PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 3

PASSING NOTES.

4Erom Saturday’s Otago Daily Times.)

As a political speaker addressing his Constituents, Mr Downie Stewart’s strong point is, in a word, his dulness. Equanimity, good temper, sweet reasonableness, are dullness itself to people who come there in hope of “ a lively meeting,” vituperative epithets, hysterical rhetoric, altercations with hecklers on the floor. Nothing of this with Mr Downie Stewart. From point to point on the path he has chalked out he moves unruffled, with cool lucidity, and—deadly dull. It is an ' artistic dulness and achieves its end. There is nothing that the enemy can lay hold of. Always there is an enemy—Socialist, Communist, 80l shevist, a Labourite out of a job—always lying in wait and eager for a row, but in this instance paralysed by the humour of the situation—the speaker’s placid toile and monumental calm. The other night, hot till the end of the speech did the enemy find a voice, and then only to move in halting accent® a futile amendment on the vote of thanks. To Mr Downie Stewart’s political enemies may be added some erst while political friends who grow] that it is about time to give the other fellows 4- turn,” because as Minister of Finance a ha« made, as he says, a more equit-

able adjustment of the income tax. The “ other fellows ” are Holland and company, who, if ever they get a turn, will adjust the income tax of these grumblers, and all other taxes, in a Socialist sense. Heaven forbid!

The calamity of the Norwegian whaling ship C. A. Larsen is peculiar. Ranging from Norway in the far north to the uncharted Ross Sea at the opposite pole, there to conduct a slaughter of the innoemts under congenial conditions, “ snow an’ ffoe an’ blow ” —as we read in “ M‘Andrew’s Hymn ” —

The berg like kelpies overside that girn an’ turn an’ shift, Whaur, grindin' like the Mills o’ God, goes by the big South drift—flail, Snow, and Ice that praise the Lord —picture t’.a Larsen, with her mosquito fleet of whale-chasers, in the middle of it. Thence returning to civilisation, miraculously unharmed, she rips out her bottom in the quiet waters of a New Zealand harbour. A story not easily paralleled, though we read, it is true (in the poets) of Ships that have gone down at sea When heaven was all tranquillity. That stood the storm when waves were rough, Yet in a sunny hour fall off. But there is nothing of poetry in the Larsen’s plight, squatting there amid the evil-sme’ling whale oil she has spilled all over Paterson Inlet—scum an inch thick. Well that it is r.ot petrol, at the mercy of a lighted match.

We shall think better of the Larsen when, a is possible, we see her docked at Port Chalmers for repairs. I have no wish tha the hardy Norsemen should adventure in these remote seas to no profit. They have still some drainings of oil to sell, and, with luck, may yet save the ship. But I cannot think well of their murderous proceedings in the Antarctic. Whaling as it used to be gave the whale a run for his life — literally a run for his life, with the chance of a fight at the enc. of it. Whaling as it is lire? from a swivel gun a hundred-weight harpoon with a bomb to explode i.i the whale’s vitals, and heavy expanding barbs carrying a stout hempen cable. No sportsman will shoot a bird sitting; and “ no sportsman ” is the Ross Sea whaler. Nobody goes whaling for sport, it is true; but the trouble is that unsportsmanlike whaling will soon make whaling impossible. So Mr G. M. Thomson warns us, and on subjects of this kind Mr G. M. Thomson is an authority. The Antarctic 'whale will be exterminated. Does anybody read Frank T. Bullen’s “Cruise of the Cachalot”?— a book of which Rudyard Kipling wrote: “ Dear Mr Bullen, —It is immense—there is no other word. I have neve: read anything that equals it in its deep-sea wonder and mystery.” Much of Bullen’s cachalot hunting—cachalot being the sperm vyhale — was off the Solander at the western entrance to Fouveaux Strait, where half a dozen American whalers would be busy at a time, amongst them the New Zealand barque- 11 Chance,” Captain Paddy Gilroy, “ unsurpassed, as a whale-fisher or a seaman by any Yankee that ever sailed out of Martha’s Vineyard.” Even in its old form whaling could be pushed to the extermination point. There are half a dozen Norwegian “ chasers,” with guns and bombs complete, in and about Fouveaux Strait at the present moment, but the last thing they would expect 'to chance upon is a whale.

The .ttempt of an American to put his countrymen in a good light in face (vis-a-vis is the neater phrase, but French) —in face of British mistrust and misinterpretation (Monday’s Daily Times), struck me as fair and reason-

able. But I have a correspondent who is struck quite otherwise. He picks out these sentences: —

Fundamentally Great Britain and the United States of America are based on the same principles of government. We have the same aims, the same civilisation, and, in general, the same religious beliefs. Our differences are largely those of environment and local associations: to use the great “ Kipling.” “ Biddy O’Grady and the Colonel’s Lady ” are the same “ Under the Skin,”

and asks what is to be said about this sort of thing? It is not worth while saying anything. If the Americans think that electing a President every fourth year, and going into convulsions over it, is being identical with us in “ principles of government,” there is obviously nothing to he said. Ephraim is joined to his idols; let him alone. But we are to remember that there are more Americas than one, i ■ there are more Indias than one. The Eastern States and the Middle West beloiq to different civilisations. Occasionally the two are mixed. It was in the Eastern States that Miss Maud Royden found her lecture engagements cancelled because it was discovered that she smoked cigarettes. And it is in enlightened New Zealand that church assemblies the Presbyterians some time ago, the Methodist Synod last week—reject benefactions from the M’Carthv Trust on the ground that its funds bear the taint of a brewery. Why do these ecclesiastical purists tolerate a Bible tainted by the miracle at Cana ?

The Quarterly Review, a staid and sober-minded publication—for Byron it was “my .grandmother's Review, ’the Quar terly in its. October number has an article on 1 Ihe Religion of America.” Quaint and curious are the facts it cites; e-g.—m Chicago a minister preaches on 1 the kind of girl to marry,” and ex mbits five attractive young women in a frame work of flowers and tissue papei lattice-work on which a s~:>t-light plavs Incidents of this kind offer themselves by the score, each more absurd than the other, capped by a funeral oration by a Tennessee minister “ on a dead fly. Then, from that part of America where “ drink and Darwin are alike anathema ” —

Scores of young girls and youths were found stupefied by liquor in San Mateo county roadhouses by Federal prohibition agents yesterday. Some of the girls were only 14 or 15. the agents said, while in many cases their male companions were years older. Helpless under the influence of liquor, the girls were unable to resist the attentions of the men. Pussyfoot blessedness!

An existing “ Association for the Advancement of Atheism in America,” duly chartered, I believe, is not mentioned by the Quarterly; nor does it notice attempts to translate the Bible into the American language. I take the following information from another source : —

Four learned professors in the United States have just published a translation of the Old Testament. In Genesis xxv., 30, Esau says to Jacob: “Feed me, I pray Thee,' with that same red pottage, for I am faint.” The American scholars substitute for this: “ T.et mo have a swallow of that red stuff there.” In Genesis iii, 8. the verse runs: “ And they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” The American artists change this into. “ They heard the sound of the Lord God, taking a walk in the garden for His daily airing.” In omitting reference to this performance the Quarterly may have been mindful of our own Dr Moffatt. Does not Dr Moffatt’s Revision, amongst other audacities, translate “ The Eternal ” by the unpronounceable symbol “ Jhwh,” and reduce the patient Job to ignominy aa “ Eyob ”!

A backblocks inquiry on A Subject of Moment: —

Dear “ Civis,” —I would be pleased if you would give me your opinion as to which pronunciation is correct: To say Missus or Mistress for Mrs when addressing or speaking of a married woman ?

“Mrs” or “Mistress”? In Shakespeare’s tin- you might have said either. The women characters in “ The Merry Wives of Windsor” are first one and then the other; “Sweet Arne Page,” albeit an unmarried girl, is “ Mistress Anne.” . North of Tweed to-day, “ Mistress ” is sometimes heard as ' term of address. In Scott’s “Heart of Midlothian ” Jeanie Deans, unmarried, is occasionally “ Mistress Jeanie.” But in Otago, if you would avoid singularity, give to the unmarried woman “Miss’” to the mar. iei woman, “ Mrs,” —which, on the authority of the Concise Oxford Di tionary, you are to pronounce mi-siz I should have said “ mis-sers.” The Concjse Oxford is interesting on the word “ ma’am ” — ma’am (mahm, mam, mm), n. Madam (especially used at Court in addressing Queen or royal princess, pr. mahm, or by servants, pr. mm). The Prime Ministers manner of speech in converse with the King is “ Yes, Sir,” “No, Sir”; with the Queen. “Yes, Mahm,” “No, Mahm”; and if he had occasion to address a question to the little Princess Betty, “ Mahm ” it would be again. Crvrs.

On Christmas Day a cablegram was sent to r_ng.and from Wellington requesting the forwarding of 220 tons cf steel rolled’ and cut to dead lengths for building construction works. Apparently no time was lost by the recipient of the order, and all. the steel, which was supplied by several different firms, duly arrived by the Rotorua, which reached Wellington on February 25, that vessel having left England on January 20.

Elaborating his statement . at Kawhia that 90 per cent, of the New Zealand farmers were in a solid and sound financial position and that the remaining 10 per cent, were in trouble, the Minister of Lands. Mr A. D. M‘Leod’ in an address at Te Awaniutu, said that a well-known English banker had come to the Dominion recently to re view the position regarding the" banks. ’’ Replying to his question.” the Minister said, I told him that in my opinion 90 per cent, of the farmers in the count"? were in a strong and healthy financial position, provided they got reasonable stabihty in prices. I told him that the other 10 per cent, were struggling, that they were in trouble, and while some of their number were hopeless and b ,-ond help, others might be assisted through, even though up against it in finance.” Sub sequently the banker called upon th • Minister and said he had found Mr M‘Leod’s statements to be accurate. Ninety per cent, of tne men on the land were in a good financial position. “ I do not want it to be taken that the 10 per cent, are all up against the they will all go bankrupt.” Mr M’Leod a ’led. “ Perhaps, with help, the majority will come out on top in the end. I hope they do.”

The Hawke s Bay branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute resolved (reports a Press Association telegram from Napier) to request the. Dominion Executive to take immediate action in the matter of unemployment among teachers. It was pointed out that in many large schools classes of over 50 and that unemployment would be eased by creating more positions in these schools, while at the sa.ne time children in large classes would receive more individual attention Attention was also directed to the fact that whereas the 1924 staffing regulations provide for two or three probationary teachers in certain schools, only one or two were now appointed. If the 1924 staffing regu lations, which created positions for which probationers were actually trained, were still in force unemployment would not bo as acute as it is.

It has been a pleasant conceit among many county councils in Otago to point the finger of comparison at the Bruce County Council whose roads, according to motorists, have caused scores of broken springs. However, when irate ratepayers demand better roads in future these bodies will be compelled to go further south to find potholes so much worse as to allow of telling and scornful comparisons. The stretch of road from the Henley bridge to Milton ha? been improved wonderfully, and the mam street of Milton has an excellent surface. Continuing south the travelling as far as the Bruce County boundary is comparatively comfortable. Once in the Clutha County, however, the unfortunate motorist is treated to a sample of rough roading quite as bad as the- worst Bruce could offer during the past 18 months. The doubtful honour of possessing the worst roads in the province has now passed from Bruce to its southern neighbour.

The Rev. F. B. Allen, who preached at) the Avonsido Church in Christchurch a* both services on Sunday week, is a recent visitor from England who is on a world tour (says the Lyttelton Times). He was organising secretary for the diocese of Southwark, and has been closely allied with tho scheme for the raising of £lOO,OOO to build 25 new churches for the increasing population of South London. “The Churcti of England wants to keep up with the times, and it set out upon the. great schema as the result of the London County Council making plans for many miles of streets in what formerly were fields on the outskirts of South London,” said Mr Allen. “ It is expected that at least IGO.C’OO peopin will be added to the population of South London in the next four or five years. The authorities are clearing away much of the slums and are settling the people in the more open localities of South London. It is really the making of a new town.” Mr Allen left England on October 15 on a world tour, during which he is conducting a search for lost relatives of friends in England who are anxious about their welfare. He was in Australia for about two months, and spent three weeks preaching in Wellington.’ He will remain in Christchurch for several weeks.

“It is figures, not opinions, that will count in the solution of the industrial conciliation and arbitration problem,” said the Minister of Agriculture. Mr O. J. Hawken, in Auckland, when discussing efforts that are being made at present to establish a basis for industrial peace in New Zealand. “ One big question that has to be settled is ‘ Has the operation of the Arbitration Court allowed a deliberate decrease in production? ” “ This,” he said, “’ is the greatest charge that can be preferred against tho court, and only figures can decide it.” Tho Minister added that the absence in England of the Minister of Labour during the greater part of next session would not prevent Parliament going ahead with amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

His Majesty’s proclamation. “ determining new designs for certain silver coins of the realm,” issued at Buckingham Palace on November 3, 1527, is published in New Zealand Gazette. The proclamation determines the design for the crown piecefive shillings—as well as for the King’s maundy moneys, which include silver fourpenccs. threepences, twopences, and pennies. Inquiry at the Bank of New Zealand disclosed the fact that the bunk had received no information other than that contained in the Gazette notice, and the officials of the bank are of opinion that the crown wi'l not come back into circulation in any numbers. It is probably being issued for the benefu of collectors. The silver fourpence, or groat, like the other maundy moneys, is a coin for use on ceremonial occasions. The King’s maundy, or alius for the poor, formerly distributed by the Lord High Almoner in the Chape] Royal, Whitehall, is now given at Westminster Abbey, during a special service on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. H is called “ Maundy ” from the first word of the Church’s antiphon for that day: ”Ma undatum novum do nobis” (a new commandment I give unto you).

An advertisement of interest to investors appears in our advertising columns regarding the issue of 5 per cent, bonds to the extent of £400.000 under the Rural Advances Act, 1926. The bonds are secured on the assets of the rural advances branch of the State Advances Office, and provide a good investment, yielding £5 5s lOd per cent, in interest and £5 9s Id per cent, including redemption.

In a few weeks the formerly well- . known coastal trader Stella, which has been lying in a vacant berth at the Victoria Wharf for over 12 months, will be towed to Chalky Sound, on the West Soast, to act as storeship for Western Fisheries, Ltd., a company which has been formed to carry out fishing operations on an extensive scale in that region. At present the Stella is being fitted with a freezing chamber, which is almost completed, and a steam engine is being installed. Eight small boats will operate in the Sounds, and each night they will bring their catch to the depot ship, where it will be frozen. Tho company also has a small vessel, the Mahoe, which will make periodical trips to Bluff with the fish, which will be distributed by Southland Sea Products, and it is probable that a proportion of the catch will be sent t-o Australia. The venture is the first of its kind which has been attempted, but it is stated that in the region where the company will operate there are extensive groper and blue cod grounds. Four of the small fishing boats will come from Dunedin, two from Bluff, ono from Riverton, and one from Stewart Island. Captain W. D. West will be manager of the company, which will operate all the year tound and’ will employ from 29 to 30 men.

A considerable easing of the present labour situation in Dunedin took place on Thursday following the departure of 50 men who have been selected for high way work under the Public Works Department. The selection was made through the Labour Dcpa-tment, and the party left for Mosgiel to undertake general improvements on the main highway south of that town, ft is expected that the work will last for several weeks. At the same time the present outlook is not a good one there being a total of 205 men on the books of the Labour Department, inchid ing 80 married men. During last week 119 fresh applications wore received.

A Press Association telegram from Wel- , the officer in charge of tno Wallacevillc veterinary laboratory, Mr Hopkirk, has returned from a visit to Victoria and New South Wales. In Mel bourne he attended the Commonwealth Conference of veterinary officers. He says that Victoria, is making steady progress in research in connection with vaccine prevention for tuberculosis and ipammitis, but New South Wales appears to lead in research work, where the veterinary school, the Department of Agriculture, and the Committee of Industrial and Scientific Re search are in strong co-operation.

At the monthly meeting of the Otago Labourers’ Union last week a resolution expressing appreciate., of the sympathetic hearing given by local members of Pailiament to a deputation from the union which had approached them on behalf of the unemployed of Dunedin, was carried unanimously.

In these days of high living costs it is\ pleasant to know that there is one lad in Dunedin who had apparently solved the problem of obtaining the luxuries of life, if not for nothing, at least for a merely nominal cost. He assiduously studied every advertisement concerning free samples, and the outlay of a few pence for stamps.’ plus a certain facility for penning a reasonably good business letter, did the rest. His mail for a few days was heavy, and his bag included, among other things, two tubes of shaving cream, ’ a small cake of soap, a bottle of pills, several varieties of biscuits (all said to contain the requisite ■ amount of proteins and carbo hydrates), cocoa, custard powder, a sample tm of varnish, and a quantity of literature The shaving cream was traded to the bov’s fond father for a penny a *wbe, his mother purchased the soap and custard powder, and a small sister was graciously presented with a gaudily coloured brochure setting forth the glories of a trip to Honolulu.

When fat lambs have to be driven a considerable distance to the rail and trucked to the freezing works, the driving and handling do not improve their condi tion on arrival at the works. The Gore exporting firm of Messrs R. and F. Wallis. Ltd., have (our correspondent reports) recently had a motor lorry constructed into a double-decker conveyance in' which small drafts of fat lambs are lifted right off the farm, where they arc purchased, and deposited at the Mataura works. The lorry will hold from 70 to 75 lambs, and by this mode of conveyance they should arrive at the works in better condition. It is not the intention of the firm to compete against tho railway, and the lorry will 1.-o used only where a long drive is entailed Sir George and Lady Fenwick and party are at present visiting Denniston, and yesvisited Denniston last week, and on Thursday evening Sir George, by invitation, attended the Buller Progress League’s meeting. Replying to the welcome, Sir. George said that the motor drive to Denniston was one of the most mag nificent imaginable. Lady Fenwick and himself had travelled over a good part of the world, but they knew of no place to equal tho Buller Gorge, which was well known for its magnificent beauty. Denniston was equally as beautiful, but it was of a different kind. From Denniston one got a glorious view of over 100 miles of coastline, stretching away from Cape Foulwind to Rocks Point.

That even a monument or a day set apart for the purpose of remembrance sometimes fails to awaken a proper feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving was pointed out by Professor Hewitson in his address nt the unveiling of the memorial window to Dr Cameron at Anderson's Bay on Tuesday evening. “We become used to the sight of monuments,” he said, “ and they fail to revive a thought or to stir a feeling. Our memorial days become divorced from the purpose for which they were in stituted, and degenerate into days of plea sure. On days that commemorate sacrifices that were vital to the very existence of tho nation, we give three minutes ro recollection and three times as many hours to pleasure. Good Friday, which corn rnemonates the greatest sacrifice in the history of the race, is for many a favourite day for picnics. With all the aids to memory available we shall find that grat.i tude is a virtue that requires sedulous cultivation.’’

On February 14, when the Ruapehu was off Pitcairn Island, a radio from the freighter Westmoreland, which was a few hours behind the Ruapehu, asked medical assistance, one of the cadets (of whom the freighter carries several) being seriously ill with appendicitis. The Ruapehu’s doctor (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) was incapacitated with a badlysprained ankle, but the steamer put back eight and a half hours to the Westmoreland, and a passenger, Dr Hudson, went aboard He operated next morning, and was transferred back to the Ruapehu on tho sixteenth. Dr Hudson is returning to Nelson after studying at Home, where he was married.

A peculiar occurrence was discovered recently near the Borough Reserve in Te Kuiti by a Maori boy, who drew the attention of an Auckland Star representative to the fact that an inlet of the Mangaorewa River had dried up, leaving some hundreds of fish to perish under the ; r>tense heat of the sun. On arrival at ’he Spot the reporter found that the stranded fish belonged to the carp family, varying in length from 4in up to 12in, the latter being some l£in in thickness The fish averaged in number 30 to the square yard and extended for several chains along the dry mud bed of the stream. The Natives say they cannot remember such an occur rence previously. The inlet has been low before, but never actually dry. Dr Crawshaw, medical officer of health for the Otago district has received the following communication from the Department of Htalth in regard to Meta tablets:—“ These tablets, used as a fuel for small heating lamps, such as are used to warm milk for infants, are a Swiss preparation said -o consist chiefly of metacetaldehyde. Ap parently they are poisonous, and since m appearance they resemble a lolly, they aro a danger. The directions state ‘ not to- be eaten,’ but they are not labelled poison.’ The Dominion analyst has ex amined and found them to be poisonous. If. this is confirmed by the Government bacteriologist in Wellington, steps will be taken to require a poison label. Meantime, the New Zealand agents are warning all their sub-agents. The tablets should not bo tasted or left within reach o*’ children.”

Xhe diary of Mr T. Griffin, of Avondale, who was an officer on the Sydney when that vessel captured the, German cruiser Emden, is of special interest to-day (says the Auckland correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) in view of the allegations made by Prince Franz Joseph, second torpedo officer on the Emden. In a recently published book he said ** The flag was hauled down because the ship was a wreck and had no longer any right to fly it.’’ That the German vessel was asked if she would surrender is clearly shown by Mr Griffin’s diary. When the Sydney was nearing the Emden the latter’s ensign was still -flying. She was flagged. “ Do you surrender?’’ replying by Morse, “No sig r.al books. What signal? ” The Sydney repeated the question with Morse flags, and, receiving no answer, the order was given to open fire. Aiming at the foot, of the mainmast, the port guns fired three salvoes, but, owing to the amount of previous firing done by them (the sinking of the Emden’s collier after the crew were taken off) they were a - trifle out, and; the ship turned to bring the starboard gubs to bear. As the. Sydney swung a man was seen climbing aloft on the Emden, and instructions were given on the Sydney not to fire without orders. The Emden then hauled down her flag in', token of surrender, and waved a white flag. The Emden destroyed - the ensign after it was lowered. i f

Of somewhat squat construction, but showing very speedy lines, the Gloster Grebe single seater fighter, a new addition to the New Zealand Air Force, is being assembled at the Wigram Aerodrome. To outward appearances it is only half the size of the large Bristol fighters used for training purposes, but it has the high speed of the latest Royal Air Force ser vice types. Tho Gloster Grebe can develop 152 miles an hour at a height of 10,COOft. At sea-level the machine can travel 160 miles an hour. Two Vickers machine guns poke through the cowling as part of the equipment. The guns are worked automatically from the propellor, which presses two cams on each revolution to send the bullets away. The petrol tanks are carried in compact containers in the wings of the machine. The fighter can be identified by its staccato bark which 's a great deal louder than that of the Bristol fighter; The following cases were dealt with at the Magistrate’s Court at Lawrence on Tuesday:—For exposing lice-infested sheep for sale at Waitahuna saleyards G. M‘Kay (Forsyth) was convicted and fined £1 and costs (12s); H. Cowie (I.awrence), trustee in the estate of A. Al’Corkindale, for a similar offence, was convicted and ordered to pay costs (10s).

Mr T. M. Hickson, who conducted a healing mission throughout New Zealand and Australia a few years ago under the auspices of tho Anglican Church, is at present on a holiday visit to New Zealand. In the course of a brief talk with a reporter Mr Hickson said he had now finished with mass meetings and he intended, when he had completed a six months’ holiday and rest in New Zealand, to conduct private missions. Mr Hickson has just completed a world tour, having held missions in every town of any size in England, America, and the Continent. He said he had come back to New Zealand for his holiday because he knew that here he could get a rest.

On his visit to New Zealand to discuss trade relationships between the Commonwealth and the Dominion, the Australian Minister of Trade and Customs (Mr H. E. Pratten) will be accompanied by the senior clerk of his department (Mr T. J. Horan). Mr Pratten will leave Sydney on March 8 and expects to return to Sydney before Easter. Mr Pratten has completed a longer continuous occupancy of his portfolio than any othe.r Minister of Trade and Customs since Federation (states the Can berra correspondent of the Sydney Morn ing Herald). Mr Pratten has been »n office for three years and eight months. The next best record is held by the late Mr F. G. Tudor, who controlled the de partment without a break for three years and two months. Air Tudor, however,, was in three Ministries, and was Minister of Trade and Custortis for an aggregate period of five years and nine months Air Prat ten claims tho record of having been the only Minister' to introduce two major tariff schedules into Parliament during his term of office.

The uncompromising attitude of the Roman Catholic Church towards the question of reunion was outlined by Bishop Liston in the course of a sermon at St. Benedict’s Church, in Auckland, on Sunday week. The union of the several Christian communities could be brought about (said his Lordship) not by compromise or amalgamation federation, but by prayer and acceptance of the full teaching of Christ. The Divine Teacher had left only one body of ’ruths and com mands, and there could oe only one meaning in them. Reunion meant submission to Him and His teaching. This, in turn, meant acceptance of, and obedience to, the Roman Catholic Church in spiritual matters, for Roman Catholics believed—and they could not claim to be the Church of Christ if they did not believe—that the Roman Catholic Church alone was made b ’ Christ, did His work and spoke unerringly for Him and by His authority. “ Reunion for us means return to the constitutional union that existed before the break-up of Western Christendom i n rhe sixteenth century,” declared the bishop. “ Until then every nation of Western Christendom accepted the authority .of the See of Peter, and there was constitutional, corporate, visible union between church’s visible head, the Pope, and its members. The Roman Catholic Church is free to admit changes and modifications in her own discipline, liturgy, and legislation, but the Pope holds his place bv Divine appointment, and recognition of that is essential. Granted these three conditions, the ehurch will leave nothing undone to mare smooth the -eturn path to Christ’s one fold.”

Births and marriages registered in Dunedin during last month showed a decrease in each case compared with the figures for February of last year, an fiiT crease being recorded in the number <K deaths. The following are the figures for' last month, those for February of last year being given -in parentheses:—Births, 79 (137); marriages, 51 (73); deaths, 74 (57).

One of the biggest deals in cheese ever made in Southland was transacted on Tuesday, when the Alataura Dairy Factory Company sold this season’s make of*cheese from January to the end of the season—estimated at- 550 tons —to Weddell and Co. at SJd per lb. The same firm purchased approximately I'OCO tons of cheese in Southland during a few days.

Inquiries made at Auckland as to reports of more than usual losses of sheep after dipping have (says a Press Association telegram) elicited the statement that this is due to the sheep being dipped while in a heated condition during the excessively hot weather.

A Dunedin resident who returned from the Catling district last week brought with him indisputable evidence of the fertility of the soil there It took the form of a huge cabbage grown by Mr R. Lawson, of Papatowai. Before it was brought to Dunedin some of the outer leaves, had been removed., but when it was weighed it turned the scale at 221 b.