Kemal’s tense position

The Times’s correspondent in Constantinople states it is now certain in well-informed circles that Kemal will attempt to avoid a collision with the Entente Powers, but there is uncertainty whether he can rely on his officers in the neutral zones, or whether the Angora Assembly will be prudent. M. Poincare and the King of Serbia had a lengthy conference on the Turco-Greek situation. The Serbian Foreign Minister subsequently stated that Serbia would regard the Turks crossing to the European side of the Straits as most dangerous. Serbia has not yet taken military measures, but has informed Great Britain and France that she is greatly alarmed by the return of Turkish rule to Thrace, which would seriously disturb the situation in Angora. It is reported that one corps of Soviet forces is already stationed on the frontier of Angora, and is ready to march to Kemal's assistance in the case of an advance towards Constantinople. Other sources report that the Russo-Angora Treaty binds Moscow to co-operate with Kemal in the capture of the Dardanelles; Russia to receive as compensation complete freedom of action in the Black Sea.

A question of measure

It would seem that the householder who enters the dairy and comes away armed with a pottle of fresh cream may well be wrong if he considers himself the possessor of a standard pint measure of the delicacy. At least he would be wrong unless he were in America, for revelations in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr H. Bundle SM showed that the cardboard pottles in which cream is often sold may contain only 15 fluid ounces (or an "American pint") instead of the 20 fl oz which characterise the New Zealand measure. The case was one in which the Dunedin Dairy Co was charged with selling cream in a vessel that did not contain a pint as represented. Mr Browett stated that the charge was laid under section 19 of the Act. He went on to say that two inspectors of the department had gone into the George street shop of the defendant company, and one of them had asked for a pint of cream, and afterwards they told the lady assistant that they were inspectors, and asked her to measure the quantity in the pottle which they were given, but as she was busy they measured it themselves, finding that there were only 15 fl oz in the pottle instead of 20 fl oz. This, considering that the cream was one penny an ounce, represented a loss of fourpence to the purchaser.  In conclusion, he said that the department, by getting publicity for the matter, was probably satisfied that it had done all that was necessary.

Rough road to Aramoana

The state of the Lower Harbour road is still causing the settlers in that locality grave concern. A Government grant served to put part of the road in better order last year, but the other portion — from Pulling Point towards the Spit — is not improved, and is said to be dangerous. The settlers are petitioning the Waikouaiti County Council, which controls the road, to put it into better order. The settlers say that now the dry weather is coming in, the bad portion of the road could more easily be improved, and the carting of material would not damage the better portion of the road as much in dry weather as it would in winter time.

Damage costing farmers dearly

The damage caused by deer to farm properties is the subject of a letter from the Hon W. Downie Stewart (Minister of Internal Affairs) to the secretary of the provincial council of the Farmers’ Union. The Minister states that recently the State Forest Service has taken up the question, and that a scientific survey of deer is now being made with a view, if possible, of arriving at some satisfactory solution of the problem of their control. Meanwhile, in order to protect farmers as far as possible, authority is invariably given, when asked for, to enable occupiers of land to destroy deer found on their property and doing damage there. — ODT, 19.9.1922