Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 19549, 6 May 1927, Page 6

Fines ranging from £2O to £0 were inflicted by Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Police Court, Christchurch, yesterday, upon over twenty men whoso names had been found upon the books of Alfred Vivian Whitta, a bookmaker whose premises in Cathedral square were raided by detectives on March 16 'The raid on the promises of Whitta has returned a handsome profit to the State. Whitta was fined £4OO, and twenty-four of those clients who had lodged bets were fined sums which represented an aggregate of £235. Twenty-two defendants were each required to pay 10s costs, and two £1 each. So far, therefore, the fines and costs total £648. As several hundred persons are likely to appear before the magistrate for betting with Whitta, there are also further gains in prospect to swell the Consolidated Fund. — Christchurch correspondent.

The proposed standing committees.of the Green Island Borough Council for the term 1927-29 arc ns follow Finanoe: Councillors R. S. Knight (chairman), P. O. Smellie, J. Passmore, H. A. Christie. Works; Councillors G. A. Orange (chairman), J. G. Lindsay, A. Logie, W. T. Smellie, P. T. Chalmers. Water and Lighting: Councillors H. A. Christie (chairman), R. S. Knijsht, W. T. Smellie, P. T. Chalmers. Cemetery and Reserves: Councillors J. Passmore (chairman), P. O. Smellie, J. G. Lindsay, A. Logie, G. A. Orange. Sanitary: Councillors ot Finance and Works Committees. Confirmation of these committees will be considered at Monday’s meeting of the council.

The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board is again making arrangements to deliver single carcases of prime Isew Zealand lamb to addresses in the United Kingdom, not merely during the Christmas and Easter seasons, but pn any date desired by the donors. Up to the present date no • fewer than 10.000 lambs have been delivered under this arrangement, the lambs going to all parts of the Old Country, and finding their way into the tiniest villages and hamlets—places where New Zealand frozen- lamb has hitherto been unknown—thereby continually creating new customers for Now Zealand pro4uc©«

At about 7 o’clock last evening there was a very tine display of the Aurora Australis. Of a greenish yellow color, it was reminiscent of a distant searchlight display. .

A Wellington Association message states that the recount of Hospital Board votes displaced Mrs Semple in favor of Mr Vino, an old member, leaving onl> one Labor representative on the board

The ; appointment of Dr Kidson as Director of the Meteorological Office is in conformity.with the recommendations of the Council of Scientific Research. The office will be provided with more up-to-date equipment, and the number of stations supplying data will be increased, especially outside New Zealand. The department will collect data of value to hydro-electric systems, farmers and fruitgrowers. The present meteorologist, Mr Bates, will devote specie] attention to the preparation from past records of publications on the climatology of New Zealand.—Press Association.

Onr report of the deputation to the Minister yesterday on the question of the now Post Office recorded Mr T. K. Sidey as saying that they had been told on a previous occasion “ that instructions had been given to the Public Works Department to discontinue its preparations for the new Post Office.” What he did say was that ‘ ‘no instructions,” etc. The Southern Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Union Executive discussed the preference clause in favor of returned sol-’ diers in regard to land ballots, and decided to support the resolution of the Hawke’s Bay Provincial Executive asking the Minister of Lands to remove the existing restrictions so that the sons of settlers may participate in ballots for land on an equal footing with returned soldiers or anyone else. It was also decided that representations be made to the department to have the ballots held in January and February instead of in the spring, Dannovirkc Press Association telegram .

Fifty pupils of the Otago Girls’ High School went this morning for one of the Mount Cook Motor Company’s excursions to the Hermitage, and they were to be joined up the line by twenty pupils of the Palmerston District High School. The party is to return on Monday. It-will be the last of the Mount Cook school excursions until after _ the term holidays. The scheme, as inaugurated and carried on by Mr P. W. Wigley, manager of the Mount Cook Company, has been well supported by public and private schools, and all who have participated speak highly of the -educational value of the trip. Mr W. B. M'Ewan, who has charge of the Dunedin Public Library, received papers tin’s morning which enable him to complete the file of ‘The British Worker,’ which was published in the interests of the Labor Party during tbe recent coal strike in Great Britain. As the file of ‘ The British Gazette ’ is also complete, those who would like to know both sides of the question may now learn what arguments were employed by each party. Our Public Library is kept well up to date in the world’s current subjects. , As the loan money allotted for water-works extension at Oamaru is not all expended, Mr F. J. Williams, the engineer, _is _ instructed to spend about £1,500 in increasing the supply to those outlying portions of the district where more pressure is desired, and that work is now going on. The sewerage scheme will not bo finished for at least another twelve months. It has and still is giving employment to local men who would otherwise bo out of work, so Oamaru is in the happy position of having no unemployed problem.

From all the information available about tbe Wembley organ that is to be altered to suit the Dunedin Town Hall, it is a very fine four-manual instrument, and our city is fortunate in being able to got it. Dr Meale is the organist who played it. The alterations necessary will not affect the basic structure, of the instrument nor lower its musical value. They will be in the direction of reducing its tonal strength, since nobody wants to be deafened, and in suiting it to the smaller space available. Probably some of the stops of each manual will have to be shifted to new positions so as to fit in. All such matters will be dealt with in the specifications now to be drawn up by the builders and forwarded to Dunedin. In any case, the. indications are that this organ will surpass the Auckland organ and rank as the best in New Zealand.

Several tilings about the Forbury Trotting Club’s races yesterday are of interest to a much-wider set of readers than those who attended. It will please many to learn that .Mr H. Brinkman, tho handicanper, a man known in business as well as sport, has made a good recovery from the malaria! fever that laid him low, and was able to bo present. Another matter for congratulation is that Mr C. H. Caffin, in charge of. the secretarial duties for the first time, showed a complete command of his work and got through tho thousand and one details without fuss or flurry. All sorts of nice things were said, too, about the condition of the track that Mr George Mason attends to so well under the direction of Mr James Mitchell, chairman of the Works Committee. Visitors were pleased to find the going so good. In a friendly way some of the visitors also said something also, making therein a suggestion to pass on to the club, and that is, that if the racing days were Friday and Saturday, instead of Thursday and Saturday, the attendance from country districts and neighboring provinces would bo doubled.

On a charge of discharging a firearm in a public place at Waitati on April 17, George Coxon pleaded guilty when brought before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., at tho Port Chalmers Court this morning. Coxon, from a seat in Station road, had fired a pearifle while people were about on Sunday morning. He was convicted and fined 10s and costs (12s 6d).

For glasses guaranteed to suit consult W. V, Stunner, G.A.0.C., D. 5.0.1., 2 Octagon, Dunedin; ’phono 7,525. —[Advt.] A copy of the first i«uio of tho ‘Weekly Press’ m a new form is to hand. The object of tho proprietors is to turn out. a magazine rather than a newspaper. The illustrations, as usual, form a record of current events.

Tho wceklv danco of tho O.L.R.C. will bo held in the Trades Hall on Saturday night. Good floor a%’d music. Supper. Note special price.

Tho Square Deal euchre tournament on Saturday evening in the South Dunedin Town Hall. Heating arrangements have .been made for the comfort of patrons.