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Otago Witness, Issue 3518, 16 August 1921, Page 3

At the Pan-Pacific Scientific Congress lle ld in Honolulu last year, it was unanimously decided that the next meeting should be held in hew Zealand if the Government of the dominion would extend an invitation to that effect. The gathering was timed to coincide with the next meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, which is to he held in Wellington in January, 1923, and it would have attracted scientlic delegates from most countries borrierirg on the Pacific. The Government has turned down the proposal, and the consequence is that the congress w ill be invited to meet in Japan, where the authorities are apparently much more aiivo to scientific advancement than those of New Zealand. The Arbitration Court has filed an order fixing the hours under the lJunedin butchers’ award which virtually means a return to the Saturday half-holiday. The weekly hours are not to exceed 48, and are to be worked between 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, and between 7.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. cn Saturday, with special provision for overtime payment for work done up to 12.45 p.m. This order will come into force on the 15th inst. The court has also filed an award in the Invercargill journalists’ case, increasing the total amount of the bonus to 6s for junior reporters and cadets, and to 13s for senior and general reporters. The work of laying a direct telephone wire between Middlcmarch and Dunedin, on which men have been engaged for some months, was completed on the sth inst. (writes our Palmerston correspondent). This line will be a boon to the district in obviating the long delays experienced in the past in getting into touch with Dunedin. Sutton, Tleefs, and Kitirca offices will also now be in direct touch with tiie city. How, asks the Mount Ida Chronicle, does this speak for the rabbit nuisance in Maniototo? A traveller told us that the other day he took his pea rifle with him on his round to get a couple of rabbits to take home to Dunedin. He travelled from Kycburn to Waipiata, then as far as Mr Chapman's farm, then to the Ring Farm, and to (Mr Geddes’s via Mr F. Hore’s, up to the Kyeburn Station, and only saw one rabbit which was too far away to shoot. So he had to buy a pair in Middlemarch to take home. Of course ho followed the road all the way. Rut several years ago a hundred shots could be got in that journey; so evidently bunny is not on the increase everywhere. Prior to his departure for Wellington on the 9th to attend a conference of dominion butter producers, Mr G. A. Lamb, secretary of the South Island Dairy Associaiion, stated that the producers were determined to have the Government lift the Order-in-Oouneil prohibiting the export of butter. Mr Lamb pointed out that the result will mean that butter based on the present export value must rise accordingly, '.end it. is only the subsidy being paid ley the Government that keeps butter at the present figure. It was not likely, in Mr Lamb’s opinion, that the Government will continue to subsidise butter after August

Of the 108 actual fires to which the Wellington hire Brigade was called during the year ended .March 31, 58 occurred in private duelling houses. In all but 19 cases the cause of the outbreaks is known. Seven fires were caused through a lighted candle coming into contact with a curtain, and the careless practice of throwing down a lighted match accounted for eight fires. Five hi es were the result of allowing children to play with matches. The overheating of electric irons accounted for three fires; smoking in bed. two fires; rats nesting, two files; lighted cigarettes carelessly thrown away, four fires* sparks, eight fires; ignition of picture films, three fires; defec tive brickwork, etc., nine fires; spontaneous ignition, two fires. Of 257 rails received during the year, 18 were maliciously false 13 more fal-e alarms than \va> the case the previous year. 'I ho total estimated fire loss for the year is £59.818, the estimated ■value of property on which fires occurred being £629 205. On the properly of Mr F. Maxwell, couth of Rahotu, in a five-acre paddock in which were running six pedigree .Jersey cattle belonging to Mr M. (1. Maxwell, a strange occurrence took place, presumably during the thunderstorm on tlie Ist hist, (says the Taranaki Daily News). The pad dock is an open level grass paddock, and towards the middle of it was found on Tuesday a hole about five feet across, giving the appearance of having been blown out by explosives, much soil being thrown out iii a south-easterly direction, some to a distance of a chain arid a half. From the edge of the hole, extending to a distance of half a chain towards the smith and

southeast, run several peculiar branching and very irregular zigzag tracks alonx the surface. Kadi branch end terminates with a hole about the thickness of a shovel handle, all descending into the ground with an outward incline. Towards the north-west a slightly raised rib of turf, 12 feet long, with one hole about the middle and another at ihe end, indicates the track of a discharge that has passed along under the surface. The cattle were not injured. Complete account sales concerning a shipment of beef lo London were brought, under our notice last week. They illustrate very clearly tile difficulties of shippers in these days of high freights and general charges. The shipment consisted of 101 quarters of beef, and the average earca.se weight was 54811>. The cost worked out at £1 7s 9d per 1001 b, or £7 12s per head, totalling in all £l9l 17s lOd. After drawing 3gd } er lb against documents and crediting fat there was a debit of £3 10s lid on the 11 aii.-siction. The Ac ting Minister of Railways says decidedly that a reduction of services on nonpaying lines must be made, and that the proposed ' eul’’ will mean a saving of not less than £IOO,OOO this year (wires our Wellington coi respondent). The only reason that, the “cut” was not made at an earlier d;ite was that Cabinet was loth to interfere in ariy way with trade facilities, it it was at all possible not to do so. As time went on, however, the necessity of retrenchment in this direction became apparent, and the country will benefit as the result of the large saving that will be effected.

"The amount of imported confectionery in New Zealand now is beyond all reason. Tast year £547,(XX) worth of confectionery was imported,” said a confectionery manufacturer while giving evidence at the Arbitration Court in Christchurch. "That is almost as high as our beer bill,” remarked the President of the court (Mr Justice Frazer).

A Press Association telegram from Blenheim says that a fire occurred on Saturday, 6th inst., in the office of the Marlborough Lxpress, at Picton, owned by Messrs Nicol and Madsen. The outbreak originated in a store room, and before the flames were quenched destroyed the greater portion of the building. Fortunately, the machinery, including the linotype - plant, was saved practically intact, and it is hoped to resume publication of the paper (which is a biweekly one) on Friday. This is a specimen of a certain class of clipped from a Vancouver paper: AucKiand, July 2. —An earthquake was felt over the whole North Island early Tuesday morning. Violent shocks, accompanied by loud rumblings, lasted over a minute. The disturbances were severest in the middle sections of the island. Auckland is used to volcanic activity. Tile roads everywhere around the city are the despair of automobiiists. Repeated efforts have been made to obtain roads which would remain in good state of efficiency, but always without success. Nothing, it has been found, can be done to provide thoroughfares through which the crust of the earth will not break. The reason is the volcanic workings which are always going- oil under the ground. After leaving Queen street, the principal artery of Auckland, every road is affected in every direction, and there is not the least prospect, apparently of any remedy being found. News from Niue by the mail which arrived in Auckland by the barquentine Ysa-bel states that the famous murder trial came to a conclusion during the second week in July. The Islander who was charged with having murdered a native policeman was found guilty and sentenced to death. Another prisoner, the nephew of the condemned man, was found guilty of assisting in the crime, and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The evidence and all the papers connected with the trial have been forwarded to Wellington, and it is stated that the sentences will have to be reviewed by the New Zealand Cabinet before they arc carried into effect. The crime for which the two men were tried was a particularly brutal one. The native policeman was a zealous officer, and his attention to duty led him into conflict with the principal prisoner, the result being a longstanding feud which ended in the murder. The unfortunate policeman was simplyhacked to pieces with a knife. There was some uneasiness after the arrest of the alleged murderer, as he had a good deal of influence among- a certain section of the Islanders. The warship Veronica was sent to the Island, and in addition to landing rifles and ammunition remained there for some days. A few days ago a prominent Government official, who was a passenger from Lyttelton to Wellington by one of the ferry boats, was surprised to discover on arising in the morning that the money and jewellery that was in his clothing when he retired the previous night had vanished (says the New Zealand limes). The gentleman ill question occupied a deck cabin. It was a calm mgnt, and tiie cabin door was left open for ventilation purposes, but a curtain was drawn across the opening. He hung his clothing up; in the pockets of his trousers was a sum of money, and the vest (ontamed a gold watch and chain of considerable value. On going to his clothing in the morning he found that he had been robbed during tiie night of everything that his clothing- had held, even to a collar stud. In the same cabin was another gentleman, wiio, before retiring, bad taken the precaution to put Iris valuables in a place of safety, but the inconsiderate trifles that he hacl left in his pockets were found to he missing. Tiie shipping company, in order to prevent the possibility of thieving, had placed a watchman on duty, as is its custom, but this precaution did not have the desired effect. Some time ago, on the same vessel, officers’ cabins were rifled, and an endeavour has been made to discover the thief, but. so far without, success. Referring to the statement of the Maoriiand Worker regarding the alleged flogging of a child in a school at Palmerston North for refusing to sing a portion of the patriotic song, ‘Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue," the official organ of the Teachers' Institute says: —“The Maoriland Worker, which up to the time this protest was written has maintained a discreet, si ler.ee. should either explain or retract. If it won’t, do this of its own volition, then it is to be hoped that decent opinion in the Labour movement will take some steps in the matter. The statement as published is not only inaccurate, but offensive. It suggests that ii is possible for a girl in a New Zealand school to be flogged. Tn short, the profession as a whole has been gratuitously libelled.” The two youths, Forbes and Weavers, who were arrested by Detective Palmer and Constable Weir on the Bth inst., were brought before Mr 11. Y. Widdowson, S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday and remanded to appear at Owaka on August 17 on a charge of stealing £24, the property of dins. Collins. Victor Dickison and Jean Turpin were each fined 40s for drunkenness, the alternative being seven days' imprisonment in each ease. Some little time ago a member of the Rev. W. Gray Dixon’s congregation on making his will made provision for the payment of £SO to the esteemed minister of Roslyn Presbyterian Church. When it was known that Mr Dixon was relinquishing the pastorate the member referred to deckled to pay the amount over during his lifetime, and at Mr Dixon’s valedictory service on Tuesday night he quietly handed Mr Dixon a cheque for £SO.

A family which has earned some notoriety iri the Auckland district has just been broken iqi by six members being committed to the Auckland Receiving Home. In the family there were 14, all illegitimate. The father hail been resident iu New Zealand for 30 years, and the mother came here from Australia 37 years ago. She was a quarter Australian aboriginal, a quarter Irish, and half Maori. Her father's record was not stainless. None of the children could read or write, and only two had attended school. The six committed to the home range in ages from two to 12. Two of the members not committed were recently in gaol. The whole family had been living- in the ti-tree near the Wairoa River, and gaining a livelihood by a campaign of thefts from goods lying at a nearby wharf, The plunder collected included goods of all kinds, from silk blouses and other clothing to a bicycle, petrol, a ship’s lights, and a launch anchor. An official report on the

case shows that members of the family have not paid anything for goods for years, but have cheerfully followed a career of piracy on the Wairoa River. The Arbitration Court has filed an award in the Otago Drivers dispute which will apply to the whole of the Otago and Southland district. The award embodies the recommendation of the Conciliation Council with a few small variations that were agreed to by the parties. An order has been made amending the Oamaru butchers’ award by fixing new hours. The closing hours are now 5 p.m. oil four days in the week, 5.30 p.m. on one day, and noon on Saturday. The total hours are not to exceed 48. and the amendment came into force on the 15th inst. The lifting of the embargo on Newcastle coal to New Zealand is likely to relieve all anxiety in regard to a scarcity, and may also lead to a. greatly needed drop in price* / (wires our Wellington correspondent).

The Minister of Defence on Friday cnnounced that the Government had decided to issue a free railway pass to all bona fide competitors attending the annual meeting of the Dominion Rifle Association (says a Press Association message). The association was being asked to assist the Government in the exercise of the strictest economy by ensuing that only bona fide competitors in service matches should receive free passes. It was not desired that persons who were neither good shots nor anxious to promote the interests of rifle shooting should be able to obtain a free pass costing several pounds merely by paying a few shillings entrance money. A planter at Rarotonga writes to a relative in Masterton as follows: —Here, like everywhere else, we are feeling the depression. Never before was trade so bad. This state of affairs is chiefly due to the fact that we cannot ship our produce. In addition, the price of copra is low, so there is very little money circulating. The new Resident Commissioner (Mr J. G. W. Hewitt) is quite a success and everyone likes him. He found an empty treasury, so there i; no. money for anything. Our roads are in a deplorable state. Mr Hewitt will visit New Zealand shortly to try to raise money to carry on with. There exists a very bad feeling between the whites and the Maoris, which will take years to remove, so the new Commissioner has some grave difficulties to overcome. Government money has been lent freely to natives all over the group. One wonders how and when it will be repaid. There is plenty of labour offering just now, but when the Union Steam Ship Company won’t carry your fruit what is the ufo of planting? We can only hope for better times soon. The effects of even a little propaganda may be far spread. Recently Mr J. E. W insloe, secretary of the Southland League, received a letter from a ploughman living in Hawick (Scotland). The writer, it appears, had read a letter to the North British Agriculturist from Mr .Tames Lilico, of Invercargill (says the Southland Times). Mr Lilico, in referring to this province, had stated that fuller particulars could be obtained from the league secretary. Hence the inquiry from the Hawick ploughman who expresses a desire, despite the possession of a wife and five children of ages ranging from five to fourteen years, to make a start in a new country. Mr Win sloe sent him a thoughtful reply, giving an outline of living conditions in New Zealand and asking particulars regarding the man’s abilities and the state of his finances. lie was urged to weigh the facts and not to make a move without further reference *to the league, which was willing to place the services of the Immigration Committee at the disposal of this and similar cases. In the meantime a Southland farmer has undertaken to employ the man if he should come out here. The need for the exercise of care in addressing correspondence is illustrated in the fact that a letter, posted at Lyttelton on April 26, addressed to Messrs Vernon and Houchin, of Dumbarton, containing cash and an order for fruit, reached the addressees on August 10, after travelling to Dumbarton, Scotland, and back. When intimating at the annual meeting of the Otago Expansion League last week that the league intended to launch a campaign to secure the support of local bodies, Mr J. Inglis Wright claimed that the Otago League was the first of its Lind, not only in New Zealand, but in ail Australasia, and that it had since been ioiiowed by other leagues in various towns and by the Hundred Thousand League of Sydney. It was hard, he said, to see the daughter leagues so well supported financially while the Otago Expansion League had difficulty in obtaining the support to which it was entitled. The following applications for assistance were dealt, with at last week’s meeting of the Otago District Repatriation board. Business Loans: .-.me applications were received of, which two were approved; one was held over; and six were declined. Furniture Loans: Twenty-three applications were received of which 17 were approved; one was held over; and five were declined. Subsidised Workers: Fourteen cases were dealt with, of which training was approved in two; six, who had completed training, had their payment of withheld subsidy approved; further training was approved in three cases; and three cases were held over. University and Technical Training: Six cases were dealt with and all approved. The question of freight rates on butter and cheese was discussed at a conference of representatives of dairy factories and associations of the dominion and representatives of export housc-s and shipping interests on Wednesday (reports a Wellington Press Association telegram). No report of the proceedings was furnished to the press. It is understood, however, that it is unlikely that there will be any reduction in freight rates at the present time, but that the whole position will be reviewed in January next year. This is apparently iri line with an agreement arrived at m London on July 18, when the committee appointed by Mr Massey’s conference of New Zealand Producers and shipowners exhaustively reviewed the position of shipments and freights generally from both points of view. A Wellington Press Association telegram says that the case in which a Native named Matiu was sentenced to death for the murder of :>. poluenian at- Niue Island has been reviewed by the Executive Council. Subsequently Sir Francis Bell, Acting Prime Minister, announced that the death sentence had been commuted to imprisonment for life. A Greymouth Press Association telegram states that the following wis the result of the ballot at the State mine in connection with the secretaryship of the Miners’ Federation : —P. O’Rourke 194. VV. Balderstone 41, F. 11. Grant 20, .T O’Brien 13, W. 11. Smith 9, and VV. Frapks 1.

It is fairly generally known that severe influenza epidemics are periodic, invading the world at intervals of, roughly, 30 years. Thus there was a severe epidemic in 1880 and the following years, in which New Zealand suffered to some extent; and 29 years later came the sfcourge whose marks are not yet effaced. The epidemic preceding that of the nineties occurred in the fifties, but was not very severe. Probably few reports of its having touched New Zealand are easily available, nut one came to light recently in an old weather record which is now in the hands of the Dominion Meteorologist at Wellington. The record is from Dunedin, and was kept by Dr Burns. In October, lE'57, Dr Burns wrote that the weather was cold and the season backward. There was much sickness, colds, and shivering—influenza, accompanied with vomiting and bleeding at the nose, and a number of sudden deaths. The lion. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education,), speaking at the ceremony of laying tire foundation stone of a new brick infant school, tiie first of its kind in Northern Wairoa, said that it would be an ill day when school committees were abolished (says a Dargaville Press Association message). They were the diieot representatives of the parents, and had saved the country thousands of pounds in the cause of education. While he was in power he would not attempt to weaken the power of local school committees. He deplored the fact that nearly 40 per cent, of our boys left school with only the Fourth Standard certificate, and in his new proposals, some of which ho outlined, was a scheme to get hold of these boys. He stated that the financial stringency was the only thing that stopped a lot of his proposed reforms being brought in, and he was hopeful that things would soon brighten up and allow him to carry out many much-needed reforms. A new badge has recently been added to those which the observant boy scout may hope to win. This is the Artist’s Badge. The test is to draw subjects: (a) From memory (to state on each drawing when and where the object drawn was seen); (b) from sight; (c) from imagination. The memory test is intended to develop the power to carry mental pictures of essential things and to draw them convincingly. The sight test is to develop the power of thoughtful observation of structures and their functions, the power to decide which parts are essential, and ingenuity in inventing suitable touch and treatment for each part selected for representation. The imagination test is intended tc develop readiness of resource in using stored up mental pictures for inventing means to meet new requirements and emergencies. During the war men of the Mercantile Marine rendered magnificent service, and this work has been recognised by the issue | of special Mercantile Marine medals (says | a Wellington Tress Association message). | For some time now the authorities have been issuing ribbons. As yet no medals have come to hand, but as they are now being distributed in Australia, it is probable that they will arrive in New Zealand shortly. The Mercantile Marine medal is bronze, with the King’s head on one side and on the other a steamer going full steam ahead. Beneath the vessel are the words: “ For War Service, Mercantile Marine. 1914-1918,” the riband in red. white, and green colours, being arranged vertically like the navigation lights of a merchint vessel under way. This is the first decoration specially awarded to the Mercantile Marine. The transport medal given for service in lhe South African and China wars, 1900-1902. was awarded only to officers serving under special engagements on troopships.