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Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 44

A Press Association message from Auckland - states that the Prime Minister on Saturday: ■ opened the first section of the Waiuku. brunch railway, from Paorata to Patumahoo, a distance of • Ave and a-quarter miles. A preliminary survey was made in 1584,. and the iirst appropriation was made in; 1913. The first sod was turned in 1914. Messrs Massey and Eraser referred to the productivity of the district, and stated that, war conditions had delayed construction. Both- promised' an aarly completion of the railway as svon as material was obtainable.

Mr.F. O. Bridgeman has received from Captain Wylie tiie sum of £37 10s as an augmentation cf the Shipwreck Relief Society. The amount: was obtained fron* church collections on a steamer, together with the proceeds of a concert given on board by the soldiers at Capetown.

The usual monthly collection on behalf of the Otago Women's Patriotic Association ws» taken up on Saturday. The sum of £162 was received, and there are further smalt sums to be received.

As an indication of tho variety of uses; to which Lake Coleridge electrical energy can be put, it is interesting to learn that it is now being- used to catch moths. From the orchardist's point of view this has great, possibilities, chiefly in combating the codlin moth pesfe. The apparatus is exceedingly simple, consisting of a packing case, with suitable-openings cut in opposite sides. One opening is covered with gauze, and in. the other la. mounted an electrio sunction fan. Outside, in front of the fan, a strong alectrio light is. placed.- The light attracts the motli3 and other flying insects, and the fan draws them into tho case. Experiments with the moth-catcher are boing carried out by Mr Courtier, of the Agricultural De-

partment, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, in the orchard of Mr P. Freobury, of Fendaiton. The results to date have proved undoubtedly that the apparatus effectively catches moths and booties, but it is not yet clear that the particular object of the experiment, the codlin moth, is being caught in any large numbers. A returned soldier named Francis Thomas Hides was charged at the Supreme Court at Hamilton with assaulting George Doherty, a shipping clerk, at Whakatane, and breaking his jaw. The accused alleged that Doherty, during his absence, had been on what he considered too friendly terms with his wife. Hicks admitted the blow, but .pleaded provocation. When charging the grand jury, Mr Justice Cooper made I reference to this case, and said he wished to impress upon the jury the fact that there was no " unwritten law" in New Zealand. The common jury, after a short retirement, returned a verdict of not guilty. Taking advantage of the Hon. J. A. Hanan's presence at the break-up ceremony, Mr T. D. Pearce, rector of the Southland Boys' High School, while congratulating the Minister on recent reforms, mentioned one or two others that were desirable. In 1918, said Mr Pearce, there would come into operation, in connection with the Junior University Scholarship examination, a new scale of marks, whereby for the first fcfme Latin was placed on an equality with—instead of a superiority to—English. That was a splendid reform, and he welcomed it. But the reform should not end there. Already Latin was not compulsory for Matriculation or B.A. Next year it would not be compulsory for the University Scholarship; Still, a boy could not at present become a doctor, a dentist, or a lawyer without Latin. The speaker had asked old boys of his school who had taken up those professions whether Latin had been absolutely essential to them after . they had matriculated. They had answered, "No." It might be desirable, but it "was not essential. Some of the newer universities in the North "of England had this year made Latin oease. to be compulsory for the medical preliminary examination. He himself was a graduate in Latin, and had taught the language for 25 years, yet he maintained that it should not be compulsory for the professions which he had named. If Latin were removed from the compulsory list, they could get just as much out of their glorious heritage of English literature. Mr J. A. Ambrose, who recently retired from, the position of j* ssistant District Land , Registrar in Christchurch, was the recipient I of a presentation from the land brokers of Canterbury on Wednesday. In the course of his reply, Mr Ambrose said that he was thoroughly dissatisfied, he said, with the present regime, and he was afraid that if the Government didn't;, mend their ways, they would lose many more men in the near future. The present Public Service Commissioners seemed hardly aware of the duties carried out by, and. the salaries duo to, the men in the various departments. As showing that the hearts of some of the women in the Wairarapa are in the light place, a case that came under tho notice of tho Efficiency Board is worthy of notice (says the Age). A small dairy farmer, who milked- 15 cows night and morning, was drawn in tho ballot.. His young wife was in a condition of health that would not permit her to do the milking and manage the. farm, at the time. "Give 'him three months' leave*" she said, "and I shall then be in normal health and able to maaase the farm." The leave was granted. The farmer has since gone into camp, and the wife is bravely and patriotically doing the milking and managing, the farm in her husband's absence. Many curious incidents are related, some of them disconcerting and inconvenient or worse in connection with the ballot for reservists (says the Manawatu Daily Times). This, one, we think, is unique. A wellknown Palmerston North man enlisted voluntarily, and was passed as fit last mouth. He accordingly made all due provision to go into, camp, when, to his surprise, although he was a volunteer and a married man with a family, he iwas balloted in the section for men without children, and received notice to present himself for medical examination. Being curious to. see what would happen, he promptly complied, and was actually turned down as medically unfit. He is now pondering the problems as to" whether ho is fit or otherwise, and what he is to do about his farm, for which arrangements wero completed, during the period of his active service. To be passed and rejected within 28 days is surely a. unique experience.

There is never a street collection in aid of a. patriotic fund but has its pathetic and humorous instances. An instance of the former occurred last week (says the Christchurch Press). A seller of surprise packets was approached by a very old lady, who carefully untied a two-shilling piece from her handkerchief, and asked for two packets. " Whenever I give- a shilling to the patriotic funds for myself I always give one for my husband," she explained. "He has been dead for 10 years, but I always give his shilling just the same,- because I know if he were here how he would lovf to give to the war funds himself." Mr and Mrs Tonkin, of Oamaru, have received word from their daughte - Mrs R. Hall, widow of the murdered island missionary, that she and her children are well. Mr Owen is still in the hospital with a, double wound in the shoulder, but is progressing favourably. Mrs Hall stated that Mrs Owen and herself spent 10 dreadful days at the mission house in keeping the natives at bay. The man who committed the crime was on the island for only a few weeks. Ho went from Burketown in order to escape the police. He is a well-known character about those parts, and had even threatened the police. On the 9th of November 11 police and five blacktrackers left: Burketown for Mornington Island. They hope to bring back the murderer and his helpers with them. Mi's Hall expects to come to New Zealand shortly. At Wanganui on the 14th Lost, the' wife of the licensee of the Masonic Hotel was fined £2O. and costs for selling liquor to a Maori woman.