It refers to the triumph over the noxious forces of the old regime, and states that the Cabinet’s policy will embrace the following features:-An immediate general amnesty to all political and religious offenders. Freedom of speech for the press. The association of labour organisations and freedom to strike. The extension of these liberties to officials and troops as far as military and technical conditions permit. Abolition of all social, religious, and national restrictions. Immediate preparations for summoning the constituents of an assembly based upon universal suffrage, which will establish a governmental regime and a constitution for the country. The programme provides for the substitution for police of a national militia, with elective heads and subject to self governing bodies. Communal elections to be based upon universal suffrage. The revolutionary troops shall not be disarmed, but they shall not leave Petrograd. Equalisation of soldiers’ social rights with those of citizens. It is notified that the above reforms will be instituted without delay.
• The Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association of New Zealand (Limited) reports:- We held our usual weekly sale of horses on Saturday last, a total of 35 being entered. There was a capital attendance of the public — in fact, a full gathering of contractors, town carriers, and traders, and country representation was considerably in the minority. However, the fact remains that when a good class of cart horses comes into the market the town buyers are, as a rule, keen bidders, and Saturday’s experience was no exception. The consignments from Messrs Rhodes and Son and the proprietors of the Mount Gowrie Estate, also the New Zealand and Australian Land Company’s Moeraki Estate, constituted the feature of the entry, and we are quite within bounds when we say that the whole of the country consignments met with better competition than has been our experience for some considerable time. All the horses from four years to six years were good moving, clifty, and weighty geldings, which met with animated competition, the bidding being lively and prices very satisfactory. Only a few spring-carters put in an appearance, and, not being a class suitable to the requirements of buyers, very little business was effected. Light harness sorts were a poor class, and no transactions of any consequence were effected. — ODT, 19.3.1917.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
