NEW ZEALAND CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 19519, 29 March 1927, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET.

Tin: visit of tho Melbourne Cricket Club eleven to New Zealand ended yesterday. It has, wo hope, been a pleasant tour to all who took part in it. Did not Mr Hugh Trumble, indeed, say thaUie preferred a cricketing trip through New Zealand to one through England? It is, one supposes, on the one hand a programme so closely packed that practically all tho time not spent on the cricket ground is taken up in travelling, eating, and sleeping, leaving little leisure for sight seeing; while on the other band the travelling hero affords many opportunities for sight seeing, and tho whole trip partakes more of tho nature of a holiday under dearer skies than arc to be found in tho industrial towns of England, where so many of tho matches are played. Tho visit of tho Melbourne men has also been useful. It has given our New Zealand players tho chance of meeting players of mark, though several ot the most famous of tho visitors aro well past their prime. Hendry is the notable exception, bo being the only one on tho side who has been included in tile Victorian Eleven this season in Shclfield Shield fixtures, though that State tried no fewer than twenty-one players in its six engagements. In passing it may bo mentioned that Hendry, besides being third in the Victorian batting averages with 7SO runs at .8 runs per innings, headed the bowling averages with seven wickets at tho low cost of 11.7 runs per wicket. Yet his bowling seemed to present little difficulty to our batsmen, as in the two more important matches he could take no more than one wicket in each of the three innings in which ho bowled, and in each case he paid fairly heavily for it in runs. As ho is a recognised change bowler in an Australian eleven, a line to tho New Zealand batting strength is secured which is distinctly encouraging—that is in respect of the plainer type of medium-pace bowling. As to how our men shape against fast howling, the consistent success of Ebeling is less reassuring. Ho was the backbone of tho Melbourne attack, and was never really mastered. In the two so-called “ test ” matches—tho word is in peril of being debased by rather indiscriminate use—out of the thirtythree wickets which fell to the visiting howlers lie took sixteen wickets at a cost of a shade under 16 runs each. As there'was some tall scoring by New Zealand, one innings exceeding the sixth century, and in all T,519 runs being scored for the less of thirty-three wickets (an average of about 46 runs per wicket), this performance speaks for itself. Yet Eboling was nob played in tho Victorian Eleven this season, though from what was seen of his pace and steadiness in New Zealand more evidence seems to bo furnished in support of the complaints of the extraordinary manner in which control of the game in Victoria has r>bccn exercised.

Wc have referred to tho heavy scoring of tho New Zealand tides. This in itself should provide a good advertisement in England for the forthcoming tour. It is to be hoped that tho promoters have bethought themselves of ensuring that the cables have sent the news Homo in as much more than bold outline as tho recipients will stand. There was evidently exhilarating batting in Wellington yesterday, and the cricket crowds in England are just as keen as anywhere else to see men who use the bat as a weapon more of offence than of defence. Scoring at about tho rate of a run a minute at each end, as appears to have been the case in the Dacre-Dempster and Dacre-Oliver partnerships, is as rare as it is exhilarating, and if tho team achieves a reputation for tho possession of dashing batsmen the attendances at the county games should amount to much more than a sprinkling, and should make the financial aspect a source of but little anxiety. Moreover, Blunt’s classic stylo is sure to charm English connoisseurs. Hia form this season has been amazing, for ho has piled century on century, and his bat has ever been as graceful and powerful as it has been prolific. May it serve him in as good stead in England 1 It is in the New Zealand bowling that Weakness may he found to exist. In these trial games the most successful bowler has been the Canterbury colt Merritt, whose steadiness and success for a bowler of Ins typo and age mark him out as a discovery not alone in New Zealand cricket, but in the game as a whole south of the line this season. But he needs a vis-a-vis at the other end who will stand out more from the ruck than any of the other New Zealand trundlers have been doing. And here we must bid farewell to the game in tho meantime. Locally our grounds are being got ready for football, and it is to bo hoped that before summer comes around again some of them will have been got ready for cricket also, and that our association will have secured the services of a coach who wall help to put Otago on the cricket map again. This opportunity may be seized to remind the public that general financial help must be given if this is to bo accomplished. If only for the more widespread interest in the progress of tho game henceforth that should result, it is to he I oped that the subscription lists now being made available will comprise as wide and long a list of names as will surprise the originators of the scheme.

j Governors, bananas, Prime Ministers, ' oranges, castaways, police—they have all been carried in the long and event- ! I'ul half-century-old career of the Gor vormnont yacht-like steamer Hinemoa, I now in the Island trade. Many years ! ago (says tho Auckland ‘Star’) the Hinemoa was sent across to Sydney to bring a new Governor on tho last lap of his journey to New Zealand, it was a very turbulent crossing; in fact, so rough that there was at one stage of the journey the prospect of tho Manukau being made for as a haven instead of Wellington. Another time saw the Hinemoa in tho role of troopship, with , a largo party of police aboard, bound for Hokianga, where there was prospect of war on a mild scale because somo Northern Maoris failed to discern the justice of a dog tax. Some of the senior police officers of to-day were constables at that period. They have memories of “ rolling down to Russell ” in a beam sea, with a depleted larder and short rations aboard. For that react S on the old Hinemoa was hove-to off Russell, tho force fished enthusiastically and energetically, the haul of Bclmapper was on a generous scale, and at the evening meal tho passengers rared supmtnously. A person asked to name New Zealand flowers might perhaps select a couple of dozen off-hand, but from that point find some difficulty (says the Auckland ‘Star’). Yet there are literally hundreds, although many are practically unknown. A strong plea for New Zealand flora was made at tho opening of the Auckland Horticultural Society’s dahlia show by the president (Sir Edwin Mitchclson)who mentioned that tho Auckland Racing Club had a plantation that contained almost every known timber and flowering shrub. He said that at the next summer show the Loder Cup would be competed for. Jt was donated to encourage the growth of New Zealand flora. “And,” added the speaker in conclusion, ” no country in the world has so many beautiful flowers and shrubs.”

Cargo pillagers find soft-goods consignments most profitable to work upon, and though shipments of tobacconists are sometimes interfered with, the drapers suffer most from tho depredations of the thieves (says the ‘ Poverty Bay Herald’). A feature of this class of crime is tho skill with which goods are removed from cases, and the traces of their removal covered so that tho cases are accepted by tho consignees as undamaged. One recent instance of pillage encountered by a Gisborne firm of drapers was so artistically done as to leave but one conclusion—that tho goods find been removed from the case before it was shipped from England. There is a strong suspicion that cargopillaging has been developed into a regular business hv an association of rogues in the big Continental ports, and the circumstances in tho case recently discovered by the Gisborne firm adds, force to this suspicion. Tho box was invoiced as containing silk velvet, in large bolts which could hardly be disposed of by men working aboard a vessel; when it was delivered, the case showed no signs of having being tampered with, the iron bands being in place and the lead seals undamaged. Inside, however, was nothing but straw, such as is used to pack bottles in cases. The original goods could not have beep removed and disposed of without serious danger after the caso_ was put aboard ship, and the conclusion reached by tho consignees was that the silk velvet had been taken from the case at some stage between tho warehouse and the boat.

The fourth outbreak of fire at Hamilton within twenty hours occurred at 4.30 o’clock this morning, when roomod unoccupied house, owned by Messrs T. Limas and F. Eagan, was totally destroyed. The insurances ,vcn £550 in tho Northern Ofilce. Jho third outbreak was when a car caught fire last night, following two previous fires almost simultaneously _ yesterday morning. Tho occurrence is unprecedented.—Press Association.

When Mr Tannock was speaking after a forestry lecture in Dunedin last week he informed the meeting that the Dunedin Corporation’s tree scheme was to plant 30,000 acres at the rate of 1,000 acres per year.

General Rudkin has promised to lecture on ‘ The Italian Front and Mussolini ’ at the Otago Officers’ Club meeting in the Moray Place rooms to-mor-row nigFt. The report of the interview with the general that appeared in l»st night’s paper has led to a desire to learn more from him on a subject concerning which ho can speak with authority. Dahlias are now making a brave show in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens, being about at their best, and the begonias and fuchsias hi the open are still quite good. The season seems to give promise in regard to chrysanthemums, for the earlier kinds are coming on very nicely. “There is a real danger of a crowd of professors getting hold of this movement and riding it to death,” declared Mr M. E. Lyons at Christchurch, in referring to the Agricultural College question. “ What you are about to do is to bring up an army of men who will look for jobs in the Civil S°rvico and not look for jobs on farms—jobs with coats oft'.” Lincoln College was doing very good work. New Zealand was not big enough for what was being attempted, and he felt sure many would regret the movement. The Government was being provided with an excellent opportunity for increasing taxation. At the City Police Court yesterday John Brown Summers was charged witli disobeying a maintenance order in respect to his wife and child. The arrears to November 15 were stated to be £44 10s. Mr C. J. L. White, instructed by Mr B. S. Irwin, asked for an order. Defendant said that the arrears wore not as stated, and ho had sent two money orders direct to his wife from Queenstown, and had not beau credited with these amounts. Ho had-earned £1 a day as a guide on a tourist track. In October last he had been arrested in Queenstown and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment in Invercargill Gaol. He had a job to go to now, and the wages wore £3 10s. The case was adjourned till the afternoon in order that defendant’s wife could ho in attendance. On resuming Mr White said that plaintiff had received two money orders. Defendant asked for an adjournment with the view to seeing if his wife and he could come together. He was prepared to live .wherever she wished. The magistrate granted an adjournment till Friday

“ Do you keep a diary? ” asked Mr C. J White of a law clerk who was appearing as a witness in a case in which a claim was being made for rent. “ No,” was the reply.' “ Well, this is the first time I have heard of a legal firm not keeping a diary,” said Mr White. “It is not “our practice, anyway,” was the witness’s rejoinder, “except in cases dealing with our own transactions.” When Mr Eardlcy Reynolds goes into the auctioneer’s box at Park, Reynolds’s upper room to-morrow afternoon he will be able to say with all sincerity some very nice things about the forty water-color paintings that are to ha submitted to the Dunedin public. They are by H. Overton Jones, an exhibitor at the Royal Academy, the Liverpool Walker Gallery, and other centres of art. and consist of pictures and sketches of the Homeland as well as a few New Zealand scenes captured during the artist’s present visit. Prominent amongst the New Zealand pieces are three or four that were sketched at Caroline Ray, Timaru. These are singularly faithful, and rather uncommon in that Mr Overton Jones has resisted the temptation to exaggerate as to color. No. 48, ‘ Sunset at Kapiti,’ may also bo mentioned as giving in a remarkably convincing way the air motions of a seagull. The Old Country studios are full of character, noticeably ‘Tor Bay, Devon,’ and ‘ A Cheshire Lane.’ These works of art are unframed. It suits many -persons to buy in that way and have the frames as they like.

“ It is to he regretted that the present outlook for the sale of tho dominion’s primary products is not so good ns it might be,” skid the chairman (Mr W. F. Edmond) at the annual meeting of shareholders of Messrs Keraptiorne, Prosser, and Co.’s New Zealand Drug Company, Ltd., this afternoon. ‘‘Still, there is nothing to bo gained by all striking a pessimistic note,” ha added, ‘‘for we still have our magnificent soils, climate, and sturdy population. The watchword must be ‘Courage and Work.’ This combination will help us to deal with our difficulties, and must result in a large measure of success.”

There was not the usual audience present at last night’s meeting of the Port Chalmers Council. Close attention to ordinary business leaves little time for tho criticism which was a feature of the meetings for several months. Last night a , spirit of good-will was very apparent. Newspaper men all over the dominion have carefully and judicially looked through the first number of the Auckland ‘ Sun,’ issued on Wednesday last, and it may be supposed that Mr E. C. Huie and his colleagues are by now congratulated from all quarters. Our tribute to the energy and ability of the men who have produced so good a paper is delivered in all sincerity and without qualification. The news is well set out, tho sub-editing stands expert criticism, tho illustiations are profuse and topical, and in every respect the “ get-up ” suggests an assured success rather than a hopeful venture The signs in that direction can hardly be mistaken, for this ‘Sun’ stmts with advertisement' that cover fifteen pages, and tho management announces that 40,000 copies of tho first issue were sold. It is plnnsant to ho able to write thus of our new contemporary—pleasant not only as am exercise of general goodwill, but also for the personal reason that Mr Huie, the founder and managing director, is known in Dunedin, and. indeed, served his apprenticeship here. All who remember him bear in mind the fact that he lias never been associated with failure, and are full of hope that this, his latest venture, will add to the successes that he thoroughly deserves.

For setting up in First Church ns a memorial to Mrs John Sidey, a choicely designed and skilfully made stained glass window has boon produced from tho workshop of Arnold, Brock, and Raffills, in Moray place. The subject is the supper at Bethany, whereat Mary took a pound of ointment ol spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus. The artist has thought out the scheme originally, suggesting the limited space of the room and overcoming the difficulty of placing seven figures in' action on tbe somewhat narrow window without any confusion. Judas Iscariot has just finished his remonstrance about the three hundred pence, and Jesus is making His answer. The picture is fully self-explanatory. Tho art work reaches a very high level, tho drawing being; sure and graceful, tho coloring effective, the outstanding personages identifiable, though the Christ is tho Christ of the Greek Church, with dark hair and no halo. Art lovers should bo gratified to find such a fine window made in Dunedin. The inscription is “ The Lord loycth a cheerful giver,” and the dedication roads: “In loving memory of Johanna Sidey, a worshipper in this church. 1572-1925.”

There is not likely to he any walkover fur candidates at tho forthcoming elections at Port Chalmers For the Harbor Board Mr W. G. Love has consented to become <a candidate, and as both tho present members (Messrs A. Cable and T. Anderson) intend stand again, there will be a poll. For tho borough council it is doubtful whether all the present councillors will offer their services again, and new' candidates are likclv to exceed the vacancies. For the mayoral chair four names have been freely mentioned as likely candidates, but the number is said to be now* reduced to three, with a probability that two only will enter tho lists,

At Emu Plains Prison Farm organised play is a feature of the institutional moral and physical training scheme, says the Sydney ‘ Daily Telegraph.’ A largo playing field, with goal posts, concrete wickets, and apparatus for organised games has now been provided for the young men, and arrangements will be made for cricket matches with approved outside teams. The object of this scheme is not to enable the young prisoners to pass the time pleasantly, hut is an application of the principle that rational muscle culture in adolescence has its moral effects. Several improvements have been made as regards the clothing issued to the prisoners for working purposes and at week-ends. Their people now find them clad in white suits and shoes, resulting in a smartening and an awakened consideration of appearances that is pleasing to both parties.

“ The energy of Great Britain is illimitable, and I cannot see such _ a country taking second place despite America’s gold,” was the keynote of Mr Leo Myers’s address to members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Mr Myers outlined the economic position in the Old Country. He said that he felt justified in expressing the belief that there would be no serious industrial disturbance in Groat Britain for some years to come. Ho had no sympathy with pessimistic utterances that he had seen published of late concerning Britain’s future. Ho could assure his hearers, from a personal knowledge of the people of whom he spoke, that the leaders of industry in England were as capable as eer they were, and their workers as energetic as ever. The energy of the Britishers was illimitable, and he could not see the Empire taking a second place in the future, and this despite America’s gold. An advantage that Great Britain possessed that must not bo under-estimated was the tradition of the race, and this was something our American friends envied ns. Coming to Now Zealand topics, Mr Myers pointed out the necessity of doing something to lower the costs which impaired the efficiency of the farmer in his efforts for production. Edward Collins, a statutory first offender, was this morning fined 10s, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment, on a charge of drunkenness. Mr Bartholomew, S.M-, was on the bench. The accidental discharge of oil from the Niagara on February 15 led to tlm appearance in the Auckland court of Captain Arthur H. Showman \o answer charges of breaches of the harbor by-laws. No penalty was sought, the board desiring merely to draw shipmasters’ attention to the necessity for preventing oil getting into the harbor. On behalf of the captain, who pleaded guilty, it was stated that every step was taken by the Union Company to minimise the trouble, and a squad had boon employed to clean up the beaches. The master was convicted and ordered to pay costs (62s).—P.ress Association.

For glasses guaranteed to suit nonsuit TV. V. Sturmer, G.A.0.C.. D. 5.0.1., 2 Octagon. Dunedin; ’phone 7,s2s.—[Advt.] Seek the answer for the perfect gift at Williamson’s, the quality jewellers. 31 Princes street (next The Bristol!.—[Advt.J The Paramount Club will hold its weekly dance in the Trades Hall to-uight. The Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of holiday excursion fares in connection with the Easter holidays, 1927. Euchre tourney for prizes in the Waratah Tea- Rooms to-morrow night. The Wembley Club will hold a dance tomorrow night in the Art Gallery Hall. The attractions include ‘Excuse Me’ and ‘Lucky Spot’ dances, Nr which prizes will be given. _____