Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 19522, 1 April 1927, Page 4

As an appreciation of the strenuous work of tho tramway traffic employees and tho car examiners during the Duke of York’s visit, particularly on the Friday, arrangements are being made by the tramway department to give those ■workers and their wives a free trip to Waipori in the corporation motor buses.

Through tho Commissioner of Police, tho superintendents at Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin have received from H.R.H. tho Duke of York a tiepin, the accompanying letter describing the gift as a memento of the Royal visit, and in appreciation of the good services rendered by the recipients and the officers under them during tho stay of the Duke. Twelve new applicants for work left their names witii the Dunedin office of the Labor Department yesterday, two of them carpenters, three engineers, seven laborers. This present total of unemployed on theTiooks of this lice 166. about the average of the past month or two. A couple of weeks ago there were 220. Three of the houses erected by tho City Council at Parkside have been sold for cash, and four remain unsold. The Finance Committee recommends that these be now sold on the instalment basis, the applicants to provide a deposit of not less than £IOO, tho balance to bo paid by instalments at the rate of per cent. The holding of a motor car agency is not just now a sure moans of enrichment in New Zealand. Up north several men in that line have had to endure severe disappointments, and that experience is now befalling others in tho south to a certain degree. _ It is' said that a condition commonly imposed by American exporters, that the agent must take so many cars in a given time, and more in a period ahead, is found very oppressive in practice, seeing that with a limited population such ns ours is every sale reduces the selling field. If there is any consolation to be found in the present situation it is that the trouble will automatically cure itself, not only by compelling exporters to relax tho uncommercial stipulation referred tOj but also by bringing about a restriction of tho wretched time-pay-ment system which is at the root of much of tho trouble. The rumors about the streets need not cause alarm, in Otago, at any rate. Our business methods generally are on sound principles. If in any quarters there is vexation, or even anxiety, the position will be faced and some readjusting remedy applied. In the meantime rumors of “ receiver in ” and the like have not spared one of the most stable of traders, and may be dismissed ns baseless and absurd.

One day last week a phenomenon was witnessed by those people who were in the vicinity of the coast, in the form of a huge waterspout, which occurred in P.itt Strait, reports g Chatham Islands correspondent. It is nearly thirteen years since the last spouts occurred, practically in the same vicinity. The weather on the day of tho second phenomenon was sultry and the sky overcast, with heavy black clouds. The question of the site for tho crematorium has been further investigated and suggested sites visited by tho Reserves Committee of tho City Council. It has now been decided that the building be erected on a suitable area of land within the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery area at a point on the eastern side of the Cemetery road about six chains distant from the sexton’s dwelling. On the authority already granted by tho council the committee has given instructions to invite separate tenders for the erection of the necessary building and the provision of the incinerating furnace.

Mr Robert Lee informed us yesterday afternoon, and tho news just caught the town edition, that he had received advice from London that all arrears of wages owing to the miners at Kaitangata are a first charge on the purchase money to he received from the new company. This means that as soon as this company is floated the miners will be paid in full all money owing to them. Further inquiry this morning reveals the exact amount of the wages involved, £4,570, due to about 300 men, prior to the date that the English coraEany went out of existence in Decemer last, when Mr Leo was appointed receiver. There never has been any doubt about the wages since then, Mr Lee likewise states that the mine is being kept in first-class order, its condition being better than at any time during the past twenty-five years. Coal is being drawn out for the boilers and a few trucks now and again for other maintenance purposes.

A thrilling experience befell the four occupants of the 42ft launch Venture, which was dashed to pieces on the rocky coast off Cleveland on March 20. The crow reached shore with great difficulty in a severe stem. The owners, Messrs Benson, Conway, and Alderton, and die latter's son, reached Auckland yesterday idler recovering the. engine, which, with the boat and gear, was valued at £1,400. Press Association.

The Water Committee of the City Council^ reports that authority hasbeeii given to the city engineer to proceed with tho laying of fifteen chains of 6in water main in Wickliffe street, at an estimated cost of £405. The main is required to provide fire protection and general service to the British Imperial Oil Company’s tanks which are boing_erected on the reclaimed land in tho vicinity. Ultimately the main will form portion of the ordinary reticulation of the reclaimed area.

At the weekly meeting of the British Immigrants’ Club the following tele* gram was read, seut from the Renown:—“The Duke and Duchess of York- cordially thank yourself and members of the British _ Immigrants’ Club for good wishes, which they much appreciate.” Now that the staff of the District Railways Engineer ''Mr C. Eenzoni) has got through the urgent job of setting out tho leconstruction scheme at Hillside Workshops—builders are at work on the foundations of 'die new buildings—attention is being directed to another very important undertaking —namely, the big overbridge that is designed to carry traffic across the railway yard and lines at a point between Frederick and Hanover streets, thus giving direct access frem tho heart of the cily to the Otago Harbor Board’s reclamation area and the foreshore. The City Corporation has steadily gone on with the deposit of material for the ramps, and preparation* are now made for a start almost at onco with tho concrete formation of the bridge. The Works Committee of the Dunedin Drainage Board reports that Mr Robert Foster, who was given an opportunity to appear before the board and state his objections to the board’s proposal to lay sewer and storm-water drainage pipes through his property in Elm row in accordance with plans prepared by the drainage engineer, has written intimating that he is unable to attend the board meeting and advancing various reasons why, from his point of view, tho proposed works should not be proceeded with. Mr Foster’s letter and a report hv tho drainage engineer have been carefully considered, and tho committee is of tho opinion that it would not bo advisable to deviate the lines of the proposed sewers to any other route. The committee thcrcloro recommends that authority be granted to proceed with tho prooosed works within Mr Foster’s property. These will involve the laying of sewerage and storm-water pipes in a single trench, tho work being part of a schemo for serving a considerable area in the neighborhood._ The _ estimated cost is £707, whereas if the lines of the drains were deviated to conform to Mr Foster’s wishes tho cost would be increased to £9OO.

The building trade is about normal just now, though there are a few carpenters waiting engagement. Prospects for tho coming winter are fair, according to the secretary of tho Carpenters’ Union (Mr C. B. Hunt), who does not think many men will bo out of work in the trade during tho winter. Several big jobs are in hand, and carpenters are drawing slightly more than tho award rate.

At the annual meeting of the Otago Labor Representation Committee last night, over which Mr A. Morison presided. the following officers were elected for tho ensuing year-President, Mr M. Silverstone; vice-president, Mr S. W. Gasper; secretary, Mr W. W. Batchelor; treasurer, Mr A. J. Rice; committee—bliss Egan, Messrs T. Jones, A. J. Morison, J. Robinson, and J. Saunders; auditors, Messrs J, Saunders and J. Robinson.

The drainage engineer has been instructed to proceed with the construction of a 6in sower and a 6in stormwater line on the western side of the Town Hall building, and a 6in sewer on the eastern side of the same building, together with a Dipstone manhole on tho existing 18in pipe to be used for storm water, at an estimated cost of £322 10s. These sewers are required for the drainage of the new Town Hall building, and tho cost will bo chargeable to the City Council. Terms of six months’ imprisonment were imposed by Mr Page, S.M., today on four men charged with having stolen three tarpaulins, a roll of canvas, and three drums of paint of tho total value of £34, the property of tho Union Steamship Company (says a Wellington Press Association telegram). The accused were Percy Richard Green, aged 42, a greengrocer; Percy Edmondson, forty, a seaman; William M'Kay, fortyrfive, a laborer; and James Whitelaw, thirty-seven, a laborer. Tho foods were part of the stores of tho laheno, which is laid up. Edmondson was niglitwatchman on tho vessel, and Green took his motor lorry down to the vessel and removed the goods. Green and Edmondson were further charged with the theft of two drums of paint and a drum of oil valued at £lO, a week later. On this charge they were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, to run concurrent with the previous sentence. Advice has been received by the Otago Labor Representation Committee that the Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland, M.P.) will make a tour of the dominion, and will deliver an address at Dunedin on May 18. About March 5 a thief or thieves entered the factory of Messrs M'Callum and Co.’s joinery factory and stole tools to the value of about £lO. The matter was reported to the police, who quickly got to work, with the result that the tools were recovered in a sec-ond-hand dealer’s shop within a very short time, possession of them being obtained yesterday by the secretary of the Carpenters’ Union (Mr C. E. Hunt), who was able to deliver them to the rightful owners “We have about thirty certificated teachers, in addition to ninety exTraining College students, who are not in permanent appointments, hut the majority are employed in relieving positions,” said Mr A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, when shown a Dunedin telegram stating that ninety teachers were out of work. “ Many ex-trainees, mostly women, won’ accept appointments outside the city or suburbs, there being a decided objection to country service, this increasing tho difficulty of placing them in permanent appointments.” Mr Burns said the position did not cause him uneasiness, as it was in the hands of the Education Department, which could, if necessary, regulate the number of students taken into the Training College, so that the matter would adjust itself. —Auckland correspondent.

A motor cycle owned by Mr S. Gillan, of 74 Glasgow street, caught fire last evening through the engine back-firing, and the tyres and wiring of the machine suffered. Mr R. Gillan, who tried to smother the flames before the firemen arrived, was burned on both hands. Members of the South Dunedin Brigade attended to his injuries. The war sloop Veronica departed yesterday for Timaru and other northern ports in continuation of a lengthy cruise. Under the gaze of a fairly big assembly of citizens she was turned in the steamer basin by tho tug Dunedin, then she nosed down channel in sunshine. Just prior to sailing time the mavor (Mr H. L. Tapley, C.M.G., M.P.) made his final call on Commander De Sails and his officers, and expressed tho pleasure it -had been to have the Veronica and her crew visit this port. Commander De Salis voiced thanks for the hospitality that was extended to his officers, crew, and himself, and tho opinion that the visit had been most enjoyable. Tho Veronica, which reached Timaru this morning, stays a few days at tho South Canterbury port, then proceeds to Lyttelton, Picton, Nelson, Wellington, and Auckland. A Wellington Press Association telegram states that tho automatic telephone installations are proceeding steadily throughout the dominion. The work at Stratford will be completed on Saturday night, and the whole town will be on tho new system on Sunday. Dannevirke will be completed in about a month, and Dunedin is expected to have the service some time in May.

Advertisers in the ‘ Evening Star ’ are notified that, owing to the great rush of advertisements on Saturday, insertion in that day's issue cannot be guaranteed unless received early in the day It is particularly requested that in all cases where it is possible advertisements intended for Saturday's issue shall be handed in on Friday. For glasses guaranteed to suit consult W. V. Sturmer, G.A.0.C., D. 5.0.1., 2 Octagon, Dunedin; 'phone 7.s2s.—[Advt.] A meeting of residents, ex-pupils, and exteachors of the Cavershara School has been called for next Tuesday evening, the object being the raising of the required funds for the erection of memorial gates at the new school. Already about half the sum required is in hand, donations having been received from ex-pupils and others at the time of the school jubilee functions. The usual weekly dance of the O.L.R.C. will be held in the Trades Hall on Saturday night. Good floor and music. Supper. Note special price. Outram sports will be held on Saturday, April 2, at 11.30 a.rn,, not Saturday, 22nd, as advertised last night. See advertisement in this issue.