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Evening Star, Issue 18135, 27 November 1922, Page 6

With reference to the local of Saturday concerning the mail notices, in which the mail per Makura was advertised asi closing on the 25th at 10 &.m., wo oroj asked to state that the fact that the Makura was held up in Sydney without a crew was quite understood by the Postal Department, but as continuous efforts wore being made to obtain a crew and despatch the vessel, and as iho strike conditions were altering from day to day, there was no guaranty until Saturday that the Makura could nob actually keep to her time-table. The rim from Sydney toi Auckland is less than four days, and the Makura was not scheduled to leave Auckland until the 28th Inst. Official advice was received from the chief postmaster, Auckland, that the Maturate sailing had not been cancelled. In the circumstances it was considered inadvisable to withdraw the notice from the local mail advices. Quo of the attractions at the Forhury trots this week will ho the appearance of the colt Acron, said to have been sold recently for £2,000. Not much is heard of the railway building on the Beaumont-Miller’s Flat line; hut it is going ahead) steadily, there being approximately 200 men on the job, and the work being mostly straightforward, and as no special engineering difficulties have uprisen, rapid) progress is being made. Mr L. B. Campbell, district engineer of the Public Works Department, says that at the present rate the earthwork to Miller’s Flat will be finished in May. The platelaying is to bo started almost at once, as the English-made rails—such rails are not made in Now Zealand —are now being landed. There were seventeen applicants for the position of assistant starter to the Forbury Trotting Club. Maybe the job looks easy, but as a fact it can only be performed properly by a man who has the eye of a sailor.

The City Fire Brigade was called out at 9.21 p.m. on Saturday to 568 a Cumberland street, where a fire had broken out in a three-roomed wooden dwelling owned by Mr A. Moore and occupied by Mr W. Aitken. The building, wmch was not insured, was very old, and, being well alight when the brigade received the call, was gutted before the fire could bo extinguished. There was very little furniture in the house.

An application was made last week by the Painters and Decorators’ Union to have parties added to its award. The Arbitration Court in its memorandum filed to-day states: Tho court was asked to add the Dunedin Fire Board as a partv to the award. It appears that one of the firemen is a painter by trade, and does painting work for tbo board. He is primarily and substantially a fireman, and the work ho does at his former trade is done under similar conditions to those applying to other tradesmen \«ho are members of the Fire Brigade. Their contracts of service require them to undertake any work that may bo -required of them. He is working under an award of tho court that covers all members of the Fire Brigade. The application, in ao far as the Fire Board) is concerned, is refused. In the case of the Otago Hospital Board, the court has made -an order adding the board as a party, but has made the order subject to the usual -conditions imposed in such cases.

“ T.A.” -writes, on tho subject of a fish market: The twaddle about sending tho fish to Christchurch is all nonsense. In a city like Dunedin, with a population well over 70,000, surely there is something wrong that the people do not cat fish. If every person, ate only one fish per day enough could not be caught to supply the demand. The .price is exorbitant. Just this last two weeks soles and flounders have been in abundance, tho market being flooded, and the groper lias also been plentiful, the boats only fishing certain days in the week. Large quantities of fish were unsold, yet no cheaper price. Cases containing twelve dozen flounders were sold for 30s per case, 2s 6d per dozen, 2td each, yet they were being retailed at Is each, being 500 per cent, over wholesale price. The seine fishermen—that is to say, those who fish dnside—have to place a minimum price of 3s per dozen on their catch, and none of their fish were sold last Tuesday. A Wellington Association message states that the Rev. R-. t>. Gray took occasion to mention at a rocc#t meeting that the Commissioner of Taxes had inquired of him what salary the Alliance was paying Mr “Pussyfoot” Johnson, the inquiry being made in order to collect income tax from him. Mr Gray informed the Commissioner that they were not paying Mr Johnson at all, and bis visit was costing the Alliance nothing.

Mr W. Downio Stewart had every reason to bo .satisfied with the meeting which he addressed at Geraldine on Friday night. There was a crowded attendance from all parts of tho wide electorate, the enthusiasm was remarkable, and a resolution of thanks to the Minister and expressing confidence in tho Government was passed unanimously with hearty applause. An overflow meeting of between 200 and 500 persons was addressed afterwards by Mr Stewart. Our Clyde correspondent advises that Mr Attwood, Now Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, has addressed meetings at the. various centres during the week. Thei main topic was towards urging growers to bo loyal. Mr Attwood goes to England shortly to inquire into and arrange for an export trade.

Two pioneer ministers of tho Presbyterian Church received the felicitations of the General Assembly Art Auckland on attaining their ninety-third year. They ■were the Rev. George Brown, of Onchunga, arid the Rev. James Paterson, of Wellington. In moving the resolution, of congratulations, the Rev. R. L. Walker, of Dunedin, referred to the pioneer work of Messrs Brown and Paterson, and recalled that Mr Brown frequently conducted three services each Sunday in his early days, involving a walk of twenty-four miles. He was the senior clerk of the first General Assembly of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church, which met at Auckland on November 25, 1862. “It may 'also interest the Assembly to know,” said the Moderator (the Rev. W. J. Comrie), “ that I have it on good authority that Mr Brown is the minister who baptised me. (Applause.) That wag. prior to tho meeting of the first General Assembly,” he added, amid laughter. Forgiveness may be found for tho starving man who jumps a fence, steals a, turnip, and eats it. But how can on© describe the fellow wno plunders the cabbage garden of,-u charitable institution? He mast be an outlaw even amongst professional thieves.. There is such a pierson in Dunedin. Ho robbed Ross Home of its cabbages the other night, and, no doubt sold them, for lie could not eat them.

Forty years’ ago there were 'twenty-two brickworks, large and small, in and' about Dunedin. Now there are bub three in this district, and only seven in the whole of Otago and Southland—one at Milton, one at Core, and two at Invercargill. Speaking to a ‘Star’ reporter about the brickmaking trade, a leading man said: “Our works have been idle since April. Wo have not averaged four months’ work per year since 1914. ’The cost of production is out of all proportion, labor being the principal charge; and the bricklayer, whose equipment consists of a plumb bob, a trowel, a lino, and' a sieve, gets more for laying the bricks than the proprietors get for making them, though they have to find the land, the clay, and the machinery, pay taxes, and buy the fuel. Sixteen or eighteen years ago we usci to get bricks laid for £lO a rod of 4,000; now the price is £35. At the time the Dunedin Exhibition was building, in 1889, wo were falling bricks at 30s per 1,000; now we cannot make them under 70s, and the selling price is 80s to 85s. No wonder the trade is dull. But stocks are nol heavy. I don’t think there are more than a million bricks in the Dunedin yards; and as there is' now some scarcity, owing chiefly to cottage building in Maori Hill, Anderson Bay, and St Kdda, wp propose to reopen the works in two or three weeks’ time. This ' reopening and closing down alternately adds largely to the cost. It costs £IOO to heat our kiln. There is this consolation, 'however, that, though bricks are dear in Dunedin, they arc_ cheaper lie.ro than anywhere else. The, rolling price in Auckland" and Wellington is £6 per 1,000.”

Strawberries are now in good supply on the Dunedin market, coming to hand at such a rate as to raise a question whether this fruit will hold out till Christmas. Alexandra growers sent the first consignments; then Roxburgh began to reinforce the supply, and now the strawberries are also arriving from Christchurch and Ontrnni. Cherries made their first appearance in the Dunedin marts on the Bth bust., also somewhat ahead 1 of the usuul_ time, and Alexandra was again the pioneer. Otago-grown apples are now becoming scarce, and the shops are largely depending on the American sorts, which command from £1 to 23s per case wholesale, and are not likely to cheapen. Some members of the Otago A. and R. Society’s Committee went to Tahuna Park this morning and marked off the space- for the various exhibits at the forty-sixth show to he held this week, and they' gave instructions for the erection of forty-two extra sheep pens. On the-afternoon of the first day there is to be a demonstration tof the points in Friesian cattle, the demonstrator being a competent expert. This should prove specially interesting, and it is an idea that could well ho extended to other sections. A little vexation has arisen owing to the North Otago breeders intimating that they will not allow their stock to travel by the special tram that has been arranged for. The committee believed that in getting this train put on it was meeting the wishes of exhibitors. Possibly the breeders referred have acted on some misunderstanding. The committee, at any rate, has asked them to fall into line in this matter, and hopes that they will do so. Mr W. B. Steel, secretary to the Otago Expansion League, sent to seventeen parliamentary candidates the leagues set of questions with regard to tho railway deviation scheme and other railway matters, but so far only six have returned 'answers.

The New Zealand Labor Party has received a cable giving the English election results as follow (slightly -different from the returns already published) Conservative 550. Labor 142, Free Liberal 59, National Liberal 52, Independent 12. Wellington telegram. In tho Supremo Court, Wellington, William Robert Thompson, a laborer, claimed £I,OOO damages from the Hansford and Mills Construction Company for injuries sustained on November 7, 1921. Plaintiff alleged that he was employed) on the new Parliamentary Buildings, and while dismantling a large _ hand crane most of the smaller crane slipped and fractured_ his ankle, he being totally disabled indefinitely and the leg permanently shortened. Compensation under the Act was being paid, but he considered' it inadequate. The defence admitted tho manner of the injury, but denied that the circumstances justified the claim, and alleged that p]aintiff had by his conduct waived all right to the claim at common law. The case is proceeding.—Press Association.

A plentiful supply of fish was disposed of at tho Dunedin wharf on Saturday morning, when three trawlers brought over 250 dozen between them. One ot the boats was the Enterprise, winch was converted from a cutter to a steam propelling craft at Fort Chalmers sonic time ago. As tiro cutter Enterprise sho was chartered in 1916 for an expedition to the Auckland Islands in an ende.avor to recover bullion from the wreck of the ship General Grant. The Enterprise of to-day is a very serviceable-looking boat. fehe has plenty of beam, which gives more deck space tliAn usually found in a craft of her size, and she should bo -well adapted for trawling purposes. She has been fitted) with engines which give her a fair turn of speed, and has new deck and topsides. Another trawler came up this morning, but the crow found) business somewhat slack. T his craft brought a deck load 1 of flounders, soles, and reu cod. A Grcymoutb Association messagc.statcs that there are fairly poor prospects for the Christmas trade owing to mining stoppages and the shipping trouble.

The nip for nippy winter weather—Wat* eon’s No. 10, fine old Scotch whisky.[Advt.l The Jewett cars took first, second, and third places in a recent hill climb race iu America, not merely second and third, as inadvertentely stated in our Saturday's issue. Ladies and gentlemen, tho whiteness of your linen is a fine index of your characters and an absolute triumph for “ No-Rubbing ” Laundry Help. Dunedin Industrial Co-op.— [Advt.] New season’s photographic goods; excellent slock now arriving. Cameras from 6i. Send your order early to H. J. Gill, 11 and 13 Frederick street, Dunedin; ’phone 1,144. -[Advt.l Jir J. W. Munro, M.P., will address an opeu-air meeting at the Band Rotunda, Port Chalmers, to-morrow, at 12 o’clock. “ Creme do Menlhe," superior tooth paste (in tubes), Is 6d.—Todd’s White House, George street.—{Advt.] Vi atson’B No. 10 is a little dearer tha: most whiskies, but is worth the money .-a [AdvtJ