Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10480, 16 October 1912, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16. EDITORIAL NOTES.

IN the “Near East” of August 30th, appears an article on Turkey and the Balkan States which is of special interest in view of the turmoil in the Balkans. It states that the original cause of the war feeling in Bulgaria was, of course, the Kotchana massacre, which took place on August Ist last. There appears to he no room left for doubt that the slaughter and beating of defenceless Bulgarians in that town was systematically carried out by a large force of soldiers, who were brought into the bazaar from their barracks immediately after the bomb explosions. ? meettings were held all over Bulgaria, and on Sunday,'i national conference was held at Sofia, attended by delegates from every Bulgarian district, and representative of all parties in the State. The conference, which was also attended by delegates from the Macedonian Associations, adopted unanimous resolutions calling for the immediate mobilisation of the army, and making an urgent appeal to the Great Powers to put pressure on Turkey to grant autonomy to Macedonia 'and the Adrianoplo vilayet, under a Christian Governor elected by popular vote. In the event of such autonomy not being secured, the conference demanded that Bulgaria should declare war. 1 Au’adjournment was then made to the 1 monument of the Tsar Liberator, Alexander 11, who secured the first independence of Bulgaria, and a series of fiery speeches were delivered. In view of such unanimity the Bulgarian Government had no option but to take the course on which it has since embarked. The Kotchana incident began the Bulgarian movement. Servia was roused to fury by a reported massacre of Serbs in the vilayet of Kossovo, where Turkish troops are said to have entered Sienitza and Bielopolyl, and with the aid of the Moslem inhabitants massacred Christian residents. The “Near East” is inclined to believe that these reports are exaggerated, but sees little reason tojdoubt that Turkish troops have committed terrible excesses at Beraua on the Montenegrin frontier, which accounts for the fighting fury among the warlike men of the Black Mountains. By way of offset the new Turkish Government, which men like Sir Edwin Pears, [ with an export knowledge of Eali kan affairs, asserts to be the best that Turkey has had for forty years, promptly set on foot investigations into the Kotchana incident, and finding that both civil and military autiiortics were implicated, put the town under martial law and arranged for a series of courtmartials. They also sent £IOOO to bo distributed among the sufferers, | and nows isjjjust to hand that the court-martial has condemned one Moslem to death, and sentenced another to to penal servitude for ( life, besides inflicting minor penal- ! tics. This, although hardly sufficient to allay Bulgarian resentment, is as the ‘‘Near East” points out, at least an indication of some readiness on the part of £the new Cabinet to recognise Turkish re-

j sjionsibility towards the rayah or | Christian subjects. It also serves j to explain the attitude of Sir j Edward Grey, who is opposed to | any external attempt to coerce Tur- | key, and who, in reply to a ques- | tion from Mr Bonar Law, pointed | out that it would be difficult for j Turkey to proceed with her reforms in view of the mobilisations. The Montenegrin declaration of war has been already made, and King Nicholas (or Nikita, as his subjects I c . a N him) is once more standing out as he did in the 70’s as the champion of Christian liberties. It is evident that even if actual fighting is averted, Turkey will have a difficult task in allaying ill-feeling she has excited in Servia, Montenegro, and Greece no less than in Bulgaria. The Maunganui, Talune, Wimmera and Rimutaka will be within wireless range to-night. : On page 3 “Compulsory Training” and “In Stupor 33 Years”; on page i 3, Letters to the Editor; on page 6, “Montenegro and its People”; on • page 7; Parliament. * , Bulls Brass Band has kindly con- ? sented to play outside the ” Town Hall on Thursday night when Fuller’s Pictures will be shown for the Bulls High School prize fund. The offer made by Mr E. Short to Foiiding Borough Council to go halves with him in boring for artesian water at Cheltenham has y been withdrawn. "Wellington reports that Messrs Ross and Glendining, warehousemen, celebrated the jubilee of the firm by presenting a month’s salary or wages to all employees, f Marton Junction Band will play this evening in the Marton Park, commencing at 8 o’clock, when a collection will be taken up towards the benefit fund for Mr Dickson. London reports that the Grimsby trawler Tasmania struck a reef where the Birkenhead was lost, and ; went to pieces. Seven of the crew landed alter a terrible struggle The captain, an officer, and two of the crew, "were drowned. Entries in sheep at Hunterville sale yesterday were somewhat small. It is quite evident that farmers intend to wait until after shearing before placing their surplus stock in , the market. 1 The Petitions Committee has conf sidered the petition of John Solomon Taylor, Wanganui, who asked for a " re-trial of the case in which he t was convicted of the theft of a , "bicycle. The Oommtitee recom--3 mended that a re-trial be granted. Mr Edward Pearson, of Waituna 1 West, who has been in Palmertson . Hospital for some weeks as a result , of colliding with a motor car while c cycling, has regained consciosness, f but the authorities are unahle to j report any improvement in his condition. • 1 Orchardists who have tried the 3 light at night and a pan of water as r a trap for pests, and who have been puzzled as to what to do with their } catches should follow the example 3 of an Aoraugi farmer. He finds that 1 his hauls, which are large and varied, are speedily demolished when placed in the fowl run. ■ ■ k James Hagerty, Timaru, and Theo i Burns, of Australia, were to have met to decide the feather-weight boxing championship of New Zealand • at Christchurch last night, and for ) a purse of £SO, but both were over weight. They boxed for-the, purse, 3 with the ■ result that Hagerty knocked 1 out Burns in the fifth round. r During the ten days the Welling--3 ton municipal fish market has been open 2SOO “persons made purchases. 1 The takings amounted to £ll6, of 3 which the City Council receives £ls by way of commission. The average price realised by the sale of fish was - nearly 3d per lb. The average iur dividual purchase was a fraction over lOd. ' To prevent the ravages of slugs ’ the following is recommended: —lib I caustic potash, 3oz. ammonia, t 20z,. nitrate of soda, dissolved in (5 gallons of water. When sowing seed ) spray the trenches lightly, and after sowing spray the ground. If uecesaary spray when plants are above " ground. The ingredients are i fertilisers, and many be applied at any time to growing plants. , A New Plymouth press wire states that the death is announced of Mr * T. S. Weston, Crown Prosecutor of i the Taranaki Judicial district for ( many years. He was aged . 76, and was well known and highly re- ■ spected. At one time he was Dis- ; trict Court Judge. His wife pre- . deceased him three years ago. He leaves four sons, three of whom are lawyeis. Sir J. T. Brunner, President of the National Liberal Association, has circularised the Liberal Associations advising them to urge the Government to cultivate relations with Germany similar to those with France, also to arrange treaties with America and other Powers in order to secure the immunity of peaceful shipping and merchandise from capture and destruction in war-time. At the inquiry into charges against the management of the infectious diseases hospital at Melbourne, evidence showed that a boy was dead a week, and the relatives were informed that he was improving. The w r ards were dirty, and the child inmates ware improperly clad. The clothes of the patients were merely fumigated, and sent back unwashed. Bodies were dissected without the permission of the relatives. The conference of New South Wales and Victorian Ministers agreed to the Victorian proposal to extend the two Victorian railways j to New South Wales territory, the j extensions being from Wentworth to j Euston, at least forty miles, tapping I part of the Riverina contiguous to Victoria. The scheme will include the construction of two bridges over | the Murray, costing £IOO,OOO each, whereof ‘Victoria will pay twothirds and New South Wales one- 1 third. The cost of the lines will he | a quarter of a million. New South J Wales will advance the money, and Victoria will pay interest thereon, j Tlie conference also agreed to a joint scheme for utilising the Murray waters for irrigation. ' Splitting headache, no interest, no • meal, and family coming home. ; Take Stearns’ Headache Cure, Im- ■ mediate relief, brain, clear, every- i thing pleasant.

} The Government Ochardisfc, Mr IGeo. Stratford, is visiting Cheltenham and Kimholton, Sandon is to follow. A tour of Feilding resulted in some orchardists using an axe. I Feilding Chamhor of Commerce | has set up a committee to consider | the holding in March next of a j “New Zealand week,” when busiI ness men will make displays of New Zealand made goods. The President cf Feilding Chamber of Commerce, Mr John Oobbe, is to confer informally with the directors of Cheltenham Dairy Company on the matter of establishing a bacon factory. A meeting of ladies at Feilding yesterday decided to make a canvass of the town and district for funds for the Ladies Shooting Prize fund for [senior cadets as suggested by Mrs Godley. At the inquest at Waihi on Richard Beujaimu Harris found burnt to death after a fire in a shanty at Waitite, on Sunday, the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. From to-morrow the Auckland express will be able to proceed as far as the main slips and tranship passengers there, thus saving them the cost of coaching from Ohakuue. Martou and other coal vendors are considerably inconvenienced at present through not being able to receive supplies of northern coal owing to strike troubles. One Marton vendor states that he has orders for upwards of 20 tons which he is unable to supply. At”a meeting of Woodville Chamber of Commerce Mr R. B. Ross, late member forSPahiatua electorate, stated that he would not' contest next election, but would not cease to take an interest in the district. He said it would pay him better to look after his own business than bothering with politics. The North German Gazette states that a Bill is to be introduced to prevent the Standard Oil Corporation from securing a monopoly of 1 the German petroleum market. A German company is to be forpied and granted a monopoly for lighting < purposes. The Government will take four-fifths of the profits above : a fixed limit for social objects, i Reserved judgment was given at i Taihape by Mr Thomson, S.M., in the case Eamsbottom v. Beattie, a , claim of £lO3 19s Id share of money received and retained hy defendant as proceeds of a ticket in Tatter - . sail’s. The Magistrate decided that the law did not give the parties a right to recover on an illegal contract, and the alleged promise of defendant to pay did not assistplaintiff, the agreement being unlawful. The Court would not ! assist plaintiff to recover. A non- ■ suit was entered with costs £3 3s. Major-General Godley leaves for Sydney next Friday to inspect the ’ Royal Australian Military College at Duutroon, and ascertain what 1 progress is being made by the New 1 Zealand Cadets there. He will also visit the Australian School of Musketry in Sydney, the small arms factory in the Blue Mountains, and the clothing and cordite factories in Melbourne before be returns. He will confer with the Australian military authorities as regards reciprocity with the Commonwealth in the matter of military defence. The young women of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Marton, intend holding their annual Missionary ■ Garden Party and Sale of Work in Martou Park on the afternoon of Wednesday, Octoer 33rd. Favoured with fine weather this should attract a large gathering. The Maori girls from Tnrakina, under Mr Hamilton, are to be present giving songs and poi dances, besides playing in a hockey match against a Marton team of young women. The Marton Junction Band will be in attendance and will render music. A charge of 6d will be ma,de for admission to the Park. Refreshments will bo provided at (id each. The total proceeds go entirely r [for missionary purposes. Members of Bishop and Aramoho Druids’ lodges visited Marton last night and explained to Marton ■ brethren the new scheme that they had formulated for a new death levy. Mr Blanche, secretary of Bishop Lodge, Wanganui, laid the scheme before the local lodge, with which the members were favourably impressed and were inclined to accept it in preference to that put forward hy the Grand Lodge at its ! last annual meeting held in Marton, | A lodge member explained to an I Advocate representative that the j Druids’ Lodge was not complaining of the difficulty in getting young members, and in fact never had any cause for complaint in this respect. The new scheme was not formulated with a view of meeting any deficiency through absence of members, but to meet the increasing de-i mauds of death levies and the growing proportions of the lodge generally. The Wanganui visitors were at the terminatmu of last night’s meeting hospitably entertained by Marton lodge. Messrs E. Lloyd and Go. ’s premises, Marton, proved a huge attraction on Saturday, and the magnificent display of new season’s fashions were greatly admired by the crowds that visited Broadway House. Several visitors from the larger centres were greatly surprised that Marton possessed such an up-to-date establishment, and the low prices proved a revelation to the keenest critic. The genuine concensus of opinion was that there was no necessity to send out of the district for smart exclusive fashions when such an exceptionally fine stock is kept to meet every requirement of a smart trade, and so far as value is concerned the prices are fully 30 per ceut. lower than the I larger centres, where quality is the i true test of value. Lloyd’s easily lead. Such is the unanimous verdict of a keen discriminating public. * Splendid selections of new sum- j mer goods are now being shown in | all departments at the Eon Marche, { Feilding. Messrs Spence and Spence’s selections are most aom- | prehensive and thoroughly up to | date, and a personal visit of inspec- | tion will be much appreciated by { the firm. *