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Evening Star, Issue 18034, 31 July 1922, Page 6

Dunedin merchants are eager to support any oversea shipping company which sends its vessels with cargo from Loudon direct to Dunedin. It means a saving in time to the merchants, as when a boat discharges here first local merchants handle thedr goods two or three weeks earlier than is the case when Homo boats make Auckland or Wellington the first port of call. Tho Commonwealth and Dominion Line is paying much attention to tho needs of Otago, arid 1 intends to give merchants every opportunity of securing their goods direct from England. Messrs J. W. Swift and Co., the local agents for tho C. and D. Line, have just received advice that the next steamer of the lino for South Island ports via Panama has been fixed to leave London about September 20. There is every probability that the vessel will make Dunedin her first part of call.' The matter is being brougnt before merchants to give them the opportunity to cable their shippers at London regarding the steamer’s sailing, should they so desire. The Commercial Travellers’ Choir paid the returned soldiers another visit on Saturday night (under tho baton of Mr George Scott) at the Montecillo Home for Convalescent Soldiers, and were welcomed by Sister Grey, in the unavoidable absence of tho matron. The choir mustered in full strength, and a couple of enjoyable hours were spent in part singing, quartets, duets, and solos by tho members; Mr Faigan also gave two clarinet items. Cigarettes and- fruit were handed round as a contribution from the choir and club members. Tho choir were hospitably entertained to supper and thanked .by Mr Gee on behalf of the matron and patients, Mr J. T. Gillan (secretary) replying in felicitous terms.

For tho first time in New Zealand a moving picture film was screened inside a prison on Thursday, and tho experiment proved such a thorough success that it is likely to be repeated on future occasions. Through the courtesy of Mr J. Robertson, manager of the Grand Picture Theatre, and Mr A. G. M’Gowan, tho Now Zealand representative of Fox Films Corporation, the great William Fox production ‘Over the Hill’ was screened 1 before an audience of about 130 prisoners in Paparua Gaol (Lyttelton). No better picture could posibly have been selected for the experiment. It is over 10,000 ft in length, and deals in a wonderful manner with the theme of a mother’s love for her family. Tho picture has already been screened in gaols in America, England, and Australia, but not only was on Thursday the first time it had been screened in a New Zealand prison, but the first occasion on which any film had been screened in a dominion gaol. The coal strike in America is already having the effect of increasing prices of goods imported from tho United States, owing to tho higher costs of production caused! by costly coal importations and the general disorganisation of business (states the Auckland ‘Star’).

Getting one parasite to prey upon another is a work of Da 1 Tillyard, of tho Cawthron Institute, Nelson. The quarry is the woolly aphis, the hunter is the Aphelinua mali, and he is a relentless insect. In an article in the ‘ Journal of Agriculture, Dr Tillyard recounts the progress of the work of breeding and distribution in New Zealand of the Aphelinus mali. The insects have been placed out in Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay, as well as in the Nelson district, and' 2,860 have been 'let- loose on,,.the woolly pestf

Mr Paulin telephoned at noonS.W. winds, and fine for twenty-four hours.

Dr Andrew Cameron, Chancellor of tho Otago University, is back from Wellington, whither ho went, instructed by tho University Council, to ask for a grant for the erection of a new building for the Dental School. Mr L. Deans Ritchie, who was in Wellington at tho same time- on tho business ot his firm, accompanied Dr Cameron in the call upon the Prime Minister. They part the position before Mr Massey, and the whole matter was discussed, the result so far being that tho Prime Minister has promised to look into the question, and will lot the deputation know' -whether ho can seo a way out of the difficulty of finding the money required. In view of tho pressing needs of the Dental School, it is hoped that a favorable answer will be received. The department has already agreed to *thc plans for the proposed building. There is reason to hope that tho Government grant for the now fittings for tho physics department of tho Otago University will soon be made, so that the new' building will be ready for occupation next session.

Two or three bicycles belonging to persons on tho western sido of the Flat _dieappeared last week, and as it is against all observed tricks of such machines to get up and walk away unaided, and quite unbelievable that they -should also secrete themselves, an intelligence of lower grade than that of Sherlock Holmes may guess that a sneak thief is at work. The concrete work in connection with the restoration of the massive pillars at tho Anderson Bay road overbridge is now finished by tho railway engineer’s .staff, and all now left to do is to replace tho filling in. About forty men selected from the ranks of tho unemployed are now' at work on the levelling and grading that is preliminary to tho deviation of the Pelichet Bay section of the railway line. A few more men, with drays, arc likely to bo occupied presently in cutting out the road lino, to tho formation level at a point just past the Vacuum Oil Company’s sections. We understand that Mr M'Curdie, city engineer, has premised to lay out that road lino without delay, so as to give Mr Wilkie (Harbor Board engineer) an opportunity to put this job in hand. But the whole scope of the operations is somewhat limited. There cannot bo a call for a large body of the unemployed. And to prevent disappointment, it may be stated that a considerable time must elapse before Mr Benzoin (railway engineer) _ can get to work with the raising of the bridge, or ballasting, or 'construction of any sort. There is not the least hope of these undertakings being started 1 this year. Tho tasks immediately in hand are the removal of the tip of Black Jack’s Point so as to allow the line to bo straightened, and the filling in that is tho province of the Harbor Board. It is no use men applying in the meantime to the railway engineer. He will not bo in it for a while.

In reply to tho suggestion made the other day’that natural wastage should bo allowed to automatically reduce the Post and Telegraph staff, the Minister states that no fresh appointments have been made for eighteen months unless there was no suitable officer available, and that a large number o! surplus officers have been so -absorbed. The majority of those leavin,'', however, were message boys and -girls and temporary exchange -attendants, and the surplus of clerical officers cannot be taken into such positions. Where the staff is in excess of requirements the department can hardly avoid terminating the services of officers reported as inefficient. The Minister expresses his willingness to discuss the matter more fully,"if necessary,—Wellington Association message.

The question of the dock deficit .and the contribution of the Port Chalmers Borough Council towards it has been a frequent subject of discussion at the meetings of the Otago Harbor Board dining recent years. A minute on tho matter was submitted to the board by the secretary at the meeting on Friday night. This minute was based on. a letter from the Port Chalmers Council, dated June 7, •which stated, inter alia :—“ With reference to your letter claiming, £SOO from the Corporation of Port Chalmers towards the deficieucv in dock revenue for the year ended December 31, 1921, provision is being made in this year’s estimate for pavmont of same, which will bo made on the duo date, and tho council will expect your board to carry out its part of the agreement- come to between tho council ami the board’s representatives at the time of the merger, which was tho condition upon which the corporation undertook to pay the Harbor Board up to £SOO in dock deficiency.” Tho minute showed portions of correspondence on the subject and gave extracts from the opinions of Mr J. C. Stephens; the board’s solicitor, who accompanied the board’s delegates to Wellington in 1908 and took part In the various discussions when- tho merger Bill was under review. Mr Stephens stated ; “ . . . Wo are quite satisfied that there was never any suggestion of an undertaking or agreement on the part of the board’s delegates in Wellington further than an undertaking that they would, as individual members of the hoard, support the adoption of tho proposals included in their report ns recommendations ” At the board’s meeting

oa September 24, 1908, the chairman (Mr Barclay) presented tho report of the board’s delegates. The board took no action, other than assenting to the arrangement made by the delegates, to reduce the Port Chalmers Borough Council’s annual .payment to the clock deficit from £I,OOO to £SOO. Mr Stephens further gave it as his opinion that there was no evidence of any agreement legally binding the hoard, nor was the position altered in any way by the (Merger Act. It is reported that New Zealand will be visited by a considerable number of tourists from the United States and Canada during the coming season. One party has already booked accommodation at various hotels in the dominion for January next.

A very curious slug has recently been presented to the New Plymouth Museum by Mr A. J. Smith. The animal, which is about Sin long and Ijin wide, was found in a gravel pit at Uruti. The unusual feature about it is that two-thirds of the way down its back is a flat shell l|in long by Tin wide. The shell looks as though it had accidentally dropped on the back of the animal, but is a natural growth. Though supposed to be dead when handed to the librarian, the slug soon showed signs of life, and an enthusiastic local naturalist proposes to give it house room. The mollusc’s scientific name is Schizoglossa- Novoseelandia, and it is popularly known as the paua slug, from the resemblance of the shell to . a paua. It is rare, and occurs only on the north-west coast of the North Island.

The parts of two of the largo railwayengines that arrived in Auckland recently by the Ivaikoura from Scotland arc at present being assembled in Auckland (states the ‘Star’ of that city). The other two engines will bo assembled at Wellington. These engines are of a powerful type, and will bo used on the Main Trunk line, and for other heavy work. They are the last of the _ Government’s order to arrive in the dominion. On inquiry being made last week, it was ascertained from the department that it is nob yet known whether two engines of this class will bo salvaged from the wreck of the Wiltshire. A good deal depends on weather conditions. Up to the present the parts of the engines have not been seen by those conducting salvage operations. Some of the parts are exceedingly heavy, and if they are removed, it will only bo with considerable difficulty.

Th o railway workshops at Newmarket are busily engaged in assembling tho parts of a largo order of waggons that have been arriving in tho dominion from Home for a considerable time past. Of tho order of 2,000, about 1,000 are to be assembled 1 at Auckland, and of the remainder some will be put together at Wellington and tho others in the South Island. Of the Auckland quota, over 500 waggons have been completed. It is expected that the arrival of these waggons, which necessarily, of course, entails considerable expenditure, will -place tho rolling stock of the dominion on a very sound looting.

The ‘Sydney Daily Telegraph’ states, that a well-known Armidalo land owner has paid since 1914 income tax . two and a-half times the amount he actually received in income. This remarkable anomaly is explained by reason of methods of the Federal department in assessing the productive value of property and the potential value of stock. The taxpayer in question will probably have the ease discussed in the Federal Parliament.

It is stated that the island and residence of Kawau, connected in tho minds of New Zealanders with Sir George Grey, is to be resold. The place has many historic connections. It was there that Sir George Grey entertained tho late Duke of Edinburgh, uncle of King George V.. when he came to this country in the warship Galatea, over fifty years ago. It was there also that the Maori “King” Tawhiao, who was about to proceed to England, went to seek the advice of Sir George as to certain matters. The latter, knowing the weakness of his visitor, agreed to become a total abstainer, in order to prevail upon Tawbiao to do the same. The “king’s” word was pledged, and loyally kept throughout his visit, to Britain. It was likewise from Kawau that, in 1880, Sir George wrote a lengthy letter of advice to King Malictoa, of Samoa, in connection with his dispute with Germany. Sir George bought the property in 1852 from a copper mining company. About twenty years ago it was sold to Mr James Thompson for £12,000, then resold to Mrs Burton, Melbourne, for £23,000.

Tho conference arranged by the Amenities Society to consider the matter of having a largo playing area retained at Lake Logan (when reclaimed) will be held in tho Town Hall on Thursday evening next. Tho City Council, tho Expansion League, the University Council, tho Education Board, and the various sports bodies will bo represented at the conference.

Watson’s No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— rAdvt.] Housewives are advised to shake hands occasionally with their grocers by way of expressing gratitude for “No Rubbing” Laundry Help, the -aboli-ler of the washboard slavery,—[Advt.] The annual meeting of tho Kaikorai Band will bo held on Monday next.

Save Cups! Mccat Detachable Cup Handles for liandlekss cups; sixpence, White House, George street— fAdvt.] The nip for nippy winter weather—Watson's No. 10, fine old Scotch whisky.— fAdvt."! A meeting of those interested in tho Otago Amateur Radiophone Association’s wireless efforts, are invited to attend at Social Hail at the Octagon Theatre at 8 p.m. to-morrow. Dr Jack has consented to givo a short address. Now season's photographic goods; excellent stock now arriving. Cameras from 6s. Send yerr order early to H. J. Gill, 11 and 13 Frederick street, Dunedin. ’Phono 1,144. -[Adirt.] The Pacific Starr-Bowkett Building Society invites membership in tho No. 4 group now in operation. Loans by ballot and sale. Office: 86 King Edward street. —[Advt.]