DUNEDIN DOINGS.

Cromwell Argus, 16 August 1926, Page 5

DUNEDIN DOINGS.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

Friday evening

During the past few days, just_ when spring seemed to be putting in an appearance, we have experienced a sudden relapse into winter. At the cut; of last week there was a sharp downpour of great intensity, which rendered al. the football grounds quite unplayable with the exception of Tahuna Park. This was followed by a heavy fall oi snow on the hills surrounding the city, and since then the conditions have been cold and wintry in the extreme. The Fun Factory Cask.

A good deal of local interest was manifested in what was known as the Fun Factory Case—a claim for .£-200 preferred by George Sidford, accountant, of Wellington, against the Exhibition directors for injuries which he received while using the slide in the fun factory. The Magistrate (Mr J. Pi. Bartholomew) gave judgment in'the ease last Tuesday morning, awarding the plaintiff the full amount claimed, together with costs. In the course of an exhaustive review of the evidence and the reasonsfor finding against the Exhibition Company, Mr Bartholomew said that in his opinion the defendants had been guilty of negligence and had not shown a proper regard for the safety of the public. It may be explained that so far as the payment of the damages is concerned the insurance companies, and not the Exhibition company, arc liable. This is unfortunate for the insurance people, as one or two other cases are said to be pending, but they will have to be deferred until the appeal which the defendants will probably lodge has been disposed of. Without having the figures before me I am inclined to think that the proportion of accidents in the fun factory was very small. Most of its patrons got their sixpence worth and escaped without injury, and not a few who lingered for a while to watch the proceedings got more than their money's worth in the very fine " leg show " that was provided at the foot of the slide. From the point of view of elegantly-shaped calves and many-colored silk stockings it was better than the vaudeville or Princes street on a windy day. And I wonder how many demure damsels from Cromwell enjoyed the thrills of the slide—and the admiring glances that were attracted by their well-displayed nether limbs. Faster Expresses, The proposal of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce that a night express should be run from Christchurch in addition to the ordinary trains or iu place of one of the daylight expresses has not found favor with the Canterbury fruit-growers. At a meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association held this week a resolution was carried objecting to the proposal on the ground that the growers would not get their fruit carried in a proper manner. The point seems to be that owing to the speeding up of the express trains it has been found impossible to carry the limited amount of fruit that was despatched by that method. Therefore if a night express service is instituted the fruitgrowers will not benefit and the only result would be a probable interference with the present night goods service to. Dunedin. At present the fruit is received in this city at 10.20 a.m. and is sold the same day, the settlers receiving the price realised at the next day's market. The Canterbury Association has now written to the Dunedin auctionesrs asking them whether they favor the fruit coming by the night goods train or on the expresses. As to the Chamber of- Commerce's proposal there is little liklihood of its requst for a night express from Christchurch being seriously entertained. Dr. Falconer to Resign, The announcement was mxde during the week that Dr. Falconer, Medical Superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital, intends to resign from that position. As Dr. Falconer is still in the prime of life the announcement caused some little surprise, but every man knows, or should know, his own business best. It is his intention upon relinquishing his present position to take charge of Ashburn Hall, an institution where the mentally . defective are cared for and where he will certainly have less responsibility than in the control of a great institution like the Dunedin Hospital. During a long period of years Dr. Falconer, wdro is a native of this city, has rendered the community much valuable service and in the main the Hospital has maintained a high degree of efficiency under his guidance and direction. Large institutions such as the base hospitals in the chief centres, should have at their head a superintendent or supervisor who is solely an administrator and possibly Dr. Falconer feels that he has not had enough time for the full performance of those duties, but has been expected to undertake too much detail work. His resignation is to take effect from February next when he will have completed 21 years as Medical Superintendent. Obviously, he does not intend to i: lag superfluous on the stage." Railways Bid von Trade. A highly interesting discussion took place at the meeting of the Otago Harbor Board on Monday afternoon on the effects of a recent phase of railway policy. It was brought under the notice of the board that the Railway Department had recently adopted the system of sending out canvassers among the farmers and others and requesting that they should entrust their wool, etc. to the railways

for carriage. An instance was given in the course of the discussion by one speaker who stated that as a result of this new policy a consignment of coal was being despatched from the V> 7 e.st Coast by rail and was being landed direct at the gasworks in Dunedin. Other ' cases were also cited in which cargo that was formerly moved up and down the coast by steamer was now transferred by rail, and members expressed some con ccrn regarding the activities of the de partment in this direction. The point, of course, is that a good part of the Harbour Board's revenue is derived from the dues paid by ships and when there is no cargo offering there are no ships, and, consequently, no dues. The effect of this competition on the board's revenue was very fully discussed and the suggestion was made that a sliding scale of rates might be introduced to cope with the position ; but it was considered that the Railway Department would only counter such a move by a further reduction of its rates. Moreover, it was disclosed that the board's rates are governed by statute and that it cannot

legally make any differentiations of the kind proposed. Eventually a sub-com-mittee was set up to discuss all the pros and cons and to bring down a report on the .whole subject. That is where the matter stands for the present with the exception of a closing remark by Mr Moller who said : " At any rate this system of canvassing shows that the Government is doing its best to make the railways a paying proposition." Disappointed! Some remarks (hat were made at the meeting of the O.R.F.U. last Monday night may or may not have contained a certain degree of significance, but they certainly appeared*to afford those present a degree of amusement. Mr King placed before the delegates a verbal report of the recent tour which he made of the Goldfields in company with Messrs Maguire. Mitchell and Proctor to see the matches between Vincent-Manio-toto and Tuapeka and the AVestem Districts. In the course of his remarks Mr King said they were given to understand that some fun might be encountered at Roxburgh and then he made the rather erytic remark that " the person did not arrive." This was followed by the humorous suggestion that perhaps " he" had heard that Mr Maguire (a gentleman of Herculean proportions) was a member of the party.