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Evening Star, Issue 19064, 6 October 1925, Page 6

Daffodil Day, the annual fixture for the beneiiit of the Blanket bociety, will be held on October 16.

The break in the Otago Central lino has been temporarily bridged, and trains ran ns usual between Cromwell and Dunedin to-day, thanks to tho prompt and efficient work of tho engineering staff. The break occurred near the entrance to the first tunnel after leaving Iliudou on the way up. A piece of the bank gave way and tel into tho river, leaving the outer rail without support. Tho ganger whoso duty it is to patrol that section discovered the subsidence about 7 o’clock on Sunday evening. It was no doubt caused by tho rains. Tho downpour m the locality was very heavy and prolonged. T'ho temporary bridging has been effected by means of 4011 wooden beams. As tho track at that point is rather wider than in some other places, it is proposed to shift the rails about Bft towards the rock face.

Tho telegraph engineer’s staff in Dunedin has performed the task it undertook to connect all waiting applicants for the telephone by the beginning of this month. There is now no waiting list, except for such applications as come in from day to day. Over 300 places have been recently linked up with the Dunedin exchange system, which covers a wide area, the nearest sub-exchanges being Port dialPortobelio, and Mosgicl, and has between 6,000 and 7,000 subscribers. Mr Macey and his subordinates deserve the thanks of the public for doing all they can to give an efficient service, and in this acknowledgment tho attendants at the switchboard must be included, for they perform their duties efficiently and civilly under circumstances that would vox a saint.

Good as the Saturday's concert of the Dunedin Male Choir was, it was fully matched by the repetition last night. That is the opinion of the performers, and subscribers who visited Bums Hall on both occasions say the same, for there wore no depreciations, and the one pai’t song that tell short of a success on the Saturday— 1 Scots Wha Hoe ’—was considerably strengthened by being sung with accompaniment. ‘By Babylon’s Wave ’ may also bo mentioned. It was delivered in groat style, quite up to if not exceeding the level of merit reached on the Saturday. The vocal soloists—Mias Lottio Scott, Mr J. Paterson, and Mr H. Hogg—were again encored, and the same compliment was accorded Mr J. A, Wallace (violinist) and Mr J. B. M'Connell (reciter). An addition to tho programme, the songs contributed by Mr W. Gemmell, was very heartily welcomed. This accomplished baritone came on after Miss Scott, and met with suoh appreciation that he had to sing four times, his songs being ‘ It was There the Destroyer 1 (from ‘ Un Ballo in Maschera,’), ‘Passing By’ (Purcell), ‘ Onaway, Awake ’ (Cowen), and ‘ Dora Hero ’ (Brahe). Dr Galway was in control of the concert and Mr J. A. Haggitfc at the piano. The audience filled the hall. Mr J. G._ Butler (secretary) and all who organised those two concerts are to be joined with the performers in thanks from tho subscribers.

Mendelssohn’s oratorio ‘ St. Paul ’ will be sung by First Church choir tomorrow evening. Dr Y. E. Galway will have under Ins control a well-bal-anced choir conversant with this fine work, and a quartet of soloists all of whom should contribute to a worthy interpretation. The accompaniments, which are an outstanding feature, •will be played by Dr Galway. Admission is by offertory on entering.

No success has yet rewarded the efforts of the merchants and consignees who are '.trying to got the Dunedin cargo of the Hororata from Lyttelton. Difficulties beset them at every point. Vexatious also. It is irritating to know that the Tainui and the Ruahine wore somehow got from Wellington to Auckland, whilst the Hororata sticks in Lyttelton Harbor as though glued to it; and now the Tongariro (with about 2,000 tons for Dunedin) is in a similar fix. A Dunedin importer spoke very warmly to-day about that phase of the trouble. “■There must bo influences at work,” ho said, “that we are not told about. I can only conjecture that two causes are operating against ua and in favor of Auckland—namely, that the South lias longer credits and that the North has tho political pull.” Progressive policies are being pursued, particularly throughout Otago, by controlling bodies, and in a large measure the Exhibition project is responsible for the fillip. Green Island’s residents are sharing at least proportionately in the agitation for betterment, and their chief objective is increased transport facilities. Tho Railway Department has acquiesced with ‘ono demand by commencing on October 4 a Sunday service between Dunedin and Mosgiel. But the voice of the district is still heard, for the ton men at the head of affairs have not achieved their ends. Last night Or P.. ‘O. Smellie reported to tho nine upon the results obtained by the deputation from the Caversham Ratepayers’ Association which had.waited on the City Council’s Tramways Committee asking for a bus from tho city to Bush’s Store, Burnside, on week days, and for a bus to the Green Island Post on Sundays. Cr J. S. Douglas had said the matter would get sympathetic consideration, and Cr Smellio thought that a bus would be obtained in a short time. There would probably be no bus to the centre of the borough until tho Main South road question was settled. Ho had understood that a motor bus could compete on even terms with the railway, or perhaps at cheaper rates. Cr Shacklock, with his usual business acumen, had wanted to know whether or not the borough would be prepared to subsidise a-sendee, but the full council would deal with that aspect when a service for the whole of tho ratepayers was assured. Cr Smellio was thanked for his information.

We are asked to state whether there is any truth in the rumor that a, prominent engineer foretells. that when the mountain snow melts big floods will give the Frankton Falls clam a serious shaking. We do not deal in rumors of that kind. The subject is serious. So wo interviewed Mr H. Vickorman this morning as ho alighted from the southern express. Ho is the civil engineer in the employ of the Kawarau Gold Mining Company for the construction of the dam, and he returned to-day from one of his periodic visits. This is his statement The purpose of the clam is to retain the water of Lake Wakatipu and raise it a maximum of 7ft 4in. The dam is not to take the weight of the lake, but only the weight of the increased height. The dam consists of ten steel gates of first-class English construction. They are supported against massive pins 7ft wide, 34ft 6in high, and 54ft long, made of concrete of quality one part cement to four parts gravel, and weighing some 700 tons. The piers are securely founded on and solidly built into the solid rook. The water pressure on each gate amounts to thirty tons, so that there is very ample margin in the piers to withstand the stress to which they are likely to bo subjected. Only first-class work is being . done under close Government supervision, and I have no hesitation in saying that if the gates are periodically painted and maintained' in working order the life ot the structure should be indefinite. . I see no possible chance of their causing any disaster.”

By-laws and regulations take precedence over Mother Nature and climatic conditions generally. For instance, when the calendar says “ full moon,” the City Council says street lights in certain parts are not to bo turned on, even though the moon may bo hidden beneath a cloudy sky and the night bo black as the proverbial aco of spades. Again, the regulations governing the movements of the Justices’ Department says that no heating apparatus is to he allowed to disseminate its genial glow after a certain date, which, according to the calendar, should mark the end of cold weather. But the weather, unfortunately, does not follow the calendar or obey the Justice Department; consequently those persons whoso business compels them to sit In the body of the court find no difficulty in keeping cool, even in the midst of the most heated cross-examina-tion or the reporting of the most interesting cases.

Overtures have been made by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association with a view to amalgamation with the South African Veterans’ Association. 'The matter is in the hands of the Dominion Executive,, which will report to the next Dominion Conference.

The New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association is endeavoring to secure n reciprocal arrangement between patriotic societies of Australia and New Zealand for the purpose of having assistance available in Now Zealand for cx-servico Australians iu_ adverse circumstances through war disabilities and vice versa. Such an arrangement is already in existence with the Government of Great Britain, funds coming from Home to assist ex-lmperial soldiers in difficulties.

At a special meeting of the Ashburton Exhibition Committee yesterday it was decided to abandon the Ashburton bay at the Dunedin Exhibition, the meeting having been called for the purpose or discussing the advisability of taking this step. The Ashburton County Council wrote stating that it was of opinion that £‘loo should bo gianted to the Provincial Committee from the county and borough, thus leaving £SO for the preparation of the county’s own exhibit, the Provincial Executive to pay for the erection of the Ashburton bay, A resolution was passed stating that the local committee should abandon the Ashburton bay and hand its space and money over to the Canterbury Committee, less the cost of collecting the exhibits, and provided that the Canterbury Executive accepted them and displayed them as coming from Ashburton. It was decided to inquire from the Provincial Committee as to what publicity was to bo given to Ashburton at the Exhibition.

Yes, we have plenty unbreakable metal dolls’ heads from 2s 6(l.—'Todd’s Karrio-Kan-nie Dollies’ Hospital, George street. (next Plaza).—{Advfc.] For glasses guaranteed to smt consult vv. V. Sturmer, CLA.O.C., D. 3.0.1., 2 Octagon, Dunedin; ’phono 7,525 —[Advt.] That troublesome watch will he promptly cured at Williamson's, Princes street (next The Bristol). Moderate charges always.— [Advt,.] Mr J. Gilchrist, Labor candidate, .Dunedin Central, will meet friends and supporters in the Labor Club, 2711 Prince? street, to-night. Unanimous support for " Ko-rubbnm Laundry Help” pledged recently by all women’s dubs throughout tbs Dominion,— K. Sidcy invites friends and supporters to meet him at bis committee rooms, near Cargill’s Corner, to-morrow night. The "Square Deal” will hold their weekly euchre tourney in Town Hall, South Dunedin. The agregate for non-prize winners will commence to-night. The Dunedin Euchre Assembly advertises a list of prizes for its tourney to-rnorrow evening in the Town Hall, South Dmiedin.