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Evening Star, Issue 20362, 19 December 1929, Page 14

To-day is the jubilee of the foundation of the Press Association of New Zealand. The conference at which it was formed was held at Timaru on December 19, 1879. Those present were Messrs G. Fenwick (‘ Otago Daily Times.’ Dunedin), who was• chairman, the Hon, W. Reeves (' Lyttelton Time?’ and ‘Star,’ Christchurch), Messrs A. G. Horton (‘ New Zealand Herald,’ Auckland), H. Brett (‘ Star.' Auckland), H. Blundell (‘Post,’ Wellington), A. G. Fraser (‘Morning Herald, 1 Dunedin), J. W. Jago (‘Star’ Dunedin), and H. Bellield (,‘ Herald,' Timaru). The association started with forty-eight members. In commemoration of the first meeting the jubilee meeting of the association is again to be held at Timaru on February 2D next.—Press Association,

As the premises of retailers will be open late on Christmas JSve and New Year’s Eve there will be no late shopping night on either Friday, December 27, or Friday, January 3. The idea of arranging the time-table of a certain portion of the city’s tramway system so that the Normanby cars would establish a connection with the Ho wo street cars at Howe street, and so give people living in the north end a chance to disembark right at the railway station was introduced by Cr Begg at last night’s meeting of the City Council. The chairman of the Tramways Committee (Cr Scott) said that it was not always possible to keep such a connection accurately to the minute. As things were, however, tho George street cars at certain times ran every two minutes—or at the longest every five minutes—and the Howe street service was every ten minutes at tho longest. Therefore bandy connections wore available almost at any time during the day. However, he would submit the matter to the tramway manager and see what could be done. Sales of the charity stamp in aid of the fund have been disappointing to Wellington so far (advises our correspondent). Post Office advice is that the first day the stamp was on tho market it sold fairly well. The two succeeding days, however, failed to produce more than one-quarter of the revenue derived on the first day. Probably if the sales drop off tho stamp will be removed from sale some time next month. News is to hand that tho stamp is considered well enough produced to bo taken up by philatelists, and this means no inconsiderable thing in revenue, as a new stamp is estimated to bo worth between £2,000 and £3.000 from sales to collectors alone. This money, however, takes a long time to come in, and it is doubtful if it will be practicable to credit the fund with the whole of the amount received from collectors. It is not generally known that the total of Jd on each stamp is nob credited to the anti-tuberculosis fund. The authorising section of the Finance Act last session laid it down that tho expenses of designing and ■printing tho stamp were to be a charge against the fund. The total of these is uncertain, as supplies of tho stamp are being printed progressively as they are needed, consequent upon the closing down of tho department of the Government Printing Office, which deals with stamp {irnduction until the New Year. In any event the experiment will be, repeated, differently designed. stamps being issued each year. Next year the design will bo forwarded from England, and there will not bo such need for hurry to get the stamp upon the market. In addition, the supplies will be available a full month earlier to catch. English Christmas mails.

. The Post Office advises., that the Malieno left Melbourne on Tuesday for Wellington with fifteen hags of mail and three parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail should reach here on .Tuesday; gestj, , '

In moving tho adoption of the report of tho Gas Committee at the meeting of the City Council last night, Cr Marlow said that some little time ago the committee had some diffidence as to tho coal supplies, but he was glad to say that supplies were coming to hand steadily, and there was nothing to fear for sometime to come.

Following tho.downward trend of tho dairy produce market. London buyers have again reduced their rate of advances on both butter and cheese as from yesterday, according to a cable received by Messrs Leonard and Son (Auckland) from their London principal, Mr A. 'G. Rowson. The reductions will be from Is 3k! to la 3d for butter, and from Sd to 7£d for cheese.—Special correspondent. John Henry Tolmie. was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment by His Honour Mr Justice Adams. Tolinie pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving stolen, goods, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. The prisoner had admitted receiving stolen cigarettes from some boys.—Christchurch Press Association telegram. In the Police Court this morning, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Robert Cockburn was charged with being an idle and disorderly person in that he had insufficient lawful means of support. He pleaded guilty. Senior Sergeant Quarterrnain said that the accused was found at 6.30 this morning in tho backyard of business promises in Manor place, and was just leaving a workshop, when a constable spoke to him. Ho had done no work for three months, and had only a shilling in his possession. The police would like a little time to inquire into his antecedents, and the senior sergeant asked for a remand til! Monday, which was granted. Murrayficld .Settlement, two sections of which were balloted for at Dunedin yesterday afternoon, is one of tho properties purchased by the Government for closer settlement, situated near the Rockford Settlement, which was previously balloted for, both being parts of the original Clydovale estate, and firstclass improved land. J. Deaker, who drew section No. 1, comes from Ladbrook, CanterburyC. S. Lawson, who won section 2, belongs to Dunedin. Two other settlements that were acquired about the same time will probably be balloted for in February or March. These are the Tapanui settlement of nine sections, within two miles and a-quarter ,qf Tapanui township, and tho Rosebery Settlement of about fifteen sections, hear Oamaru, all firstclass land, suitable for dairying, sheep fattenfhg, and cropping. Tho fat lamb sale at Burnside yesterday was very satisfactory for any of good quality, but inferior lambs were hard to sell. Best sorts sold up to fljd per lb; light And plain quality, Bj,d. Fat cattle wore firm at. last week’s prices, prime bullocks bringing up' to 54s per 1001 b; light-weights were 52s 6d per 1001 b.

Grass-in owing is becoming such a very weighty duty that the Reserves Committee's staff cannot relax. At this time of year it is necessary, if the reserves are to bo kept tidy, to put the mower over them every week, and what that means in labour may bo guessed by private lawn-keepers when they are told that the total area to be thus dealt with in Dunedin is about 100 acres. Without the power machines to reinforce the horse machines and the hand mowers the present staff could not manage at all. In this showery weather the cutting is specially laborious. The following additional subscriptions have been received by the Hospital Board for its Christmas cheer fund:— G. R. Talboys (Lawrence), £3 3s: J. Speight and Co., Ltd., £3 3s; D. Harris Hastings, ss.

At Auckland, Mr Cutten, S.M., granted three applications by Presbyterians for exemption from military service on their agreeing to perform alternative service in Presbyterian orphanages. Two brothers, John ami Neil Dougal, refused this alternative. " If you refuse alternative service your applications will he refused,” .said the magistrate. “ That settles the matter.’’—Press Association. The first visit.of an overseas liner to Tolnga Bay (Gisborne's was made today, when the steamer Bencruachan called to load 2,600 bales of wool tor London, the loading of the fighters being facilitated by the new wharf recently opened by the Minister of Marine. An official welcome was tendered to the captain by the chairman and members of the Harbour Board. Although 200 were engaged! there was a shortage of labour on the waterfront at Gisborne to-day, with live coastal vessels and a Homo liner loading and discharging. Members of the crows of some of the vessels and a number of schoolboys were employed to supplement the ordinary labour.'—Press Association.

Reductions in charges estimated to total £15,880 a year were agreed to at last night’s meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board on the recommendation of the Special Committee set up gome time ago to go into that question. The annual saving to importers ami exporters, chiefly shippers of wool, dairy produce, and fruit, is calculated at £11,517, while shpowners will benefit to the extent of £4,363 a year. The new tariffs will operate from April 1. 1930.

A youth, Dick Vercoe, disappeared from Mr Stanley White’s station at Waingako a week ago, and has not since beceu seen, though a search has been made of the neighbouring country by the police and friends. Further search .parties are going out.—Gisborne Association message.

The reference in yesterday’s paper to the wreck of the Tarnrua brings to mind a pathetic incident that was at the time passed over with bare mention. When the Prince Rupert's boat brought to the steamer Hawea the survivors whom the ketch Lad rescued during the night, the ‘ Star ’ reporter commenced to gather their stories, and was closely engaged with one man at the moment when a ship’s grating with a baby on it was fished out of the wreckage that was floating about. The passenger and the reporter lifted the grating aboard the Hawea, carried it aft, and were covering the dead infant with a flag when the man recognised the poor mite as his own. Ifo mastered his feelings and wished to go on with his narrative, but the position was too painful, and the pressman left him, pursuing his inquiries amongst the others. . The baby had been securely tied with string to the grating —the mother’s last desperate chance of saving the child when death was staring her in the face. “ I’ve been twenty-two years in the service, and never knew of such a Christmas box as wo are getting this year. The manager of the Regent Theatre has invited all our motormen, gripmen, and conductors for any date except Saturday between the 17th and 24th inst., each man to bring a lady with him. Counting each ticket as for two, that means approximately 600 of us, and the compliment is extended in a nice way, lor the manager is not shoving us as a body into the cheapest seats.” Tims a member of the Dunedin tramways staff made Ins acknowledgement in the course of a conversation' yesterday, and lie added that the men appreciated the favour verv highly*