The Athens corespondent of the Morning Post gives an account, which is corroborated from other sources, of the circumstances under which the Allies have assumed control of the Greek fleet and of the Piraeus-Larissa railway, have disarmed forts, have forbidden citizens to carry arms, and have brought the police force under control.
These drastic measures were necessitated, it appears, by the timely discovery that King Constantine and his Germanophile following were planning a grand coup against the Entente.
The details of the affair are meagrely indicated, but in the essentials they reveal a sensational plot to convey troops, with munitions and artillery, into Thessaly, where, inspired, apparently, by the personal presence of King Constantine, they would entrench themselves and await the arrival of German forces, when an attack would be made upon the rear of the Allies.
Receiving warning of what was afoot, the Allies were fortunately able effectually to frustrate this pretty little scheme, with the result, it is to be hoped, that they have established a firmer hold upon Greece and gained a stronger position from which to control her actions than they would otherwise have felt justified in asserting.
• Quite recently a number of men have been black-listed by the State Labour Bureau in Wellington (says the Dominion).
The reason for listing them is that they have applied for work, positions have been found for them, and they have not gone to the jobs.
This kind of conduct is strictly discouraged by the bureau.
A man who fails to keep a engagement to go to a job may seriously inconvenience the person who wants the work done, and also through stating that he will take work which he does not intend to take may keep some other man out of a job.
• In order to meet with the exceptional difficulty that has arisen in securing rennet for cheese-making, a difficulty so serious that the continuation of the dairying industry was threatened, dairy factories all over New Zealand are rousing their suppliers to an effort to provide the calf vells needful for the article, and thus make the dominion independent of the foreign goods.
The Otautau Factory (says the Standard) has taken up the proposition, and has made it compulsory for suppliers to provide a percentage of their calves for this purpose.
The company has arranged with Mr Ledingham to undertake the slaughtering of the calves and the saving and dressing of the vells.
The company buys the calf outright from the supplier. — ODT, 15.10.1916.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
