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Evening Star, Issue 21823, 12 September 1934, Page 8

A while ago some citizens were talking about the possibility of converting the St. .Clair swimming baths into a tepid pool. For the time being the suggestion went no further than- talk. It is now revived, and something is likely to be done, at any rate to the extent of consulting the experts as to cost and a practical scheme. The city electrical engineer is to bo asked to prepare an estimate as to what expenditure would be necessary to provide an electrical installation to warm the water and as to the cost of supplying the energy during the night hours, when there is plenty to spare—say from 10 p.m. to 7 a.ra. An indispensable work in connection with the scheme is to raise the walling, and the city engineer is to be consulted as to the cost of such an undertaking, which it is supposed would not be very heavy. When those steps are taken and a workable scheme is evolved the whole question will be ripe for laying before the City Council. One cogent argument in its favour is that surf bathing has killed the patronage of the cold pool, and it is believed that if the water were brought to a fair degree of warmth the caretaker would find his ticket selling rushed, not only by persons who desire the luxury, but by the hundreds who know the curative value of salt water at Nature’s lift for the body. The monthly meeting of the South Otago High Schools Board of Governors was held on Monday night, and was attended by Mr Win. Roy (chairman), Mrs White, and Messrs Malcolm, M'Kinlay, Buchanan, Marshall, and Nicolson, ami Miss M'Leod (secretary). The rector’s report was received and routine business attended to. Mr Buchanan moved that a letter of thanks be sent to those persons who had made donations of shrubs and books to the school during the month—Miss Tosh for a donation of books, Mr -1. T. Sinclair, Mr E. Wilson, and Miss E. Mitchell for shrubs, and Whitcombe and Tombs for books. —Balelutha correspondent. Speaking at a function in New Plymouth recently, Mr W. C. Weston, president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, paid a tribute to the manner in which the Bank of New Zealand, and other banking institutions, had assisted the business community during the past five difficult years. New Zealand owed a great debt to the solidity of its banks, he said. The difficult times would have proved even more difficult had not business had such a strong banking system behind it, and had not the banks been so generous in their support. The monthly meeting of the Forbury and St. Clair. Schools’ Dental Clinic Committee was held last evening. During the month of August the total attendance at the clinic was 122. Eight new patients were examined from the Forbury School and forty-eight from St. Clair School. Owing to the large number of children requiring dental treatment, the committee decided at a previous meeting to apply to the Department of Health for the services of an extra nurse. A reply has be<in received from the department that a nurse will be appointed as soon as one is available. The committee, in accordance with the wishes of the respective school committees, decided that the charges at the clinic be as follows: 2s fid for one child per year, 4s for two children of one family per year, and 5s for three or more children of one family per year.

The mayor (Rev. E. T. Cox) has received with grateful thanks a cheque for £IOO for the mayor’s unemployment relief fund from the Community Singing Committee, being _ the second amount of £IOO given this year. The mayor expressed gratification that the sings were more popular than ever, and that the financial results were better this year than in any previous year.

The unemployed roll of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners has been relieved to a slight extent by the Post Office -contracts, on which forty-two men of that trade are now employed, chiefly in making boxes for the concrete. The No. 12 building subsidy scheme has not so far stimulated cottage building in the Dunedin district to the . extent that was hoped for. Mr Lincoln Ellsworth is expected to reach Dunedin by aeroplane to-morrow, -and will make the final preparations tor the departure of the Wyatt Earp for Deception Island. The actual sailing date is not yet decided upon, but it is anticipated that Mr Ellsworth will delay the departure no longer than is necessary. The Wyatt Earp is practically ready for sea now, and could leave at short notice. Invercargill has raised locally a loan of £7,000 at 3) per cent, (says a Press Association telegram). The authorities have not yet been able to arrange a suitable date on which to hold the official opening of the new Waitaki hydro-electric works at Kurow, and it is now anticipated (says a Press Association telegram from Christchurch) that the date when arranged will be later than was at first anticipated. The Minister of Public Works (Mr Bitchner) said last night that the date tentatively suggested, November 3, would clash with Carnival Week in Christchurch. Any such clashing of the arrangements was not desired, so that it was very likely that the ceremony would hav© to be held a little later than early in November. The American game of baseball will soon be played at Port Chalmers by Americans from the Byrd expedition ships Bear of Oakland and Jacob lluppert. Captain R. A. J. English, of the Bear of Oakland, has written to the Mayor of Port Chalmers (Mr J. Watson) for the use of the local recreation ground, the equipment for playing baseball having just been received from the United States. The purpose of the game is to obtain outdoor exercise and sharpen athletic competition in order to keep the men fit. The men are keen for the sport. Sunday would have been the most suitable day, as the men are busy during the week getting the ships ready for the Antarctic, but if Sunday sport was not permissible they would be grateful for the use of the ground on Saturday afternoons. Mr Watson has notified Captain English that the ground will be available for Saturday afternoons provided the ground is dry, and that the first match may be played next Saturday afternoon. Members of the Otago Land Board still find it advisable to assemble in advance of the statutory day for the monthly meeting. There is always a long order paper to place before them. This week the sitting began on Tuesday and will probably be over by tomorrow afternoon. All the members were present, Mr C. N. Kensington in the chair. The business, mostly relating to applications from Crown tenants, raised no question of interest to the general public. Compared with previous seasons oysters have been cheaper this year, a fishmonger told a reporter to-day. The supply has been plentiful, and the oysters have been retailed at 4d a dozen in the shell and fid a dozen opened. This is the last month of the present season. Very small supplies of whitebait have come to hand, with a consequent rise in prices. Tins morning from 3s 9d to 4s 2d per lb were the wholesale values on the market, while the retail price is about 5s per lb. A stupid act of vandalism was perpetrated recently at Chisholm Park, where the driver of a car steered his vehicle off the Tomahawk road and deliberately ran it over a fairly large portion of one of the new “ pitch-and-putt ” golf courses being laid down by the reserves department. Unfortunately the scatter-brained individual responsible chose the course that has already been sown down in grass, and the searing marks of the wheels over at least one of the greens do not make a pleasing picture. The wheel marks can be traced in and out among the trees, but these indications of skilful handling are offset by other tracks which show that the driver nearly came to grief while trvjug to take a turn on the side of the bank. No doubt those who laid down the course will be wishing he had suffered a mishap just serious enough to lead to the disclosure of his identity. Advice has been received from the Hermitage, Mount Cook, that there was a good fall of snow over the weekend. On Monday morning there was seven inches, and ski-ing conditions at the Ball Glacier will be good for some considerable time.

Akaroa —well endowed with scenery and climate. An ideal holiday resort. Make reservations with Booking Bureau, P.O. Box 9. Akaroa.—[Advt.] • . Don’t delay with eye troubles, to give complete satisfaction is the Ideal of W. V. Simmer, Optician, 2 Octagon, Dunpfiin.—fAdvtJ „ , , In connection with the New Zealand crosscountry championships at Wingatui on Saturday next, the Railway Department advertises ' special train arrangements in this issue.