Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 19272, 10 June 1926, Page 6

In another column of this issue appears a letter signed “ Otago.” The writer comments on the fact that stone for the new Eublic Trust Office in Dunedin is to be brought from Sydney, and suggests that a New Zealand stone would serve. J nquiry on the subject discloses the information that Sydney sandstone is to bo one of the constructive for in the specifications. The architect who drew the plans (Mr Cecil Wood, of Christchurch) could no doubt give reasons for choosing this stone. One of those' reasons may bo guessed; nono of the New Zealantl building stones is its exact equivalent. It is the stone that helps towards the appearance of the National Bank in Princes street.

The Dunedin Corporation motor buses are now withdrawn, for the winter, from the Waipori and Taicri Month trips, but the shorter tours round about Dunedin are still being made, and it is hoped to continue them. They are patronised freely on Sundays and fairly well on week days. A winter time-table is being prepared. In the meantime the manager is proceeding on the system of sending the buses on all the shorter trips every Sunday, and on week days varying the route, but taking the Dunedin circuit one day and the Peninsula trip the next. The traffic depends largely oif the weather. A bright and still day in winter is as pleasant as any for such an observation tour, and our people gladly seize such opportunities of introducing visitors to the beauty spots in and about the district.

Housewives may presently have to pay a little extra for packet raisins. The Californian raisins are in short supply in New Zealand just now, tins increasing the demand for Mildura raisins, and as their price is advanced by the producers by a halfpenny per pound, an increase in the retail rate is possible. The annual ceremony of placing wreaths on the Seddou monument wascarried out to-day, the twentieth anniversary of his death. There was a large attendance. Mr J. J. M'Grath, on behalf of tho admirers of the late Mr Seddon, invited tho Hon. It. MTvenzie to lay a wreath, Mr M‘(Kenzie eulogised Ids former chief, and outlined his humanitarian legislation.—Wellington Association telegram.

The Supreme Court, Blenheim, has issued a writ of injunction, with 2()s nominal damages, restraining William Edward Gascoigne, grocer, from selling Palmolive soap at less than the price fixed in an agreement ho had entered into with the Palmolive Company, which brought action against him. The defence was that selling soap at B£d for cash was equivalent to selling at 9d fixed price, subject to discount; but the judge (Mr Justice Ostler) held that this was a breach of tho agreement. Costs on the middle scale were allowed. —P.ress Association.

At this time last year cattle were “starving” in Otago for the lack of feed; but a prominent dairyman stated to-day that a plentiful supply of feed was on hand for this winter. In fact, some farmers had feed to burn. The prospects for the coming season, so far as conditions were concerned, were excellent, but prices remained in the “lap of the Gods.”

No increase in the price of butter to the Dunedin consumer is contemplated at present, prices remaining on the same level as at this time twelve months ago. A dairy official stated today that London buyers were offering above parity, and the local wholesalers’ price was a little more than that actually offering. However, the cost of packing and shipping had to be considered. Prices wore hardening in London, an increase of 6s per cwt. being reported last week.

In forwarding an apology for her absence from the opening ceremony of the open-air school at Ken-to-day, Miss W. A. Valintine, who is in charge of the special schools’ branch of tho Education Department, wrote as follows to the Hon. Mark Cohen: —“ I rejoice that the school is at last an accomplished fact, and trust you will bo spared to seo it demonstrate its usefulness. The backward children of Dunedin, and, indeed, of the whole dominion, owe you a debt that can never bo repaid. With- tho opening of the school you have the satisfaction of knowing that, in spite of all the difficulties that have had to be overcome, you have given another upward lift to those who would otherwise have gone under. Probably they will never know what was done for them, but wo who see things as they are realise what your gift means, and thank you for it.

Mr G. S. Thomson made the following statement to-day;—“On my return from tho south last night and subsecpient to the Invercargill meeting, I found, on reliable authority, that the Government has not merely threatened j to reduce wages but has actually done | so. While the Arbitration Court pro- i nounced in favor of Is lOd an hour for { unskilled labor, the Government is I paying Is Od an hour on the relief' works at Balclutha and is deducting ■ the cost of the workers’ train fares from the wages.” There was a sitting of tho Magistrate’s Court this morning, Mr Bartholomew on the bench. Judgment for the undermentioned amounts (with costs) was given for plaintiffs in the following undefended cases:—J. Rattray and Son y. R. S. Taylor (Windsor), £27 18s Bd, goods supplied; Howard Dodgshun v. George M'Gregor Taranaki), £6 10s, professional services; Aslin and Brown v. George Walker (Gisborne), £44 14s 4d, money paid by them as defendant’s solicitors; 'William Warren v. Douglas James Knowles, £1 13s, goods supplied. The defended case of the National Electrical and Engineering Co. v. C. W. Pattillo (a- claim for £52 15s 3d, balance owing for work and materials) : was proceeded with. Mr A. C. tite- i phens appeared for plaintiffs, and Mr 11. G. Barrowclough for defendant. The only witness heard was James Alexander Montgomery, an employee of the ' plaintiff company. He gave evidence ; as to tho time taken up by the work ' in defendant’s studio, and as to the! work itself. He mentioned that the ; switchboard installed had to control I 60,000 candle power. The case pro- i coeded this afternoon. j

At the Supremo Court, Hamilton, Cornelius Buckley, a middle-aged man, was sentenced to two years’ reformative detention for indecently assaulting two little girls. James Gothorp, described as a had character, received two years’ hard labor for forgery at Morrinsville; and William Johnson, described as a waster, twelve months’ hard labor for forgery and attempting to utter a cheque for £l6O at Te Awamutu.—Press Association.

The books of Carter’s Motor, Ltd., were not destroyed in the fire in the Moray Place building on Monday night. The brigade made a good save of the office, and the company’s books were undamaged. Now Zealand merchants are advised tty the British drygoods manufacturers to cable their orders promptly, instead of letting them accumulate. No doubt this is a precaution in view of further shipping dislocation owing to the coal miners’ strike. As a matter of- fact, our people are not at all anxious about supplies just now. Fair stocks of most lines are held in NeiV Zealand. The nearest approach to a shortage is in regard to salt. The salt that we eat in this dominion nearly all comes from Liverpool, manufactured in England from the rod: salt that is mined in Russia and Germany, and if the Liverpool supply is decreased by shipping troubles wc may have to rely to some extent on the product of the South Australian evaporation works. That, again, would involve a difficulty. The Adelaide salt is good, but there is no regular line of direct trading vessels between Dunedin and Adelaide, and the article will not stand transhipping charges. In the meantime New Zealand holds enough salt to go on with. In .a month’s time the position may he different if freights from England are really held np Arising out of a dinner given by the New Plymouth Rotary Club on May 7 to Mr Everett Hill, past president of the Rotary International, Mr Samuel Gibbons, then the licensee of the Criterion Hotel, was yesterday fined £lO by Mr Hunt, S.M., for exposing liquor for sale after the closing hour. The dinner took place late in the evening, and during the proceedings the police entered the room, and saw bottles of claret on the tables. The msgistrato hold that a’ breach had occurred, and his duty was to administer the law as he found it. He could not regard the breach as trivial and dismiss the informations, since that might encourage others to disregard the law. Of three other charges in the same connection, the police withdrew one, and Gibbons was convicted and discharged on the other two.—Press Association.

An Invercargill Press Association telegram states that the captain of tho Star fleet of whalers has been informed that a serious fatality occurred on the Sir James Clark Ross while at New York, when three seamen succumbed to poisonous gas. Tho slap had completed her discharge of oil, and three men descended the empty tank. They wore quickly overcome, and when brought to tho deck expired. Captain Anderson descended to their aid, hut fell unconscious, and was with difficulty revived after being brought on deck.

Thefts of overcoats and the defrauding of tradesmen by means of valueless cheques are two varieties of crime that come into favor in a winter in which there is a good deal of unemployment, stated Chief-detective Lewis to-day., Dunedin, however, is enjoying a wonderful immunity from crime, the Exhibition notwithstanding, and so far very few complaints have been made cither from unsuspecting shopkeepers or from those whose carelessness in leaving overcoats about is a direct incentive to the dishonest to help themselves.

According to tho newjrates of Australian exchange on London, Australian exporters will have an advantage of 2s 6d per cent, in selling their drafts, compared with Now Zealand exporters (writes our Christchurch correspondent). _ Tho condition of the hank balances in London caused by heavy importing is responsible for the change in rates. When the imports are heavy the bank surpluses in London are reduced, so that the tendency is for the hanks to offer hotter terms to those who are prepared to sell drafts which can be collected in Loudon. Exporters, therefore, reap the advantage. In the dominion imports have increased, and the value of exports has declined, so that conditions are present to lead to the assumption that the New Zealand banks mny_ adjust tho exchange rates in conformity with the tendency in Australia. At tho same time it should bo pointed out that, the Now Zealand banks do not always follow tho Australian rates. His Honor Mr Justice Sim was asked in the Supreme Court yesterday to give a decision on a point in a case stated hy Mr J. D. Patterson, as umpire in an arbitration suit to determine_ the rent to he paid in regard to the City Hotel, under a lease from Edward Lund and others to Nancy Murphy. The property was vested in the estate of the late Francis Nixon, and the question to lie decided was as to the correct interpretation of a clause in the lease regarding the method of assessing the rent for tho final ten years of a lease of sixty years. Mr A. N. Haggitt appeared for the lessee, and Mr J. S. Sinclair for the land owner. After hearing counsel, His Honor reserved liis decision.

For glasses guaranteed to suit consult W. V. Stunner, G.A.0.C., D. 5.0.1., 2 Octagon, Daw-din ; ’phono 7,s2s.—fAdvt,]

All bowlers axe invited to attend tho service in memory of the late Mr Walter Wright, which will be hold in the Maori HilP Presbyterian Church, at 11 a.m., nest Sunday.

Yes, the host place for children's toys la Todd’s Toy Arcade, Georgo street (nest tbo Flaxa) —[Advt.l An opening night dance in tho New Trades Hall, Moray place, will lx? held on Saturday night. Fagan’s Orchestra has been specially engaged to supply the music. Tho floor is prepared for dancing. Supper will be provided. Satisfaction is forced upon you at Williamson’s, the quality jewellers, 31 Princes street (next Tbo Bristol).—fAdvt. 1

The men’s division of tho St. John Ambulance Brigade has organised a dance, to bo held in the Early Settlers’ Hall on Friday evening, from 8 till 1, tho proceeds to go to their equipment fund. The division, in conjunction with the Dunedin and Cavcrsham Nursing Divisions, _ carried on the first-aid work at the Exhibition, and during that period attended to upwards of 1,530 oases. Tho catering and musio are tho beet available, and the division confidently relies on the support of the general public. Are you right for “ No-rubbing Laundry Help”? If not, ring your grocer immediately. A Is packet docs seven washings beautifully.—[Advt.]