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Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 3

A *Press Association message from Wellington reports that Mr Maseey stated on the 29th: "From information that has reached tho Government, we have reason to believe that the Imperial War Cabinet and conference will meet somewhat lr.te.r this- year than it did last year. This may require very important alterations to be made in this dominion." Our Wellington correspondent informs ua that the Government has approved of a scheme of pensions for sailors on New Zealand ship 3 who- may bo injured or killed while at sea by the act of the enemy. The triennial Licensing Committee elections are to be held this year throughout New Zealand on Tuesday, March 12. The

voters' register is tho same as that for the Parliamentary elections, and tho electoral rolls are.now in course of preparation. The day has to bo observed as a halfholiday from noon onwards, and all hotel bars will be closed. Very little public interest was displayed: in tho event in 1915, and for the Dunedin oloctorate only four candidates —Messrs W. Belcher, John Cartoll, Isaac Green, and Georgo Ritchie —■ nominated for the five vacancies. Mr J. Wr.cn was subsequently nominated by the Government to occupy the fifth seat. At tho present time the seat previously

held by Mr Belcher is filled by Mr J. S. Douglas. Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., h chairman of the committee. The electoral boundaries this time are exactly the snmo as they were at the Parliamentary election of 1914. Tho decision of the Education Board to remove one of the rooms of the Hampden eohoolhouso and rc-erect it at Kartigl is, the Oamaru Mail learns, likely to elicit a strong protest from: the residents of Hampden, who claim to have something in tho nature of a proprietary interest in the building. That claim is based upon the fact that

the people! did, without any remuneration, a good deal of the work in connection with _tho erection of the building. But it is scarcely likely that any protest on that ground will receive much consideration from either the Education Department, which really holds the controlling power, or the board, which is the executive body. The wisdom of the policy is, however, very doubtful, for very little saving is effected by removals of the kind, and experience has in many instances shown that in a few years thero is Buch a change of conditions as to necessitate the restoration of a schoolhouse to its former dimensions. The Hampden School has certainly in late years fallen away in the matter of attendance, but it ia by no means improbable that it will in a few years recover its position. That has been a very general experience in rural districts devoted to farming pursuits that have been long settled. This has been due to no expansion of settlement and the inevitable interregnum between generations. The suggestion that German and Austrian names be removed from the map of New Zealand was condemned on the 29th (according to a Press Association message from Wellington) by the president of the New Zealand Institute (Professor Benham). He termed the proposal ridiculous and highly undesirable. Books of travel would be made unintelligible if any proposal of the kind were afoot. He considered that the institute should enter a strong protest against the idea. It is quit© within the bounds of possibility that the Manorburn dam may one day become a popular holiday resort —this apart of course from its material utility as a Conserver of water to be supplied to the settlers in the Ida Valley district. Behind the 400 ft wide concrete dam there are 1450 acres of water, running from "nothing" to a depth in places of 82 feet. Put down in engineering terms the dam at present holds 1,350,000,000 cubic feet of water, and this water is now within 7ft of the top of the dam. The dam has a height of 78ft. The water is now being tapped to irrigate land both at Ida Valley and at Galloway. Flat. The supply to Galloway is, however, a temporary arrangement, as when the Manuherikia water supply scheme is further developed Galloway will obtain its irrigation water from Manuherikia. The dam is at present swarming with ducks—whether or not the lake would be entirely closed to shooters ta another matter —and numbers of rainbow trout have been released in it. When some arrangement is made to plant willows, poplars, etc., on. the banks of the wide expanse of water, and when the water is more or less enclosed with growing trees, it will be an ideal spot for safe boating. Other means could no doubt be adopted to beautify the area, and there would probably be no objections by the Publio Works Department to the Otago Expansion League taking steps to improve the look of the bare rocky hillsides and banks of the lake. That successful pill-maker and millionaire, Slir Joseph Beecham, of St. Helens, England, gives newspapers full credit for their share in building up Ms big fortune. At Edmonton, Canada, he spoke thus: ".We have expended more than £1,000,000 in newspaper advertising during the last 10 years, and it is likely this will be increased largely in tho next 10 years. We also use magazines and other media. My father, who organised this business, told me when a youth that there was only one advertising medium—the newspaper. During his lifetime he used no other; in fact, he never saw any reason why he should. For that reason 98 per cent of our total appropriation goes to the newspapers; the other 2 per cent, is for supplementary work and detail." I

One of tho results of the war has been a very marked increase in the price of glycerine, which at the present moment is having a direct bearing on the shipment of tallow from New Zealand. The Canadian Government has commandeered the whole of the glycerine content of tho tallow importations, and import permits into Canada can only bo obtained on condition that the glycerine content is handed over to the Government for munition pui-poses. Apparently there has been some dispute between the importors and the Canadian Government with regard to the price of the glycerine taken by the Government, and in consequenco permits have been held up, and ships from New Zealand delayed. The repairs to the Puerua flood gates,, which were severely damaged by the floods in May of last year, are now being carried out by the Public Works Department.These gates are for the purpose of preventing the tidal waters from banking back the water in the Waitopeka River and flooding portion of the land in tho Otanomomo Hiver district. The- other work required higher up tho river for the purpose of preventing futher possible floodings of the Otanorrjomo land, is, apparently, a matter

between the Otanomomo authorities and the Railway Department. As, however, tho settlers there are now preparing claims to be made on the Railway Department for damages to their properties aggregating, it it said, something in the vicinity of £IO,OOO, no repairs are at present being carried out. Should the settlers finally carry their claims . to a court of law, it is quite recognised that costly litigation must ensue. The matter I of the claims is most involved, as there are J several features which might have been tho I ultimate cause of the water flooding the Otanomomo River district. The Kairanga County Council is asking . the various county councils in New Zealand j to support the following motion, which it has passed:—" That, in the opinion of this council, on account of tho bad state of the roads throughout New Zealand, and the ever-increasing traffic, the Government be asked to reduce railway freights oh cement, tar, and bitumen to local bodies for use in roadmaking, bridges, etc., to the same rate as coal, or, at least, to one-half of tho present tariff. The council in so moving? | admits that now is not, perhaps, the right time to ask for concessions, but considers the making of permanent roads would be a national benefit, and would in time mean a great reduction of the ever-increasing loan demands, and the continual applications for subsidies or grants. Our Wellington correspondent informs us that the Defence Expenditure Commission has not yet reached the stage when it may begin to take evidence, being occupied still with a cursory examination of the matters on which it may be necessary to call evidence. It is understood that the chairman of the . commission is of opinion that the sittings need not extend for the length of time that he had at first < thought necessary, and that the commission will be able to report before the date fixed —June 30. It is not generally known that there has been a continuous audit of all defence expenditure ever since the war began, and this may lighten the labours of the commission a great deal. , This audit has been made in the ordinary course of duty by the Auditor-general's . Department. A decision as to whether the sittings of .the commission will be open to ' the press will have to be made by the I Cabinet. There is no objection to publicity except that it is feared that it may hamper ' and perhaps render less efficient the in- ■ vestigation to be made. ' Mr W. J. Bardsley (secretary of the Otago Harbour Board) has just issued a booklet illustrating harbour works at Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and also giving views of the ■ city and the borough, concerning each of j which there is a very concisely-written description. The publication, which is ad--1 mirably printed, serves the double purpose 1 of bringing the facilities of the port under the notice of a wide range of shipping and commercial men the world over—it is posted over as extended an area as war conditions will allow —and advertising the beauties and advantages of the city. Accompanying it is also a plan of the harbour, which has hitherto been published in two sections, but which in the present case is issued in one, thus permitting of a comprehensive view of the whole harbour and foreshore, from the heads to the city. It is a most attractive and informative publication. Dr W. J. Anderson (Director of Education), in forwarding to the Board of Governors of the Otago High Schools a copy of tho report by Messrs T. R. Cresswell and R. E. Rudman, inspectors of the Education Department, on the Girls' High School, states: —"The department is pleased to note that it has been decided to require next year all first and second year pupils to include home science in their courses. The proportion of teachers taking two foreign languages is large, and the authorities are recommended to consider the expediency of reducing the number who take Latin and of allowing only the brighter pupils and those who may specially require it in their future callings to take that subject." The report was referred to the lady principal of the school (Miss Allan) for comments. "I think that tho board should take more notice of the Makarewa School fire," said Mr J. D. Trotter at tho last meeting of the Southland Education Board. The department had, he continued, allowed the school to get into such an insanitary state that now that it had been burned there was almost a general rejoicing throughout the district. He didn't think there could be any doubt that the building had been deliberately set on fire. But it was a loss to tho country, and he felt that the board should draw the department's attention to the fact that this loss could be laid 13 :1s account, since it had refused to provide a new school when the old one got beyond a fit state. Mr Stevens agreed that tho department's inactivity in that direction had resulted in a loss of at least £4oo—iron was

almost a fabulous price to-day. Mr Perrella stated that the departmental cheese-paring policy and dilly-dallying in insanitary schools was •to the detriment of the children's health. Hn thought that the school should be re-built immediately—in brick. The secretary remarked that the school having been up more' than 36£ years, the board was held to have saved sufficient from the maintenance grants to replace it. Therefore, they would have to find 75 per cent, of the cost, of a new school, and the department did not insuro its schools. As a matter of fact, two clays prior to the fire, tho department had authorised £469 for a brick addition to tho Makarewa School. Mr Stevens said that the board had lost a clear £4OO through the department's hesitation. There was no doubt that the place had been deliberately burned clown. The chairman advised waiting until the department had considered the finding of the police inquiry into tho circumstances of the fire. Meanwhile it was decided to request the architect to supply plans and estimate for a new school in brick to the next meeting. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute (says the New Zealand Times), tho president (Professor Benham) again urged the necessity for the Government to take immediate steps to form a scientific and technological library. Most of the problems that might present themselves to the manufacturers in the dominion, such as the utilisation of by-products, the improvement in methods of manufacture, and so foxth, had been solved in other parts of the world. There was a store of scientific knowledge which was no doubt unknown to most of their industrialists, but which would be of great service to them, for it was only in a few cases that the problems were of such a peculiar character in NewZealand that special research was needed. The vital statistics . for Dunedin for January were:—Births, 147; deaths, 69j marriages, 28. For tho corresponding month last year there were 158 births, 74 deaths, and 29 marriages. This comparison shows that there ■were K fewer births registered in the month just ended, and also that there were fewer deaths and marriages. In December of last year the births totalled only 124, while the deaths nuumbered 64, or five less than these recorded last month, "whereas the marriages registered totalled 54, or three less than for the other two periods added together. A Press Association message from. Wellington states that the total births in the four metropolitan areas in 1917 was 9064. The rates per 1000 were:.— Auckland City, 22.29; Auckland metropolitan area, 22.33; Wellington City, 24.46; Wellington metropolitan area, 25.25; Ohristchurch Oity, 23.25; Ohristchurch metropolitan area, 22.96; Dunedin City, -21.57; Dunedin metropolitan area, 22.47. The death statistics suggest that in New Zealand, as elsewhere, the stress of war tends to increase the death rate. The treatment accorded to a man drawn in a recent ballot by his employer, a business man in Ohristchurch (says the. Press)/ i,s creating considerable indignation. , The man, who is married, with one child, after being medically rejected two or three time 3 when he volunteered for active service, was passed by the Medical Board after he was drawn in the ballot, He was ordered to proceed to camp next April, over two months hence, but his employer, hearing that he had passed the doctors, immediately dismissed him and filled his place with a foreigner. In the meantime the man is without employment until he proceeds to camp. -

"I am his fifth wife —I've found that out," said a pleasant-faced elderly woman, who appeared in the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch to support her application for separation and maintenance from her husband. Mr Hunt, who appeared for plaintiff, referring to defendant, exclaimed: " Yes, that's the man —I've had him four times before. He's a widower by trade, your Worship!" Witness continued, referring to her husband, " When he found out that I had not a lot of money he turned out spiteful and unreasonable." She concluded by quoting from a written document, which she perused in the witness box, her version of domestic happenings, which pointed to her husband being what might be aptly described as "olose fisted," and, to say the least of it, short of temper. In reply to a question from the magistrate, witness said that her husband occupied''himself chiefly in doing jobs in the garden and watching her work in the house. " And sometimes he used to count the scones as I made them," she alleged. Our Wellington correspondent states that Sir John Denniston will resign his seat on the Supreme Court Bench in a week from date. Mr Herdman will resign his seat in Parliament in the course of a few days from then, and we may expect the election fight to begin from that time. At present the opposition to Mr Luke seems to have slumped, probably because his opponents have learned something more about the strength of the support he is likely to get. The man who promised to be his strongest opponent—Mr A. E. Whyte (secretary of the Wellington Racing Club) has decided not to stand, and at present no announcements are being made about other candidates to oppose Mr Luke except Mr Harry Holland (the candidate of extreme Labour), and Mr Poison. It is rumoured that Mr M. Myers, of the firm of Bell, Gully Bell, and Myers, will stand and that ho will be an Independent, but Mr Myers has not taken" the public into his confidence vet.

"I noticed some time ago it was suggested that I had made up my mind to retire from active public life, and that I was to be 'shelved,'" remarked the Hon. Sir William Fraser at a civic reception accorded to him at Gisborne recently. "I was asked by a newspaper reporter if it was true, and I informed him that there was not the slightest foundation in fact for the suggestion, and that I had never contemplated it. He asked me if he could contradict the rumour, and I eaid, 'No, I don't want you to. This is only put in as a ' draw,' and I am not going to bo ' drawn. '"—(Laughter.) The fact of my having received this honour has not influenced me in my desire, so long as the

mental and physical power, remains with me, to be of service to this country. I know I cannot go on very much longer, but I don't feel any waning of my powers, and I still feel hearty , and _ strong. It is only my desire to be of service to the land of my adoption, and as soon as I feel I cannot do my work as I ought to do it, I will go out. But there are some things and some works I would like to see completed, and which I still hope to see completed before I retire." Dr Thackep, M.P., stated at a meeting of the Waikaremoana Hydro-electrio League in Napier, that no less than £300,000 was paid for the annual imports of paper into New Zealand, and that he with -three friends had had a ton of different kinds made from birchwood by an electrical method in Christchurch. This paper was in every way equal to the imported article, and he considered that when the Waikaremoana scheme was in operation it would be possible to make all the paper that New Zealand required locally. Hawke's Bay, he said, had the wood, and what could be better as an occupation for returned soldiers than a trade of such national importance as papermaking ? A Press Association message from Auckland states that a movement has been inaugurated at a meeting of women with- the object of securing the removal from the Government service of officials of German or Austrian origin. A petition to the Governorgeneral has been drawn up for circulation. A good deal is heard from time to time of work being done by girls and women in the fields, in the absence of their soldier relatives at the front. Any day in the Taieri young women can be seen hard at work. They have been engaged in turnipthinning, hay-raking, stacking, etc., and have carried out their work in a manner which would do credit to the best of farm hands. The Superintendent of Police was advised on Friday by .Constable Parkhill that Mr 3 M'Diarmid, an Oamaru resident, who had been missing from Dunedin since Friday, January 25. was found on Friday by Mr Lindo Perry on the hills above Sawyers Bay. Dr Evans was called at once to render the necessary medical attention. Mrs M'Diarmid has been removed to the Chalet Hospital, whoro she is making steady progress towards recovery. The pupils of the secondary department in the Dunedin Normal School again did well in the November and December examinations, of whioh the results have been recently published. The successes include two Junior National Scholarships (including second place in Otago), four Senior National Scholarships, all won by secondyear pupils (inoluding second and third places in Otago and Southand); nine "credit" passes and eight passes in Public Service (including first place in Dunedin and six of the first nine in Dunedin); five passes and two partial passes in Matriculation ; one "credit" pass in University Scholarship. The total .number of pupils in the secondary department is about 50. It may be mentioned tho boys won their grade competitions in cricket and football during the year, and the girls started a successful hockey team. An extraordinary case of disability on tho part of a returned soldier came before the Pensions Board on Thursday (says the Christchurch Press). The eoldier, who wa3 applying for a pension, had about three or four inches of bone, removed from the upper portion of one of his arms, yet the muscles appeared to be practically intact. He could use the arm perfectly well below tho elbow, and his grip in a handshake was something to be remembered. Of course, if he had to elevate the arm he had to assist it with the other hand, but once he had it in position he could do practically anything with it. Yet, as previously stated,, there were inches of vacuum in tho arm as far as bone was concerned, and an amputation could easily have been performed with an ordinary knife, as there was nothing but flesh to oppose the blade. Tho soldier had also been severely wounded in the knee, and he was, quite deservedly, granted a good pension. There arc occasionally paragraphs in the newspapers showing that there are people ready and anxious to take advantage of thoso who, through being called up for aotive service have to close or sell up their businesses at short notice. We have rot seen any mention of transactions showing a brighter side of such position, but wo o. great deal of pleasure in giving publicity to Messrs Pink and Hall's account of a sale of their business (says tho Carterton News). Both partners were called up for military

service. One was rejected, but the other passed fit and was ordered into camp, and it was necessary to dispose of' the Hu-iness they had industriously built up. Amongst others approached was the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association, and Mr Caselberg, director of the association, negotiated for the purchase. They agreed to take the whole stock at invoice prices and the plant at valuation. They "asked the owners to put their valuation on the various items of the plant, and when all were enumerated one of the buyers made a little speech. Said he: " Now, look here; in this time, when war inflicts hardship, it's up to men to stand by each other and not to take advantage. Tou have pi.t a great deal too low a value on several of the items because you urgently want to realise upon them. We are not out to take advantage of that. We will give you the full market price for the whole lot." And they did, leaving two astonished and extremely gratified partners to congratulate themselves upon having struck a genuine vein of patriotism when least expected in a business deal. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister of Marino, has written as follows to the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society: —"Officers ap23ointed under Part II of the Fisheries Act have jurisdiction over all rivers in the dominion, and not, as stated by the society, over rivers only in its district. Regarding stroke hauling, the present regulations prohibit this method of fishing, and the matter of amending the regulations is being held over pending the revision, by the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, of certain amendments which have been drafted by the Department of Internal Affairs, which for some years has been administering the fresh water fisheries." A member of the Royal Flying Corps, a resident of Sydney, in the course of a letter to his brother, provides an outline of new British aircraft. " The aircratt of today," the writer states, "is improving wonderfully. Machines that were England's hope and glory a few months ago aie todays heap 3 of ridicule, and look as clumsy beside a modern, machine as a camel does beside a wagtail. The tendency is to build very small craft, with every device handy, and mechanically operated by tho j.ilct. Try to imagine a machine built very much on the lines of a canary. Tho pilot operates (besides all his flying controls, switch, mixture, throttle, etc.), two fine .303 Lewi3 machine guns,' geared and limed to fir-> accurately between the two blades of his propellor; and a bomb-throw.- ng apparatus, capable of carrying 10 large torpedoes. Instead of tho pilot sitting right up near tho nose of his machine, thus endangering his life in a crash, he sits well back sear the tail planes, and has a much better chance of escape in case either of fire or no3e diving." Amongst the reservists called up by ballot are oonvicts and others under sentence. The Military Service Boards have had some rather ironical communications on the subject from such persons (says the Auckland Star). In sending in an appeal to the local board the other day, one prisoner said he was at present serving a sentence, and he gave details of dates. He added: "I have been in gaol many times, and I have a very bad record indeed." Another prisoner was even more matter-of-fact for, to prove his contention that he was living at "His Majesty's" expense, he sent along tho Police Gazette containing his photograph. With this such frank and ample evidence and official particulars, the boards are enabled to grant exemption and to strike such men off the list of the reserve. Another war romance, in which a New Zealand soldier and an English nurse are tho actors, is reported. Years ago the soldier, when quite a lad, was induced by an English magazine to participate in its scheme for the exchange of picture postcards on the part of its subscribers in different parts of the world. The New Zealand lad exchanged post-cards with a littlo English miss, and for about a couple of years both wero enabled by tins means to add to their collections. Then the correspondence gradually died away. Some years flow by, and then tho groat war broke cut. The young New Zeolander was ono of tho first to enlist, and saw much service beforo ho was seriously wounded. He waa invalided homo to New Zealand to discover that his fiancee had, during his absonce, married ono of the stay-at-homes. Though discharged froi/i tho forces ho now had but one desire —to get back to the firing lino as quickly as possible, and forget his troubles. He returned to tho front with one of tho reinforcements last year, and after a period of strenuous fighting was onoo more seriously wounded. Ho was sent

to a hospital in England, whore he was placed under the charge of a pretty nurse. It was a case of lovo at first sight on the part of both, and as soon ,as it was possible they were married. Then they discovered that they were the parties who had corresponded with one another by of post-cards years before. Tho young soldier, no longer fit for the army, has row brought his wife out to his home in Christchurch. A General Order issued on Thursday (says the Wellington Post) states: "Drinking by commissioned officers in the public bars of hotels, beings-detrimental to discipline, is strictly forbidden." Members of the Dunedin Photographic Society and the many soldiers' relatives whoso photos they, took, will be interested to read the following extract from a soldier's letter, which shows that the scheme was very successful, and - was keenly appreciated by our boys so far away from their homes and friends. He says: "Last night Mr G. W. Hughes gave lantern slides of dear old New Zealand. I went to it, and enjoyed it very much, as it is the first chanoe we have had of putting in an evening, in that way since' coming to France. It was nice seeing old familiar sights, and he had a lot of Dunedin. The best part waa when he showed some slides of groups of Dunedin ladies (relatives of the boys at the front), which were taken by the Dunedin Photographic Society. You can imagine I scanned the faces pretty closely, in case there were any I knew. Just about • tho second last slide I recognised . It was great to be sitting in a shed in Belgium and see her face on the screen. Tell her, and she can think of herself aa being' shown in different camps and places all over Flanders." "There is no doubt that the status cf women in China has improved greatly of late years," said Dr G. *E. 'Morrison,, of China, in an address to a gathering of journalists at Wellington. There had been a movement in China, organised by an Englishwoman named Mrs Little, against foot-binding, one of the most pernicious customs ever forced upon a people. They would be> told that foot-binding had been abolished, but that was not, the case. ' A very considerable improvement had been effected, but in some of v the provinces the evil continued. Foot-binding waa a form of servitude which had proved a great evil; its abolition would mean that the women would be allowed to pursue their occupations and enjoy the freedom to which they were entitled. It is estimated by pearl experts that the Star of the West pearl, now on view in Melbourne, is worth at least £40,000. The gem waa found . three months ago off Broome (W.A.) in fairly deep water by one of Mr James Clark's luggers. Mr Clark a well-known pearl-fisher, who had been fortunate off the Northern Territory for some time. Things got rather slack, and he sent portion of his fleet to the north-west coast of Australia. The Star of the West was found in a comparatively small oyster. Some years ago Messrs Newman and Co., of Melbourne, in whose window tho pearl is displayed, were themselves interested in pearl fishing, and maintained a large fleet off the coast near Broome. They havo found several pearls quite as large" as Mr Clark's, but none so beautifully marked. Tho Star of the West is exactly 100 grains in weight, and in shape it resembles an egg-drop flattened just sufficiently on the point to enable it to stand upright and balance. Its symmetry is one of its features, while from the outlook of the connoisseur its great value lies in its wonderful skin and colouring. It is described as real Oriental, and has a slightly warmish pink glow. The finders state that they are not anxious to sell but Mr Newman thinks that eventually they will take the pearl to America, where people will bo more ready to purchase it. Mr C. Andrews, who has been commissioned by the Indian Government to report on the condition of indentured Indians in Fiji, delivered a lecture in Sydney last month. He stated that there were about 60,000 freed natives of India in Fiji, and he had found they were in the toils of moral degradation. Originally only 40 women had been imported to every 100 men, and this had led to immorality. Children born in the lines were reared in the same life. Ho had proposed to the Fijian Government that any unmarried Indians who wished should be granted a freo passage to India to marry and also that those whoso indentures expired in the next four years should bo set free, so that degradation in the lines might cease. He had also asked the Colonial

Sugar Refining Company that trained nurses should be provided in the hospitals where Indian wome/h were treated as patients. At present the hospitals were staffed by Australian men who had not fully qualified as doctors. He had also asked that young unmarried Australian men should not be put in charge of Indian women gangs in the cane fields, as it led to evil. Mr Andrews will present his report to the Viceroy as soon as ho returns to India. A large block of office and warehouse buildings is to be erected in Dixon street, Wellington, for Messrs Henry Berry and Co. by Fletcher Bros., of this .city. The buildings, which are three stories in height, will be constructed of reinforced concrete and brick. The time for erecting is six months, and the contract price is over £9OOO. » During December 13,331 visited tho newspaper, magazine, andi reference rooms of the Public Library. In the corresponding month in 1916 the number was 15,492. In tho lending department, up to. December 15, the adult tickets issued numbered 8438 and the juvenile tickets 1823. The comparative figures for 1916 are not; given. The total number of books issued for home reading last December was 3215, as against 5002 in December, 1916. Books other than fiction also show a falling off, the number issued in December being 375, while in December, 1916, the nuniber was 1844. There are now 30,399 books on the shelves. Mr T. M. Erihana, who is a candidate for the Southern Maori seat, has received a telegram, from Sir James Carroll, M.P., ia the following terms: —"Holding meeting Puketeraki on Monday evening. Wouldl like you to be there, when I will make a public request for you to stand down until general election." Mr Erihana is wiring in reply to Sir James Carroll: "Re your meeting at Puketeraki, 1 have definitely decided to contest tho Southern Maori seat, and no purpose could be served by my being present. The electors will have the matter of the selection of their representative on polling day." A remarkable achievement was accomplished at the University bodk-keeping diploma examination held last November for the New Zealand Society of Accountants. Thi3._ was the passing of the examination by a young student, Mr D. E. Duthoit, who is temporarily blind. Mr Duthoit studied at the Auckland! University College. All the principles of book-keep-ing wore explained to Mr Duthoit by his teacher, .and at tho examination he' was supplied with a reader. The reader read over the paper aloud, and then, at Mr Duthoit's dictation, set down the answers to the questions. What is the more remarkable is that the examination papers — two in number —involved tho working of, practical problems, consisting of many figures with tho usual additions, deduction*), allowances, and so forth. All of this had, of course, to be retained in the head. The examination was specially supervised by the Rev. A.. B. Chappel, registrar of the Auckland University College. A party of six lads from Christ's College, who have been engaged for the greater part of the midsummer vacation in harvesting and general farm work on Mr John Grigg's Longbeach Estate, returned; to Christchurch on Friday (says tho Press). Besides laying in a big store of good health to carry him over tho year's studies, each lad was tho proud possessor of a cheque for over £ls, representing his earnings "on tho land." The work of the boys seems to have given entire satisfaction, and the success of the experiment on Longbeach appears to have been in keeping with the reports received of the great success of secondary school-boy labour on farms in other parts of tho dominion. Having done a share of homo service, many of these lads throughout Now Zealand will, in accordance with tho traditions of their schools, in due course figure for military servico in tho 19-year-old enlistment lists. • Somo interesting sidelights are thrown on life at Ruhleben (says the, Christchurch Press) by a letter which has been received by Mr J. H. Howell, director of the Technical College, from Mr A. H. Jones, an old student of the college, and now a prisoner of war in Germany. "There is undoubtedly a splendid opportunity for gaining experience in public work for all those here who havo sufficient energy to avail themselves of the privilege," ho says. "Practically all departments of a city corporation are in existence, and, in many instances, the work required is of such a nature that one's whole time has to be devoted to it. On tlie other hand, there

is the work of the school and the Art» and Science Union to occupy every available hour that a student is allowed. To walk through the chemical, physics, biological, and research laboratories is an education. Weird and marvellous are the home-made instruments and apparatus one sees there. We, of course, now get valuable outside assistance, and, therefore, the tables have a more civilised appearance than in tho early days. The handicraft workshops are a real God-send. Models of yachts, motor boats- steamers, ships' engines, and dozen* of other articles are being madie every week. All kinds of bookbinding, leather work, and art metal work are produced—but this side of camp life would take a book to describe. The- fact that already we have had exhibitions in art, handicrafts, model yachts, and bookbinding, as well as three flower and vegetable shows, illustrates what has, and is, being done." Writing to a relative in Ch'ristchureh, .Lieutenant H. Pohio, of Tuahiwi, who leffc Now Zealand with the Main Body of the Maoris, says:—ln the fight for Passohenr daele Ridge I was hit with a piece of casing from a high explosive shell., The piece entered the muscle of the right arm, between the arm and body, tearing the flesh right around the bone, without -breaking any bones—just a clean, open wound, and I can thank my lucky stars it wasn't worse, as tho v shell burst within a yard of my feet, and I was rather fortunate in not getting shell-shock. The people here in this hospital are very nice, doing all they possibly can for mo, and nothing is too much for them to do." Referring to those whom ha" terms "our people," the writer says:—"Up to the date I got cracked up they were all going well, and I might mention that the South. Island platoon in the battalion ia recognised as one of the best in the outfit. That compliment has been paid to us by the Colonel commanding our 'right.' " Referring to two of his brothers who have eerved* in France and have returned home, he says that they, "deserve their trip home," adding:—•" But tell those who are floating about the pa that there is plenty of room here for them in the battalion, and tell them to hurry, so as to allow. a lot of the old 'boys out here. to return home for a spell." The writer makes -mention of a " feed " of mutton birds which he and his comrades had in France, and says, "By Jove, they went very well." The ills which man is heir to are not the-- only forms " of; disease whioh may be contagious. During the course of a lecture on plant diseases, in Christchurch,' Mr T. W. Kirk cited an instance of how potato blight nrny be carried on one's clothes. A man once* came to him with a few leaves of tho potato plant, which he had obtained from a neighbour's garden. On examination the leaves were found to bo infested with potato blight. "I hope there are none on my plants," said tho man, fervently. "Take off your trousers and let us have a look at them," said Mr Kirk. His * visitor wu rather surprised at this extraordinary request, but ho complied, and his surprise was not diminished when, under the microscope, he was • shown that the legs of his trousers were covered with thousands of spores of tho blight fungus. Needless to say, he changed his clothes before ho again visited his own potato crop.