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Otago Witness, Issue 3518, 16 August 1921, Page 36

Mails which left Wellington on June 30, per R.M.S. Marama, via San Francisco, arrived in London on August 7. House-breaking is becoming prevalent in \\ ellington (says a Press Association message). For the past, few weeks the police have been busy inquiring into offences of this nature. The officials consider that offenders are becoming more numerous than has been the case for some lime past. The latest ease is I he theft of tweeds from an establishment in Vivian street valued at £3OO. The police are confident of success in discovering the offenders. 'There is now a district nurse at Clinton, Miss Pascoe, recently appointed by the South Otago Hospital Board to the position, having taken up her duties. At the meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board on Friday, the chairman (Mr A. North) stated that diphtheria had oe- ■ curred in the district, eases being reported at Kaitangata and Ratanui. One family was responsible, the trouble arising in Dunedin and members of the family being sent to Kaitangata arid Ratanui. Dr Stenliouse had stated that it might be necessary to isolate the cases or a serious outbreak might occur. Mr North characterised the attitude of the family as almost criminal, the contacts moving about in an irresponsible manner. On the motion of Mr Camming it, was decided to draw the attention of the Health Officer to the matter, and ask him to deal with it, strictly and drastically. The chairman was empowered to take whatever action might be necessary in the event of an outbreak occurring. The Otago High School Old Boys’ Society’s annual re-union was hold in the Savoy lounge on Thursday evening, Mr W. J. Strong (president of the society) presiding over a large assembly of old boys, who were well represented, bovs from the “sixties” to quite recent yea is being present, and when the members of eacli decade were asked to come forward, they were received with rousing cheers. Mr F. J. Anderson proposed the toast of the school, which was responded to by the rector, Messrs Peter Barr, and R. L. Fairmaid. Dr Marshall Macdonald proposed the toast of the “Sports ol the School,” and Messrs G. S. Thomson and D. M. Spedding replied to this toast. In the course of Mr G. S, Thomson’s remarks, he stated that this was the jubilee of the Rugby football in the school, and that the first game of Rugby played in Dunedin was played between the High School and a team from the Otago University on September 9, 1371—the High School being captained by the Hon. G. M. Thomson, and the University team by Professor Sale. Mr _ J. A. Park proposed tlie toast of the visitors, which was replied to bv Mr Hunt, on behalf of the Christchurch Boys’ High School, and Mr F. C. Clowes, on behalf of the Waitaki High School. Vocal items were supplied by Mr W. Strang and Mr TV. J. Strong, Mr W. J. Morrell acting as accompanist, while Mr J. L. ((aider told an amusing story. The proceedings ended, as they were begun, with the singing of the National Anthem. Despite the wet weather on Thursday brisk business was done at Jacobs’ corner, where a sale of work was held by the soldier patients in hospitals and convalescent homes. Beautiful leather work and basketware of all descriptions found a ready sale, and the takings compared favourably with those of previous street sales. Misses K. 1 . Miller and F. Macassey and a number of t he ox-soldiers wore in charge of the stall. Goods were received from the Montecdlo, Woodside, Dunedin. Pleasant Valiev, and Waksri patients. The receipts for the day amounted to £62 2s 9d. The question whether legacies io stepgrandchildren are to be subject (o succession duty at the rate of 2 per cent, as if the legatees were grandchildren, or at the rate of 10 per cent., was on Friday decided by Mr Justice Sim in favour of the higher rate (reports a Wellington Press Association message). The ce-e was one in which the executor of the will of the late Mrs F. S. Andrew appealed against the assessment of the Commissioner of Stamps of the succession duty ori an estate of £4,960 left in equal shares to the grandchildren of deceased’s h iishaiii i. > he following cablegram was sent to A rehbi.diop M.annix on r l Inn-<]»v on behalf of the members of the Irish tion lasagne, Opliir : —“ Members of the Irish Self-determination League of New Zealand, Ophir, send you their heartfelt ronwal illations with ihou.-and welcomes before you. Long may von be spared to belaud and A nsl i ■alia. (Signed) UvniElt O’ IT A.” Mr lc lice Headman, in two judgments : in Supreme Court in divorce on Friday, d’‘alt with clause 1 of the Divorce and Matrimonial f 0,0 =„ : A.a „r ] a - i v, a:-, whir h makes iiiviinr e.-.-iov tiro, before (.-ays a ' b’ i 'e)i"!'oii 1 1 11■ i i A i,iKi;ii'i)n message), ill (o'e Ii ease a -■ > a’.'.tinn and maintenance male,- ha., been mad.- I the magistrate against the husband, and in each case (be husband petitioned for divorce on the ground of separat ion for at lea-t. tluee veil', under the oril' r. His Honor hi mi od both

The Defence Department is mailing satisfactory progress in the distribution of war medals (says a Wellington Press Association message). The issue of the 1914-15 star is completed as far as traceable recipients are concerned. The department has a surplus of 2000 medals, and is unable to trace the owners. Notices were sent to all entitled to receive ilia decoration, and in case of death, to ihe next-of-kin. In many cases there was no response. Persons who have not. received the medal are asked to communicate with ihe War Medals Branch. Ihe* British war medal is now being distributed alphabetically, at the rate of 500 per day. .Supplies of ihe Victory medals will next receive attention. The Pakeha has a consignment of 50.000. Stamping and despatching these will be uridorinb.en as soon as the general service medals are opposed of. Finally, clasps will be distributed. In lbe past passengers to Stew art Gland from the north have felt that the system of obtaining orders from the tourist bureaux and tho tickets for the steamer from the Harbour Board offices a: Bluff is somewhat inconvenient, consequently the Tourist Department has written to the board suggesting that the bureau should issue the actual tickets (wires our Invercargill correspondent). The board’s secretary is to write to the department pointing out that the proposed system might result in people securing tickets when they would not be able to cross on the particular day. It has been decided that the board and the department should negotiate with a view to reaching some arrangements to the benefit of the board and the department. Some time ago the Postmaster-General notified the Bluff Harbour Board that henceforth the mail subsidy of £450 would be withdrawn (wires our Invercargill correspondent). This would mean a serious tiling for the board, which does not make an appreciable profit out of the Stewart Island service. The member for Awaroa (Mr J. It. Hamilton) has been advised by the Postmaster-General that no action regarding (he subsidy will be taken until Mr Hamilton personally places the position before the Minister. In the course of his lecture last week Professor Pringle made interesting comment on the cabled news of the break-lip cf the conference about Silesia without agreement and the return of Mr Lloyd George to London. He expressed the hope that none of his audience would be unduly disturbed by this. France could not afford to part with the United Kingdom nor the United Kingdom with France. The two countries must go forward in the general reconstruction of Europe. They must work side by side. Where he thought French statesmanship had failed since the armistice was that it had not roused the people gradually to a consciousness of the real position of France. To a very largo extent the financial position of France, her indebtedness and dependanee upon other countries hail been concealed from the French and their own Allies. The great blunder that her statesmen had made during the last two years was that they had not seen the necessity for making their policy coincide with the real needs of France. A return presented by the secretary to ihe Otago District Committee of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association on Friday night showed that the district membership numbers 3506, us compared with 4154 last >ear. The decrease is partly accounted for by the fact that some 300 nnfmaneial members were included in last year’s return from the Gore Association. The Mitoriland Worker some weeks ago stated that “it knew of a case in Palmerston North where a school child had been several times flogged for refusing to sing more than ‘Three cheers for ihe Red .” The statement received much prominence, anil the education Department requested the editor of the paper to give the name of the child and the school at which the alleged floggings had taken place. The Worker has now issued a belated apology, excusing itself on tho ground that the original statement was conveyed to the paper by a reader “whose reliability we saw no reason to doubt.” The allegations are unreservedly withdrawn, and sincere, apologies are tendered to the Education Department and to the teachers whom the Worker “thus placed in a false position.” It may be remembered that in the month of February last the Government steamer Tutanekai visited tho Campbell Islands with a party representing a syndicate who have the pastoral rights over the islands, taking with them also four men under engagement for three months to work the resources of the islands. Two of these men, when they saw ihe conditions to i;e faced, refused to stay, and returned with the party, tho others remaining upon the terms that they would be relieved in three months time. Six months have now passed, and the islands have not been revisited, so naturally the relatives of the men are concerned about their position. We under stand that the employing syndicate states that there are three other men there, and that there are. ample provisions, but. this is not very satisfying to the men’s ft i ends, who ask why an essential term of i the contract is not being fulfilled. The Government has been appealed to, but it ink;-* the view that the removal of men is a matter to he undertaken by the syndic:l. to. A few weeks ago, while a man was cleaning out a chimney at -n louse in Nortliooto. Melbourne, he di, lodged the lir-.;-of several birds. As the debris fell down lho chimney he n .lined a pickle bid tie among the rii'Jush. lie picked it up and foe id it -m! it aim a! a. quantity of split peas. Tho weight of the bntJe, however, puzzled him. He look out I lie cork, and, pouring out the contents, vas him cnl to find lfO sow retells. The money was handed over lo I lie o- *!ii e A Press As- rriaiion me- u:e from Wei Jington slate., that Thomas William Steel, who was found guilty last week of indecent assault on a liiile girl, was son* (eoci 1 in the .Supreme Court to 12 months’