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Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 3

The Bluff. cool stores -will this week b* relieved by tho shipment of no fewer than. 19,000 crates of cheese. The Dunedin stores will sendl out some 10,000 boxes of butter about the middle of March, and 4003 boxes of butter will be taken from the ' Lyttelton stores.' / An unusually largo shipment of meat, which probably constitutes a record for the district, was to leav9 the South Otago Freezing "Works last week. Altogether, about 14,000 freight carcases of new season's mutton and - lamb and 800 crates of rabbits will leave the works. Mr J. C Anderson, of Stirling, expressed a strong objection at the monthly meeting of the Clutha Farmers' 'Union to tho Government's action in placing conscientious objectors on the State Training Farm at Wereroa. About 20 of these persons have been placed on this farm, and Mr Anderson stated that any decent person would not allow a member of his family to be working among them. He went on to refer to the conscientious objectors as the "meanest skunks on the face of the earth," and stated that it was a most • contemptible action on the part of the Government to consider that any white man would work alongside such persons. SThe conscientious objectors should be dumped in the sea," said Mr P. S. Watt. Mr Christie observed that while they were called "conscientious objectors," they never knew they had a conscience till the war broke put. X)ther members also strongly objected to the Government's procedure, Mr Anderson stating that he would not allow his eon to work alongside a conscientious objector "or any such beast."

"Do you know you are liable to a fin» of £100," remarked Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., at the Gisborne Police Court, a few days ago to a Maori named John Reni, who was charged with wearing a returned soldier's badge, which did not belong to him. At the monthly meeting of the Clutha branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union on the 23rd ult. Mr J. O. Anderson gave' notice of motion as follows: —"That the Government take into serious consideration the question of acquiring—when prices of shipping again become normal—a fleet of Stats owned boats as a means whereby the producer and consumer of New Zealand products may be brought into direct contact, and as a aet-oir against any trust which may try to get control of the New Zealand meat or other produce markets," It was decided to discuss the whole shipping question at a future meeting. . There has been a notable decrease in' the number of police oases coming before tho magistrates in Wellington recently (says our correspondent). The stern sentences of Mr S. E; M'Carthy, S.M., on men and women, particularly women, has cleared up the town wonderfully, and early closing has made A Clutha farmer was considerably surprised! to receive a letter from the Commissioner of Taxes lately, stating that his application for a reduction of the taxation to be levied on his property was "being considered," to use the "stock" language of all Government departments. The surprise lay in tho fact that tho farmer had never made any application to havo his taxes reduced. The Natives of tho four Northern Maori tribes are greatly agitated over the com* pulsory registration under the Military Service Act (writes the Kawakawa correspondent of the New Zealand Herald). Tue y state that the Aupouris, Rarawas, Ngapuhis,and Ngatiwhatuas have already furnished 700 fighting men out of a total estimated population of 9000, whilo other tribes fur. ther south have enlisted in very small nun> bers. They urge that if the compulsprj

clauses of the Act aro enforced among the northern tribes, it will be an ungrateful return for their loyal volunteering, a,nci that compulsion should be resorted to only _in the case of tribes that have failed to give their quota voluntarily. Feeling has been running high on the subject. At a representative gathering, Dx Pomare and Mr Tnu Henaro addressed the meeting, and explained the situation. Several leading men replied to the Minister and the member, stating that when the Treaty of Waitangi ■was signed their hand 3 were cleansed from ■warfare, and they wero ledl to understand that they were to settle- down in peace, protected by the "great -white queen," who would spread her wings over them and fight for them. Dr Pomaro read letters from. Mr Massey and Sir James AJlen, both of which stated that Ngapuhis would not be conscripted until the Waikatos had pro•vided their full quota. On this understanding, and after a great deal of explanation, the representatives decided to advise their peoples to register, and all present of military ago went to the courthouse to enrol. for quietness and! general good conduct in the later hours of the evening. The law in being broken systematically and regularly

by some licensees, but as this has to bo done surreptitiously, men who are even partly intoxicated are not encouraged to take liquor. It is a rare thing to see a drunken man abroad after dark. One hears very little nowadays of the hardships of the new law on the customers of hotels. It used to be said that the soldiers would give no end! of trouble if they wero not allowed to have their drinks when they came to Wellington on their weekly visits, but they seem to have accustomed themselves to early closing as easily as other people. A recent issue of the Publishers' Circular states that the coming decimalisation of our coinage has been materially advanced. At a joint meeting of the Institute of Bankers, the Association of Chambers of Commerce and tho Decimal Association, unanimous agreement "was secured! as to the retention of the £ sterling as the monetary unit and its division into 1000 parts or mil?. This enables all the existing gold and silver coins down to and including the sixpenny piece to bo retained -without any alteration in their respective values. For example, the 6d is represented exactly by 25 mils. In regard to the coins of lower denomination,

It, was unanimously agreed that they shall consist of 1,2, 3,4, 5, and 10 mil pieoes, of which the two latter would be of nickel. This enlarged range of the coins of lower value, in addition to providing coins substantially equal in value to the existing halfpenny and penny, will provide coins.of intermediate value between the present half penny and! penny, and thus overcome a defect in our present coinage which bat; resulted in prices in millions of small transactions in daily life being unduly increased because of the absence of suitable- intermediate coins. The motor launch Virginia, owned by Mr W. H. Hazard, of Auckland, was attacked and damaged by a swordfish off Cape Brett on Wednesday (say 3 the Auckland Star). A party, consisting of Mr Hazard, Dr Pope, and Mr B. P. Anders, of Sydney, were on a fishing trip. When off Cape Brett one of the party scoured with a rod a fish which ultimately proved to be a swordfish, probably weighing between 3001 b and 4001 b. The fish, on being hooked, made straight for the launch, broached at about ten yards away, and, re-entering the water, rammed the launch, the sword penetrating nine inches through the one-inch kauri planking. After a struggle the. sword! broke, and the fish, still on the hook, made for the sea. After being held for another five minutes or so, the line became entangled and broke, and the fish disappeared. The launch was found to be leaking badly, and tho party had to put back to Russell in quick time. The launch was beached for repairs. A piece of the swordi was found inside the boat. This is stated to bo the first instance known in New Zealand where a swordfish has attacked a boat. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a young married man, William Samuel Beehve, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, the maximum penalty, for knowingly delivering an indecent document to a 14-year-old girl, the daughter of his landlady, while his wife and child were away on a holiday. The magistrate (Mr M'Carthy) said it was a deliberate attempt to corrupt the girl. The Electric Department of the City Corporation has now secured a supply of the necessary instruments whereby it will be possible to limit the amount of electricity which can be used at any one time for lighting purposes. The innovation is specially to enable small users to install tho electric light in their houses. The amount of the current supplied will be limited by the regulators, and a fixed sum per month will be charged, on the basis of the setting of the regulators. Under these particular conditions there will be no need for the ordinary meters. The price of the 4lb loaf has been "advanced in ' Dunedin from 9£d to lOd. A certain amount of cutting has been taking place amongst the local bakers, and though the existing retail price has been named at 9£d, for a considerable time lower prices have been charged by some bakers to, particular customers. The price of flour today is £ls (less 2£ per cent, discount) This is the price fixed by the Government, and it has been ruling for many months. The Board of Trade is now, however, reconsidering flour prices, and the opinion amongst those who should be able to form a fairly reliable estimate is that the board will fix the price at £ls 10s (less 2£ per cent, discount). Both millers and bakers assert that at tho prices they have been receiving up to the present there is very little profit in their respective businesses. Mr Steve Boreham writes to us from Wedderburn, Central Otago: " The completion of shearing has lifted a ton of anxiety from the mind of the Bniall sheep farmer, who at ono time during the season -gave up all hopes of getting men to do this class of work. Troubles for the farmer, however, are so numerous, that one is scarcely got over when another crops up worse than that left behind. The problem he is now confronted with is that of getting his grain thrashed. True, he had not yet succeeded in getting it into the stack, but given favourable weather for a few weeks, with the heterogeneous class of labour he has scraped together, matters in this direction will be all right. What he now complains of is that there is only ono thrashing plant to do the work. When it is considered that there are about 83 farmers in the district with more or less grain to thrash, and when it is safe to stato that none of them will have less than two stacks to thrash, while some will have 35, or perhaps more, tho crops of wheat and oats being some of the finest I have seen in any part of New Zealand, thrashing mill owners may rest assured that a visit to Central Otago would be a profitable venture if they made a point of getting to business at once. lam writing from a farm where the oats in my estimation will run any thing from 50 to 60 bushels to the acre, and tho wheat easily 60 bushels. Still another grievance, and In

my opinion a genuine one, which the farmers have, is that they having responded to the Prime Minister's request to put as much land, under crop aa possible, they are left to their own resources to harvest the crop, no effort having been made to assist in getting labour to secure this essential product. On the other hand the last son has in many oases been taken for military Eurposes, although the Defence authorities avo been requested to leave this labour on the farm till after harvest."

Tho following resolution was carried at a representative meeting of railwayman:— "That we earnestly'request that the qualifying subscription to the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association be reduced as advocated by the Hon. J. T. Paul, thus allowing workers, who did yeoman service in raising the fund, to retain membership and take an active part in the management of the association." At Sockburn on the 25th two more pupils of the Canterbury Aviation School qualified for their tickets—W. O. Shiel (Dunedin) and J. E. Russell (Auckland). Both candidates took very good certificates, flying well in a varying easterly wind. Forty-three pupils have now passed through the school. A man named Spice, who is believed to have gone from Awapuni to attend, the Wanganui races, was brutally assaulted on the night of the 21st in tho vicinity of the Wanganui wharf. About 5 a.m. on Friday some men, who were employed in the wharf sheds, were moving some trucks, when it was noticed that one of the Railway Department's tarpaulins used for covering merchandise had been unfolded, and was apparently wrapped round some object. On investigation, it was found to contain a man, whose clothing was soaked in blood. He was unconscious, and had a gaping wound on the left side of his head, and his face was. badly cut. The police and a doctor were.... called, and a little later the man regained consciousness. He said the last ho remembered was being at the fire at Foster's Hotel about 9 o'clock on Thursday night. He left there, and proceeded to walk towards the Town Bridge. Ho was followed by two men, one of whom, he .alleged, held him down while the other robbed him. That was all he remembered. His watch, money, and even his boots were taken by his attackers. He was taken to the hospital, and his condition was serious.

A Christchurch Press reporter was informed on Thursday on good authority that the coming session of Parliament, which was provisionally arranged to open on April 9, will now commence on April 4. The vital statistics for Dunedin for the month just past, as compared with those for February last year, show a marked decline in the number of births from 188 to 113. The deaths this time were 64 as compared with 69, and the marriages 35 as compared with 41. The following are the vital statistics at Balolutha for February! —Births, 10; marriages, 2; death, 1. Mr E. J. Howard, a prominent Labour leader in Ghristchurch, referring to the cable messages regarding the inter-Allied Labour Conference, said to a representative of the Press that the New Zealand Labour party had received an Invitation to send its opinions on questions to be discussed at the conference, and this had been availed of. The senders of the invitation had regretted that they had not been able to invite the party to send a delegate in sufficient time to allow of this being done. Mr Howard continued that it was probable that if Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward went to England, Labour also would send a delegate to the Old Country, although it was possible that the authorities would not bo supplied with tho name of any such appointee. Inquiries made last week by one of our reporters into the causes which have influenced the Dunedin bakers to advance the price of bread from to lOd, as from Friday, went to show that the steadily increasing cost of most of the commodities required for baking was the sole reason. Salt, for instance, shows a heavy increase on pre-war prices; coal is dearer; repair work to tho carts, new harness, etc., is increasing in cost every day; and the wages of carters and bakers have advanced. Bakers are not plentiful, and in order to secure the services of good men they have to be paid considerably above the award rates. One baker was asked to explain how the price of bread in Dunedin for four months in 1915 was lOd per loaf with flour at £l7 10s a ton —the same price to be now charged with flour at £ls. He replied' that in 1915 many bakers lost money, but that these could not get any advance consequent on the fact that other bakers had bought large supplies of flour " forward " at prices ranging down to £l2 10s a ton, and that

they, of course, were well repaid at lOd, and were disinclined to ask more. Further questioned on the point whether he considered that an advance equalling £2 10a on the number of loaves manufactured from a ton of flour was a fair thing, he said ho honestly considered •it was; that in Wellington and Auckland bread was quoted at lid delivered and lOd over the counter, and in Christchurch prices were the same as in Dunedin. The explanation Eiven to the question why the Government ad fixed the price of wheat and also of flour, but had not named the price fof bread, was that the Government considered the bread prices were fair, and that the bakers had been given to understand that tho Government would not interfere with them so long as they did the fair thing in tho price they asked for bread. The bakers interviewed, with one exception, said they considered that the price of bread should have been advanced some months ago.

Speaking last week at the Methodist Conference, the retiring president (the Kev. W. A. Sinclair) touched briefly upon th« question of sectarianism as it has manifested itself of late. "We desire," he said, "to live at peace with all men and to remain, as we have ever olaimed to be, the friends of all, the enemies of none. W© have no wish in these days of sorrow and strain and crisis to provoke bitter sectarian strife. But a militant Romanism must be met with a militant Protestanism. There is an urgent need in the dominion for a federation of the Protestant forces, but that federation must be built up, not by attacking what may appear to us to be the errors and' abuses of another church, but by the assertion of those great political and religious principles which lie at the founda-" tion of our Protestanism. This is predominantly a Protestant country, and we must emphatically demand the right to unmolested in publio meetings for the discussion of matters which concern out political and religious liberty. Our sympathy will go out to those who have suffered in this sacred cause." These remarks were received with loud applause by the meeting. Touching upon some of the problems that would face the churches after the war, the Rev. W. A. Sinclair, in his address before the Methodist Conference last week,' put in a strong plea for a better understanding between Labour and the ...Church. The alienation of organised labour from the ohurches, he said, called for heart-searching consideration and definite action. There was more than alienation, there was often bitter and unconcealed hostility. There was a suspicion that the pulpit did not tell the whole truth, that the Church was on the side of the wealthy. Rightly or wrongly that suspicion was deeply rooted. There were doubtless faults on each side. The Church had not always been truly Christian and had not taken the pains to understand the ideals of Labour; and the Labour leaders had been ignorant of the ideals and real work of the Church. Because. of. thia Labour had suffered and the Church had suffered. The Church must address herself afresh and with all seriousness to the study of this, the greatest, question that would confront it after the war. The social principles of the Kingdom of God would have to be expounded and applied and no effort spared to build up a social order that would be in harmony with the teaching and Spirit of Jesu3 Christ. Only by these means should they commend the Gospel of Christ to the masses outside the Church. And surely it was the supreme task of the Church to lead the masses back to the fundamental purposes of religion. There must be fearless outspokenness upon the part of the Church, utterly regardless of what the consequences, might be. The further extension of denominational education by the Methodist Church was foreshadowed on the 28th by the R-ev. W. A. Sinclair in his address at the opening session of the annual Methodist Conference, when he said: "Methodism, which was born in a university must ever care for the higher education of its young people. The need is urgent for the establishment of secondary schools on a distinctly religious basis under the control of the church. This question must be approached afresh with a view to something definite being done."

The Teviot Fruitgrowers' Association, has (writes our Roxburgh correspondent) approached the Department of Agriculture suggesting that a portion of tho Teviot station be set aside for experimental and research work in connection with the industry. The announcement has already been made, that the Government is on the look out for a suitable place for the establishment of euch an institution, and the acquisition of this estate seems to afford a solution. The rapid expansion of the fruit industry in Ota-go makes tho establishment of an experimental station imperative, and as the question is one which has' been urged upon the department for many years it is hoped that the application of the Fruit-growers' Association will receive a favourable hearing. Tho New Zealand Times states that in the Wellington Supreme Court on the 24th, before Mr Justice Herdman, Irene Annie Yelverton sued Barry Surrey Harris Yelverton (known in theatrical circles as Barrie Marschel) for divorce on the ground of adultery. A defence had been entered, but was abandoned. The pair were married in March, 1896. Evidence was given of the respondent having spent some time with a Miss Friend, a ticket office girl whom h« represented to be his wife at the Commer* cial Hotel, Kimbolton, in September. A decree nisi was granted, returnable in three, months. A difficulty has arisen about the disposal of the trophies of the first Australian troops, which, unless swift steps be taken in order to rectify it, will (Mr C. E, "W, Bean, official reporter with the A.1.F., has cabled) wreck the whole scheme for the collection of Australian trophies and causa extreme indignation amongst all Australian troops. It turns out that some time ago when the war was younger and the circun> stances were possibly different, a promise was made on behalf of Australia, in answer to a request originating from the Imperial War Museum in London, to give the first

selection of all trophies captured by our troops to. that institution. A difficulty has already arisen over the very fine trophy captured by the Australians at Sinai —viz., an ancient Mosaic pavement, which has been carefully preserved and guarded by the Light Horse. The Australian claim to this is being resisted by the authorities who • possess the permission mentioned above; and by the same promise a very fine trophy captured by the Australians in France at the risk of their lives, and over which fatigue parties sweated through a night past wire entanglements and shell holes, is liable to be selected by the authorities of the London Museum. The indignation of the Australian troops when they realise this will be intense, and amongst the Canadians and New Zealanders who are aware of the facts, the feeling is every bit as .strong. The idea of preserving these cherished relics for the museum in London will leave them quite cold. The total rainfall in Balclutha for February was 98 points. Rain fell on eight days, and the minimum fall was on the Bth, when 2 points were registered, while tho maximum fall (33 points) occurred on the 10th. In January, 1917, the rainfall was 136 points, while in January, 1918, it was 237 points. In February, 1917, there was a total rainfall of 349 points, and in February, 1918, only 98 points were registered. Farmers are now complaining of the dried up state of their holdings. Some of the prison reforms that have \ been effected in New Zealand were referred to by the Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford)'--when replying to a deputation at Napier (the Hawke's Bay Tribune reports). We have a prison at Waikeria, lie said,- working on the honours system. Every morning five men start out with three-horse teams roadmaking. They take their billy and lunch, and they are away from the time they leave camp until they return with their teams. They go two miles from tho prison, and if they do their work fairly they get so many good conduct marks. Twelve marks is a day off their sentence. So far that had gone on for some weeks, and it was working all right America boasted of its honours system, and he was telling them what we could do here.

-The following resolutions were passed laet week at a special meeting- of the General Committee of the Canterbury (New Zealand) Branch of the Navy League, called to discuss the position in regard to former German possessions in the Pacific: —"That in the interest of the allied nations and the safety of the Pacific, the Canterbury branch of the Navy League is of the opinion that none of the islands in the Pacifio, formerly owned by Germany, should revert to her on the conclusion of peace; that the other branches of' the Navy League in New Zealand be asked to join in the resolution, and that it be forwarded to Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, so that the resolution may be a unanimous one from the Navy League in New Zealand." A deserter from camp was arrested in the back, country of Mackenzie County, and was brought .to Timaru on the 25th. He was placed under military guard and sent to Wellington. The deserter was to have returned to camp three weeks ago, but failed to do so, and missed the boat by which his contingent left (says the Herald). He adopted a very cunning method to avoid detection. Considering that he would bo safer in the Mackenzie than in Timaru, he took the train for Fairlie on Wednesday week, with the objeofc of securing a position on a waybacK run. Ho arrived at Fairlie with a green shade over one eye, a pronounced limp in one leg, and generally bore the appearance of having been so cruelly handled by the war machine as to excite the sympathy of all who saw him. By the time he reached his destination, however, the invigorating air of the Mackenzie had caused hi» ailments to disappear as by a miracle, and when arrested he wa3 sans eyeshade, cans limp, and sans everything save the appearance of a well man who had never been touched by sword or bullet. Even the coachdriver who brought him down did not recognise in him the same man that he had taken up a few days previously. Mr T. O'Bryne, secretary of the Southland Sawmill Workers' Union, who ha 3 been on an organising toiir of the West Coast in response to an invitation from the sawmill workers there, arrived in Dunedin last week. During his tour Mr O'Byrne addressed practically the whole of the mill workers on the Coast, and met with a • gratifying measure of success. Something like 400 members were enrolled in the West-land Timber Workers' Cnion, which would suggest that the timber workers will"' have one of the

strongest unions in that district. A meeting of tho executive was held on Wednesday, when delegates from all parts of the Coast assembled, and final arrangements were made for carrying on the organisation until the annual meeting set down for June. It is the intention of the union to ask Mr O'Byrne to visit tho Coast again in the near future. Mr O'Byrne states that the timber workers on the West Coast are the finest body of workmen he has.met. They seemed very contented, and during the course of his tour not ono wordi was spoken with regard to wages. Tho millowners granted him every facility to meet the men. Speaking of the mills, Mr O'Byrne remarked on the contrast they offered to the Ca'tlins mills. On the West Coast, among other appliances of an improved nature, a mechanical "slabbie" was used, whereas at Catlins it was almost the rule for a man to dispose of "slabs." Automatic swing saws and steam 'crosscut saws were also in use on the Coast. Some superb belts of timber were being dealt with. Mr O'Byrne stated that one new mill about six miles from Ross, would operate on one of the finest tracts of timber he had seen. He Was surprised at the man supply. Whereas at one mill he mentioned 60 men were working full time, in the Catlins-district men could-not be obtained. Mr O'Byrne stated that he could place 200 men in Southland. The timber industry on the West Coast was fairly brisk,. the chief demand apparently coming from-' Australia. Last week a vessel at Greymouth was loading a million feet for across the Tasman

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that arrangements have now been made under which, in addition to the name of the soldier's postal address, the next-of-kin will be inserted in the Government casualty lists exhibited at post offices. It was reported at the Methodist Conference on Friday that a number of organ isationa were desirous of sending deputations to wait upon it. The conference, however, is endeavouring to compress its business into the space of one week instead of the 12 or 14 days usually occupied, and it therefore decided to decline to receive any deputations whatever. Those desirous of approaching the conference are requested to do so by letter. A conference will shortly be held in Wellington between the Prime Minister and representatives of the tanning and boot trades to discuss various matters concerning the leather industry. One of these will be the question of raising the embargo on hide's of a certain weight, and in connection with this matter the following resolution was passed at a meeting- of the local branch of the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association held on Thursday night :" "That this meeting strongly protests against the removal of the embargo en hides, as it will certainly lead to a further increase in the price of boots, which, at the present time, when the cost of living is already so high, can be ill afforded by the public." The quarterly meeting of the Chalmors Licensing Committee was held at Port Chalmers on Friday; present—Messrs G. L. Asher (in the chair), L. W. Isbister, D. M. Mawson, and J. Dicker. A permanent transfer of the license of the Railway Hotel at Mosgiel from Alfred M. M'Robie to Joseph Biggins Was granted, Mr Biggins undertaking to make certain necessary alterations to the fire escapes. The chairman said that in the case of the Port Chalmers Hotel the police had raised an objection regarding the inadequacy of the fire escape provision, and after inspection the committee was of opinion that some improvement was absolutely necessary. At the George Hotel they had been shown a balcony which was in a rotten condition, and although attention had been called to it previously, it had not yet been repaired. It was decided that the licensees must take some action to remedy the existing state of affairs, otherwise the position would perhaps be detrimental to them at the- annual meeting in June. The police also raised the question of a slide at the Marine Hotel, opening near the entrance passage, but it was decided to hold this matter over until tho annual meeting. The practice of publishing, each month, the complote list of deceased persons' estates wa3 recently considered by the Council of tho Wellington District Law Society, when the following motion was agreed to: " That representation bo made to the Commissioner of Stamps that the practice of publishing each month a list of all estates, with tho amounts as finally certified, is a great hardship upon the relations of. de-

ceased persons who have been left ill provided for. That the making public of such information serves no good public purpose, and is a mere pandering to idle curiosity, and, in the opinion of the society, the publication of the amount of estates under, say, £IO,OOO, if not of all estates, should be discontinued." The reply from the commissioner was to the effect that "this matter had been discussed m Cabinet, but after careful consideration it had been decided that no action be taken to alter the existing practice." It was reported at the annual meeting of the Law Society that the matter was still in hand.

Discussing, New Zealand trade returns at ! the annual meeting of the Auckland ChamLvv of Commerce, the president said that in IJt4 the average value • of goods imported ; was approximately £l6 a ton. In 1917 I the \Verage value of the goods imported 1 was £26 a ton. To this great increase must also be added the extra cost of freight and ! charges, so that it was quite safe to reckon i that everything now imported was costing more than double pre-war rate 3. The high cost of imports was, he said, one of the dominating factors in the increased cost of : living, and as all imported goods were costi ing greatly in excess of their intrinsic value it behoved all to buy as sparingly as possible of them. The importation of all kinds of luxuries, he thought, should be prohibited, as, in this time of national peril, it was of paramount necessity that the greatest economy should be exercised. | Says the Melbourne Argus of recpnt date: Money cannot now be raised in Syd- ' ney for reproductive enterprises at less than 8 per cent. This fact was disclosed by Mr Beeby (Minister for Industry), in asking the Legislative Assembly to pass a Bill authorising the Australian Gaslight Company to increase its capital and to offer 8 per cent, instead of the present maximum of 7 per cent. The company has been hedged in by a number of statutory restrictions, -but liament, in fixing a maximum rate of interest, made no provision for the company having to extend its business when money became dearer. Members of the Labour party viewed the Bill with suspicion, and Mr Storey, its leader, declared his disbelief that money .was not available at 7 per cent. It is regarded as "correct" procedure by Caucus members to suggest that public I companies are ever ready to commit some • impropriety. But, needless to say, no prudent company pays interest at a higher rate than is necessary. There are 3000 applicants awaiting' connection with the company's mains, and it would bo very good business if capital could be secured at a low rate of interest to serve these additional customers.

' A Pres 3 Association message from New I Plymouth states that Guide Upson, at \ North Egmont Hostelry, who has made over a hundred ascents, describes the remarkable change on the summit at his latest ascent oh Tuesday. There are now deep crevices across the crater, some of which appear bottomless, affording a wonderful sight. Another new feature is that, i although the day was misty, and there was \ little sun. the whole crater was running .streams of water, seeming to indicate heat beneath. Tho recent earthquake had tlso ' disturbed the rocks ,

The peasant lifo in Serbia appears to be extraordinarily primitive. Dr Agnes. Bennett described their manner of living very graphic-ally in WeUington, and said that they had) extremely little idea of the value of money, and barter was still extant. They would far rather bo paid for their goods with a pair of boots or something of the sort instead of gold or silver coinage. Tho villages contain people of either Bulgarian, Greek, Serbian, or Turkish extraction. They retain their different national characteristics, and the region of tho village is usually indicated by the church towers —each having special outlines and character. The houses in oaoh village are huddled) closely together for the better protection of the inhabitants from brigands, who abound in the mountains. There is no trade between the villages, and thoy are usually built alongside rivers or streams, which work tho corngrinding mills. village grows its own corn, and if the supply fails the people simply starve in the winter. There is no organisation or exchange of commodities whatever. The flocks of- sheep and goats are mixed, and, as in the Biblical days, shepherds take them' out to feed in tho summer and watch over them all night, while in winter thoy are housed with the people. After the shearing the women spin the wool with distaffs for winter clothing l , and they also knit. Practically the grain and fowls form the principal food, while the sheep and goats supply the clothing. There is no medical aid for these villages.

Malaria, dysentery, and anaemia, also tuberculosis, are the principal ailme-nts, yet, till the war, the use of quinine was unknown. In speaking of the sadness of the lives of these people,, their continual fear of robbers, their distrust of each other, and the fact that each house lias a high wall around it, with a small gate, while the people live upstairs so as to keep watch for enemies, Dr Bennett said that wo should be most thankful for our state of protection. She paid a special tribute to our soldiers, who are fighting that this happy state may be secured to us, and asked that people should not give "grudgingly or of necessity" for them, but seej' that they have our best, both now and! after the war is over.

The collection relating to the early history of New Zealand! that is being worked up by the Historical Committee of the Board of Science'and Art consists of two sections — viz., printed papers a'nd manuscript documents. A very valuable addition to the former (says the Dominion) has been received at the Dominion Museum from the Dunedin Athenaeum in the form of sets of the Acts and proceedings of the Provincial Councils of Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, and Otago, together with similar official publications. These early works are now almost unprocurable, and! are a valuable addition to the national collection. An interesting early book, Matthew Flinder's "Terra Australis," published in 1814, has been received from Mrs D. Scott, of Wellington. Recent purchases include a fine calf-bound copy of "Cook's Three Voyages," published by William Anderson in 1781, which contains an "authentic, entertaining, full and complete history of Cook's voyages undertaken by command" from 1768. to 1780. In giving his decision in an assault case in Wellington on Friday (says a Press 4ssociation telegram), Mr M'Carthy, S.M., replying to a statement by counsel that the' defendant had had considerable provocation, and that that should be taken, • into consideration, said he was not going to recognise an unwritten law. A man nad been assaulted by two soldiers in Auckland, and two men were assaulted) in'Feilding, and he was not going to be a party to the recognition of an unwritten law. There was a proper legal course to pursue, and it would never do to allow a suspicious young husband to take the law into his own hands. The defendant was . fined £lo. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., presided at the City Police Court on Friday, when Thomas Francis Hill, alias Thomas Hill, alias Howard, alias Williams, who had pleaded "Guilty" before this magistrate at Oamaru to a charge of being an incorrigible rogue, having solicited alms under false pretences, and having previously been convicted as a rogue and a vagabond, oamo up for sentence. The magistrate said this man had been passing himself off as a returned soldier, and had imposed on a number of people, from whom he had got money. He had a very bad record, and he required to be dealt with in a special way. Five convictions for vagrancy had been recorded against ( him within the past four years, and while he was comparatively a young man, being 30 years of age, he was incorrigible in every sense of the word. There were in all 15 convictions against him, and these extended from one end of the island to the other. He would be sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour, and an order was made that thereafter he be detained for reformative treatment for a period not exceeding three years. Mr S. Turner, F.R.G.S., who was in Christchurch on Thursday, said in the course of a chat with a representative of the Press concerning this year's mountaineering, that the Mount Cook season had been a very wet one. During his stay of five weeks in the district, about three weeks of wet weather were experienced. When the weather was good, tho mountains were coated with ice, and when the mountains were in a good state the weather was bad. He, himself, spent 11 days in the Hooker hut, in order to ma'ke an attempt to climb Mount Cook. It had been stated that there was no danger in climbing Mount Cook. So far from that being the caso, the Linda Glacier route was one of the most dangerous in tho world. It was on this route that two guides and a climber were lost some four years ago. Mr Turner said that ho got within 500 feet of the summit of Mount Cook, but was unable to reach the top, on account of ■ his knee giving out. Referring to his feat in climbing alono Mount Nathan, an unprecedented thing, Mr Turner said that the mountain wag the most difficult rock peak in the district. It was in good condition when he climbed it, but an unknown glacier in

front of it caused about eight or nino hour/ step-cutting. , For 1590 feet he- climbed up a slanting stratum in the rock, and at last reached the summit (9200 feet), where ho erected a small cairn, and carved hi» name. Mr Turner also climbed the Footstool by himself, which has never been done by one person alone before. A well-known business man is of opinion (says the New Zealand Times) that the best Way to solve the problem of the Pacifid Islands is to form them into a new division of the British Empire. . This would be formed by linking -up for purposes of selfgovernment New Guinea, Solomon Tslandsj what the Empire has of Samoa, the Cook Islands, and Rarotonga. Now Zealand, he considers, has enough to do to look after her own territory. Australians were not capable of looking after dark people, whom they would not admit into their own country. Crown colonies v. 7 ere only successful up to & stage, and the time came when they should be given self-government. The natives should be allowed to elect representatives to Parliament, which might sit at Suva. Such a dominion would bo a souroe of strength to the Empire, would contribute to the British navy, and would be an education in the art of self-government to the native races in the islands. "Somebody has said the wheat people have been making fortunes," remarked the Prime Ministe* at a meeting at Wellington on Tuesday. "Let the man who has produced! wheat for 20. years running show me his books, and I will guarantee that that man is not a shilling richer now than when he started 20 years ago. I have been through the mill myself. They are not making a shilling an hour, the very best "of them. Here is the difficulty; and I hope when we get back to normal times it will be put right. ' The shadow, that hangs over New Zealand is the fear of dumping from Australia. We shall have to put the New Zealand wheatgrower on a level with the Australian wheatgrower, so far as Customs duty is concerned!, and then he will be protected."' The Periodical, the advertising journal of the Oxford Press, notes that, the word "strafe" has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming portion of the Oxford Dictionary, Vol. 9. "Strafe, v. slang (frotm the German phrase 'Gott strafe England,' 'God punish England,' a common salutation in Germany in 1914 and the following years). Used (originally by British soldiers in the war against Germany) in various senses suggested l ) by its origin; to. punish, to do damage to, te attack fiercely; ' also, strafe, sb., a fierce assault." The first recorded use is noted as in The Times literary supplement, February 10, 1916. lb may be mentioned that the word is pronounced as if spelt strarf. In contrasting the expenditure ii\ aeroplanes and flying machines generally, between A.meriea and England, Sir Joseph Ward said at an Empire Mothers' meeting in Wellington that the Americans were now expending £120,000,000 on these machines, while, when he was in England, the value of them was estimated at only, about £IOO.OOO. He considered that England' would 'have to invest at least £50,000,'000 to keep pace with things. In connection with the Hobart regatta this year, when the booths were, in the usual way, put up for auction, the secretary of the Temperanoo Alliance made the highest bid, and bought the lot. He did not sell beer, neither did he make money; but, no doubt, ho was satisfied with the knowledge that it was a dry regatta (saya a correspondent of the Melbourne Argus). This interdiction of the sale of liquor on the ground was the occasion of a pleasant jest. A mysterious advertisement appeared in tho newspapers inviting "people to visit tent 30," where "everything is free." Rumour already had it that some of the licensed victuallers had a plan for defeating their enemy, and it is quite safe to say that 99 out of every 100 people who read it assumed it meant that beer was obtainable. The idea was strengthened by a mysterious distribution of "complimentary" tickets. Word wont round, and that day was not well aired before many thirsty men sought and found tent 30. Inside they found a recruiting offioer ready to tell them why they should enlist, and a medical officer offering free examination. Whether as a consequence oi this joke, or by other means. 15 recruits were got on the ground.

The Masterton police seized a quantity t of liquor which was in the possession of a •well-known Wellington merchant at the Bolway show. It ia probablo that a prosecution w»U follow.

' " I would like to go to the front, because ' it would be a holiday to me compared with I what I have been doing lately," remarked a farmer appellant before the Military Service Board at Hamilton.