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Otago Daily Times, Issue 17685, 24 July 1919, Page 4

_Mr Maasey and Sir Joseph Ward left Vancouver on July 16, and if the Niagara keeps her ordinary steaming rate she should arrive in Auckland about August 5. This means (says our Wellington correspondent) that Mr Maseey and Sir Joseph Ward will not be able to connect with the Pateena for the direct run to Wellington, which is' tho quickest passage at present. They wiil probably wish to spend a day in Auckand if they catch a steamer from Chiehunga to New Plymouth they should reach Wellington about August 8. Then we should hear something more or less definite about the date for tho meeting of Parliament, and also something about tho relations of the parties. It is still absolutely uncertain whether the National Government is to continue in existence until the meeting of the House. It may be that the split is to occur at once, or it may bo deferred until some time after the House meets, or even until tho session is over.

A large number of delegates from the Cromwell district left forr Dunedin' yesterday morning to take part in the conference regarding the development of the province and hydro-electric power. The delegates will urge tho claims of tho Hawea 6chemo on the lines that the progress of the city depends on the development of the back country, and from tho point that the scheme mentioned will produce a vast amount of power.

Applications for grants by discharged soldiers were dealt with as follows by the Utago Land Board yesterday For stock and improvements, two approved, totalling £1000; for'rural properties, four approved, totalling £4800, and • two declined; for city properties, seven approved, amounting to £3500, four left in the hands of the commissioner, eight held over and one declined. The reason for holding over a number of tho applications was the nonappearance of tho applicants, and in future it would be as well for men seeking these grants to remember that they are only delaying 1 matters by failing to put in an appearauce.

A district, court-martial -was opened at the Kensington Drill Hall about 11.30 a.m. yesterday for the purpose of trying Private F. M'Awoeney on a chargo of desertion. Lieutenant-colonel D. Colquhoun, D.8.0., presided over tlie court, Lieutenants W. s! M'Crorio and F. L. Hunt being associated with him. Captain A. P. M'Cormack acted as prosecutor and Mr B. S. Irwin appeared on behalf _of M'Awecny. Accused was charged with deserting from military sercire in that at Invereargill on May 17 1917, he absented himself from the Drill Hall and remained absent until on July 7. 1919, ho was arrested at Timaru while attempting to leave the dominion. jYIr Irwin paid his client had made a statement which put a decidedly different 00mplexion on the case, and he asked for an adjournment so that ho might get official verification of the statement. The accused claimed that he was born on July 4, 1870 and if so h© must havo been over ago when ho was called up in the ballot, and all h 0 had to do was to appeal to the Military Service Board for exemption. Ho wished an opportunity to find out from the Government Statistician what ago M'Aweeny had given when he was enrolled. The court was adjourned for a fortnight. M'Awoony entered a plea of not guilty.

Hospital statistics of infectious diseases in tho Dunedin district for tho week ending at noon on Monday show that four scarlet fever cases wero adinittod, six discharged, and 25 patients remained; fivo diphtheria cases were admitted, fivo discharged, one died, ami 25 remained; one erysipelas caso was admitted, and still remains, so that tho total number of oases remaining at tho end of tho week was 51. Tho Prinzessin, which arrived in Wellington from Sydney on Tuesday, brought 17 bags of mails from Sydney, fivo from Melbourne, and two from Brisbane. Tho lettor portion arrived in Ihmedin last night by motor car, and will be delivered this morning. Hie newspaper portion will anrive to-night, and will bo Holivwed tomoarow morning.

At tho mooting of the Otago Land Board yesterday Messrs Adams Bros., on behalf of a discharged soldier, wroto suggesting that klio law whereby the holder of a lease in ]>~rpotui(y nil tier the Jxmd for Settlement Act had now no right to acquire tho freehold bo amended so as to provide for tho right to purchase beinu oxtcmlod to soldiers who wore on active service at tho time tho lee-so expired. After a brief discussion it was docidod to refer the mutter, ukwfi with tho information in tho board's possession to tho Uiidor-seoretary for Lands. Our Cromwell correspondent informs us that on Sand-ay arid Monday the weather was extremely mild, removing the snow off tiio high country and ejuisvug a riso in the rivors. Hard frosta now prevail.

Our OJirwteiiurcli correspondent states that a letter from the Chief Health Officer was read a t a meeting of tho North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday asking that if vacancies occurred on the medical staff of the lmepitai, tho greatest consideratio.ii should bo given to applications from medical officers who had been on military service. Tho board decided that the request should be agreed to, provided that the qualifications of military doctors were equal to those of other doctors available for tho positions.

r Jlisro is reported to bo a shortage of butter in tho country for Lome consumption (says our Wellington correspondent). It is apparently a real shortage, due to tho fact that tho winter production of butter has been loss tlian was anticipated. The cause may be sought in the drought which was experienced in tho autumn almost over the whole country. Tho controlled price of butter is Is 5d per lb at the factory, and it haa been sold to grocers at Is 6d, leaving a profit of 2d per lb to tho retailer. Owing to tho fact that some factories are not now ablo to .get supplies from their own stores for tho fulfillment of their contracts they have been forced to buy elsewhere and to pay additional carriage. Sopic of these factories have been selling to" the retailer at Is 6id per lb, reducing by £d the profit of the grocer, who in turn claims that this profit is not sufficient for his business. In three weelcs at tho most the butter factories in the north will be opening again, and while they will not for a little time be producing at the maximum capacity, it is probable that they will soon overtake tho consumption. The shortage all over tho dominion is not considerable, but it id more serious in some parts than in others, and some organisation may be needed to get the butter distributed at the points of supply- where it is required. No butter has been exported from tho country since the beginning of June. At that date thero still remained in tho stores some butter which was intended for export, and this will now be diverted to the local market. Unfortunately the quantity to bo so diverted is not large.

Tho authorities cf tho Christchurch Hospital complain of delay on tho part of the Defence Department in meeting accounts for the maintenance of soldiers at tho hospital. The secretary has written to Sir James Allen complaining of the delay, and tho board decided yesterday that if no improvement is made it "will consider tho whole question of its agreement with the department.

Tho London Missionary Society owns a small steamer called the John Williams, which visits all tho islands in the Pacific where the society's jnission stations axe situated, conveying stores and' mails to these lonely outposts of the Empire. The vessel has a native crew of 22 men. At the service at Trinity Congregational Church, in Christchurch on Sunday, the Rev. H. Allen Job stated that when tho John \Y illi-arns visited Sydney recently the crew wero attacked with influenza, and six had died. The lives of most of the others were imperilled, and they wero so weak that they had been returned to their homes. Now, owing to the seamen's strike, it was impossible for the vessel to secure a white crew, and the lonely mission stations wero suffering hardship through need of stores. He appealed to the congregation to r r ive its prayers and sympathy to the society in its present difficulties.

Among the women passengers reoently "stranded" in Sydney who returned to Auckland by train last week wore several whoso indignation was divided about equally between those responsible for their long detention in Sydney and those at whose door they laid tho .culminating hardships and inoonvenienco of the long train journey from Wellington. "As if w e had not been hard enough put to it over there," said one, "without having all this delay and discomfort when wo do get back! I haven't had a square meal for weeks," .-.lie exclaimed. <f We just had to manage as best we could on the' way up. Wo telegraphed fcur rooms at Taumarunui, but couldn't get them, and some soldiers gave up their beds to our party, else I suppose we would have had to sit in the station. One old man was charged half-a-crown for a seat in front of a fire."

The HSb. G. W. Russell was questioned a few days ago regarding the reported tax on women entering Great Britain, and he replied that the Government had not received any statement from the Imperial authorities that a tax had been imposed, but if it were the case, it would apply to both sexes, as there was no discrimination between men and women in regard to passports or taxes of any kind. What did happen about 18 months ago, the Minister added, wa6 that there was a sudden sharp rise in passenger faxes, at a when the whole of tho shipping was controlled by tho Imperial authorities. He believed that tho shipping was stiU controlled, and it was understood (although he had no official information on the point) that a part of the cost of tho war was being paid by the profits made by tlie Imperial Government on tho shipping service. "I know nothing about it," "was Sir James Allen's comments on the reported imposition of a poll tax on women entering Great Britain. He stated that in regard to the widows of New Zealand seldiers, no tax should bo charged, and ho doubted very much if it were charged. But if tho matter were referred to him or some other Minister, representations would bo made to the Imperial Goyernment.

Dissatisfaction at the esdsting rates of pay, which it is claimed represent less than a living- wage, is genera] among members of the Victorian polico force. At a Melbourne meeting attended by between '200 and 300 members of the Victorian Police Association several speakers made comparisons between the pay of pohcetnon and that granted to tlte members of industrial unions. It was pointed out that for 8s a day, or 8s a night, as the caso might be, constables were expected to protect from molestation loyalist workere on the wharves who were receiving up to 14a a day, and on certain occasions >up to 3ls 6d a night. The aim of the polico is an increaso of 2s per day for those constables now- in reeept of 8s per day, and the restoration of the pensions: It was resolved that the Chief Commissioner of Police (Sir George tetcward) should bo asked to mcke arrangements for a deputation to Ministers.

While addressing a gathering under the a.uspicc3 of the Wellington Accountants Students' Society, Professor T. A. Hunter said in reference to the question of tho proposed physical training scheme:—"l feel it my duty to give a warning to the people of New Zealand. It has become evident during the past few weeks that tho military authorities of this country are, under the guise of giving physical instruction and teaching citizenship, about to lay their hands on tho educational system of Now Zealand. Is tho fate of Prussia to be ours? History warns us that not infrequently tin) conquerors have been inoculated with the views that brought about tho destruction of the vanquished. On what grounds do th© military authorities claim that they aro fitted for th 0 tremendous task of training m citizenship? This is tho work preeminently of tho Department of Education, and as tho people with no uncertain voice have decided that they will not allow the schools to fall under clerical domination, so I trust they will be even m~re determined that the schools shall not be dominated by the military spirit. Thr, first call is that the children of this dominion shaJl bo provided with suitable educational buildings and playgrounds, that they shall bo under the control c£ a professional body of men and women thoroughly trained and adequately remunerated. When the time comcs and vro are willing to make the neocssary finanraal investment in tho continued physical training of tho youth of this oofhrtry, it ought to bo not as an aspect of tho military system, but oa an j integral part of a oomplcte fichomo fori cctncaiiOTsJ. cott&Lxroafiog: ckusccf*-

A Press Association meesage states that the Wa.Tigamii Education Board lias decided strongly to urge tho Government to givo an appropriate poaca souvtinir to all tho school children ij] tlie dominion. -I ho City Fire Brigade was callcd out shortly after 11 a.m. yesterday, a chimiiiiy fire at 332 High street being tho reason of the call. At a fow irtJiutos to 3in tiie afternoon a chimney firo in tho Y.W.O.A. roonia, in Moray plaoe, caused tlio brigade to turn out again.

Tho United Sfcarr-Bowkctfc Building society advertises £1000 for disposal, and announces that tho now No. 5 group v/ill bo started on September 1. Trains suspended—more humbug. Bo independent—buy a IJarley-Davidson Motor Cjcle, and motor to business. Immediate delivery 1919 models.—Particulars from Otago Agents, W. A. Justice and Co., 290 Princes street, Duncdin.—Advt. Best Coir Matting, 18in, Is lld-r 27in, 2s lid; 35in, 3s lid yard; 26in, borderod, 4s lid yard.—At Mollisons Sale.—Advt.

A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Australasia. corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1559.— Advt.

Every husband who truly cares for his wife's comfort will not begrudge her tho trifle to purchase "No Rubbing" Laundry Help and "Golden Rule" Soap—and so say all of us. —Allan and Smith, King street. Advt.

Electric Incandescent Lamps, Drawn Wir,. Metallic Filament, Philips Manufacture, 16. 25, Hi, and 50 candle-power. Pric«\ 2s each. Special terms for quantity orders.— Turnbull and Jones (Ltd.), Electrio Engineers.—Advt.

Whisky perfection—Watson's No. 10, tho favourite of all who know. Order it.—Advt. For Chronic Chest Complaints. Woods Great Peppermint Cure. —Advt Eyestrain i —Consult Mr Peter G. Dick, D.8.0.A., F. 1.0. (London), consulting and oculists' optician.—Peter Diek. jevvellor, etc., 4SO Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt.