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Evening Star, Issue 18979, 29 June 1925, Page 6

Tho Iris returned to Auckland thisraorniny, having repaired tho "break in. the Pacific cable between Auckland and Norfolk Island. Tho break was located on June 25 seventeen miles from Norfolk Island. The two ends were picked up, and about a mile of the old line replaced by new cable, the work occupying about twelve hours. —Press Association. Tho motorist's wail is a dismal sound that lately has been often with us. On all sides one hears bitter complaint about the numbers on the new plates being indistinguishable, about the prices of petrol and of tyres, about bad roads and high registration fees; but one motorist has more solid ground for complaint than upon all these things put together. On Saturday night, at 10.50, he left his car outside St. Paul’s Schoolroom (where a dance was in progress) for his brother to drive home in. Twenty minutes later the car (a three-seater Essex, with a red body and a black hood, and the registration number N.Z. 85-026) had disappeared, and nothing has been heard of it since. Tho police are inquiring. An Ashburton Press Association telegram states that Mr W. M. Dawson, of radio SAL, yesterday eclipsed all previous successes ny getting into two-way communication with the French amateur radio station, BPV, operated by M. G. Perrons, ,96 Boulevard Montparnasse, Paris. The power input at 3AL was under fourteen watts, which is only a fraction of the power consumed by an ordinary household electric lamp.

Amongst, tho many construclivo activities now in progress in Dunedin is the erection of a four-story brick building in Stuart street, opposite the haw Coiuds, fog Mooneys, Ltd. Messrs Loan and Watson, tho contracture, tiro up to tho second floor. Tho architects aro Messrs Coombs and White. The same (inn, of architects lias also in hand a new building for Messrs Scott and Wilson at the corner of St. Andrew and King streets, Messrs R. Crawfowl and Go. being the builders; the. addition of about 4,000 ft of floor spaco to tho Bauchop street store of tho Otago Dairy Producers’ Cool Storage Company, Loan and Watson being tho contractors; and additions that will rim into a cost of closo on £5,000 to tho Knox Church Sunday School, including tho erection of a new hall at tho rear and the putting up of another floor for classrooms on tho front.

An Auckland Association message slates that the Colonial ' Sugar Company announces a reduction of £1 a ton on all grades, raw and refined. This telegram is not only good news to housewives and manufacturers, but it is also part of the record of a most remarkable drop in prices. Early this month there was a reduction of 10s per ton wholesale, f.o.b. Auckland, making the price £23. Now it is down to £22. In July of last year tho quotation was £3l. So that in tho space of eleven months sugar has declined by £9 per ton. Tho cause is commonly ascribed to over-production in Australia-, Cuba, and tho world over.

New potatoes from tho Peninsula were sold in town on Saturday at 2s per lb retail. Some yet earlier specimens from Mr George Moody’s place on the Peninsula wore shown ns over a week ago. The Thorndon branch of - railwayman held a conference with Wellington members of Parliament fo discuss tho grievances of shunters. It was alleged that insufficient lighting, long hours, impossible roles, and other reasons wore tho cause of continual accidents. Sometimes men had to work in pools of water over their hoots. It was contended that the men were anxious to help tho Government in making tho railways pay, and that more consideration should bo shown if they were to give of their best. The members replied sympathetically, and promised to do all that was possible to have tho grievances redressed.—Press Association telegram.

Kaai’s Hawaiian Troubadours attracted two large audiences rto His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday, these accomplished entertainers making their final appearance in tho evening, when they wore enthusiastically 'received. Tho stonework on tho front of the Dental School in Dunedin is now going on again, Mr Naylor, the contractor, having been able to arrange with the quarrying sub-contractor for a supply. Presumably, therefore, nothing more will bo heard of tho alternative proposal to finish off the front in fe;ro-concrete.

The third motor bus ordered by the Dunedin City Corporation will probably be chlmred to-morrow. Tho two already on tin roads arc gradually building up a steady patronage from passengers who fi id the a convenient means of petting to the Exhibition and to Maori Hill via Pi if street. It is a point in their favor, especially In wet weather, (that they pick up close to the kerb.

The story of the Flora’s disablement and lu;r waddling about the Hauraki Gulf brings to mind other coastal stragglings, amongst them tho fix that the little steamer Go Ahead, a quarter of the size of tho Flora, fought out of on the west roast of tho North Island in tho seventies. “ Peter Simple,” a Dunedin resident, who was at the time an able seaman on tliis craft, lolls tho tale: ‘‘Wo were going up from Raglan and Waitara to tho Manukau, with sheep on deck and cattle in the hold. Tho westerly wind freshened, and kicked up a sea, and us the Go Ahead was light and the sea abeam, and she hadn’t much power, wo blow to leeward, rather nearer tho shore than Captain Austin or any of us liked. 80 ho starboarded tho helm, and put her nose into it, intending to 'get a hit of sea room before turning to run in oyer the Manukau bar—the worst bar in Now Zealand—the bar that wrecked H.M.S. Orpheus, the Flora Macdonald, and other vessels. Wo were wondering whether our weak-engined honker ,wou!cl manage to creep off in the teeth of the westerly, and just thinking that she was doing a little when the steam ran down, and the engineer reported a leak in the boiler. A pretty pickle. No possibility of help. If wo couldn't keep off the rocks towards which wo were drifting there, was nothing for it hut the vessel piling up ashore, ami thou only tho mercy of Heaven to save us. As it happened, however, the Go Ahead was carrying some casks of cement as cargo, and all hands set fo, for hare life, to break open and clamp this cement and pack it in under tho boiler in (ho hope of thus stopping the leak. Stations Y-vcre appointed, every man bent his hack to his joh, and lor half an hour it was even betting whether our efforts would succeed —the engineers doing their best to keep tho screws revolving if ever so slow, the men sweating at their awkward work. At last wo noticed the leak diminish, and felt the thrust of tho propellers doing good, and an hour later wc were in deep water. It was a relief, I can tell you, when _we weathered the last point, and realised that we were in the fairway of the south channel.”

In pursuance of a vote of £IO,OOO for a dairy laboratory at Wallacevilie, adjoining the Racing Club’s course at Trentham, plans are being drawn, and the work of erection will soon bo in hand. Thu building will be used for _ research 'work covering both islands, which it is hoped will go far to improve the breeds of dairy oows in the dominion.—Wellington Association telegram. A Stratford Press Association telegram slates that the twelve-roomed residence of Mr S. B. Hunter, of Pembroke road, was totally destroyed by fire at noon yesterday, while the owner and family were absent. The building was insured for £1,200, and the furniture for £BOO. The loss greatly exceeds the insurances. A chimney fire at Prospect House yesterday afternoon was extinguished by the City Fire Brigade before any damage could bo done.

'Clio Ross Sea is regarded as the world’s final reserve for big whales. Preparations for another season’s rich haul of blubber are now completed so far as the Norwegian whale chasers arc concerned. These five small steamers have all been overhauled and repaired at Port Chalmers, whence tho last emo left on Saturday for the winter quarters at Stewart Island. There they will await tho arrival of tho storeship from Europe ere they go whale hunting again next summer. Apparently there is a prospect of two storeships coming south this year, because tho one storeship last season w.'is a.t times unable to dispose of the carcasses as quickly as the chasers brought them alongside. On one occasion, when the activities of tho armed chasers were thus suspended, whales were spouting within sight of the storeship. Experienced Norwegian whalers reckon that another three years’ operations will effectually clean up the Ross Sea as a profitable whaling ground. “ I say that it is wrong in principle, as the Act says that primary education is ‘ free.’ It is a misnomer.” So stated Mr C. W. Morris, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Primary Schools Committees’ Association, in introducing a remit : “ That the Government be urged to make primary education entirely, free to the children by providing all books, stationery, and requisites used in the schools.”' Mr Mars, of Mount Eden, supported Mr Morris, and said that there was no such thing as free edncation._ Children were expected to attend special picture theatres at various periods, when such entertainments usually cost them 6d each, and tram fares to and from the city. The remit was unanimously adopted. The postal authorities advise that thirty hags of Australian mail ex tho Moeraki, whiolf left Sydney on Friday for Ancleland, are for Dunedin. The letter portion will come to hand on Thursday night, and the balance will probably arrive on Friday,

If elogoinm-like peace and tranquillity are to he found anywhere on the planet it would naturally be concluded by all, except the ultra cynical, that the, place to find it would bo within tho precincts of a Y.M.C.A. building at 2 o'clock on a Sunday morn. Yesterday the Sabbatical calm of our local institution was rudely disturbed by wild prancings and dancings of a troupe wild prancings and dancings of a troupe of hectic young men, who for an hour or so held high carnival throughout that portion of the building more or less monopolised by the boarding fraternity. The reason for this unwonted display of merrymaking was the fact that one, of their number was shortly to remove to fresh fields and pastures new. Apparently the whole matter was kept secret from the individual in question, who was rudely assailed in the wee, sma’ hours by a raiding party whose motto was certainly not “ take him up tenderly, lift him with care.” The victim .amidst a considerable hullabaloo, was carried bodily from his bunk and escorted through the, chillsomo corridors by his exuberant companions, who with groat prescience had been careful to lock up the resident staff in their bedrooms. They made valiant efforts to escape from their “ durance, vile,” but the pyjania-clad revellers' were not anxious to let them into the joke until a much later stage in the proceedings. The star item was tho explosion of a couple of basket bomba, which lent a little, variety to the vehement chorus of caterwaulings of the invaders. But at last the superabundance of animal spirits flickered out, and no doubt this was aided by tho frigid atmospheric conditions, and the attacking party shortly after 5 were safely ensconced in iheir blankets again. An official stated to-day that the natter was being considered by those in authority. Tho results of tho paper flower-making competition hold by Messrs Whitcombs and Tombs, Ltd., aro advertised in this issue. A euchre tournament will he, held in Jay’s Tea Rooms to-night, at 8 o’clock. Yes, the best place for children's toys is Todd’s Toy Arcade, George street (nest the Plaza).—[Advt.'l