The Turkish batteries, decreasing frequently, flashed back replies, many of the shots falling harmlessly in the sea. The ships turned and stretched for two miles, incessantly bombarding the two sides of the Narrows alternately.
The blinding flashes of the discharges, deafening explosions, the screams of the great shells nearly a ton in weight, which could be seen actually hurling through the air, the rattle of the enemy's shots falling in the water and causing torrential splashes, hits thudding on the armoured sides of the ships, all these terrible manifestations of man's powers of scientific destruction were in evidence.
The action slackened at 3.45pm, five of the ships steaming homewards, and one showing a white froth on the port side where the pumps were working. At 4.30pm the forts ceased fire, and the day's action was over.
• Henry Ford, the Detroit automobile manufacturer who became suddenly famous a few months ago because of his profit-sharing plan, told the Industrial Relations Commission the other day that he would be able to make a good, industrious man of every convict in Sing Sing Prison by putting him to work in his factory.
In Mr Ford's factory not only is the minimum daily wage five dollars, even for office boys, and the working day eight hours, but every worker is entitled to a share in the profits besides his regular wages, which are about 15 per cent. above the market rate.
Mr Ford testified before the commission that on a capital of 2,000,000 dollars his company, which has only eight shareholders, made a profit of 25,000,000 dollars last year.
He testified that under the new profit-sharing plan the bank accounts of the employees showed an increase in the first six moths of 130 per cent.; life insurance, 86 per cent.; value of homes owned outright, 86 per cent.; and 8000 families changed their residences from poor and squalid to healthy and sanitary quarters.
• Great care is taken to provide against the possibility of secret dispatches from the Imperial Government to the New Zealand Government, which have to be carried by steamers, falling into the hands of the enemy.
They are placed in a special mail bag and handed over to the custody of the master of the ship. The bag is heavily weighted, and if the capture of the ship appears at any time to be unavoidable the captain's instructions are to throw the bag overboard.
The heavy weight causes the bag to sink at once. The dispatches are lost, of course, but they would be lost in such circumstances in any event, and if they go to the bottom of the sea they are safe from perusal by any alien enemy or anyone else.
• The Queenstown Branch of the Otago Expansion League has for some time been interesting itself in the opening of a golf links at this popular tourist resort. A suitable piece of land has been secured, and Mr A. Simson, of Queenstown, in conjunction with a practical golfer from Gore, have been busy laying out the grounds, and it is expected that the Queenstown Golf Links will be open for play the week after Easter.
The Tourist Department of the Government has promised to give some assistance when a local club is formed.
- ODT, 23.3.1915.
