, despite the fact that the first year is supposed to be given over to learning the languago. So many Chinese became interested in their teachings, however, that it was found necessary to commence meetings, and a hall to accommodate 300 was acquired, a well-educated Chinaman acting as interpreter. A number of men and several women had been enrolled as recruits, while among the most enthusiastic attendants were 40 boys from a carpet factory close by, who were brought to the meetings by an overseer. These boys Worked from 6 in the morning until 11 at night, but, being under Christian influence, now had their Sundays off. The following pronouncements of the Military Service Board! at Riverton on Friday axe of interest to miners:—"lf a miner leaves his emploj to go to another mine he must immediately notify the Defence DeEartment; if ho is siok or takes a day off e must notify the manager. The mine manager is responsible for every man under him, and must see that he works full time. If the manager fails to report every man he is liable to a penalty."