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Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 3

At the annual meeting of the Dunedin. Chamber of Commerce, held on the 19th. it wa3 decided to endorse a resolution passed at the Canterbury and Wellington Chamber? of Commerce dealing with the question of oonipuisory loans. The resolution reads: "That this council strongly protests against the principle of compulsory loans for other than urgent war necessities, and considers! the proposed action of the Government is a dangerous precedent and contrary to all principles of British freedom and liberty." The following applications for assistance were dealt with at last week's meeting of the Ofcago District . Repatriation Board:—> Business loans: Four applications were received, of which three wore approved anct one was withdrawn at the applicant's owri request. Furniture loans: Eleven applica* tions were received, and all approved. Two apprentices applied to have their wages made up to £3, and were approved. Six soldiers unable to follow their pre-war occupation were placed in new trades and their wages y Eight applications for university and technical training wei*e re* ceivod, of which six were approved and two held ovei.

A discussion took place at last week's meeting of the Otago Labour Council on the proposed separation of the Otago Hospital district. The following motion was carried :—"That the Otago Labour Council urges the residents of tho province to Oppose the subdivision of the hospital district as proposed in Mr Massey's separation 'Bill, believing that tho subdivision will increase tho cost of administration throughout Otago and at the same time decrease efficiency." Up to the present the campaign organised by Messrs J. Inglis Wright and Jas. Begg throughout Otago on behalf of the Week of. Pity Fund has met with outstanding success, the amount collected to elate being £11,357* Altogether, throughout Otago, that is, extending from Clinton to Palmerston and right back to Pembroke, on the shore of Lako Wanaka —over 40 committees and col* lectors have been at work. A great many of these have sent in their remittances, bub there are quite a number yet to come in, and with those amounts, and what is expected from North Otago and Gore, Mi* Wright considers that a total of £15,000 may be reached. Numerous meetings have been addressed in various parts of Otago and at Invercargill and Gore, and Southland has promised to raise £3OOO. It is considered not unlikely that Southland's con-, tribution may rea,oh £5030, and as Otago'g effort is by no moans ended, ifc will not be surprising if Otago and Southland's total finally reaches £20,000. At the opening of the campaign Mr Jaa. Begg motored through Central Otago, holding meetings and forming committees at Lawrence, Roxburgh, Alexandra., CJyde, Cromwell Pern* broke, Balclutha, and other places.

Early this year the Japanese Government contemplated sending a military mission on a visit to Australia and New Zealand (says an Auckland Press Association telegram). The mission, it is understood, was to be composed of high Japanese officers, and it is believed that its objects -were to encourage the development of cordial relations between the Japanese, the Australian, and the New Zealand Governments, and to remove anything in the nature or misunderstandings that might exist between the South Pacifio dominions and -Japan. Correspondence on the subject took place through the Colonial Office with the British Embassy at Tokio, and it is understood that on account of a strong protest lodged by the Australian Government, supported by the New Zealand Government, the projected visit was abandoned. Nearly two years ago (writes our Oturehua correspondent) the Becks bridge over the Manuherikia River was put out of action by an abnormal flood, the approach on

one side and the (road- on the other being washed away, and the bridge itself being left high and dry with the river running iaainly in a new channel outside the

bridge's span. Though on th 9 Main road between Dunedin and "Wanaka the Maniototo Council has done nothing towards repairing the damage. The residents on the

Elackstono Hill side of the river have been often, when the river was high, cut off from school and mail and church, and have sometimes made the journey to Becks or Lauder via St. Bathans, making a journey of two miles into one of over 25. It is therefore with keen satisfaction that news is to hand that our able representative, Mr James Horn, has secured a Government grant of £3500 towards the extension and erection of the bridge, provided that the Maniototo County Council raises the other £ISOO towards the -estimated cost (£5000). If this is agreed upon the work can be proceeded with at once, and its completion will be hailed with satisfaction by residents and tourists alike.

In the House of Representatives, Mr J. Edio (Bruce) has asked that there be laid before the House a return showing:—(l) The total quantity of gold purchased in the dominion from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1919; (2) the total quantities of gold purchased from January 1„ 1915, to December 31, 1919, by banks operating in the dominion (a) on behalf of the Imperial Government, (b) on behalf of the Bank of England, and (c) on behalf of the banking institutions acting as purchasers for themselves; (3) the total quantity of gold remitted to the Bank of England in accordance with the terms of purchase; (4) the total quantity of gold" remitted by the banks on their own behalf during the period January, 1915 r to- December, 1919, and the total value received or receivable therefrom ; (5) the quantity of gold retained in the hands of the banks of the dominion at December 31, 1919, and sold to a foreign Power.

"It has said-that we have little prospect of laising loans at 5 per cent, or 5£ per cent, free of income tax," said Mr Massey in the House last week (wires our Wellington correspondent). ""Let me tell the honourable gentlemen that since the House met we have raised some hundreds of thousands of pounds from outside at 5 per cent, without any freedom from income tax." Mr Massey's reference to "outside" must mean outside of Government departments. He said at another time that it was the intention of u*e Government to move to increase the maximum rate of interest when the Loan Bill came down. It is understood that Mr Massey hopes to raise his loan in November at 5£ per cent, without exemption from income tax. St. John's Church, Warrnambool, Victoria, of which the Rev. W. Gray Dixon, of this oity, was minister from 1889 to 1900, was completely gutted by fire on July 21. The walls remain, but it is estimated that it will -take £12,000 to £15,000 to recontruct the building, which was one of the handsomest in the State of Victoria, its tower attracting attention far inland and out at sea. A sum of nearly £3OOO was subscribed at a congregational meeting held shortly after the disaster. The minister is tho Rev. John Gray, M.A., 8.D., an exModerator of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria.

The Law Amendment Bill, which has been Introduced in the Legislative Council by the Hon. John MacGregor provides that li Where a banker, in good faith and without negligence, pays a cheque drawn upon a bank, and the cheque has been so drawn as to afford facility for the fraudulent alteration of the amount thereof, and the cheque has been so fraudulently altered, the bank shall not meet any liability by reason of its having paid the cheque." This is a point which the two courts of ultimate appeal, the House of Lords and tho Privy Council have decided in quite opposite ways, and Mr MacGregor's proposal is to give legislative effect to the decision of the House of Lords so far as New Zealand is concerned. The other clause in the Bill is as follows: —"In all cases where two or more persons have died in circumstances rendering it uncertain which of them survived, the deaths shall for ail purposes affecting the title to any property be presumed to have taken placo in order of seniority, and the youngest be deemed to have survived the eldest."

The secretary of the New Zealand Shipwreck Relief Society (Mr E. S. Wilson) has been advised by Captain Fleming (Auckland), superintendent of mercantile marine, that tile officers and crew of the auxiliary scow Te Teko, recently wrecked on Slipper Island, who had lost all their belongings, were in need of assistance. Captain Fleming recommended that the captain and two engineers be granted £ls each, and four seamen £lO each. Mr Wilson instructed by the society's executive, has telegraphed approving of the recommendation, and asking that the society be drawn on for the amounts mentioned.

Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs that parents in Poverty Bay and on the East Coast have petitioned Parliament expressing alarm and distress at the rapid increase in the number of sexual offences committed against young children. They suggest the most drastic steps, compatible with justice and liberty, to ensure the salety of children. The price of boot repairs was the subject of a meeting of the trade at Christchurch on the 16th inst, when a propocal was made in favour of a substantial reduction. The result of the discussion will be made known in a day or two. It is stated that the high cost of repairs recently has had the effect of greatly reducing the amount of work of this class, and last week one firm in Chrisfchurch put off two repairers. Tho cheapness of the various rubber soles on the market is said to have affected tho repairing trade unfavourably. A matter affecting the welfare of many returned soldiers was referred to at a meeting of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Committee last week by Mr R. P. Jones, who protested against the publication in the Mercantile Gazette of the registration of loans granted by the Repatriation Department on tho security of furniture and other property. He contended that there waa nothing in the Act giving the department ft right to tako out a bill of sale in such oases, and remarked that the praotice of publishing these registrations was not followed in other centres. Mr Clark pointed out that, Oh the other hand, there

was notliihg in the Act to prevent the department from doing so. Mr Wood said that at first the department advanced loans on the security of a man's word of honour, but some men abused the privilege, while others endangered themselves by obtaining fresh loans on security already pledged to the department. The department had token the step of registering these loans to protect the men themselves as well as to look after its own interests. The committee decided that a deputation consisting of She secretary (Mr G. Smith) and Messrs M*Orae and Jones should wait on the Re-

patriation Officer and obtain further in>formation

In reply to Mr A. Hamilton's question in the House of Representatives last week about the Orepuki shale works (wires our Wellington! correspondent), Mr Massey said these works have already been carefully and fully reported upon by the inspecting engineer of mines. That report included several recommendations as to what steps should be taken for future operations. A copy of such report was sent to the general manager of the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company in Merch, 1919. Therefore, there

does not appear to be any necessity for any further investigation being made, but if the owners of the works will indicate, what further assistance is desired the matter will receive careful consideration.

The local negotiations for the settlement of the disputed points arising oat of the national agreement entered into some mouths ago between the Coal Mine-owners Association and the Minors' Federation have failed to overcome the difficulties. We understand that several conferences have been held during the past few days., and after consideration had been given to the points involved agreement was found to be impossible.

In the course of a memorial service for the late Mr David Tucker, a Methodist of long standing, the Rev. B. F. Rothwell recalled some interesting facts linking him with the early history of Dunedin. He stated that he had enjoyed and appreciated the friendship of the deceased's father, Mr Daniel Tucker, who was one ot the earliest preachers in, Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and afterwards at Gabriel's Gully. He was a man of great natural" gifts, and often walked great distances to preach. Mr David Tucker died in the Hospital after a protracted illness. The Rev. B. F. Rothwell conducted the funeral at Anderson's Bay Cemetery. Flat feet in children was the subject of a circular received by the Education Board last week from the department. The department desired that this should be sent out to all schools. The circular pointed out that in all schools there is a percentage of children who have, or who show a tendency to flat feet. This is to a certain extent a disadvantage to the one affected in going through life. . It is therefore considered necessary that after every assembly the children should walk into school on their tip toes. By this means the tendency to flat feet will be counteracted, the children will become much more sprightly by reason of the fact that the weight of the body will be carried on the balls of the feet rather than on the heels. The letter was received by the board, and will be sent on as a circular to its schools.

Replying to a question by Mr John Edie, the Hon. J. G. Coates - stated in the House of Representatives last week (wires our Wellington correspondent) that he was informed that the community of interest between Waihola and Milton is insufficient to justify the erection of a direct line at the present time. In. such cases as this the charge for toll communications is based on the length of circuit used between terminal stations, and in this case the basis is the distance between Dunedin and Milton—namely, 36 miles. The offices concerned have been instructed as to the correct mileage to be charged. *

The resolution of protest against the proposal to form a separate hospital district in South Otago, which the Mayor (Mr Begg) end Cr Walker were instructed by the Gity Council to draw up, was presented at the meeting of the council, held on the 18th. The resolution read as follows: —"That the Dunedin City Council' views with disapproval the efforts now being made to reduce the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid district by the creation of a separate hospital district for South Otago. In the opinion of this council the setting up of small hospital districts is inimical to the best interest of the general public. The effect of such action must inevitably operate against efficient administration in the care and treatment of those using the hospitals besides tending to very greatly increase the already heavy charge on the taxpayers in respect of hospital and charitable aid maintenance. For these reasons we hope that Parliament will not consent to the .proposal to set up a separate district for the southern portion of the present hospital and charitable aid district of Otago." The resolution was adopted. "The hand that rocks the cradle wrecks the world," to misquote a well-known saying, may be a piece of cheap cynicism, but the woman in the present case has without doubt "wrecked her husband's billet. "Do you know why one of my men is away from work this week?" asked the employer. "No," said the newspaperman; "Why?" ■". Because his wife has gone to the Christchurch races and he had to stop at home to mind the children," replied the employer. When the sporting wife returns from Christchurch her husband will be free from his domestic duties, and will have the opportunity to seek'another job. At a meeting of South- Otago thrashing mill owners on the 14th it was agreed that a uniform rate for thrashing and chaffQuttjng be charged throughout the district. Previously the rates charged south of the river were lower than those charged on the north side. It is understood that the new fates are 83 6d • a ton for chaff, 12s toer 100 bushels for oats, 13s per 100 bushels for wheat, and 12s per hour for grass seed, with a proportionate rise in other oharges. The ..well-known Christchurch establishment, known as Broadway's, has passed out of the 'hands of the family, who built up the business, and has been taken over by a publio company. The Caledonia Hotel, Carroll street, has changed hands, the new licensee being Mr Stevens, formerly president of the Taxi-drivers' Association. ,

Our Queenstown correspondent wires that never during this • winter '.has such hard frost been experienced there ag that of the "last four days. The water pipes and taps liave been bursting in all directions. During the daytime, however, there has been .plenty of warm sunshine. The question of extending the use of moving pictures and lantern pictures in schools was raised at the Education Board meeting week by the chairman (Mr J. Wallace). Mr Wallace stated that he had received a circular advocating the use of a moving picture machine. He had asked Mr Green, sieir. agricultural instructor, if he could goalee use of pictures in his work, and Mr Qxeen had replied that they would be a treat deal of use to him, and he had often wished for them. Mr Wallace suggested inat a small committee be set up to con-

sider the question. He thought that moving pictures or lantern pictures should be in the Training College for tuition purposes. In the course of discussion a number of town and country schools in which effective work is being done with a magio lantern were mentioned. A committee consisting of the chairman, the Hon. D. T Fleming, Mi J. IT. Wilkinson, and the senior inspector (Mr T. R. Fleming) was set up to consider the introduction of magic lanterns into more of the schools.

The Western Taieri Land Drainage Board has decided to introduce into Parliament during the present session a local Bill embodying the recommendations of the New Zealand Rivers Commission. A meeting of East Taieri settlers was held in Mosgiel on Wednesday, when it was decided to oppose any proposal to include any land on the eastern side of the Taieri River in the new river district.

The Art Gallery Hall presented a very pretty and animated appearance on the 19th when the fourth annual ball of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association was held. The decorations, which were distinctly military in character, were the handiwork of Mr M'Grath and a number of assistants, and were exceedingly tasteful. A start was made with the programme a few minutes past 8 o'clock, and dancing was kept up till about 2.30 a.m. There were about 140 couples present. The M.C.'s were Messrs G. M. Smith, T. M. Drain, A. J. Foley, W. Wood, R. Davis, and O. R. Murray. The' music was supplied by Yates's band, and the catering was in the capable hands of Mrs Winter. The Education Board had before it on the 19th a letter from the Women's Christian Temperance Union offering prizes to pupils of D unecun schools for essays on temperance subjects, and asking permission for these essays to be written in school hours. The subjects suggested were for Standard I and Standard 11, "Why is Drink an Evil Thing?"; Standard 111 and Standard IV, "Why Should We Abstain From Alcoholic Liquors?" ; Standard V and Standard VI, "The Effect of Alcohol on The Human System." The Chairman (Mr -J. Wallace) said he did not think there should be any compulsion on the children- to write essays on these subjects. The , last subject was all right, but the first two were partisan. He did not think the essays should be written in school hours. The Hon. D. T. Fleming and Mr J. Smith s aid they thought the proposal should be turned down altogether. Mr D. Borrie said he thought they should decline the offer, but he was loth to move that, because he had a lot of sympathy with it. Still, it seemed the thin end of the wedge, and he moved that the offer be declined. Mr Smith seconded the motion, and it was carried.

The question of the formation of a Farmers' Party in New Zealand is apparently about to become a live one. The recent dominion conference of the Farmers' Union considered this resolution:—"That with a view towards securing to the producers of this dominion, a sound, progressive policy, the time has arrived when the constitution of the Farmers' Union should be altered to allow the formation of a Farmers' Party, and that rule 23 be amended to allow of this being effected." The decision of the conference was to instruct the incoming executive to ask the next provincial conference to place this question at the head of their order papers, and to give definite instructions to their dominion delegates in order that a decision may be come to at the next dominion conference.

A .new schedule of travelling expenses for officers of the public service is gazetted. The .rates 'are as follows:—Up to £l6O per annum, actual expenses £l6O to £4OO, 12s 6d a day; £4OO to £SOO, 15s a day; £SOO to £6OO, 17s 6d; over £6OO, 20s a day. While at sea, if the time occupied is more than 24 hours, the allowance will be: For the first day of absence from headquarters, 10s; for subsequent days, 2s 6d. The immigration and emigration returns show that during the month of July 3606 persons arrived in New Zealand as compared with 1765 in July last year. Of the arrivals last month, 1529 came from the United Kingdom and 1832 from the commonwealth. The departures totalled 2942, as against 995. The bulk of those who left New Zealand last month went to Australia. The arrivals during last month exceeded the departures by . 66'!, while in July last year the gain was 770. Orders have been filed by the Arbitration Court amending the boot operatives' award. A bonus of lgd an hour has been granted the male workers, and a bonus of 3s a week to the female workers. In the latter case the bonus is to be excluded in computing overtime. The orders take effect from May 1. „ - •

Mr J. M. 'Stevenson, the Mayor of Port Chalmers, on Tuesday evening met the ladies who had done the local canvassing in connection with the Week of Pity Campaign on behalf of the starving children of Europe. The' result of the effort was very gratifying in that the sum of £320 2s 2d had been subscribed in Port Chalmers. The Mayor thanked the ladies for the work they had carried out, and congratulated them on the splendid success of it. The epidemio of measles, which was fairly widespread in its incidence some weeks ago in Otago, is now an the wane, and ihe disease ceased on Friday to be notifiable after Monday. A new method of driving ferro-ooncrete piles was tried with great success recently by the Napier Harbour Board. By it 'large concrete piles were simply " sunk" into the earth in about half an hour, and without the slightest pressure being exerted on the pile. The pile was constructed with a pipe running through the centre, and when the pile was in position a stream of water from the city supply was directed from the fire main to the nipe in the pile. The water, rushing out at the base, which was sharpened, loosened and then removed the silt, the pile sinking deeper as the water cleared the way. As soon as the pile was in deep enough the water was turned off, and it was found that the concrete pillar was firmly embedded in the

sand. It is expected that this system will save many thousands of pounds in the proposed harbour improvements, as less labour is required, no engine, no coal, and there is no risk of damaging the expensive piles. It may be news to northern contemporaries that this method was used by Mr M'Curdy, Dunedin city engineer, in 1912, in the construction of the wall at St. Clair. Further, the system is at present being used at the work at St. Clair.

Senior Detective Kemp yesterday telegraphed that ht had arrested William Charles Pitches (hotelkeeper), Hugh M'Alister (stock inspector), and William White (labourer), all of Ophir, on a charge of on June 16 having forged and uttered a will purporting to be that of the late Gecrge Reaper, of Ophir, who died at the Cromwell Hospital on June 11, 1920. The will, it is alleged, was forged in favour of William. White. The accused have been admitted to bail of £2OO each, and two sureties of £2OO each, and have been remanded to appear at Ophir on August 27.

Contrary to the expectation of a large number that assembled at the Police Court on Friday morning, the case against Matthew Bradley, charging him with a serious offence committed upon a girl under the age of consent (16 years) was adjourned till next Friday, bail being allowed — defendant in £2OO and two sureties of £IOO each. The reason for the police applying for an adjournment was explained by Chief JJc-tective Bishop, who stated that further evidence had come to hand the previous evening. Defendant was represented by Mr Irwin.

A Ohristchurch Press Association telegram states that the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee met on Friday, Sir Robert Stout (Acting Governor-general) presiding, and selected a candidate for the special war scholarship offered by the Rhodes trustees. The candidates were: —Auckland University College, P. O. Veal©; Victoria University College, J. E. Brodie; Canterbury University College, S. P. Otago University, H. J. Ryburn. Mr M'Callum was selected.

A meeting of the Sawyers' Bay Soldiers' Memorial Committee was held in the school last Wednesday. The report from the collectors was submitted, and it stated that after a house-to-house canvass of the district the sum of £126 had been donated towards the erecting of a monument, which was to cost about £3OO. To raise the balance of the money it was decided to hold a bazaar towards the end of October and a fete early next year. Our Wellington .correspondent wires that Mr A. S. Malcolm has given notice in the House of Representatives to ask the Government whether, as coarse New Zealand wools are in poor demand, and yet the manufactured ■ woollen article is in strong demand, and as a serious drop in the values of coarse wools would very seriously affect the welfare of the dominion, possibly without even bringing the advantage of cheap woollen goods, they will endeavour to make use of the thousands of idle looms in Europe by arranging that New Zealand raw wool shall be supplied to European mills in return for a fair proportion of the manufactured article, thus securing to New Zealand growers a fair price, and to New Zealand consumers reasonably priced woollen goods. He says it is understood that British buyers are already to some extent carrying out this practice to their own very great advantage. The students' capping carnival next week is evidently in no more danger of being overlooked by the public this year than in any previous year. The eagerness to book seats shown at the opening of the box plan at the Bristol on Friday is said to have bet-n surpassed only once previously, and that was on the occasion of an Oscar Asche season, when' the first applicants for seats began to appear at the door about 2 a.m. At a quarter to 6 on Friday morning there was a crowd of 40 waiting, and after that the numbers grew rapidly. Eighty-one years have_ elapsed sine© the first photographio portrait of a living person was taken.