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Evening Star, Issue 18334, 23 July 1923, Page 6

A largo quantity of oversea mail matter will reach Dunedin this week. twentyfour bags of letters from the United Kingdom and America ex the Makura at Auckland will come to hand to-night. The contents will bo delivered l in tho city and suburbs to-morrow morning. The balance of the Makura’s mail, consisting of 162 bags of newspapers and parcel receptacles, should reach Dunedin to-morrow night or on Wednesday night. An Australian and Eastern mail ex the Maunganui at Wellington, consisting of thirty-eight bags, is expected to come to hand to-morrow evening.' The Ulimaroa, which is due at Wellington on Wednesday morning from Sydney, is carrying an Australian mail, 'in© Dunedin portion, comprising nine bags and thirty hampers, should arrive_ on Thursday evening. Another Australian mail ex the Moeraki from Melbourne is expected 1 to reach Wellington to-morrow, and local portion should come to hand on Wednesday night. In addition to tho customary Savoy Cabaret danco there was a special attraction at the beautiful Tudor Hall on Saturday night, when Mr W. S. Wanehop. who is making a short professional visit to Dunedin for the purpose of imparting instruction to local enthusiasts, gave an exhibition of fox trot dancing. Mr Wauchop had Miss Mario Austin ns a partner, and a charming effect was produced by the dimming of tho ordinary lights and tho employment of a spot-light, which followed the couple as they moved gracefully about the room. The exhibition included the new “ three-step,” and was heartily applauded and encored. The attendance of dancers was an excellent one, and the enjoyment of the evening was enhanced by the performance of ’ tho justly-celebrated Savoy Cabaret Band, which featured all the latest danco music.

The oversea steamer Cumberland reached tho Lower Harbor yesterday morning, and was berthed at Port Chalmers to discharge 1,100 tons of general merchandise from Glasgow, Avonmonth, and Liverpool. The Cumberland’s draught on arrival was 15ft forward and 18ft aft, and, but for her great height out of tho water on light draught, would l have steamed to Dunedin i and discharged her local freight at the Victoria wharf. Fortunately it was almost calm when she arrived, and little difficulty was experienced in handling her. The vessel’s loaded draught is 52ft. and it ! is interesting to noto that sho could make i Otago Harbor her first port of call when | fully loaded. The Cumberland, which was i formerly tho German vessel Wendland, is i a sister ship to tho Huntingdon. Tho I latter vessel came here about two years \ ago, and was tho second longest ship to 1 berth in Otago Harbor. The Cumberland is _of the same dimensions, her length being 520 ft between perpendiculars. The White Star liner Snevic, with a length of 550 ft, is said to be the longest steamer to I navigate this harbor. After discharge the ! Cumberland 1 will go to Australia, and will subsequently load B,COO tons of concentrates j at Port Pirie for the United Kingdom. I Two valuable Clydesdales (a mare and a colt) aro on board tho steamer Port Chalmers, which arrived at Lyttelton yesterday from London. The animals are the property of Mr A. Lambie, of Crookston (South Otago), and were purchased in Scotland from Mr Charles Aikcnhead.—Our , Christchurch correspondent. j Tho guard' of the Mount Somers raili way branch has been notified that he has ! been fined £2 and transferred to Christ- ' church “ as punishment for failing to eom- ; ply -with tho reputation test of the Woetinghonso brake. This is the sequel to tho derailment on June 15, wherein sixty lives, including thirty children, were imperilled. Tho settlers are now petitioning for a Comj mission of Inquiry, alleging that the dej railmcntwas owing to a serious disrepair 1 on tho line.—Ashburton Press Association telegram. At a meeting of tho Blenheim Farmers’ Union, held in regard to railway freight' rates, the Chairman stated that there did not seem to bo a fixed rate on the railway for freight. _ Evidently the department was exploiting everyone • wherever posI sible. When high and unreasonable charges were found out and questioned the department rapidly climbed down. A resolution was carried—“ That the Provincial Executive of tho Farmers’ Union j be asked to inquire into the matter of : differential railages on local railways on goods as between the shipping firms and , private individuals.”—Blenheim Press j Association telegram.

‘ There are eomo diseases which public health authorities from time to time are urged to attack, but which for the time being at Least arc preferably left alone, because of their relative harmlessness,” said Dr M. H. Watt, Director of the Public Hygiene Division of the Health Department, during an address to members of the Wellington City Council’s sanitary department. “I refer now more particularly to chickenpnx, german measles, and mumps; but (hers are others again, in wh’ch administrative measures might well be omitted, not because of the harmlessness of disease, but because of the impracticability of control. Under present conditions, amongst this group might be mentioned _ the infections of the respiratory tract, influenza, measles, whooping cough, and the common cold. Until research lias withdrawn the veil which obscures the origin of these diseases—until we know fully under what conditions they become epidemic—notification and isolation cannot bo expected to be of much avail.”

Recently tho Westport Coal Company commissioned Mr Tannock (superintendent of reserves at Dunedin) to visit their colliery towns at Denniston and Millorton to ascertain what amenities wore possible there in view of thn climatic and other natural conditions that have to be contended with. As a, result of Mr Tannock’s report, the company has now appointed Mr B. H. Cromlie, who was formerly in charge of the Government reserves at Cornwallis Park as forester and superintendent of amenities, for tho purpose of carrying out a scheme of tree planting, both for beautifying tbo district and to provide timber for tbo necessities of the mine in years to come. Tire intention is to beautify tho place by tho planting of trees wherever possible and shrubs and flowers, and, if possible, to provide facilities for swimming in some of tho company’s dams, with playgrounds for tho children and provision for such games as tennis, cricket, and football. In the last two years tho Westport Coal Company has erected a score of tasteful cottages, and these aro being added to. Mr Tannock, in his report, specifies suitable spots for tree planting about Denniston, and estimates that about 1,000 acres might be made available for this purpose near Millerton. A site near the dam at Millerton is recommended for a nursery.

A ghostly experience befell an employee of one of Napier’s leading garages recently (states the ‘ Telegraph ’). ■ He was on duty all night, and on awaking during the early hours of the morning was somewhat alarmed to see the rays of an electric torch in the garage. The light wont out as the man called out “Who’s there? 1 ’ An inspection failed to reveal anything amiss, and the employee returned to Jbed. Again the light appeared, the beam showing right across tho buildings. Another tour in the cold was resultless, and tho man turned in again, but tho light kept on reappearing and disappearing. In desperation and armed with a heavy bludgeon, the man decided to wait up in silence. Sure enough on came the light again. Up tho garage he rushed, and found that the spot light on a brand new car was burning, but it wont out while ho was watching it after failing to find any intruder. On again it came, and the performance was ! kept up all night long. In tho morning it was discovered that tho connection was faulty, and a slight vibration of the building was sufficient to cause tho current to make its own connection. The prevailing opinion regarding tho prosperity of Taranaki was somewhat disturbed (says the ‘ Dominion ’) by views expressed by tho chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board (Mr M. Fraser), in a speech as a member of a deputation that waited on the Prime Minister on tho subject of hospital subsidies. “We have a population of 30,000, and a large number of wasters among them,” said Mr Fraser. “We have to keep them and their wives and children. Wo are not allowed to call it charitable aid, but it costs ns a couple of thousand a year. Taranaki is prosperous, but it consists of very small holdings, with poor men, loaded to death with mortgages, and with having to pay land taxes. On account of tho nature of the country the roads are hard to keep in order. Farmers aro perishing under the taxation they have to pay for the upkeep of the roads. Last year we wont behind £7,000, and wo had to borrow it. When wo struck a rate of 3d extra, wo had sixteen county and borough councils at us like roaring lions. They said that they could not stand any more taxes. Although we send enormous supplies of butter away, wo think that, though Taranaki is prosperous, they bought the land too dear. When wo ask for necessaries for hospitals, they say ‘ For God’s sake, leave us alone.’ ” Tho people of tho more northern districts are not all intent on bolitting Otago. Spiteful andi envious remarks are sometimes made, but there aro as compensation many evidences of good-will. The Nelson fruitgrowers'might have been forgiven if they had felt a little sore over the facts that their recent shipments of apples to London have not turned out a success; whereas tlie Otago shipments have had 1 good luck. Yet, in face of this reverse, the Moutere Hill Fruitgrowers’ Union has sent to Mr H. Turner, of Dunedin, a letter intimating that at a large meeting of tho union it was unanimously resolved to offer heartiest congratulations to tho Otago growers on tho good prices they obtained 1 , and wishing them equal good fortune in coming years. This is neighborly, and specially so in view of the disappointment in regard to prices which our Nelson friends have experienced in regard to their consignments to the Dunedin market.

An unenviable experience befell. Constable E. A. Erwin at Lyttelton on Thursday night (says tho Lyttelton ‘ Times ’). While on night duty, he received information that a man was sleeping in a railway truck between Nos. 2 and 3 wharves. Tho constable was walking along a line of trucks looking for the man when ho overbalanced and fell into tho harbor. Fortunately ha was able to swim, but ho was hampered by his heavy overcoat. It was some time before it was possible to get him out of tho water, and he received a thorough chilling. Otherwise, however, * lie suffered no ill effects.

An old, bearded farmer, who had made up his mind that the first time he visited the city he would buy a volume of Toni Bracken’s poems to take back with him to his farm in tho country, so that his largo growing family of boys might bo able to read the gems of New Zealand’s own poet, was a disappointed man (says the Auckland ‘Star’), when ho tramped from bookseller to bookseller without being able to buy tho book he wanted. He did not care whether it was a well-bound copy or a cheap edition, but he wanted Tom Bracken’s poems, but the limit of his disappointment was reached when, he was told by one of tho leading booksellers in Queen street that if lie was really anxious to get what ho was wanting to buy, he had bettor commence a search of the shelves of tho second-hand book stores in the city!

“ We hope,” says tho ‘ Southland Times ’ editorially, “ that the Bailway Department will not fail to recognise that the coroner who inquired into the circumstances of tho Green Island fatality suggested tho advisability of carrying stretchers on trains. The rider added to the verdict by the coroner was exceedingly mild, but it will at least direct tho attention of the Minister to the circumstances of the tragedy, which should bo enough to convince him that the need for equipment of this sort is very real. . . . Tho disaster in tho North

Island and tho accident near Green Island show the futility of relying on stretchers placed at railway stations. Where a serious accident has occurred a stretcher live .‘miles away may as well bo fifty miles distant. Tho train itself offers the best means of transporting the injured to the nearest town, and it is tho train, which should bo equipped 1 .”

Thirty-four degrees of frost wore registered by th§ thermometer at tho Arrowtown School on tho morning of Monday, July 9, when tho instrument showed the temperature to bo two degrees below zero. “ Heavy losses of poultry are reported,” states the ‘Lake County Press,’ and in one instance tho fowls were found frozen to death sitting on their perches.” Tho Lake Wakatipu ‘ Mail ’ says that on the same day 36dcg of frost were reported from Skippers, It was the general opinion in that locality that tho frost exceeded in severity that of the memorable 1993 visitation.

The recapture of Wm, Anderson, -who escaped from Avondale Mental Hospital, recalls the tragedy of 1920, which ended in his incarceration. On the night of Thursday, October 14, 1920, Anderson, a returned soldier, called at a farm in the backblocks settlement of Tolririmu, about twenty-five miles from Taumarunui, owned by two brothers named Loft, with whom was living a nephew, a youth of eighteen named Frank Telfer. Anderson asked for tea, which one of tho Loft brothers got for him. Anderson then asked: “Are you all at homo?” Loft replied “ Yes,” and Anderson then said: “ I will get the two of you,” meaning the two Loft brothers. He was carrying a rifle at the time, and immediately after speaking pointed it at Jim Loft. The lad Telfer sprang in between just as Anderson fired, and received the charge full in tho chest, dying within five minutes. On tho shot being fired Jim Loft sprang through a window, swam the Ohura River, and walked barefooted through the bush for sixteen miles to a boat landing, where he collapsed. The other Loft brother was absent from tho farm at the time. Anderson had previously worked for the Loft brothers, and had boon discharged by them. Ho was captured on the following Saturday at Aukopao Landing, Wanganui River. At tho Supremo Court trial of Anderson for murder a, verdict of “ not guilty ” on tho ground of insanity was returned, and the judge committed Anderson to the gaol hospital to await instructions from tho Minister of Justice.

A rather remarkable picture of Australian manners is presented in an account of a “ball-to-be” by the Sydney correspondent of tho ‘Leader.’ The writer says:—“The artists’ ball this year will bo organised along different lines from its predecessors, and its funds devoted to the expense of sending the much-discussed art exhibit to London. Any balance will bo devoted to a benevolent fund for artists’ widows and orphans, and to found an artists’ club. There will he no public sale of tickets, and no 2s 6d gallery tickets. Last year the gallcryitos found their way by some extraordinary route to tho basement, where tho supper was laid out, and regaled themselves on the good things provided. Thera will be no claret cup into which young ragamuffins can pour strong whisky in order to drug unsuspecting social beauties. Instead, there will be plain beer and soft drinks. Nor will there ho anything provided that people can throw about, such as pickles or oranges, for valuable pictures will ho in the supper room this year. At the last ball various missiles intended as nutriment were hurled in different directions, and a leading social beauty suffered severely through slipping on a ham sandwich which bad dropped on the floor after striking a dancer. Tho proceedings will bo inaugurated by the appearance of Annette Kcllcrman, who will ride into tho ballroom as Ladv Godiva, while real live girls will ho placed in tho Town Hal! niches as statues.” The Auckland Citizens’ War Memorial Committee will bo meeting this week to consider the position of tho public appeal to be held probably some time in September. “This,” said the mayor (Mr J. H. Gnneson) to an Auckland ‘ Star * representative, “ will clear np what has been a very extended effort in connection with the Auckland war memorial appeal. Tho winning design for the building is now being developed by the architects, and in tho course of some six months’ time they should be in a position to call for tenders for the building. The cost of the whole scheme is estimated to be £200,000, and the coranjitteo is confident that the work can be carried to completion for that sum. Of this, £50,000 will bo required from tho public, approximately £150,000 being cither in hand or promised as a result of the personal appeal. Tho proposal has never lagged since it was first promoted three years ago. The final appeal is a united appeal, and there is no conflict of opinion as to tho form Auckland’s war memorial should take Combined, as it is, with the object of obtaining a museum on the most modern and up-to-date lines to house Auckland’s almost priceless collection, the appeal is one which should meet with a ready response.”

Warning! Don’t bo misled. We are toy specialists, not jobbers. . Todd’s Toy Arcade, uflorve street. —[Aclvt..- 1

L-adics, keep pace with the times; washboard drudeerv eliminated since the arrival of “No-rubbing” Laundry Help.—W. Smith and Co.—[Advt,]

New season's photogr phic goods, excellent stock now arriving. Cameras from Gs. Send your order early ti H. J. Gill, 11 and 13 Frederick street, Dunedin; ’phono 1,144. —[Advt.]