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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1508, 20 March 1919, Page 39

Mr. Havelock Williams lias returned to Timaru after a tour of the Mount Cook district, where he has secured a 600 feet motion picture dealing with the wool industry in the mountains.

The chairman of the Southland Acclimatisation Society at last meeting suggested that the fish caught in the Waiau in October, 1916, and which had since been kept in the Southland Frozen Meat , Company’s works, should be forwarded to the office of “The Field,” London, for expert examination and opinion. The fish, he said, so resembled a grilse, that if “The Field” established beyond doubt that it was, it would show that the Acclimatisation Society’s problem of hatching salmon had been successful. Reports that grilse had been caught in Southland had been received since 1903, but this was the first fish caught which had been sent in for examination. The secretary was instructed to write to the Frozen Meat Company with a view to having the fish forwarded to London.

From Melbourne comes word that His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev. Dr. Mannix, has taken over the “Advocate.” The paper has completed its golden jubilee —the first issue was on February 2, 1868. It is stated that Dr. Mannix proposed to reorganise the paper and plant by erecting a new building, securing the very latest and best plant and equipment, and enlisting the services of the most skilled journalists available. It is proposed at first to confine operations to a weekly paper, but it is probable that the venture will become a bi-weekly, and possibly a daily. For several years there have been whispers that the Roman Catholic clergy of Victoria contemplated purchasing and producing a newspaper wholly in the interests of their faith. Somewhat over a year ago the rumours took definite shape. The Archbishop was at the time complaining bitterly that he was not receiving fair play at the hands of the Melbourne dailies during his campaign against conscription, and it is understood that he subsequently cast round for means to establish a press under his own control. Last month the purchase of the “Advocate” from the Winter family was completed.

The United States Shipping Board has under its control several thousand up-to date steel carriers, either finished or in process of construction. As soon as the U.S. troops have been transported back to their own country these ships will be transferred to the work of taking from the United States its excess products and bringing back from other lands the things wanted by the American people themselves.

New South Wales owes her immunity from the influenza epidemic almost solely to the wearing of masks and the innoculation of vaccine. Both measures were belittled by Melbourne doctors,and their opinions not only helped to crystallise obstruction but served to embarrass the Government in its efforts to combat the epidemic. Whereas Sydney suffered a phenomenal success Melbourne suffered a heavy penalty.

It is certain that Germany, unless a second “Holy Alliance” is formed by the Allies to destroy liberal ideas in the world, will gain out of this war complete political freedom —a political freedom equal to that enjoyed by any country in the world (remarks the San Francisco “Examiner.”) It is also highly probable that they will gain out of the war an economic freedom equally important and one vastly greater than that enjoyed by any nation except the British colonies in Australasia and the Russian people, if they succeed in preserving the fruits of their revolution.

The possibility of the development of a very large export trade in fish was mentioned by the Hon. G. M. Thomson, M.L.C., of Dunedin, in some remarks which were read at the Fisheries Commission at Auckland. Taking the cost here of delivered clean fish at l%d. per lb., and the cost of transport at 1%d., the fish could be landed in London at 3£d. per lb. Even filleted, it could be landed in London at 4d. per lb. The average price of fried fish in the manufacturing districts of England was about 7d. per lb., and it was not equal to the quality of such meaty fish as hapuka or schnapper. There was clearly-a good margin of profit. It might happen, he said, that fish would land at Home, under an export scheme, when the market was congested, and the New Zealand fish would be at a disadvantage as to the prices obtained. He had seen the Enlish markets glutted, but this was like any other commercial risk.