PEDLAR'S PACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 3

PEDLAR'S PACK.

_i- ■» " i/ovo is no huckster; that is mine is thine.* HOLY'GROUND. / We wandered down a common countrjj road: I < The plains beneath the Autumn sunshin* glowed; The torches of the poplars were flaming to the Sky, [ The plane-trees flung their gold to u% . as softly we past by, She whom the Gods had sent me, own true Love and I— , ' We two, alone together, down the roadt We rested by that gorse-eneumbered road 1 *! The soft, warm air about us ebbed anq flowed; We noted not the plane-trees- nor look! up to the Skies, Nor marked the flaming poplars, nor saw, the far hills rise; We gazed not on the hedge rows, but irf each other's eyes We two, alone together, by the road. 0 road, road, quaint, neglected road— / !■'* Who dreamed you led to Love's supreme abode, J To that Temple high and holy, wheri 1 the smoking censer swings, And the air it ebbeth, floweth, at th# 1 pulse of mighty wings, ■ V And in the Heart of Silence a "Voiq# j superbly sings, And the Soul is freed forever of its load I O wild, untencled. wonder-working- road I At other shrines bo paid the homage owe<f| Our feet henceforth forever, as year suO* ceedeth year, ' And the brooding Autumn conieth. be W« ' far, or be we near, Shall bear us. pilgrims, hither; we shall kneel and worship here—' . We two, alone together, >in the road. Mahsyas* :

who run several thousand sheep on the island, and whose employees also follow the whaling industry. Reports received by the lessees from their manager state that the health of ail the men stationed on the island had kept good. The winter had been Yery wet and oold, with heavy prevailing winds. No work had been done at the whaling on account of losing the one-time Dunedin owned launch Komuri, which had to bo abondend at soa off the south-east Sornor of the island, on April 23, as a con-

sequence of a fault developing in her engines. Tho engineer worked for hours endeavouring to remedy matters, and get tho engines going again, but without result. In the meantime the launch was drifting away to the south, out of sight of land; there was a heavy sea running, and darkness was coming on. It was decided to abandon tho Komuri, and tako to tho surf boat which was in tow. The men in the surf boat had a desperate fight for their lives, and but for tho good seamanship of tho manager

(Mr J. Thornton) the men might not have been enabled to land as ilicy did—in an exhausted condition,—and they had to camp in the scrub for the night. The abandoned Komuri was wortn fully £IOOO, and she also had a lot of gear, etc., on board, and her proprietors could secure no insurance on the boat. The loss involves the inability to do any whale hunting this season, and the loss of the wages of the men who, by the abandonment of the launch, could- not go out in search of whales. It will be remembered that the Komuri was officially purchased by the syndicate to be used in whaling operations, and was towed to the Campbell Island by the steamer Himitangi in February. The launch was the biggest vessel of its kind in the Otago ha-rbour, and was fitted with a Bolinder crude oil engine of 24- horse power. The report goes on to state that shearing had commenced early in November, and that good progress was being made when the left. It may be mentioned that information is available from the Island only in November and March of each year.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Justice Department is making the inquiries asked for by counsel for the prisoner as to the sanity_of Bennier. who has been condemned to death for the Kauanearoa murder. The Minister of Justice (Mr Wilford) has also arranged to have a commission of three doctors skilled in mental' diseases—Drs Hay, Hassell, and Gow —to examine Bennier and keep him under observation. It will be some time before the inquiries are complete. Applications closed on the 11th at the Otago Land Board offices for certain sections set aside for returned soldiers. These sections were: 10 acres 3 roods 12 poles at Alexandra, for which there was one applicant ; 38 acres 2 roods 21 poles, in the North Harbour and Blueskin survey district, one applicant; two sections, comprising 25 acres 2 roods 34 poles and 214 acres 1 rood, both in the Glenomaru district, three applicants. For 116 acres 3 roods 33 poles in the Rimu district, and for 194- acres 2 roods 20 poles in the Catlins survey district, there was one applicant.

The Primate has received the sum of £10? for the further endowment of Selwyn Theological College from Dr Pennefather, formerly an acting judge of the Supreme Court in New Zealand. This sum, added to other gifts from the same source, makes the handsome contribution of £7OO towards the endowment of the college, in addition to £IOO which Dr Pennefather has given to the endowment of the Cathedral. The Primate has himself now raised about £260 in answer to his appeal for the 'college, exclusive of the above-mentioned gift, and he earnestly hopes that Dr Pennefather's example will lead to further assistance to this important institution. At the Wyndharh Court on the 30th, before Mr U. Cruickshank, S.M., J. H. Johnstone was lined £3, with costs (£3 ss), and Duncan M'Rae was fined £3, with costs (£2 15s), for allowing flaxmill refuse to flow; into the Wyrtdham River. Mr W. A. Stout appeared for the Otago Acclimatisation iSociety, and Mr E. Russell for defendants, who pleaded guilty. The vexed question of the disposal of the areas known as the islands in the Waitaki River again came before the Otago Land Board at its meeting last week. The point which had arisen was whether it would bo better to withdraw the areas comprising these islands from the management of a local committee and dispose of the land by public competition. A deputation of small settlers waited upon the board and supplied details of too holdings affected by the stock held by the respective settlers. As a result of the representations made the board, after duo consideration, resolved that in the interests of settlers holding small areas the Waitaki Islands should remain under the management of a committee approved of by the board. The directors of the Canterbury Aviation Company have had many applications mado to them to give flying exhibitions at various places, some even from the North Island. Hie general question was fully discussed by them last week. It was generally conceded that the invitations the company had received from the various centres in Canterbury should have preference. But it was observed that the acceptance of any invitations would involve risks such as would be attended by forced descents, through engine failure, which is always possible, and such as might lie associated with the absence of hangars. Moreover, the company's machines are for tuition purpose, and are necessarily slow flyers, and if flown in a strong gale, might be blown away and bo unable to return to their starting point. Further, the absence of the aviation instructor and his chief mechanic for the purpose of giving exhibition flights would practically necessitate that tho school

of aviation would be idle for the time being. The directors considered that they had no right to take risks, however slight, outside those necessarily involved in the work of tuition, nor would they be justified in accepting engagements which would interfere with the regular work of the school, and they therefore resolved: "That all invitations to give flying exhibitions outside the company's own aerodrome, be declined."

A Press Association message from Wellington states that tho Governor-general is commanded by his Majesty the King to convey to tho people of New Zealand an expression of his Majesty's appreciation of their loyal and resolute spirit as testified by tho resolutions recording the inflexible determination of' the inhabitants in this portion of his Majesty's Overseas dominions to continue to a victorious conclusion, which were passed at public meetings held throughout New Zealand on the occasion of the third anniversary of the outbreak of the present war.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that Mr Myers has been advised by the High Commissioner that he is unable to secure at present the release of any quantity of linseed oil for export from the United Kingdom. As far as the High Commissioner can judge, the situation with regard to supplies of linseed oil is not likely to improve in the United Kingdom, for which reason the suggestion is made that possibly New Zealand merchants- may secure supplies from India or America, whore it is believed stocks may be held. Mr Myers says that in the event of merchants making a purchase from either of those countries he, as Minister in Charge of Munitions and Supplies, will be pleased to assist as far as possible in obtaining its release and shipment if necessary. A Wellington Press Association message states that a Gazette Extraordinary contains additions to the list of companies, firms, .and persons declared to be enemies, also a number that have been removed from the list. i A memorandum has been received by the University Council from the Under-secretary of Lands stating that on. March 31 there was a net surplus- in respect of rents of £919 3s 2d. Under "The Universities Reserves Act, 1904" the Government undertook that if the rent of any of the university reserves decreased, they would make "good tho deficiency. Shortly after the passing of the Act the rental of one of the reserves fell by almost £SOO per annum, and this amount was made good. Latterly, however, the rentals of other reserves have enhanced, and the surplus obtained from these has more than made up the deficiencies. Accordingly, the Legislature provided that the university should have the full rentals of reserves, and the position is recorded in the net surplus shown above. The Commissioner of Crown Lands submitted to the Otago Land Board on the 12th a report on the recent inspection by himself and two members of the board of the land in the Bcnmoro discharged soldiers' block, which has not yet been allotted. Application had been made for some of this land i by settlers already -in possession of land, and there were also before the board several applications by discharged soldiers who did not hold any land. The board, after mature deliberation, decided that on the whole the soldiers settled on a part of this block were in possession of sufficient land to return them a comfortable living, but there were some of the holdings about the productivity of which the board had some doubts. It was, therefore, decided to withdraw one lot from selection and to allot areas to D. E. G. Mackay, Thomas Cooper, and James Glenn, and to decline all other applications for land: in this block in the meantime.

At tho meeting of the Education Board last week, Mr Brugh said that after the war Education Boards should seo to it that teachers were better paid. The chairman said the whole question was one of finance where tho pupil teachers and probationers were concerned. They were required to teach from periods of from two to four years at a miserable pittance, and after that to put in one or two years at the college at an allowance of £65, which was quite inadequate to keep them. By this time they were 20 years or 21 years old, and were having an outlook on life, and expecting an income on which .they could live. Under the present conditions the best of the young teachers were being'" crushed out of the service through the inadequate pay and heavy work, and the continuous bugbear of study and examinations. They had to commence work, at 8 in the morning, and after their day's work was done in school they had to attend special classes and study at night. On Saturdays even they were not free. There were classes. Country students had to

como into those .it their own living expense. It \va3 no wonder the best of our teachers were being attracted elsewhere. As a matter of fact, the public departments were offering salaries considerably in advance of those tho boards could pay. with regular hours, no study, and no examinations. The board had made representations on this matter, but the starvation process still continued.

The Otago Education Board has been making investigations with regard to tho payments made to teachers in grade O schools (those with an attendance under nine). Such schools are generally known as "household" schools, and the teacher receives from, the Education Department £6 per pupil, tho payment of an increase to £8 not being yet operative. The board took advice on the question whether it could not augment this allowance from its general fund, and yesterday received an opinion from its legal adviser that there is no authority under the Act to permit of this either directly or indirectly.

"Tho workman docs the work and the others get tho pay. You do everything except draw the dividends. You have brains enough to make the car, drive it, and do everything except sit back and smoke a cigar as she goes along." This statement was made by Mr J. Roberts at the workers' meeting on the 12th hist., and it evoked much laughter.

Mention was made of the fact a't the meeting of the University Council last week that Mrs Ullrich had donated 300 volumes from the late Professor Ulrich's library to the School of Mines. The books were offered on condition that they were suitably housed in tho School of Mines and marked "Otago University School of Mines Ulrich bequest.." The thanks of the council were accorded to Mrs Ulrich for her gift.

At the meeting of the City Council last week Cr Shacklock was granted permission to withdraw the following motion, which he had given notice to move: —"That this council strongly protests against the- proposal of tho Government (as published in the daily press) to appoint one of tho Cabinet members to the Supreme Court Bench, and that a copy of this resolution bo forwarded to the Prime Minister." Cr Shacklock contended that the principle of appointing a Cabinet Minister to the Supreme Court Bench was wrong, but said that owing to the usage both at Home and hero there was very little use in protesting, no matter hovv much one might desire to do so.

The Southland Times states that Constable ■ Murphy, who went down to Preservation with the Hinemoa, was successful in his quest for the alleged deserter, M'Leod, who was brought back on Tuesday afternoon. When arrested M'Leod had everything packed, and he stated that he was just about to return, intending to have a week's shooting en route. M'Leod will be handed over to the military authorities in due course.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Farmers' Distributing Company passed the following resolution: —"That this meeting of producers recognises that the war 'has to be brought to a successful conclusion, otherwise the lives of many of our best and bravest will have been sacrificed in vain; that the financial resources of the dominion must undergo a severe strain should the war continue for a year or more; that increased production, particularly of our primary products, is essential to enable the country to fulfil its obligations; and that national efficiency, thrift, and economy is the duty call of every loyal citizen. Acknowledging the tenets set forth therein -we, in the nation's interests, pledge ourselves during tho coming year to use every possible endeavour fully to discharge the personal obligations attaching thereto." A tribute to tho excellent work done by the New Zealand women in connection with war matters was paid by the Prime Minister in a speech on the 13th. Both in tho work of patriotic organisation and in the sending of sons to the front the women, he said, had rendered a noble service. If the war went on it might be necessary for women to train themselves for carrying on such industries as the dairy industry, including tho use of milking machines, in order to release men eligible for active service. Advantage is being taken of the fact that all training camps are being closed down over the Christmas and New Tear holidays to give the staffs of the various branches of the Defence Department that aro concerned with the administration of tho Military Service Act a much-needed vacation. It has accordingly been arranged that the Military Service Boards, the district Medical Boards, the military registration branch, the recruiting branch, and the soldiers' financial assistance branch will close down from December 22 until January 7, this being the vacation period for the soldiers in the training camps.

The Imperial War Conference, the Prime Minister stated on the 13th. was likely to meet in London next year about the same time as it met this year. Mr Massey said he did not expect to attend next year's conference, as it was not desirable that the head of the Government, should again be absen* from the dominion for a lengthy period. It was possible, of course, that the Imperial Government might desire that all Prime Ministers shotdd attend the conference, bu-i no information to this effect b:id vet been received.

The Prisons Board commenced its annual visits to the various prisons of the dominion on Wednesday., when it visited the Lyttelton, Addington. and Templeton prisons The board will sit at Invorcarffill today and on Saturday. This will bo the firs* time on which the board will have under consideration the cases of hard labour prisoners, whom it is now possible to deal with under the amending legislation of last session, which provides that prisoners who have been sentenced to over two years imprisonment, and who have also served half their term, may be brought before the Prisons Board for consideration as to their release on probation. The board const=ta of Sir Robert Stout (president), Messrs Wil-

]iam Reeoe (Christohuroh), Edwin Hall (Onehunga), G. Fenwiok (Dunedin), Dr Hay (Inspector-general of Mental Hospitals), 0. | E. Matthews (Inspector of Prisons), OJid O. B. Jordan (Under-secretary of Justice), j At the meeting of the Otago Land Board ' on Wednesday a petition was received from , settlers at Ofcanomomo asking for a remis- , sion of rent on account of losses by this year's floods. The petitioners had beenf visited by three floods this yeai' —in May, i September, and October, —each visitation . necessitating the removal of stock, etc., and causing general inconvenience and loss. It was resolved to recommend that six months' remission be granted.

Information was received by the Prime Minister on the 13th that £1,500,000 had been placed by the Imperial authorities to the credit of the Government in Wellington for the purpose of paying for the first instalments of this season's butter and cheese. Mr Massey said that, after providing for £600,000 in connection with last month's payments, £BOO,OOO would be left to meet this month's advances, which would be due on December 20. It was -possible, he said, that £1,000,000 would be required this month for advances owing to the great output of butter and cheese.

An indication of the amount of work being dono by the Financial Assistance Board and the amount of assistance that is being given is contained in a report just presented to the Minister of Defence (says our Wellington correspondent). The total annual value of the assistance grants already given by the board is £117,573, and this represents a total number of 3441 grants made during November. The Minister approved .of the payment of 782 grants of a total annual value of £27,289.

An alteration in the special bank holidays has been decided upon by the banks in New Zealand this year. Monday, 24th inst., will be observed as a holiday, in lieu of Thursday, 27th. The banks will also close on December 31 and January 1, instead of January 1 and 2.

The Dunedin Waterside Workers' Union held a stop-work meeting on the 13th inst. for the purpose of discussing the question of the amalgamation of the waterside workers, railway employees, carters, etc., to form one big federation, and also to discuss other matters relating to the handling of cargo. The action of th© men in stopping all work on the waterfront from 8 o'clock till 10 o'clock was severely criticised by those who knew the circumstances of the case, and more especially as an oversea vessel was forced to be idle during that time. The vessel was discharging general cargo, preparatory to leaving for Port Chalmers at noon to take in perishable cargo, but in consequence of the delay she did- rot leave until about 2.30 instead of 1 o'clock, just managing to- catch the tide to Port.

The revenue received by the Otago Harbour Board for November was £6492, as against £13,019 for the corresponding month of last year. For the period JanuaryNovember, 1917, the revenue amounted to £86,030 (including salvage of Antiope'£l2sl and balance from sale of Dredge 404 £6500), as compared with £96,485 for the similar period of 1916. The expenditure for November, 1917, was £6787; November, 1916, £7815; January-November, 1917, £71,791; January-November, 1916, £84,992. A meeting of the returned members of the Main Body, Otago Mounted Rifles, was held in the Anzac Clubroom on the 13th. The meeting was called for the purpose of forming a Welfare Club, and to make provision to send their comrades who are still on active service parcels and comforts. It was unanimously agreed to at once take steps to put the proposal into operation. It was also decided to make Dunedin the headquarters of the olub, and to arrange for branches being formed at Invercargill, Gore, Oanxa.ru. and Balclutha. Mr A. M. Don occupied tne chair, and a committee was formed, with Mr A. A. Reid

as secretary. In an allusion to submarine outrages in a speech at Wakatane on the 11th, the Prime Minister said he hoped that after the end of the war these outrages would be remembered In connection with any movement that might be initiated for the resumption of trade relations with the present enemy countries. This question was discussed when he was at Home, and the . answer always waa "No." There was, however, now a suggestion that as a means of assisting to bring about peaoe Germany should be allowed to resume trade relations on the pro-

vious terms with British countries. He hoped this would not be allowed.—(" Hear, hear.") When the war ended it would be necessary to inaugurate a policy of development throughout the whole of the British Empire. If the British people had done their duty in this respect during the past half century Great Britain would not have been in the position during the war of having to go outside the Empire for portion of her army supplies. Arrangements for the transport of the thousands of soldiers who are proceeding from the training camps on final leave at Christmas are well in hand. The exodus will begin on December 18, and will continue during the two succeeding days. From both | oamps special trains will be run to oarry I troops bound north and south, but the I heaviest task in transport will be connected I with the Featherston camp, as there will be ! more men in that camp than at Trentham, I while the Rimutaka Hill will add to the I work. On December 18, 19, and 20 three | trains a day will leave the camp for Auckland alone, and there, will be others bound | for Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and TaraI naki. Between Wellington and Lyttelton I it is estimated that about 2000 soldiers will I travel, and special troopships are to be provided to take them. Numbers will also pro- ' ceed to Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast. All told, nearly 9000 soldiers will i be carried to and from their homes, the return to camp being made on January 7. i During the holidays a number of officers ' and several hundreds of men for guards and I five pickets will remain in the oamps.

i The tobacco-growing industry in Hawke's Bay is now on a fairly firm basis, but, ali though the climates of the two districts have much in common, nothing has been I done in this direction till recently in Nel- •' son. However, according to the Motueka Star, it appears as if this state of affairs is to be remedied. Mr C. L. Lowe, a wellknown orohardist, has raised some 50,000 tobacco plants in his orchards for experimental purposes, and this year intends to plant some 10 acres. Mr Low calculates that an acre of orchard will take 4000 plant 3, and that seven plants will produce a pound of ' leaf. The experiment is being watched I with interest.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Minister of Defence has been advised that the second portion of the 31st Reinforcements and the whole of the 32nd Reinforcements have arrived at a port of callj It is officially notified (says a Press Association message from Wellington) that all Second Division men appearing before Military. Service Boards on the ground that they do not belong to the class in which they were called up should bring the birth certificates of their children with them.

Messrs J. Inglis Wright and Chas. Todd, of the Otago Expansion League, addressed a public meeting in Roxburgh on Wednesday evening, the Mayor presiding, when they fully explained the objects of the league. It was unanimously decided to form a branch* and an interim committee consisting oi Messrs Bennetts (chairman), Waigth, Roggiero, Michelle, Topham, M'Phail, and Waigth, jun, (secretary) was appointed. Mr Poison, of the Upper Clutha League, who was present, gave some interesting remarks concerning the operations of his branch.

"From a conscientious person." These few words were contained on a 3mall piece of paper received on Thursday in a registered letter by the manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company. The envelope also contained two £SO notes. The letter had been posted from a town not a hundred miles from Dunedin.

The Consul for Belgium, Mr G. L. Den-"" niston, has received a moving appeal from his Government in Belgium, requesting aid for a fund now being raised for shelters for the homeless people of Belgium. The fund is under the patronage of the King of the Belgians, and is called King Albert's fund. The appeal states that up to May 1, 1916, it was estimated that 43,000 houses had been burnt by Germans, and the list up to date would, of course, greatly exceed this. All these homes, not to speak of churches, schoolhouses, aJid factories, have to be replaced and rebuilt. " But," as the appeal concludes, "how can Belgium alone, bo pressed, ransacked, robbed as she is, bow can she face the task by herself? So once more let those who enjoy peaceful homes of their own, who know what these hemes mean to them, let thorn onoe more help Belgium in this great work, and again to all those who have already been so good to her Belgium will show her infinitely deep gratitude." It is Mr Den-

niston's intention to ask the Patriotic Association at its next meeting for a vote for King Albert's Fund out of the unexpended balance of the Bengian fund. At the annual meeting of shareholders of the Union Steam Ship Company on .Friday afternoon the payment of the final dividends for the year ended September 30 last of 6 per cent, on the ordinary shares and 2% per cent, on the preference shares was adopted. It may have been remarked that the decisions of the Otago Military Service Board during its present extended circuit have shown an unusually large proportion of conditional exemptions. These exemptions are, however, for the" most part only confirmations of previous decisions of the late No. 2 Board. The practice of the second board during what is known as the comb-ing-out process, was to bring up exempted appellants, and grant them a three months' adjournment with a view to considering any intervening change of circumstances. Naturally in the case of exempted reservists such a change is a rarity, and therefore many oases which appear in the reports of the No. 1 board's proceedings are in reality merely repetitions of decisions previously made. The existing board, though the previous practice has necessitated' the examination of the original merits of all such cases by the succeeding authority, naturally does not reverse the No. 2 board's decisions, except where special cause is shown, but merely records them again in the form of "conditional exemptions"; hence the large number of decisions appearing under the latter designation, a feature which will continue for another month or two.

In Featherston Camp Orders detailing the movements of troops, it is announced that on Wednesday, December 19, the following units commence going on final leave : 34th and 35th Infantry; 35th, 36th, and 37th Mounted Rifles; 34th, 35th, and 36th N.Z.F.A.; 34th, 35th, 36th, and 37th" Specialist Company; 34th, 35th, and 36th Divisional Signallers; 34th and 35th N.Z.A.S.O.

A survey party is now employed making a preliminary topographical survey of the land in Gladbrook, embracing the area held on lease which is about to expire and 5272 acres of freehold recently acquired by the Government. It is understood that the price paid was somewhere in the vicinity of £ll per acre. As soon as the necessary information is available, the Land Board will pay a visit to the district—probably in January—and discuss the subdivision with looal residents who are acquainted with the nature of the country. The board "will then decide upon a scheme of subdivision, and the survey will be put in hand. Possession of the freehold will not be obtained until June, 1918. A Christchurch soldier had the misfortune to lose a leg whilst on active service. He was supplied with an artificial limb, and a duplicate, but neither proved satisfactory. He then set to work and made a leg himself. The result was so perfect that the doctors were amazed. These facts were stated to the executive of the Canterbury Patriotio Fund by Mr F. W. Hobbs, who announced that the Fund's Trades and Professions Committee proposed to make the man a grant of £SO, and give him a loan of £3O, to enable him to start an artificial limb manufacturing business. Without any hesitation the executive unanimously adopted the committee's recommendation.

During the financial year ended March' 31 the receipts from death duties realised just over £500,000 (says the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times), but they will probably exceed this total during tho current year, judging by the figures for the first eight months, which total £377,636. During the latter period some very large estates have come in for assessment. There were 63 of over £20,000, aggregating in value £2,687,475, brought under review during 10 months of tho current year, while during the whole of the preceding year the estates in this category numbered 58, and amounted in total valno to £2,587,531. An interesting point was decided in Sydney on the 3rd inst. in an action heard before the Chief Justice (Sir William Cullen) and a jury of four, in which Arthur J. Mather sued the Bank of New Zealand to recover the sum of £IOO. Counsel for plaintiff said that tho case was without precedent. Mather, having received a crossed cheque for £IOO, forwarded it to the Bank of Australasia at Petersham, with instructions that it be placed to Mrs Mather's account. Subsequent inquiry elicited tho fact that tho cheque had not been received by the Bank of Australasia, but it had been presented at the defendant

bank and paid across the counter. As the cheque ha/1 been crossed by two somewhat light parallel lines running transversley across the cheque, t was contended that the defendant bank should not havo cashed it. , The defence was that the cheque did not appear to have been crossed, and as it was duly endorsed it was paid as an open cheque without negligence on the part of the bank. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff for the amount claimed. The following is the list of passes in the midwifery nurses' examination, held in Dunedin this month: —St. Helen's Hospital— Nurses M. C. Smith (top for the dominion), Johnson, Finch, Campbell, Gudgeon (passed with credit) ; Fell (passed). Batchelor Maternity Hospital—Nurses Sim and Bellamy (passed with credit); Beadle (passed). All the candidates who sat in Dunedin passed.

According to a leading Wellington licensed victualler who has a general knowledge of the trade throughout New Zealand," the effect in the reduction in hours is going to be most serious (says the New Zealand Times). From reports he has received of the working of the new order of things, he has not the slightest hesitation in saying that within a few months many hotelkeepers in the dominion will recogni6e that they have "ruin staring theni in the face," and there will be no alternative for them but to leave the trade and seek " fresh fields and pastures new.-''' The loss of night business in the cities is serious enough, but in the. country and certain suburbs it is simply appalling. His assurance is that " fully 50 per cent, of country and suburban hotels will have to shut up."

An army surgeon in Flanders, writing to a little girl in Hastings, says: "You ask me about the French and Belgian children. One sees very little of the poor little French and Belgian girls. Poor little things are all working in the fields, and are so grimy and dirty that you can't tell what they are like. On Sundays they get into their best frocks, and do look a bit nicer, but are more like old women than happy children. The boys are, like all boys, a lot of mischievous monkeys. Those 'who are too young to work in the fields are just happy little children. The—war to them is the ordinary commonplace thing of life. Troops and columns of transport moving guns, and even bursting shells (the longrange guns can throw shells 15 miles quite easily), are the natural order of things. They are not a bit afraid. It doesn't seem to know how to do anything but rain in Flanders, but it makes a thorough job of that."