Miscellaneous Items

Levin Daily Chronicle, 11 April 1918, Page 4

Miscellaneous Items

Sapper J. E. McManus, wlio lias returned to New Zealund after a spell at the front, in the course of an interview with a Dunedin '' fctar'' reporter said: Please fit in liere a word or two as to the high admiration we tunnellcrs have of the British soldiers. We were with these men a long time, under all sorts of conditions, and know what stuii they are made of. Out here in A T ew Zealand, and perhaps in other plates, the songs about '' boys of the bulldog breed" may seem to some a little on the vainglorious and boastful side. But we know now that the most jingoistic verse ever penned is ridiculously inadequate to express the truth about these game Tommies. There is no call to distinguish between English, Irish, Scotch or Welsh. One is as good as the other, since all are of the true metal. The Germans may by weight of numbers push them back here and there; but that will not cow them nor diminish their spirits. They will come again. If the Hun makes a permanent advance, it will be over their dead bodies. For stopping a rush, for recovering a taken position, for coolness in the face of overwhelming odds, there cannot be any finer soldiers in the wide world. It is an exhilarating experience to be associated as we were with these dare-devil Britishers, some of them mere bantams, but game as cock pheasants and true to the last. The preferential treatment which the landlord is allowed by the existing law in regard to bankruptcies was referred to at a meeting of creditors in an Auckland bankrupt estate on Friday. In the bankruptcy in question nine months' rent, amounting to about £40, had been secured by the landlord when he put in the bailiff. Mr James Payne said the law, as it stood, was most unfair. In addition to the case before the meeting, he cited a Wellington bankruptcy, where bankrupt, a tailor, owed about £200 for rent. 'The first the general creditors knew of the state of the business was when the landlord stepped in and took' possession of the whole of the stock, some of which had just been supplied by merchants. All the creditors could do was to look on and view the "scoop." Mr Payne moved that the official assignee be asked to bring under the notice of the Minister for Justice the matter of the landlords preferential claim in regard to rent afad his power to destrain, and that the Government be urged to amend the law at the earliest opportunity. This resolution was adopted. A London cable states that Chung Ling Soo was accidentally shot during a performance at the Wood Green Empire Theatre, and died from his injuries. Chung Ling Soo appeared in New Zealand some years ago, and, in the ordinary course of events, he would have been hero again soon, as he was under contract to Fuller's, Ltd., for a tour within the next few months. He was a most remarkable man, a conjurer of rare merit, and, it is said, notwithstanding his successful posing as a Chinese juggler. was an astute Scot.

It is estimated that in the New Zealand railway service there are not at present more tlian one hundred unmarried men of military age and physically fit, the remainder having gone on activo sevricc. Some men had to be retained in connection with the resumption of the suburban traffic, but practically every unmarried man of military age lias gone to the front. A representative of the "Press" asked the Hon. W. H. Herries, Minister of Railways, if it were intended to send any more men out of the service to the front, but the Minister .was unable to give any information on the matter, which has not yet been discussed by Cabinet.

Sapper McManus, a well-known Labour leader, who stood for the Dunedin South seat, and wlio has just returned from France after two years with the New Zealand Tunnelling Corps tliut counter-mined successfully at Arras, says: "It is nice to know that the tie of service against a brutal foe has burnt up any feeling that existed out Tit o>ii.ns Stq oi[i iu sapts o;isoddo

j oi[.tt uo]Y inoqu[ o.iotf ' Now Zealand are there working together as brothers. We have seen a Red Fed go out to try to rescue from burial in a shell crater a man who out here was a non-unionist. Sueh happenings are common, and do not give rise to a thought. All arc in complete liar-

mony—to try to beat the German."

Says tlio Dunedin "Star": According to statistics there is more than a sufficiency of oats in New Zealand to carry us on to tlio next season. Heavy yields are reported, and the quality in Otago and Southland is higher than for many years past. It is exactly the sort of season, so far as oats arc concerned, in which there should be no need for corners or inflated operations. Notwithstanding these facts, we have it on undoubted authority that speculators have forced prices up to a point that is unreasonable and hazardous, and the immediate outcome of this speculating is that chaff and oatmeal and all breakfast foods arc being made dear. Oatmeal was £20 a ton six weeks ago, and to-day is at £24. Good chaff has gone up fully £1 per ton, and is now worth £7. Other lines are advaitced in proportion. From all the information we can gather the speculating which is at the root <of these extra charges on the people at largo is uncommercial and | unpatriotic, and likely to be very sore on the families with slender means. Direct representations have been made to the Government from several quarters, the call being for such intervention as will protect the community, and we understand that the matter is being looked into by the authorities.

Owners of threshing mills are at present much concerned in respect of the coal supply (says tlio '' Ckristehureh Press"). Experience has shown that for threshing machine purposes Newcastle coal is better than any Now Zealand coal, and just at present there is a decided shortage of supplies of the Australian article. A shipment of Newcastle coal which was due at Lyttclton last week was commandeered by the Government for war purposes, but Canterbury threshing machine-owners have been offered some Government coal at Lyttclton with which, though not so good as the Newcastle article, they will have to fto their best till further shipments arrive from Newcastle. As an outcome of the inquiry by Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M., alien enemies commissioner, held at Waitara recently, into allegations of disloyalty and seditious utterances, Oscar Menzil, a naturalised l'russian, was arrested at Awakino on Saturday afternoon last, under military warrant.

In order to ascertain tlio position in respect to the coming .season, a deputation representing the farming, commercial, and flour mills' interests of Ilungitikei wailed upon the Board of Trade at Wellington on February 4th. The deputation asked that a lead be given to growers as to the price for milling wheat grown in the Kangitikci district. It was pointed out that the matter was of considerable importance, as so many growers had decided, in view of the uncertainty of the crops and the poorness of the price paid by the Government, to put their land under other crops wliich were almost sure to provide remunerative returns. The Board of Trade promised to give the matter serious consideration and a reply as quickly as possible. "Here," said one of the deputationists to a reporter "we have arrived at the -itli April, and so far not a line has been received from the Board of Trade which is supposed to bo composed of business men.'' Continuing, he said

"The prospects for next season's crop are by no means bright. Farmers are not fools. They must know this season where they arc going to be before yielding up land for wheat-growing when it could be put to greater benefit. The Board of Trade wants to put some ginger into its work. A business organisation should show business methods."

It will be remembered that some time ago an explosion of sulphuric acid occurred on the Monowai at Auckland, and that as a result several men were rather severely injured. A claim for £8300 and costs is being made against the shippers of the acid by the injured watersiders, and the case will be heard in Melbourne shortly. The claimants will be represented by Mr P. JO 'Regan, of Wellington, and Mr Chas. Weaver, president of the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, will also go to Melbourne.

Tlio London correspondent of "Tlie Post" states that Mr AV. Acton-Adams hi? a long letter in the "Morning Post'' contrasting British and German methods of colonisation, giving numcr- i ous instances of the former's treat- j cut of the Maori, and of the, Maori jj appreciation of .British methods. Mr j Adams says: "We always treated the '} Maori as ' our equals in every way. jj They have fully reciprocated this feel- 5 ing, and eagerly volunteered, and in 1 fact insisted oil joining the Empire j: troops in this war, and many of them j have fallen, both in France and Gallipoli. Let the world say which nation has treated its natives and captives , best, and which should be entrusted :J with the government of tlieni." |

The Canadian province of Alberta claims to have something unique in legislative annals, in the election of two lady members in Mrs Louise McKcnney of Claresholm, of the Non-Partisan Party, and Miss Bobert MacAdams, the latter having been chosen by the soldiers of Alberta now on active service France to represent them in Alberta at large," as they term lier constituency.

John Passke,, an eiacriy man, married, was found dead in his house at Wadestown, Wellington, yesterday. He had recently returned from Christchurch where, ho said, he caught a severe cold, and was last seen about on Wednesday.

"This appellant has hidden behind the statement that he supported his wife and five children," remarked Mr Poynton, S.M., at the sittings of the Mastcrton Military Appeal Board in Masterton yesterday. "It has now Ween ascertained that he docs not support them, and his wife- has written, saying she wants appellant put into camp as soon as possible." The appeal was dismissed, and appellant ordered into camp forthwith.

This is the sort of-stuff that "Captain" Malcolm Ross, who is costing New Zealand £1500 a year, is cabling to the newspapers: There are strange scenes along the country road streamb of army traffic and villagers hurrying away with their lares and penates on carts, on wheel-barrows, on perambulators, and even on poles carried between two persons. They are mostly old women, old men and children. Some of the incidents would be laughable were they not so Yesterday theft passed us an old man driving a cart. In the cart was a calf and an old woman. Tied to the tail of the cart was a cow, and tied to the tail of the cow was a dog, all marching slowly in the line of the guns and lorries and limbered waggons. Never before in the war have the New Zealanders seen anything like it.

In reply to a question relative to importing wheat from Australia, Hon. \V. D.-S. Mac Donald replied that there were difficulties in the way of which the public knew nothing. One of the main difficulties, of course, was shipping. To draw upon Australia for supplies requires that sufficient tonnage should be available to keep New Zealand mills Constantly going. Under present conditions this is almost impossible. The Australian Wheat Board naturally wished to get the best pricc for its wheat, and when to this is added freight charges, handling charges, loss in weight, and cartage from ships' side to the mills, the price of Australian wheat to New Zealand was such as to be considerably above costs ruling for wheat before the war. These difficulties make it essential that New Zealand should rely upon her own ef-» forts to meet her own wheat requirements.

A Melbourne message to the Sydney papers states that Alec .Wiekham, of Sydney, dived 200 feet at the Deep Rock Swimming Carnival in the preesnce of nearly 700 people. In recognition of the fine performance, Mr John Wren presented Wiekham with £100.

Sydney files to hand contain an extract from District Orders recording the fact that Lieutenant E. F. Wells, 47th Battalion, A.1.F., has been found guilty by the Field General Court-mar-tial of "misbehaving before the enemy in such a manner as to show cowardice," and of "disobeying a lawful command given byhis superior officer in the field." The sentence of the Court was that he be cashicrcd.^ George Funnell, alias Paul, alias Herbert Bartlett, who on March 12th last escaped from Wanganui Gaol while 'undergoing sentence, was arrested by Constables Gow and O'Donoghue near Foxton early yesterday. Funnell w-as just preparing his breakfast in the bush, where ho had evidently been hiding when recaptured, and he was later in the day sent back to Wanganui.