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Evening Star, Issue 21135, 22 June 1932, Page 6

1 A justifiable false alarm from tho Public Hall at Green Island resulted in tho City Fire Brigade turning out at ■5.42 p.m. yesterday.

The Commercial Travellers’ Association is making arrangements to stage a big cash, food, and clothes drive on July 9. This time all the goods collected will be stored in the various district depots instead of in a central depot at the wharf as in previous years. The quest for cash is to be heralded by tho forwarding of envelopes to householders, and both goods and cash will be picked up under the same efficient system that was in operation formerly. An application to have Robert Schofield Haworth, storekeeper, of Dunedin, declared a bankrupt came before the Supreme Court to-day, the petitioning creditor being Messrs J. Rattray and Son Ltd. On the application of counsel for the debtor His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy adjourned tho case till July 6, there being no objection to the adjournment by counsel on the other side.

A series of severe storms have passed over North Taranaki in the past few days. An exceptionally severe thunderstorm in Fitzroy (a suburb of New Plymouth) on Monday night put twenty-four telephones in one area out of action. A resident said that the lightning seemed to “ jab down out of the sky with a blinding flash, followed by deafening peals of thunder.” Heavy rains over the province occurred at intervals, and very heavy seas Lave been experienced on the coast.

The Auckland Hospital Board, even with certain further cuts in expenditure, expects to finish the year with a deficit of over £20,000. Members of the board yesterday expressed their strongest objection to any propsed further reductions in the wages of nurses. The board decided definitely to disclaim responsibility for all employable men after June 30.—Press Association.

Reporting to the monthly meeting of the University Council yesterday afternoon, the Finance Committee stated that a letter had been received from the Minister of Finance stating that special arrangements might be made to meet the financial position of the University. He asked that the statement of accounts for last year bo forwarded, together with a copy of the programme for the current year setting out the estimated position and particulars of economies effected. This matter was referred to the special committee set up to deal with the letter from the Director of Education.—The council adopted the report.

In the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington yesterday (says a Press Association telegram) Michael Dodd, a seaman, aged thirty-four, was fined £2 for attempting to deliver half a tin of tobacco and a packet of cigarette papers to a prisoner at the Mount Crawford Prison. He was seen to throw a tin containing tobacco and papers at the feet of a gang of prisoners.

Allen Patchett, a member of the Diomede’s crew, had a narrow escape from death last evening (says a Press Association telegram from Hastings). H© was knocked off a motor cycle by a rake of trucks at a level crossing. The shunting official signalled danger to an approaching car, which stopped, and Patchett shot out from behind it on to the line. The brake handle of the first truck threw the cyclist and the machine across the line. The cycle acted as a cowcatcher, and Patchett was rolled over and over for about 40ft before the trucks were stopped. He escaped without any injury whatever. The machine was badly damaged. The Dean of the Dental Faculty yesterday informed the University Council that tho value of the free work already undertaken at the Dental School during tho current year to the end of May amounted to £702 18s 6d. “This is very much in excess of what it was last year,” commented the Chancellor (Sir Thomas Sidey).

Despite the mild weather of the past week the Kawarau remains at a remarkably low level (says the Cromwell * Argus ’). Some of the miners have been fossicking along tho banks, in ono or two cases with good results. One man’s return included a 6dwt nugget, and another of 3dwt. while in onethird of an ounce won by another in a day was a 3dwt nugget.

Upon the suggestion of tho superintendent, the Dunedin Fire Board decided at its monthly meeting yesterday to prosecute the next person who has a fire caused through hot ashes being placed in a combustible 1 container within a building and standing on a wooden floor or near woodwork. The superintendent reported that through this cause there had been fifteen fires within the last two years, and since the beginning of May last year there had been two. He believed that the attention of the council should be drawn to tho number of ash containers in use which did not comply with the by-law. It was a common occurrence for the brigade to find a fire having been caused through ashes being placed m a wooden or cardboard box. “ It seems absurd to think that some people have not the brains to know how they flirt with danger when they do such a thing,” said one member of the board “ They are guilty of criminal negligence, which may involve at some time serious loss of life. We should make an example of tho next culprit.” Ten degrees of frost were registered at the Oamaru Public Gardens on Monday morning. This is the heaviest experienced there this year (says the ; North Otago Times’). In replying to the good wishes expressed to him at the meeting of the University Council yesterday prior to his departure for Wellington to join the Pensions Board, Dr W. Marshall Macdonald said there had been some criticism of tho constitution of the council, the criticism being levelled at the representation of the various bodies, and it had been suggested that the council should be nominated entirely by the Court of Convocation. While he had been inclined to think that the council was an unwieldy body, he was entirely disillusioned on joining it, and had come to admire the work done by the representatives of various bodies. He would like to point out that the franchise for the election of the governing body of F.dinburgh University, one of t!ic oldest universities in the Umpire, mis very similar to that of Otago Cnivorsity. In his concluding remarks Dr Macdonald stressed the fact that the University Council, far from taking up any hostile attitude towards the students, was always friendly towards them.

A grocery shop, post office, and a six-roomed dwelling and store rooms, all attached, at Highbank, owned and occupied by Sir A. E. Orchard, were practically gutted by fire last night. The owner, his wife, and son escaped in their night attire. A sum of money and postal notes were saved, but everything else was destroyed. Tho buildings and stock were insured in the National Office. The owner estimates his loss at £7oo.—Ashburton Press Association.

The extent to which stringent reductions have been effected in the current year’s expenditure on reading works is reflected in the reading allocations made by the Main Highways Board for Wellington province. The preliminary allocations for the province have been set down for 1932-33 at £93,000, compared with £173,000 for the previous year, a decrease of £BO,OOO. —Press Association. The Southern Hemisphere was before daybreak this morning at its annual turning point, furthest from the sun, and is now definitely tilting towards that source of light and heat. In other words, this was the shortest day of tho year in New Zealand. Measured by the sunlight, therefore, this is midwinter. What we have just come through is not necessarily the colder half. The old proverb tells us that “as the day lengthens the cold strengthens," and that is the usual experience, but every day for six months the sun is above the horizon for a little longer, and that is the dominant factor in our temperate climate. How does it come about that from the time when dependable observations were taken until now there is no diminution of the sun’s energy, though continuously dissipated through tho universe? In one of Sir Robert Ball’s works, ‘ The Story of tho Heavens,’ there is a chapter on that subject treating tho question from the popular point of view in his day. Advice received by the latest mail by a Dunedin firm from its Melbourne office is that building has received a decided fillip in Victoria since the elections. The tone is now optimistic, and it seemed that Australia was definitely on tho up grade towards prosperity. The building and allied trades are perhaps the most embracing of industrial trades, and the amount of construction is always an index of the buoyancy and prosperity of any community.

“ The effect of the Minister of Employment’s announcement that rural districts arc to be placed on the same scale of relief as the cities is that the rural unemployed will receive about 10s weekly above the present relief,” said Mr A. E. Ansell, M.P., to a ‘ Star ’ reporter to-day. The Minister’s announcement was particularly pleasing to Mr Ansell, who, since the close of the emergency session, has been continually pressing for further relief to the country district unemployed. Motorists who use Stafford street are thankful to the works department for the most efficient and serviceable way in which the Melville street crossing has been improved. A similar work which could be profitably noted by the city engineer for carrying out when funds are available is the improving of the Carroll and Melville street junctions. Several divorce cases came before His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court to-day. Application was made for a decree nisi to be made absolute in the case of Doris Lena M'Diarmid (petitioner) v, Duncan Robinson M'Diarmid (respondent). Both parties were represented by counsel, and it was stated that an agreement had not been reached with respect to the question of access to the children by the respondent. His- Honour made the decree absolute, and said he would give his decision regarding the custody of the children on Friday morning. A decree nisi was made absolute in the case of Harold Herbert Hastie (petitioner) v. Winifred Montgomery Hastie (respondent) , custody of the child of the marriage being granted to petitioner and respondent being allowed access on terms agreed upon. The Mount Roskill Road Board, which controls a large district, received the resignations of its clerk and assistant clerk, who have had ten years’ and seven years’ service respectively. No reason was given. The clerk said ho did not wish to make his reasons public at the present time. The chairman said the resignations came as a bombshell. He had nothing but praise for both men’s work. Possibly there had been differences between the officers and certain members of the board.—Auckland Press Association.

A meeting of the Tramway Employees’ Union, held yesterday, considered the terms of the Tramway Board for an agreement to replace the one that recently expired, and it was finally decided to counter the claim for a renewal of the present wages and conditions. One slight amendment is to be sought, the men desiring the minimum hours for a fortnight’s work to be reduced from ninety-six to eightyeight. The present wage schedule, the old rates, less 1 per cent., will be submitted in preference to the board’s proposal that a fixed basic rate should bo paid. A conference between the parties will be held to-morrow. —Christchurch Press Association.

Allegations of defects in the exterior of bricks used two years ago in the erection of a block of buildings at the Star of tho Sea Convent at Howick were made in a case heard by Mr Justice Herdman. It was stated that the bricks were flaking so badly with tho weather that there was no remedy but to pull the whole wall down and rebuild. Dr Liston, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, is the plaintiff in tho action to recover £1,275 from H. R. Jenkins, J. B. Crawford, and W. H. Waterhouse, formerly trading as the Drury Brick and Tile Company. That amount represented the cost of pulling down and repairing the wall. It was alleged that the bricks supplied by the defendants were not suitable nor reasonably fit for the purpose of exterior facing bricks. Plaintiff’s counsel said he would consider whether it was necessary for him to call Bishop Liston before he closed his case. —Auckland correspondent.