Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 19521, 31 March 1927, Page 6

It is always interesting to pry into a new industry and to find out if possible the why and wherefore. A peculiar buzzing noise induced a peep into certain establishment in Moray place, and puzzlement was added to curiosity at the sight of a figure who appeared to be half-diver, half-Ned Kelly, a baggy overall suit and a queer maskhelmet lending it that appearance. Inquiry elicited the fact that the strangely-garbed man was engaged in sand-blasting, which is the first step in the new process of metal spraying. The sand, forced through a hose at terrific speed, clears the scales and other roughness froni the metal under treatment. When thus given a chemically clean surface the metal is ready for the coating process, the metal-spraying “pistol” being used for the purpose. This nistol is worked by an air blast, a flame at the point melting the wiro which is fed through it, and anatomising it into a fine spray. Thus a coating of bronze, or tin, or aluminium is applied, and the baser metal beneath protected from the danger of corrosion or rust, or, in the caso of furnaces, from the effects of intense heat. Then there is the decorative aspect, metal window frames, iron fence rails, castings, and ornaments being given a fine bronze finish at a comparatively low cost. It is obvious that there are great possibilities in this new industry, and the advent of Metal Coatings, Ltd., in Dunedin should bo of some importance to the city when tho ir/Justry becomes properly established.

“It is hoped,” said Mr T. B- Strong, Director of Education, at Wellington, “to he able to allow training college students to specialise more than has been the case in the past, so that the colleges may keep the _ district high schools supplied with special teachers in such subjects as science, singing, and drawing. It always has been possible for teachers to specialise in the teaching of infants, —Press Association.

Our Cromwell correspondent telegraphs Another spell of stormy weather set in on Sunday and continued until Wednesday evening. It was decidedly wintry and brought a further fall of snow on the mountains. The weather cleared last night, and there was an unusually hard frost for March, ice on the water being quite common. This is, sure, to have had an effect on tender garden crops and tomato patches. This morning broke with a clear sky and bright sunshine, seeming to herald the perfect weather usually experienced in April. The spring was marked by disastrous late frosts, and tho visitation last night for this particular period u» ui-axa unnauunoJA- *

It is stated by the Christchurch police that the report that Walter Hulstou may reopen his premises in Madras street pending the_ decision of the Court of Appeal was incorrect. This report was sent out by the Press Association from Wellington. The misunderstanding regarding the reopening arose from the fact that the Chief Justice, in stating that the court would reserve its decision, asked Mi; Donnelly, who appeared for the Crown, whether, if the court decided to rescind the order, ho would require a bond that the premises would not be used for illegal purposes. Mr Donnelly replied that in such case he would ask for a bond of £2OO, and one surety of £2OO. This question and answer does not indicate what the decision of the Court of Appeal will be, but it is possible that tho promises will be opened under bond. —Christchurch Association message.

An Association telegram from Auckland states that a car driven by Leslie Lees, traveller for a tailoring firm, crashed sixty feet over the gorge on the Howick-Whitford road. Lees jumped clear just in time. The car caught fire at the bottom and was totally destroyed; also £250 worth of samples.

In last night’s 'Star’ appeared tho brief announcement that Mr Miles A. Barnett, son ol Dr L. E. Barnett, of Dunedin, has been appointed physicist at the Dominion Laboratory. Mr Barnett, who was born in Dunedin, obtained his degree of M.Sc. at the Otago University in 1924, winning first class honors in electricity, magnetism, and mathematics. As a research student at Cambridge University, in residence at Clare College, he worked in the Cavendish Laboratory under Sir Ernest Rutherford, and in 1925 won the Den am Baynes research scholarship. Since that time ho has been engaged in duties as a qualified investigator under tho Radio Reseacb Board, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, England. Ho is still at Cambridge, and advice is not yet received as to the exact date of departure tor tho land of his birth. It is a matter for congratulation that one of New Zealand’s young men has® been found worthy of this responsible appointment. Kitty Stewart was this morning before the Police Court on charges of drunkenness and breach of prohibition order. Defendant, who said she had come to Dunedin from the north a few weeks ago, was fined 10s, in default twenty-foui hours’ imprisonment, on each charge.

“ We have a vital interest in New Zealand, not merely from the national standpoint. There is a considerable amount of trade between Canada and New Zealand which tho laymen does not recognise, and this might be developed if additional measures are adopted. For example, we would like to see a Dominion Trade Commissioner in Canada.” This observation was made by Mr P. W. Grandjean, secretary and treasurer of the Ford Motor Company of Canada, who is proceeding to Australia on a business .tour, and arrived in Auckland by the Niagara. Mr Grandjean considered that the establishment of a trade commissioner in his country would not only strengthen the bonds of Empire, but also increase the volume of trade between the two countries.

Probably few farmers are aware that the first reaping machine was invented by a student. This is the centenary year of the introduction of the reaping machine by Dr Patrick Bell, a minister of Carmylie, Scotland. While a student at St. Andrews University, Bell’s machine was used regularly on his brother’s farm in Perthshire, and until 1868. It is now in tho Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington. Dr Bell received £I,OOO from tho Highland Society in recognition of the importance of his invention.

Age rests lightly upon an old-age pensioner on the northern gumlands, who is at present ninety-six (says the Auckland ‘Star’). Born and bred to a pioneering life, ho has been accustomed to the saddle since his boyhood d ’ys, and, lacking only four years to complete, his century, he is still a vigorous eques-. trian. Cantering along the back country roads in Bodney and Otamatoa counties ha earns a small sum, over and above the amount that is regularly paid to him in the form of a pension, as tho officer appointed by the Pension Department to deliver payments in his area. Last month this old identity visited Auckland to take his part in the Royal celebrations, and he lives in anticipation of easily reaching a hundred.

A noted chief of ancient lineage, Kiwi Te Amohau, died on Friday morning after a lingering illness from heart disease (says the Rotorua correspondent of the Wellington ‘Post’). He was the head of the Ngatiwhakane tribe. Ho will be tsmembered as a man of dignified demeanor and splendid physique. He was always spokesman for his people, and surpassed_ by few as an orator, his speeches being studded with imagery and evidence of keen observation. He was about seventy years of age, and until late years was always a leader in bakas and war dances. As a sportsman the late Kiwi Te Amohau will be greatly missed, especially by the local Rugby Union, of which ho was a life member. In his younger days ho was a capable whip, driving a four-in-hand. It was his grandfather, Temura Te Amohau, who, at a big meeting in the Waikato, sturdily opposed the King movement, and it was mainly owing to him that the Arawas always kept aloof. A tangi of large dimensions is now being held.

“ We lave a wonderful little country, but the trouble is we don’t advertise enough,” said Mr M. Rudd, the assistant manager of the Union Steam Ship Company at Auckland, on returning by the Niagara with Mrs Rudd from a holiday trip up to Honolulu, Mr Rudd is convinced that there is a great future before New Zealand m an affi traction for the rich Americans arA others who don’t mind how much they spend as long as they get what they want. “I know New Zealand from one end to the other,” he said, “ and I am sure we can show people as good as they can get in any part of the world. We have a little of everything, and some wonders that other places have not got, such as Rotorua. It was surprising to me to find how little about Now Zealand is known among those people. It is wonderful the amount of tourist traffic that is attracted to Honolulu, and I am sure if we Now Zealanders _ would only boom our remarkable little country a little more wo could get our share of the business.”

The main entrance to the new Parliamentary Buildings block at present has an unfinished appearance on account of the fact that the main doors have never been erected (says the Wellington ‘Post’). Very soon, however, massive and dignified bronze gates will be installed outside the revolving doors at the top of the imposing flight of stone steps. The design for the doors and the grilles on either side was drawn in the Government Architect’s office, and the work has been carried out at the Warren Engineering Company’s workshops, Auckland. The doors will he fixed in position as soon as they arrive from Auckland. The main gate is lift Sin high and Oft IJin wide._ On the crest above is a shield bearing the Royal monogram worked in relief, and running across the top is an archway supported by bronze reeds, with crossbows in relief at intervals. _ On either side of the shield are beautifully-worked fern leaves in a triangular trellis design of polished bars. The doors below the cross reeds are _ masterpieces of design and construction, highly polished panels, and bars cleverly placed in interlacements of squares, forming tho inner sections. Embracing the panels are artistically-constructed borders. At first there was a doubt as to whether the gate could be made in New Zealand, since nothing of its type or magnitude had been .undertaken preyipusly.

| The question of the maintenance of I the Dunedin-Port Chalmers road has been tho subject of controversy for some time, and the Governor-General ; recently appointed Mr W. S'. Short, of i Auckland, a Commission to apportion I the costs between the various bodies. ; The Commission sat _in Dunedin this morning, the following local bodies being represented:— City Council, Mr G. A. Lewin (town clerk); Port Chalmers Borough Council, Messrs Roy and F. B. Adams; West Harbor Borough Council, Mr Williams; and Waikouaiti County Council, Mr Lang. Mr Marks was present on behalf of the Public Works Department. It was pointed out by Mr Marks that there was almost a complete agreement between the parties, and he suggested an adjournment in order to allow a round table discussion. This was dom, and later Mr Short announced that an agreement had been arrived at whereby the City Council is to pay 50 per cent., West Harbor Borough Council 37.5 per cent.. ■ arid Port Chalmers Borough Council 12.5 per cent, of the cost of maintenance.

The steamer Moeraki, which left Melbourne on Wednesday for Wellington, has seveuten bags and four hampers of Australian mails and thirty-four bags of matter from beyond Australia for Dunedin. Tho mails are due here on April 5. The H.M.S. Veronica was to sail at about 4 p.m. for Timaru, Llttelton, Picton, Nelson, Wellington; and Auckland, She is duo at Auckland, her base, on May 9. The ship’s eight men who competed against the local Defence Department staff corps yesterday in an impromptu billiards tournament in the N.C.O.’s club room in the Drill Hall, had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, though individually, except for one, tue sailors lost the games. The party of petty-oflicers and sailors who were taken for a two hours’ trip in a City Corporation observation bus also had a delightful time. This morning four warrant officers from the Drill Hall were shown over the ship, and, as mili-tary-minded men should do, took good stock of the armaments.

The monthly meeting of the St. John Ambulance Association was held last evening, there being a fair muster of members in spite of the inclement weather. In the absence of the Rev. V. G. Bryan King, Mr G. Moir was voted to the chair. Before commencing the business of the evening Mr Moir, on behalf of those present, made sympathetic reference to Mr King’s illness. and expressed the hope that he would soon be completely restored to health. In connection with the visit of the Duke of York much appreciation of the work done by the first aid attendants was expressed. On the children’s day a very large number of cases had been treated promptly and efficiently. The secretary made a verbal report on the ambulance motors. He stated that while complaints had been received of rough rides, on the other hand many friends of patients had gone out of their way to thank the association for the comfort in which patients had been conveyed. He expressed tho opinion that while little could be done to improve "the ambulances, there was much room for improvement in some of the roads outside Dunedin. In no case had there been any complaint as to the driving, though the machines had occasionally been criticised. Mr J. C. White was elected a member of the executive, and it was decided to provide men to attend football matches at the various grounds as usual, and also to see that the first aid equipment was kept up to date. The secretary reported that during Bobruary the ambulances attended eighty calls, and the district nurses paid 521 visits. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the proceedings. A leading Dunedin business man, conversing with a reporter, thus summed up his opinions with regard to the two big deputations to the Prime Minister in Dunedin this week: “If Mr Coates had simply stated that he has been too busy to look into tho matter of the Post Office building, and given his promise to inquire at once, and then make a definite reply, others as _ well as myself would have been satisfied about that question. What I am disappointed about is that the demand for equal shipping facilities with tho north was not further stressed. To my mind it is much the more important subject. Give Dunedin the share of shipping communication that it is fairly entitled to and tho new Post Office must come as a natural result of the increase of trade. I should like to have a definite assurance that New Zealand has a real say in regard to overseas shipping communications and not have to ask favors from men at the other side of tho world.”

Advertisers in the ‘ Evening Star * are notified that, owing te tho great rush of advertisements on Saturday, insertion in that day’s issue cannot be guaranteed unless received early in tho day It is particularly requested that in all cases where it is possible advertisements intended for_ Saturday s issue eliall be handed in on Friday.

For glasses guaranteed to suit eonsult W. V. Stunner, G.A.0.C., D. 6.0.1., 2 Octagon. Dunedin; ’phone 7.s2s.—[Advt.] Seek the answer tor the perfect gift, at Williamson’s, the quality jewellers, 31 Princes street (rest The Bristol). [Advt.j

The Railway Department advertises _in this issue excursion fares in connection with tho Invercargill , Autumn Races on April 6 and 7.

Tho United Starr-Bowkelt Building Society advertises £2,000 for disposal in groups Nqs. 6 and 9, in tho society’s board room this evening, at 8 o’clock. A further 102,000 will be disposed of next week.

There are some wonderfully attractive designs in the new goods at Williamson’s, the jewellers (next Tho Bristol Co.). [Advt.]