The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1915. GERMAN PEACE DEBATE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144860, 11 December 1915, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1915. GERMAN PEACE DEBATE.

One's firs! impression upon romlin'r (lie report of the delude upon pence terms in the Ueiebstag is tlmt it was what in ilie vulgar tongue is called "a put-up job." Herr Sebeidemami, the mover of the interpellation, made a studiously moderate speech, (|uite different in tone from what might have been expected after the advance cables on the subject. One feels that the whole business was carefully stage-managed in order to give (lie world the impression that even the Socialists in Germany are whole-hearted supporters of the war so far as it has gone and only desire to terminate it because they disapprove of a

war of conquest. The Fatherland, they say, has beaten oil: the savage attacks made open it, and is now perfectly safe; they don’t want to annex Russia and France and Great Britain, therefore they say: “Let us now make'peace.” That, the world is asked, in effect, to believe, is the view (ho Socialists, who are supposed to be the anti-war party in Germany, take of the situation. Peace is desired not because the German people are sick of the war, but because the primary object, the warding off of t he enemy attacks, lias been achieved, and Germany wants nothing more. Herr Selieiclemaim has been cleverly used by the Chancellor to make it appear to the world that Germany is not tired oi the war and Unit not even the extreme Socialists wish to conclude peace upon terms other than advantageous. Herr von Betlnnann-liollweg’.s speech was a masterpiece of bluff', bounce, kullur, and evasion, and the interpellation was the peg l, upon which he hung it. It may be noted, in parenthesis, that the Chancellor's speech readied us be tore that whidi was supposed to have called it forth. With tears rolling down his face the Chancellor repealed that Germany was farced into the war against her will to defend herself against the wicked machinations of her enemies, and declared that she would nut end i( unless satisfactory guarantees were given that she would not be threatened and molested again. She wa.s well able to defend herself indefinitely: her food supplies were ample —there are twenty million pigs and as many potatoes as they can eat in Germany—and her military resources were unexhausted. Bill he “gave himself away" when he said that, “we shall resolutely carry on the war in order to complete what Germany's future demauds.” This docs not harmonise with the theory that Germany did not want tbe war, that she only wanted to he left in peace to develop her commerce, that on her part it was not a war of conquest hut of defence. What does Germany's future demand f Judging from oilier portions of Herr von Betlnnaun-Holhveg's speech, it demands (lie rounding off of the Empire by (he annexation of Belgium, a further portion of Boland, and a trifle of territory in the Balkan regions, with the introduction of German “kullur" into the Orient. These are (he objects, or some of them, with which Germany made war. By bringing charges against Britain, of murdering the crew of a German submarine, of abusing Greek neutrality, and so on. the Chancellor seeks to divert attention from the sinking of the Lusitania, the minder of Miss Caveli, thei-saeking of Louvain, and the hundreds of other horrors of which Germany has been guilty. But nothing he cun say, nothing that Germany can do will cause the world to forget or forgive those crimes against humanity. Xor will ail the Chancellor's charges rob Britain of (he character she holds for lighting fairly and honourably. Even his o\yn officers have repeatedly admitted that the British soldiers and sailors, are gentlemen, hard as they Lit. At (he moment Germany is in possession of European territory which she has captured from her foes ami she wauls to see peace brought about somehow while she still remains in possession. Hence the permission given Herr Schchlemumi to bring forward I.is interpellation, with a view of giving the Chancellor the opportunity to tell Ihe world how pure and lofty German aims have ever been, how reluctantly she was forced to tight, how well and chivalrously she has fought, and how well prepared she is to go on fighting indefinitely. •

The Labour Ministry in New .South "Wales propost's to try a great experiment, in Socialism, by establishing a State monopoly ill the baking business in Sydney. The Government already has a. State bakery which supplies tho camp and some public institutions and it is now proposed to launch out on a

groat enough scale to supply the whole I of Sydney with bread. It is apparently intended to buy the existing bakers’ shops and utilise a number of them until the great factory, whore bread for 650,000 people will be produced, can be erected. From this centre flecks of motor-cars will distribute bread to the waiting multitudes. . 'Hie capital required to pat the scheme into working order is estimated at £600,000. One must admit that there is a certain fascination about the idea. Mr. Hall, the Minister who is responsible for its inception, points out that the day of the •small baker has gone, machinery having rendered it far cheaper to produce bread by means ol almost automatic machines. A really up-to-date bakery requires muc h capital and the'business is therefore likely to fall into line hands ol capitalists or companies who will readily combine into trusts with a practical monopoly of the supply. For these reasons, Mr. Hall considers it well for the .State to step in and take enn- ; rol at once, barge production should, o' eoense, Mipoly bread at a tar ehcaper rate and of a more uniform quality than is possible at present, so that it is possible that, the price may be re- j ducctl. Uis also hoped that there will be an enormous reduction in the cost of distribution, owing to the fact that instead of many bakers’ cans visiting every street the State motor-ear;', will call at every house. The saving, that would be effected hv a reduction in tbe price of the tout by hi or ltd is a considerable temptation to the philanthropist- to get to work, c.'.pct jally when the taxpayers all over New .South Wales will pay the cost of the experiment. At ti time like lice present. when public finance's arc straitened, an expenditure of £600,000 seems excessive, ami inclines one to think that the experiment might well be tried on a smaller scale.' in tier first instance. New South Wales recently opened State brick works, but they have not proved the success that was expected. State industries, in fact, even when begun in the most favourable conditions, have a wonderful capacity for proving unprofitable. One can honestly hope that the present adventure will be more happy in its results, and the world will watch the scheme with interest. The next step will be to provide the bread tree' and pay tbe co-t out of general taxation. This, with free picture shows financed in a similar fashion, will be the modern equivalent of the "broad and the circus” uf the In tor days of tbe Roman Empire, when tho ixjpulaco was kepi Horn revolt by free distribuol coni ami plenty of gladiatorial games at tlie circus.

The Makara Coumy Council lias endorsed tlie Raglan Council's resolution not to employ .single men who are eligible for military service during the cur* icnev ot the war.—Press Association.

The estimated population bf the four chief cities of tlie Dominion at the end of November was as follows:—Creator Auckland. 117,796; Creator Wellington, 74.811; Creator Christchurch, 87,750; Creator Dunedin, (19.158. In the .Magistrate's Court on Friday, Mr. J. H. Walker, the interpreter, stated them are about fifty .Maori girls in Taranaki who wore married before they were fourteen years of age. Ho thought all Maori marriages were carried out by the .Maori custom, and cases of the marriage of children were common wherever there were Maoris. As soon as girls showed a friendship for young men their parents arranged to get them married, "it appears these children have no say in -tliu. matter at all,” remarked Mr. A, Crooke. 8.M., • '-ml it is just about time the custom wa> slopped.’*

The New Zealand Federation of Labour .recently cm ularNed' Labour unions, asking them lo make a public declaration against conscription. 'I lie appeal lias not hern favourably received by organised Labour as a whole (states the Auckland Herald). 4he Kdwi branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpentcis and Joiners ha- adopted the following usol’.iiion "Jn *ep)y to the Federal ion *>i Labour’s appeal condemning conscription, we. the Ikh n .branch of tin* Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and .Joiners, wish to plan' on record our support in lavmir ol con-si-riplion as ihc only mean.-* «.f making each man bear Ms responsibilmtc-.' 1 hi Wellington (reports the CovcrnmciiL Apiary Instructor) ihc weather is still very far Irom being kind to the beekeepers, and it is difficult to estimate what tlu* season will linaliy result in. Feeding in some purls is still being continued, but. «u the districts where there lias been amp!.* spring Mod, (he lu es are in good condition. The weather in Auckland las-, month was exceptionally wet nud stormy, and conte beekeepers laid to again Mari feeding lo prevent starvation. October opened wkh be tier prospect.-*, and. given fin.* Weal her, there should Ik* a fair amount of honey gathered, as there is an abundance of clover iu blossom, Dunedin should have a fair average* crop; Wellington Inns suffered from too much wind; Christchurch has had erratic weather, and many stocks of bec»s have died from starvation.

Applications arc invited for the posi lion of bandmaster of the Citizens Band at CUMJ a year.

“Only a fortnight to Christinas!” This should be a reminder to shoppers to commence making their Christmas purchases, in order to avoid the Christmas Five rush. 'ihe Melbourne, as usual, is prepared with full stocks of holiday goods at lowest prices.* .Members of the Kqnitablc Duikling Society of New Plymouth (Second Croup') arc notified that subscriptions will be due and payable on Monday, December 13. at the Secretary’s Office, Currie .Street, from 'J a.m. to 12,30. from 1 p.m. to 5 pan., and 7 pan. to 8 pan.-—Advi. Anniversary services in connection with the Haptist Sunday School will bo hold in the church to-morrow. Tho preachers for the day are, tho Hev, F. Dales in tho morning, ifev. C. H. Olds, It.A., in the afternoon, and the i!cv. A.lt. Chappell, M.A., in the evening. The scholars will sing special hymns, assisted by the choir. On .Monday evening, at 7, there will be the prize distribution and musical items by the scholars aud frioad'

A Sydney cable says that it is officially notified that a simplified passI>ort system for bona fine travellers to- • Now Zealand is being arranged. The committee of the Convent School concert ■wish to thank Mr. L. E. Hoffmann for the uso of a piano and also all other helpers who assisted in raising such u satisfactory sum for tbo wounded soldiers. A resident of Ohoka had rather a novel experience ono night recently. On returning home, what was her surprise! to find her ‘beautifully clean bedroom covered in soot and lull of bees, ft appears that a swarm of bees had gone down the chimney and taken possession ol the bedroom. The Hard mission, which is earning so much ridicule on the other side or the world, looks at this distance 10 be a magnificent advertisement ol some sort. Ford him motor-ears to sell, and unless there has been an extraordinary confusion of names he is also closely interested in a more warlike machine, as this interesting note from 'truth will show:—"From the patent specifications ol Mr. Henry Herd's new submarine, which have now been published, one might infer that it shares the distinguishing characteristics cl* his motorcars— namely. cheapness. It is apparently a diminutive submersible, designed to act under water very much as an aeroplane acts in the air. it weighs but a few tons, rerj uires a crew of only two men, and is estimated to be capable of travelling at the speed of a torpedo—that is to say. at forty miles an hour. The chief point of interest about this little submarine is that it would be possible for every big warship to carry one or more. which would add materially to the complication?* of modern naval warfare.’ 5 A ieucr received by Mr, F. i 3. Corkhiii worn Hie secretary ui the (Jvcr-seas Club iiiouiious taai up to October j Mib.>cnpuuns to the Tobacco bund amounted to the fine toiaf of Übi,Ubd. The club*.', appeal lor iunits tor the purchase of aeroplanes resulted m donation.-* aggregating JJ4S.UCU, and aircraft bad been purchased and handed over the Royal Flying Corps. One of these was provided out of .subscriptions from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, other liberal contributors being Rhodesia, Ceylon, "Shanghai Britons,” Sierra Leone, several Canadian centres, Cold Coast Aborigines, Bombay, etc., while Newfoundland sent no Jos than C1U,500. The club has also taken up the Red Cross work by arrangement with the British Red Cross Society and is providing for buds in Netley Hospital. Through the goodness of sympathisers in Hong Kong it has been able to purchase two motor ambulances at a (Hist of Clod each. Arrnngemei ts have been made to dispatch a commissioner to assist in organising tie* Soldiers’and Sailors’ Comforts Fund throughout Australasia. There was considerable excitement at the town wharf on Tuesday night at Wanganui, when the barque Hazel Craig left in tow of the Butiki. Just on sailing time Constables Farnworth and O'Douoghm* arrived at the wharf in charge of three sailors who had been in gaol for the past few days for deserting ilieir ship, the trio being captured in one of the country districts. The men wen* placed op board, but two of them with considerable dexterity climbed along a rone and took up a strategic position well under tbe wharf. After much search in the darkness and rain the sailors were located, and once more assisted on beard. Hu* third man at this Stage tried to get- back on to tbe wharf, and made vigorously offered protestations. to fight all and sundry. The truculent sailor alleged that the barque was short-handed, but the captain’s view was an entirely different one. The barque eventually departed, and provided that one or more of the trio did not jumn overboard and swim ashore while on the way to the Heads, the Hazel Craig departed a "full ship” as far as her complement -was concerned. A remarkbly large meteor wa.s seen in Ralmerstou and iokomaru on Saturday evening. Writing on the subject a Tokoimmi resident says:—"At about 9 p.ru. we suddenly saw an ninneuse illumination wnich lighted up the whole countryside won a glare as bright as day. 1 never saw anything so bright except the sun. the only difference being that there was a yellowish or a greenish tinge. On looking to the nolrii-vcst an immense imimuml was seen and tlc-ti it suddenly went urn. leaving .1 trail of light width turned to red and disappeared. Ihe whole phenomenon lasted 1 should .-ay Irom h to 5 seconds. Two people with me saw a rod .streak higher m tile heavens lor about JO seconds alter. This may have been the alter-clfoct ol the larger streak in the sky. One resident was inside his house and a lamp was alight in the room, and yet lie suv the illumination, while several oroide leaving Shannon for Tokomaru at the time saw it in the north, Tbe meteor easily outshone all those 1 have .seen iu my lile rolled into one. ami 1 think a refermice to ii in your journal would »e appreciated. suu have seen a piece oi aluminium ribbon such as is taken sometimes from children's hu ky bags; well, St was iyst the light ie»m that, multiplied by 100.00 U.” Quotations lor the supply of uniform.- to .the New Zealand military forces are incited in lids Lm;o The annual inepiing oi' Now Plymouth SiH'i ami l-ilo-savin- Club will he held on Monday uGlit in the Town Hull.

A sale of lip-t class up-10-dato clothing .a lii-iivily reduced prices is welcome at any thee lint the people of this district are mast fortunate that such an opportunity should occur just before Christmas.' when most people replenish their wardrobes. The Kreat «t!e of Cod; am! Thomson's assigned stock at the New Zealand Clothing Factory's New Plymouth branch has come at the verv best possible time, and is much appreciated' by thousands of delighted purchasers.'' Tj-morrow afternoon and evening ihe anniversary in connection with the Salvation Army Sunday Selim)! will be held in the flood Templar Hall. Major Toorner. from Palmerston North, will arrive bv the express to-night and will conduct‘the special services, and the children will render a number of special aniven.arv songs at each service. On .Momtav night in the same hall a young people’s programme wil he' given and also the distribution of over forty prizes will take place. History is being made every day. Onr boi s are taking part at the -Dardanelles, Tli'eir letters give us a slight, idea of what is going on .just now, so that we lung to know more. Just think, if your friend nr relative had a camera 'which, while small and 'compact enough to he carried anywhere without the slightest inconvenience, would take perfect postcard pictures. Wouldn't those pictures <he interesting. Present your friend, with a. soldier’s camera, to be had from Fraser's at 27s 6d. 32s (id. 37s (id, and 455, and wouldn't lie appreciate' pictures of home when he is away! (Jet a camera yourself. Onr guaranteed cameras from 6s to iD2.— Fraser’s Photographic Pharmacy, Devon Street.*

While the weather remains fine Mr. C. H. Johnston can run his passenger motor-car to the foot of Mt. Messenger from this end. This means the coach loaves for Awakino so much earlier, and arrives at its destination a little after 4 o’clock.—Waitsra Mail.

‘‘My congregation is practically depleted of its young men,” said the Rev. Thomas, Congregational minister, to a Wairarapa Ago reporter last week, "there being only two cligihles left. One of these is the support of his aged mother and lather, and the other has been disqualified for service owing to eye troubles.” A deputation of Vogeltown residents will wait on the Borough Council on Monday evening with regard to the expenditure of tire share of the £42,000 loan allotted for the improvement ol : Carrington Rond. The deputation will urge (hat the borough staff should ho put on to this work as soon as the tramways arc comnlctcd.

It is stated that one of the bankers in Now Bjymouth Juts decided to employ a may clerk, and it is probable other banks will follow a similar course. Tlie stair of the banks iu Now Zealand have been considerably depleted by enlistment:*, and It is reported that ono leading bank is considering the question of closing some of its small branches. The Bahnersum North Patriotic So-cj-ty made an important move iu appointing the Y.M.C.A. a distributing agency in Egypt for comforts tor sick and wounded and also for the men in the living ) ne. It was decided to mako n.gul/r contributions. The first instalment of i.*JoU was passed at Friday’s meeting. It was considered better to help the men at the front than to lock up all the money for future needs. The New Plymouth contingent for the Eleventh Reinforcements will leave for Treniham by ihe mail train at 7.29 on .Monday morning. The .Mayor will give a brief address to the men and the ban A will be in attendance. Members of the Patriotic Committee arc asked to be present, also returned troopers and the general public to give a hearty send-off to the men who have given up their Christmas holiday lo serve their country.

Tlie Auckland Chamber of Commerce carried unanimously a resolution requesting the Covernmcpt lo issue registration curds to all who have registered as willing to serve their country, the cards to show name and age and whether the holders had volunteered for active service or civil work, or both, with a view to enabling employers when engaging men to discriminate in favour of those willing to do their share in serving their country and Empire.— Press Association.

At the Municipal Abattoirs last month 109 cows, 42 bullocks, 10 calves, 598 s\eep, 102 lambs ami 101 .pigs were slaughtered for local consumption. Compared with the corresponding month of last year those figures show an increase of 11 sheep and 0 pigs and a decrease of 16 cattle, 5 calves and 42 lamhs. Condemned: Three cows, 1 bullock and S pigs. Slaughtered for export : Seven cows, 1 bullock and 14 hulls—a decrease of 19 cattle, 6 calves. 95 sheen and -16 lambs. Two cows and one bull were condemned. Tlu* first woman cab-driver lias made her appearance on the cab rank in Victoria. in the city of Bendigo. The woman is Mrs. Charlotte Jackson. Her husband and son have both enlisted. The cab business was until his enlistment run by her husband, who, with the son, also carried on fruit-growing and pig-raising. Mrs. Jackson has undertaken to run the lot. To assist her she had engaged a lad. and she says she is sure she will manage all right, because she is not afraid of work, and is stimulated by the greatness of the cause ’which has led to her present position. The difficulties attending tlio work u)f an analyst in discovering an elusive complaint were illustrated by an expert witness during tlie hearing of a bread case, at ihe Supreme Court at Christchurch. The witness staled that some lime back some chops were brought to him, the theory being that a man was trying to poison Ms wife with' phosphorus. Me examined the chops in a dark room, and found they wore phosphorescent. He thou examined them ?cr bacteria, and found a number of liny dots. When a knife was placed on the chops, and afterwards used to cut another piece of meat, tlie latter meat also became luminous, and developed the tiny microbes. Bator tbo butcher comnlaincd ihat there was the same luminosity in Id* shop, and that it had appeared in a large number ol' carcases, A'tci some trouble lie finally discovered that the luminous bacteria, originated from Hsh, and that there was a fisli shop ucM door. That explained the whole mvstory.

Tlu* dithculty of providing adequate accommodation tor the pupils oi me Now Plymouth Girls’ High School has boon under the consideration of the board for some time, with a view to securing a more suitable building than tin; present one in which to carry on the work of the school until a permanent building is creeled. On Friday the board was informed that the top floor of the new electrical substation in Liardet Street was not to be occupied for the present, and several members of the board, who were accompanied by the lady principal (Miss Hodges'), visited the building and considered that the accommodation would be very suitable. The matter was discussed at a meeting of the Electric Light Committee on Friday night and the following resolution was passed;— “That the High School .Hoard be informed that under Hie special circumstances in which the board is placed Hu* council is prepared to lea.se the upstairs portion of the now sub-station until the end of May. 1916, at a rental of £2 ner week upon the terms to he approved hr Councillors Monteath. Sykes and Wilson.’ The Hoard of Governors. we understand. 5s forced to make new arrangements by the fact that He* bouse at present occupied has been sold. Uarely, if ever, have the prospects for the fruit season been so full of promise as they are at the present time (states the Roxburgh Mai!). From Kttrick to the upper end of Coal Creek Flat the orchards without exception present a veritable picture of prosperity. Tile favourable weather experienced during the critical stages in the growth of the fruit is well reflected in its abundance ami appearance generally. Reaches and nectarines are maturing wed, and the output of those particular classes of fruit also promises to eclipse that of former years. Although the cherries have suffered to a certain degree as a result of tlio late frosts, the trees are well covered with bright red berries, and consignments are now being dispatched to the city markets. Strawberry-picking is now well undo- way, and early consignments have boon realising phenomenal prices. ' The conditions have l been layoueable for strawberry-growing, but it; is not expected that the average yield will be any letter than previously recorded. One of the principal contributing factors to tins state'of aliafrs lias bc«*u the havoc wrought by the grass .grub.

A landslide occurred at Blackball, 17 miles from Greymouth, between 5 and 5.30 o’clock on Tuesday morning (says the Greymouth Star), the debris being; lodged near the mouth of the Blackball Coal Company’s mine. The fan-house was completely smothered, and hundreds of tons of earth and timber were dislodged, the slip being attributed to the recent incessant rains. A gang of men have been set to work to clear away the slip. The mine is idle in consequence, and it is reported that it will take several days to clear away the mess.

The French Government has allowed a party of journalists to view in the cathedral town of Bourgcs some of the big cannon which the French ordnance department have constructed since the war broke out as a reply to the monster Krupps. The new Gallic monsters, which are to reduce .Metz and the Rhino strongholds, are, according to the description given of them in the French press, not howitzers or mortars, but long guns of about la-inch calibre-. The visitors to Bourgcs were delighted with these “powerful, yet elegant.” pieces. Hitherto the heaviest pieces had been naval “'HO” (13.4-incb), mounted on the latest French Dreadnoughts, and the- “2"0" (10.8-inch) siege mortars, -a somewhat obsolete pattern, dating back to the nineties. A case of interest to Territorials came before the Magistrate’s Court at AVaihi a few days ago. Basil Smith was charged with having in his possession for a period of six months a rifle and side arms, the property of the Defence Department, without satisfactorily accounting for them. Senior-Sergeant AVoblmann gave evidence that the defendant made no effort to return the property of the Government. The defendant had also been asked on more than one occasion to return the propertv. and,had also been instructed by .Lieutenant Dnldy to return the articles, hut he bad disregarded all warnings. The I'ifle and a portion of the accoutrements had been got back, but the rifle then was in a shocking condition and the barrel was useless. The Magistrate entered up a. conviction and imposed a line of .112, with costs. “America is a big country and breeds plenty of cranks.” says a recent arrival from tile States. “The enthusiastic pacifists represented by Bryan, Ford, Wanamaker, and the rest are perfectly earnest and sincere. They reckon that file war ought to bo stopped, and they arc willing to assist poor old benighted Europe to set her affairs in order. But, of course, their ideas are quite impracticable. I remember hearing an American lecturer, a few months ago. saying just the things Ford is saying now. He told his audience that war was an unspeakable horror, and that it could be stopped if a few common-sense Americans went into the trenches ami had a heart-to-heart talk with the snio'iers. He had a vision of British. French, and Germans all gathering round and listening to the glad tidings of pence direct from Now York, their arms laid aside and their quarrels forgotten. It did not seem to occur to him that the armies wore fighting in dead earnest, and he c-udd not possibly got near the trenches.”

Members of A Company and Defence Rifle Chib are notified by advertisement to parade at the railway station on Monday morning to farewell the 11th Reinforcements.