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Evening Star, Issue 21073, 9 April 1932, Page 12

The steamer Wainui, expected at Dunedin from Melbourne about Tuesday of next week, is bringing a consignment of Victoria oranges that will meet with ready sale if they are good, for in this line the market has been so starved of late that Californians have realised wholesale 15s and upwards per case from 150 to 175. By the same vessel the local market will also be refreshed as to Mildura dried and canned fruits, the stocks of which are pretty well depleted. The prices of these goods are quite firm, the Victorian producers realising that their fruits are wanted. As to the Eastern products that the Wainui has under hatches there is neither a slump nor an advance, the market being quite steady. One of our provision merchants said to-day, replying to ,i question,’ that according to his experience there was clear evidence of a desire on the part of traders in a small way to reconstruct their business on safe lines and face the necessity for meeting obligations. During the past quarter Ids book debts have given him less anxiety than usual. The Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association to-day received the following telegr*pi from headquarters, Wellington: —“ Press statements of reductions in pensions incorrect. Full details will be forwarded as soon as possible.’’ “ We regret to say that during the year we have had frequent changes of teachers, due to various causes,” says the annual report of the George Street School Committee. “ Both Mr Patterson and Miss Brown retired on superannuation; then prominent among other “shifts” were Mr J. M. Wilson and Mr C. Miller. Wo very much regretted losing both of these teachers; but so long as the Education Act remains in the elastic state which allows teachers to shift so frequently as it at present does blame cannot fairly be attached to teachers, who naturally seek promotion. But for the sake of the scholars—and these surely have some right in the matter—it cannot be beyond the ingenuity of man to devise an equitable system whereby justice will. bo done both to teacher and pupils without incurring these frequent changes. These are not conducive to the best education of the children.”

An audacious and mysterious attempt to rob tho strong room of the Petone Post Office this morning was only frustrated by the timely arrival at work of ono of the employees named Cooper shortly before 6 o’clock. Hearing scuffling and the back window being opened, he called a constable who was across the road. The two made a thorough search of the locality without finding tho intruder. The postmaster, Mr J. A. Louisson, sleeps above the office, and when he was aroused it was discovered that his coat, waistcoat, and trousers were lying in the passage outside his room. The keys of tho strong room had been taken from his trousers’ pocket and the strong room was open, but although it contained a considerable amount of money nothing was missing but the keys. The thief had apparently been disturbed before he had time to take anything.—Wellington Press Association. The winner of the £I,OOO second prizo in the New South Wales State lottery is K. C. Grant, a single man, who arrived in Auckland five years ago from Wanganui, and has lately been on relief work. Another man in Auckland has ’a share in his ticket.—Press Association,

At the Papanui egg-laying competition just completed Mr A. C. Goodlet’s (Kaikorai) White Leghorn, being the champion hen, won the J. Shaw Memorial Challenge Shield with 300 eggs in fifty-two weeks. There is still considerable movement in stock on the Lawrence-Roxburgh branch railway line. “A special” of twenty-five trucks of sheep ran to Balclutha on Wednesday night, consigned to the Finegand works, and yesterday afternoon two engines drew thirty-six trucks to the same destination. Stock consignments on the branch line have been big features during the last few months, —Lawrence correspondent. In the Police Court yesterday afternoon Arthur William Foster pleaded not guilty to a charge of wilfully damaging a battery to the extent of £1 ss. George Bennett, an assistant at Barnett’s Radio Supplies, said that on the evening of March 5 he was assisting in the relay of music from an unemployment relief dance. The equipment, among which was a battery, was supplied by Mr Barnett. After the dance, shortly after midnight, the equipment was moved to the footpath prior to being conveyed to the shop. Witness saw a tall man wearing a leather coat walk up to the battery, lift it up, and throw it into the gutter. Witness complained to a constable and pointed out the man. The defendant denied having even seen the battery. He added that when Constable Wooclward approached him he did not understand what the constable was talking about. He admitted that he had been wearing a leather coat. John Ernest M'Carthy said that on the night in question he attended the dance. Coming out with the crowd he stumbled over a battery two or three feet from the kerb. He picked it up and placed it gently in the gutter. The magistrate said that he had no reasonable doubt that the defendant was the man who had picked up the battery and dropped it. The witness M'Carthy might have desired to help a friend, but he had been foolish to give evidence as ho had done. The defendant would be ordered to make good the damage, and would bo fined 20s.

Recently Mrs Orpah Jones-Neilson, president of the Empire Settlement League, wrote to the Prime Minister (Hon. G. W. Forbes) asking for information as to what benefits, if any, the British immigrants received in the recent legislation regarding the Hawke’s Bay earthquake disaster. The Priipe Minister has replied stating that provision was made from the relief fund for persons injured and the dependents of persons injured and killed who were in need of assistance for their maintenance. All those requiring assistance were provided for without any inquiry as to whether they were immigrants or otherwise. Consequently applications from British immigrants were considered in the same way as those from other persons. An unusual complaint was made in the House of Representatives last night, when Mr Kyle, rising to a point of order, declared that Mr Lee (Labour member for Grey Lynn) had not risen as required by the Standing Orders when the message was received from the Governor transmitting the draft of the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill. Mr Speaker asked Mr Lee whether he had risen, and Mr Lee replied that he bad not. “ I was just getting up when I met other members coming down,” he explained. Mr Speaker said all that was necessary was to draw the attention of the member to the point. “ A silly complaint,” murmured Labour members. Mr Speaker; Order! Order! —Wellington correspondent. At the Police Court this morning Alfred Bernard Wiley was charged with disobedience of a maintenance order, the arrears to January 15 amounting to £lßl. Sub-inspector Cameron said that the defendant had been arrested in Christchurch a few days ago and remanded to Dunedin. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., who was on the bench, remanded the defendant until Monday.

Mr Ibbetson draws attention to the fact that any motor vehicle advertising to carry passengers for separate fares'over a defined route is a passenger service vehicle within the meaning of the Transport Licensing Act has to be licensed. Persons carrying on passenger services within the definition of the Act without a license are liable to a fine of £IOO and a further fine of £lO for each day the offence is committed. Yesterday the Otago A. and P. Society received from Mrs Andrew Cunningham (Paeroa, Auckland) a handsome shield which was won by her late husband when manager of the Wyndham Dairy Factory in 1903. Mrs Cunningham, wishing to perpetuate her husband’s memory, has offered this valuable shield for competition at the Winter Show. This shield was originally presented by the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Co. for competition in the butter section, and it has been arranged that the Andrew Cunningham Shield be offered to the factory manager gaining the highest number of points for one box of factory butter, most suitable for export. The Otago A. and P. Society will also offer a gold medal to the successful competitor. Now that the erection of the necessary plant and equipment has been completed at Wetherstones and certain tests made of the mining equipment, a start is going to be made with the actual mining of the lower strata and carrying out of preparatory work in connection with the big main drive. This preparatory work, it is anticipated, will take from six to eight weeks. Mr C. Medley, who has come to take charge of the operations by Industries Limited, reports that prior to leaving Auckland he visited the vyorkshops of the Vulcan Steel Construction Co. Ltd., where the gradline excavator is being manufactured for Nokomai. Exceptionally good progress has been made, considering the shortness of time since the letting of the contract. The winch frame is actually made, and the main structural sections are at present going through the mill. Orders have been placed for the special raw material, consisting largely of alloy steels; also the large machine-cut gears are on order from Britain. Mr Medley is satisfied with the exceptional progress being made, and is certain that the machine will be delivered up to contract time. The Dunedin Glee Singers, a party of ten, gave their first public performances at the 4YA station last night and thoroughly answered expectations, their singing of ‘ Oft in the Stilly Night ’ and other unaccompanied part songs being characterised by precision, expression, and tone-blending. Two automatic false alarms were registered ftt the Central Fire Station this morning. The first was at 9.29 and was to a stock mill in the Kaikorai Valley, while the other was at 10.54 to Messrs Gregg and Company’s factory. Sixty-eight men and eleven officers of the 10th and 16th Batteries, Canterbury Territorials, came to Dunedin this morning from Matarae, where they have been encamped for a week, and went on for Christchurch by the 11.35 express. Captain J. M. Mitchell was in charge of the 10th and Captain H. W. Blake of the 16th. Good weather was experienced and the work of the camp, which included live shell practice, went |on without interruption or mishap.

The annual report of the George Street School Committee indicates that only a very small percentage of the children absent themselves from the Bible teaching classes, which are held for half an hour each Wednesday morning. The report states;—“The Bible-toaching staff consists of Revs. T. Miller (convener), W. Hardy Johnston, P. B. Fraser, and Commandant Glancefield (Salvation Army), with six young lady students from the Women’s Training Institute. We are pleased to say that at present wo are well supplied with Bible class teachers, and one and all take a live interest in their work. On behalf of the parents we tender to them our sincere thanks for their labour of love and for the sacrifice which they make in attending to the religious requirements of our pupils. As we have already indicated, this labour is appreciated by the parents by seeing that the children attend punctually and regularly. The Scripture is taught in the broadest . sense, and no narrow ‘ isms ’ are foierated.” Many cottage gardeners in and around Dunedin—men who make gardening their hobby and a source of profit, inasmuch as they _ grow their own vegetables—are reporting to one another as to uncommonly abundant crops of potatoes recently dug. The extra yield this season is very welcome to all who find a need for economising in household expenditure, since, largely owing to the drought in Canterbury, the supplies from that province are much shorter than usual, with the result that potatoes have advanced 1 in the wholesale marts by probably 25 per cent, during the past month, and threatens to rise to a higher value. Green stuff, on the other hand, is very cheap, not at all remunerative to growers. Sacks of eighteen cauliflowers were selling in the wholesale rooms this week at 2s and less.

Cr John Wilson, chairman of the Tramways Committee, says that the traffic on the Dunedin cars has not so far improved to any appreciable extent, but that with the economies in .j expenditure the next balance-sheet will show that the ordinary time-table service has been carried on without loss, though the department will not Ido able, to contribute anything to the general account. The falhng-off m revenue seems to be partly caused not by the daily use of the cars by business and work people, but by the nonuse of the cars after business hours, citizens who go out of an evening electing to walk and save their pennies. Special and Sunday cars are also not bringing in so much as they once did. The economising in expenditure is not being allowed to interfere with the upkeep of the rolling stock. All the cars are maintained in thorotxgh repair.

On Wednesday, when the news reached Auckland of the death of Phar Lap, the mayor (Mr G. W. Hutchison) sent a cablegram to the part-owner, Mr Davis, asking whether it would be possible for the head of the horse to be sent to Auckland to be placed in the War Memorial Museum alongside that of Carbine. No reply has yet been received by Mr Hutchison, but he stated this morning that he had noticed a suggestion that the head be placed in the Dominion Museum at Wellington. Mr Hutchison proposes to approach the council of the Auckland Institute with the request that it should allow Carbine’s head to be exhibited with that of Phar Lap in the four chief centres.—Auckland correspondent. The postal authorities advise that the Zealandia and Marama left Sydney on Friday for Wellington and Auckland respectively. The former has sixteen bags of mail and sixteen parcel receptacles for Dunedin and the latter three bags and one parcel receptacle. > The Zealandia’s mail is due here on Wednesday, and that by the Marama on Thursday. The Wainui left Melbourne on Wednesday for Bluff with sixtyeight bags of English and Australian mail and six parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail is due at the local office on Monday evening.

Minimum fines of £25 each were imposed on two Chinese, Wong Chang and Yang Chong, who , pleaded guilty to being found in the possession of prepared opium, suitable for smoking.— Rotorua Press Association.

Notifications of Sunday services »• enumerated below appear in our Sunday services advertising columns: —Anglican: at. Paul’s Cathedral, All Saints’, St. Peter». Presbyterian: First Church, Knox Church, St Andrew’s, South Dunedin, Chalmers, Musselburgh, St. Stephen’s. . Methodist: Trinity, Central Mission, Mornington, Boslyn, Cargill Eoad, St. Kilda, Caversham, Dundas street. Baptist: Hanover Street, Caversham, North-east Valley, Mornington. South Dunedin, Roslyir shine. Congregational: Moray Place United. Church of Christ: St. Andrew street, Bpslyn, North-east Valley, South Dunedin, Filleul street, York Place Hall, Playfair Street Hall, Salvation Army .Christian Science, Theosophical Society, Spiritualists, Orange Hall.

This evening a Grand Carnival Dance will be held in the Portobello Hall, when Dade’s Premier Dance Band will supply the music. There will be “lucky spot ) prizes. Admission will be Is fid. A printer s error occurred in last night’s notice regarding the price of admission. The Mayfair Club’s dances are always popular. Particulars as to to-night s and Monday’s dances are advertised. Nowhere in the city is to be found such a fine dancing floor and luxurious appointments as the Concert Chamber, and Palais Dansant is always well rewarded each Saturday night, for the dancing programme and music supplied. To-night’s dance commences at 8.

An advertisement appears in this issue reminding householders that written nominations of persons to serve upon school committees for the ensuing year close at 8 p.m. on Monday next. Where tho average attendance for 1931 did not exceed 240, nominations may also be made by word of mouth at the anuual meeting on April 18.

Sava your eyes. Bo wise and consult W. V. Stumer (optician, 2 Octagon), thus conserving good vision for old age. [Aivt. | Gold wanted in largo or small quantities; bring your old jewellery along, valued by expert jewellers and highest prices given.—Ferguson Ltd., jewellers, 45 George street. —[Advt.]