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Evening Star, Issue 21715, 9 May 1934, Page 8

Cyclists from tho secondary schools are a nightmare to motorists and other traffic at lunch time and after school, and their absence on tho roads at the present time is particularly noticeable and welcome. The seriousness of the helter-skelter rush of reckless youths riding down the various hill roads and across busy intersections into the main street at several points at break-neck speed was brought to the attention of tho Otago Motor Club last night by the president (Mr P, W. Breen). During the past eighteen months there had been one fatal accident and another in which a boy had been seriously injured, Mr Breen said, and it was his opinion, that the boys’ parents could assist a' long way toward saving further accidents. The principals of tho Boys’ High and Technical Schools had promised to do their share. Readers who are surfeited with howlers may find food for thought in one of the latest, not a month old, produced in Otago. In an essay on the life and doings of Mr XYZ, a child wrote: “He didn’t have much education, but that didn't matter, for lie got to be the Premier.” In that juvenile mind the “ getting there ” was the all-iinpol’taut aim. Some of our adults who talk or write about educational methods seem to have probed no deeper into tho subject. “ I am absolutely delighted at the amount of business 1 have done during my stay here,” a traveller from Auckland remarked in reply to a question from a Southland ‘ Times ’ reporter. “As a matter of fact, I have extended my stay to nearly double that which I had intended, and this is all the better considering that I represent a line which men do not usually take up during times of depression. I would say that Invercargill and Dunedin are perhaps tho soundest cities in the dominion to-day.” Further purchases of end-of-season outputs of cheese are reported by Wright, Stephenson, and Co. Ltd., which was bought at 5d a lb, f.0.b., from the following factories:—Grove Bush, Hokonui, Wyndham, Otamita, Balfour, Waikaka, and Seaward Downs. —Southland ‘ Times.’

The most recent addition to the historical section of the Otago Early Settlers’ Museum is an oil painting of Dunedin in its infancy, when the dwellings numbered about a dozen and cabbage trees stood on the site afterwards chosen for Hanover street. The picture was painted by the late Mr Peter Power in 1862. It is a large canvas (sft Gin long), vividly painted and setting forth faithfully the characteristics of New Zealand in its primitive appearance. _ It will be treasured. Mrs Sydney Haigh, the donor, is entitled to the thanks of the public for placing such an interesting picture where it can be seen by citizens and visitors, Tire committee of the society welcomes all such mementoes that are worth while, as this is. It desires to obtain as many historical papers and relics of the early settlement as the owners are willing to bestow, and they may accept the committee’s assurance that in the strong room and elsewhere there is safe custody of any rare documents. Allotting three months to each of the four seasons, the astronomical winter in New Zealand began on Monday of this week. The . calculation is simple. June 22 is the shortest day, and six and a-half weeks before the shortest day and six and a-half weeks after it constitute the three months during which we see the least of the sun. That dividing of time relates, of course, only to light and darkness, but that is the chief consideration in the temperate zones. As regards temperature and broken weather, the winter is often projected into early spring. Such a happening this year need not disturb New Zealanders. We have had a touch of real wintry weather in the autumn now expired, and though it has been unpleasant and caused money loss, it has not proved disastrous.

Should his business merit the patronage of a varied class of customer, the observant tradesman has an everyday opportunity of placing lus hand on the pulse of life and noting its different beats. What must have been a most unusual experience, yet one not entirely without its pleasant features, was met with yesterday by a city tobacconist, who has surely discovered a new angle of viewing human Mature. A well-dressed young lady wont into his shop, purchased some cigarettes, and completed the transaction in the usual manner by paying for them. Then, “ Thank you, dear,” from the young lady, who blushed, turned, and hurriedly departed from the scene of her unconscious indiscretion. It was a i’artlnan shot,'and one whose humour was not lost on the tobacconist.

At a brief sitting of the Police Court tills morning, over which Mr J. If. Bartholomew, S.M., presided, a first offender for drunkenness was fined 12s (id, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. A statutory first offender, lOdward Daniel Kennedy, was lined 10s, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. Uu the opening clay of the shooting season the men who selected the south end of Bake Waihola had disappointing experiences with the ducks, the best bag counting only three. At the north end of the lake a few of the sports, but voiy few, got the limit. An example of the extraordinary luck with which some people are blessed is revealed in the following story:—During one race week a local resident, wpo at 0 the time was twenty years of age and the sole support of his mother, met a knowing tipster who gave him two “ certainties.” Being anxious to mane some easy money, lie went straight to the course from work with his wages, and put 30s on each of the two “ sure winners.” One ran third, the other nowhere. The fortune-seeker then ;e----membered with dismay that he had no money left with which to buy the list of goods Ins mother wanted. However, the unexpected came to the rescue. When he was passing an hotel on Ins way home he was suddenly confronted liv’a young man of Irish descent to whom he had lent £2 about three years previously. “ I have been looking for you all the afternoon,” declared his friend, as lie pulled out a roll of notes and handed over £2, with one extra for interest—thus unwittingly providing the exact compensation that was required to make good the racing loss. A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that the GovernorGeneral (Lord Bledisloe), as chairman of the Waitangi National Trust Board, has received from the trustees of the will of Mr Robert Cunningham Bruce, of Hunterville, a generous donation of £250 to be appropriated to afforestation on the Waitangi estate with trees, plants, and shrubs indigenous to New Zealand. Dunedin evidently lias a reputation in the North Island as well as in the South for expert and artistic stained-glass work. Several such orders, specially those relating to memorials for church windows, have been executed of late by Mr R. H. Fraser. The latest is from the Rathbone family, of Waipawa, in Hawke’s Bay, and this production, a large and specially-valuable specimen of art craft, is now in the Rattray street studio, waiting to be packed on shipment this week. ,lt is in memory of William and Lissic Rathbone, and is to bo mounted in St. Peter’s Church at Waipawa. The central subject depicts the Gospel story of Christ blessing the children. This panel is 10ft high and 3ft wide. The lancet to the left, showing the Madonna and the child, measures Bft by 2ft 6in, and its companion lancet to the right, of the same size, is a representation of the Good Shepherd. A wealth of tracery surmounts the subjects. Several clergymen and critics have seen this window, and they all admire it lor its effective grouping, its chaste colouring, and the knowledge and skill that mark the-whole production, a particular point for commendation being that the colours do not run riot but are really harmonious. "‘Ninety per cent, of the motor accidents nowadays are caused through absolute carelessness,” declared Mr 1. W. Breen (president) at last night s meeting of the Otago Motor Club. Speed, ho said, was at the bottom of most of the accidents, although, strangely enough, a fast driver was usually not a careless one. That in an waited for the wide open road before he opened the throttle of his engine. Nothing, except the state of the roads, then needed to worry him, but within borough limits the speed regulations must bo observed. It was the disregard of such cautions that was responsible for the greatest number of present-day accidents. An injunction to restrain Harold William Frost, a dentist, of Wellington, from carrying on The practice of his profession in the city except on behalf of Frosts Ltd., more commonly known as Frost and Frost, was sought in a case' commenced in the Supreme Court before Mr Justice Heed yesterday Ihe ground of the action was that ifrost was a director of Frosts Ltd., winch he denied, and that his position thereby precluded him from entering into competition with the other two directors of the company, Gordon Frederick Harkness and Charles Frederick Cooper. The case was not completed when the court rose, and the hearing was adjourned sine die.

Kemal Pasha, now Dictator of Turkey, who was one of the leaders of the Turkish army at Auzac, sent the following Anzae Day message to Melbourne on Anzae Day:—“The landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, and the lighting which took place on the peninsula, will never be forgotten. They showed to the world the heroism of all those who shed their blood there. How heartrending for their nations were the losses that this struggle caused." Kemal Pasha, then Mustapha Kemal Bey, achieved a military reputation during the lighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the day of the landing he was in command of the 19th Turkish Division, and led the counter-attack against the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. A proposal that may lead to a different policy being adopted in the conducting of future Anzae Day services in schools was tabled at last night’s executive meeting of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. Throughout the years, the danger of speakers presenting conflicting views during their addresses has made a change of policy desirable. It was decided to forward a remit, recommending a change, to the next annual conference. A heavy order paper for this month’s meeting of the Otago Land Board necessitated an early meeting once more, members assembling yesterday and sitting again to-day with no hope of finishing until to-morrow or perhaps Friday. All were present, Mr .Kensington in the chair. The business was nearly all in committee. The next National Horticultural Show is to be held in Dunedin—the second time our city has bad the honour. The date is the last week in January. Already the preliminaries are being arranged. The whole of the Town Hall is booked. Representatives from all parts of New Zealand will be present. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Plorticultural Society, the conference of reserves superintendents, the conference of the Horticultural Traders’ Association are amongst the fixtures appertaining to this show, and the Banks lecture is to be delivered by an Otago man, Mr John Thomson. The first meeting of the committee is called for to-morrow evening at the Early Settlers’ Hall, where the Dunedin'Show is being held.

The through express from Invorcarcrill was thirteen minutes late in reaching Dunedin to-day, being delayed by the down mail train at Lovell’s Flat and unfortunately missing the exchange of the tablet at Henley, which necessitated pulling the train _ up. The through express from Christchurch tonight'is expected to ho about threequarters of an hour laic in reaching llmipdin. as it was delayed by Hie steamer express from Wellington.

To receive two calls for assistance from dismasted sailing vessels was the unusual experience of the motor vessel Taranaki, which arrived this morning from London. The first call was from a French three-masted brigantine north of the Azores. It was a coincidence that a short time before the Taranaki had passed within a quarter of a mile of this vessel in order to comply with her master’s request for his position to be signalled to him. The second call was from a schooner to the west of Panama, but as another vessel was standing by the Taranaki did not go to her assistance. In connection with, the centenary of the birth of William Morris, poet and art designer, who did much for the improvement of domestic decoration, a very line display is at present being made in the New Zealand room at the Public Library, and will be open for inspection for the next month. Much interest has been given to the exhibition by the loan by Miss Joachim of a very fine bowl designed and glazed by William De Morgan for Morris, and a large plaque of dragon design and two tiles, also with dragon design, by De Morgan. Miss Joachim has also lent some interesting examples of William Morris fabrics, and has presented the library with an autographed letter from William Morris and one from William Do Morgan. A set of William Morris works is also being replaced in the lending room. The City Fire Brigade attended a tire in Bcid road at 5.40 p.m. yesterday. No damage was done.