Belgium was the home of the glass trade, and from Belgium in the past have come enormous quantities of bottles, and New Zealand used to draw large quantities of glass bottles from that country.
Brewers and others who use bottles in large quantities are feeling the shortage severely, and are now doing what they can to get back their bottles where in the past they never bothered much about getting the empty bottles back, but were buying new ones.
A certain class of bottles is being made in Japan, and shipments have arrived in New Zealand.
These are fairly expensive, and the small shipments which have arrived have not in any way relieved the shortage.
Some manufacturers to get back bottles have been forced to make a charge for all the bottles sent out, a refund to be made when the empty bottles are returned.
The public will probably find that in the near future they will be called upon to pay for bottles in connection with some articles where in the past bottles have been given in free.
This shortage is likely to last till after the war, and in the meantime it is seriously interfering with the class of trade which uses bottles.
• Sir,- Now that Bay Town has become part of the city I have a right, although living in the north end, to offer my protest against the reclamation of 40 acres of Anderson Bay.
Dunedin is richly endowed with land reserves, thanks to the foresight of our fathers; but the fatal accidents that are continually occurring in the harbour show the necessity of preserving such a beautiful sheet of water as could be conserved at Anderson Bay by dredging it out and erecting flood gates at the present bridge.
The residents of Dunedin would then for all time have a water reserve of which they might be proud, and which could, and would be, used by its population for all sorts of aquatic recreation.
I sincerely hope that our city councillors will, without delay, bestir themselves and prevent the vandal action that is now contemplated.
I believe, Sir, that you will assist the public in this direction, for the facts are so apparent that anyone can plainly see the folly of filling in this shallow water, simply because it is shallow, when, by deepening it, it could be made a thing of beauty and a most valuable asset to ourselves and our children.
The idea of throwing away the opportunity of having 40 acres of smooth water which could be otherwise used for boating, model yachting, water sports, etc., is not one that would commend itself to any thinking man, and the only plea that a person could have for entertaining it is that of the expense of dredging and of the erection of floodgate.
That is a mere bogie; the floodgate would not be a heavy item, and the dredging could be proceeded with piecemeal.
In any case it is madness to throw away the opportunity for ever, simply because we are not in a position to avail ourselves of it at once. - I am, etc., Pro Bono Publico.
• The infantile paralysis epidemic is still spreading (says a Press Association message from Auckland).
A total of 50 cases has now been notified, making an increase of 17 during the past three days.
Since the last report was made there have been three more deaths, one of a 12-year-old girl, another of a boy aged seven years and a-half, and the third of a 15-month-old child.
With the two deaths previously reported, these make a total of five fatal cases. - ODT, 26.1.1916.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
