Amongst nautical men, however, there is an impression that the hatches belonged to the Port Kembla, which was sunk off Cape Farewell in September, no doubt, from the information subsequently made known by prisoners on the German raider Wolf, as the result of striking a mine laid by the Wolf. Martin’s Bay is only a small part of the West Coast line, and it would seem highly probable that if a search were made other wreckage might be discovered, which would place beyond doubt the name of the vessel from which it came. The Aurora, it will be remembered, sailed from Newcastle for Chile, last year, and was never afterwards heard of. As the steamer Despatch has sailed to the West Coast with Messrs Miller Bros., divers of Port Chalmers, to inspect the hull of the s.s. Waikare, which was wrecked in Dusky Sound some eight years ago while on an excursion trip, some further information may be obtained from them on their return, as Dusky Sound is only a few miles south of Martin’s Bay.
Rabbiters strike
The two factories handling rabbits in Alexandra worked broken time last week. Several rabbiters "downed tools" at the beginning of the week (our correspondent reports) and did not go to the hills, their action being in protest against the price they were receiving for their catches.
Their dissatisfaction was due to the rabbitskin market having taken a sudden rise to £2 10s per 100 skins. Under such conditions, the rabbiters prefer to skin rather than sell the full carcase at a lower figure. Big cheques are being made at this job, £20 a week being said to be quite an ordinary achievement.
Ptomaine poisoning
A remarkable outbreak of ptomaine poisoning occurred at Adelaide Children’s Hospital on May 10, as the result of which 32 members of the staff were prostrated.
The symptoms in many of the cases were most acute, and the condition of the patients caused considerable anxiety. The matron, secretary, two resident medical officers, and many members of the nursing staff were affected, but fortunately none of the children in the hospital were poisoned.
It is surmised that the outbreak was due to the eating of mutton, which was served hot at the midday meal and again, cold, at the evening meal. Those who partook twice of the meat were attacked more seriously than those who had eaten of it but once. The cook, who also dined off the mutton, was one of the victims.
Unfit for purpose
"Thousands of men have been sent Home, and have been sent back again to New Zealand without ever seeing the front. They were simply sent to delay the sending of married men. That was the reason they were sent, and it is a very wrong reason. A physically fit married man is far better to send than these men," Mr Clark (Rahota) at the Second Division League Conference. — ODT, 27.5.1918.
