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Evening Star, Issue 21890, 29 November 1934, Page 10

’ The Otago Art Society’s annual exhibition, which has been the subject of very favourable comment during the past two or three weeks, will be closed this evening. Tne display, which may be seen in the Pioneer Hall, comprises oil and water colours, etchings, photography, black and white sketches, architectural drawings, and craftwork, and the standard is a high one, artists from all parts of the dominion being represented as well as local painters. The following sales are reported ‘ Flower Bunch,’ by Kathleen Salmond; ‘The Pumpkin Bin,’ by Hilda Wiseman.

Bathfers who are not good swimmers court danger if they attempt to go heyond their depth in one of the now popular inflated lifebelts, especially if the tide is receding. Trouble of this nature occurred at the St. Clair Beach yesterday afternoon, a youth with one of the lifebelts being swept into deep water, . and carried with the current toward St. Kilda. A well-known swimmer dashed into the surf, and rescued the lad abreast of the piles, and in the course of the rescue the swimmer was required to assist another young man through the breakers to ' shallower water.

Regarding school libraries, the Carnegie report which has just been published says that efforts should be made to improve the libraries of primary, secondary, and technical schools and to establish small permament collections of reference books of value to pupils and masters. Improved financial provision should be made by the Educational Department with this object in view, by increasing the grants or subsidies for the purchase of. books and better More co-operation between library and school authorities is advised. Most elementary schools, the report adds, have collections of books which only by courtesy could be called libraries, the stocks having been badly selected, poorly 1 housed, and in bad, physical condition. The exceptions were those in the schools at Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin, where the public library authorities had provided classroom libraries, starting with the third standard, in most cases. and continuing into the sixth standard. The co-opera-, tion of school and library had resulted in the provision of more suitable books than were to be found in the usual school collections, and their condition was ■ immeasurably better. Unfortunately, the greater - share’of the cost of providing the books and staff had fallen on the libraries’ budget, and this was hardly fair to the libraries which had such 'inadequate funds for their ordinary needs. A marked preference was shown by the trade for shorn sheep during the sale at Burnside yesterday afternoon. Prime and light wethers decreased in Paine to the extent of Is, but the medium classes made about last week’s rates. Medium woolly ewes were hard to dispose of, consequently the drop in values amounted to about 2s 6d or 3s. When the last three races were reached the attendance had thinned considerably, and the few butchers present competed only for choice lots. On restricted limits, graziers operated for light wethers, and many of the sheep were passed.' Medium and light lambs were a little cheaper than at the last sale, ranging in value from below 20s to 29s 3d. A pen of well-bred four and five-year-old steers in the store cattle section sold from £5 3s to £6 7s, while two-year-olds made from £3 Is to £3 19a.. The Carnegie report on the dominion libraries makes recommendations for the training of librarians and suggests that the salaries paid to librarians in the dominion -are far too low. The remuneration of librarians in New Zealand was small in comparison with other brandies of municipal and Government undertakings, and with librarians in Britain and the United States. The chief librarians of the four main centres deserved greater remuneration for their services, and other officers in these libraries should be paid more. That mummy wheat can be satisfactorily grown in Dunedin is proved by Mr G. F. A. Stuckey. Last autumn he imported from England a parcel of the seed grown from wheat found in an Indian tomb, propagated by the Indian Government, and thus introduced commercially. This seed, sown in Mr Stuckey’s garden in Valpy street, St. Clair, has produced a crop now 6ft high, full of ears that are not only in the heads, but well down the stalks, these ears nearly twice the size of ordinary wheat and bearded like barley. This faultless result is not brought about by special treatment. _ The soil is not peculiarly treated. Evidently the plants are quite happy under ordinary conditions. The experiment is not in the nature of a plaything. Tbe Indian Government, after practical trials, affirms that ibis mummy wheat produces flour that makes good bread. i Mr H. L. Dolamore, general manager New Zealand Paper Mills'Ltd., was at Mataura yesterday, and reports that Mr W. M’Lellan, contractor for tbe construction of an addition to the mill by providing housing for the new machine now on its way from England, has finished the foundation work and is now going on with the structure. The new machine is a Walmsley M.G. (machine glazing). A second contract let by the same owners to Denis O’Connell and Co. is to build an addition to the finishing room, and that work is expected to be completed next week.

With only one representative in the United States, New Zealand cannot be said to be striving to attract tourists, a trade which, all agree, could bo developed immensely. However, Mr John W. Collins, who was so well known when he was attached to the Department of Industries and Commerce, is apparently doing good work. “ Last. night I attended a moving picture display of the wonderful beauties of your country, conducted in the Oakland Hotel by Mr Collins,” writes a Californian to a Dunedin business man. “If my health and strength remain as now, I shall surely waste no time in coming to New Zealand.” When the Dunedin citizen and the Californian first met in the inn at Johnsville, an old mining town in the mountains of California, the American said: “Tell me something about New Zealand. Is it not up Nova Scotia way? ” The tourist had an opening to boost his own country and Mr Collins has now succeeded in further stimulating the Californian’s desire to visit New Zealand. The latest innovation on the part of the Railway • Department is the decision to despatch a train from Dunedin for Invercargill, commencing on Sunday next, each Sunday at 5.30 pan., arriving at Invercargill at 10.3. , Dunedin people wishing to visit Invercargill during the week-end can do so by catching the through express for the south on Saturday afternoon and returning by the night train on Sunday, but Invercargill people who may wish to visit Dunedin for the week-end have not been so fortunate in the past. While they have been able to travel to Dunedin by the afternoon train, time table arrangements did not permit of their returning before Monday morning. The Sunday train to Invercargill will meet this want.

A grass fire on the railway embankment at Hillside caused the brigade to turn out at 4.30 yesterday afternoon, while at 1.44 the South Dunedin and Green Island machines attended to a rubbish lire at Burnside. .There was no damage in either case. The anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers on the coast of Massachusetts in 1620 was celebrated today by the companies of the Byrd ships, Jacob Ruppert and Bear of Oakland. A close holiday was observed, and this morning a baseball gape was played between teams from the two vessels at Logan Park. At mid-day the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner of roast turkey was served, turkeys being the first game found by the Pilgrims in the new land.

The exhibition of European porcelain in the Willi Eels wing of the Otago University Museum is attracting a continual stream of interested visitors, all of whom are greatly impressed by the remarkably high quality of the material available from local collections. The display, which largely reveals the Dresden (Meissen factory) influence on European porcelain, does not, of course, represent all .the fine porcelain to be found in Dunedin, but the discriminating visitor must agree that the specimens on view are very worthy ones. A case of modern Copenhagen ware alone is well worth a visit, while there is much to be admired in the English material over_ a century old and in the ironstone China and Wedgewood factory ware. The exhibition will remain open till December 13. Some months ago the Otago University Museum added to its collections the greater part of a canoe found below water level in a taro canal in Mauke (Cook Island group). Mr Drury Low, through whom this curio was secured, has now written stating that the missing pieces have. been located and will be forwarded to Dunedin, thus enabling the museum to show a complete canoe .hull of stone-age times. It is interesting to note that there are not more than two or three of these in existence.

On two or three occasions recently there has been some delay in disposing of the fat cattle at the Burnside sales, resulting in succeeding sales—fat lambs and fat sheep—being particularly late in commencing. It is the intention of the brokers to overcome this difficulty from next Wednesday, as in the lamb sale is to start at 11 a.m., irrespective of whether or not the cattle sale has finished.

With water of a temperature mild for Dunedin and a pleasant atmosphere conditions for bathing have been delightful during the past few days, and large numbers of people, young and old, have enjoyed the benefits of a dip in the surf on the Ocean Beach or in the St. Clair baths. Many experienced swimmers are of opinion that the water in the baths is warmer than it has been for some years, there being an absence of the chill that sometimes makes a swim there more of a penance than a pleasure. From about 6 o’clock till 8 there is a constant stream of bathers making their way to the sea these mornings, people coming from some distance as well as local residents to enjoy a plunge.

• A comedy in “ co-ordination,” staged by departments of the municipality, is entertaining Mornington residents. The bank at tbe junction of the Queen’s Drive and Eglington road, where the cable car crosses, was cut down recently by the Works Department to improve the view of motorists. Entered the Tramways Department with a gang of carpenters. It shifted the old shelter shed to the very spot, again blocking the view. The question is whether tbe erection is merely a shed or a shelter shed. It faces right into the coldest and fiercest wind and the users have to keep standing to watch the approach of the down cars. The Milford track for tourists and holiday-makers is to be open this season as from Saturday of this week, and promises to bo freely made use of. The first party that has booked accommodation through the Dunedin office of the Tourist Department comes from the north, and consists of overseas visitors who will start at once.. The tour occupies ten days. The conveyance is by train, motor bus, and steam launch to Glade House, and the rest of the way to the Milford hostel is the walk that is described as “ the finest in the world.” The total cost is £l4 13s 4d first class and £l4 2s 6d second class, the difference being in the classes on the railway part of the tour. The charges are virtually the same as in previous seasons, a few shillings less by reason of the reduction in the railway rates.'

A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held this morning, the commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presiding, to consider the Otago timber and saw-mill employees’ dispute, the assessors for the employees’ union being Messrs F. Johns, W. Murie, and C. A. Lucas, Mr J. Robinson acting as agent. Tbe employers’ assessors were Messrs J. Kay, F. B. Carter, and A. J. Allen, Mr A. S. Cookson being the agent. The principal claim in the demands sought a restoration of the wages and conditions that operated prior to 1932, the increase asked for approximating 10 per cent, all round. As no settlement had been readied at tbe luncheon adjournment it was decided that the parties confer during the interval, so that an agreement could be completed this afternoon. The employers admitted that there was now more business available, but that the prices would not permit them to pay higher wages, whilst the union representatives intimated that they could not agree - to accept the old rates.

“ Tbe defendant is a well-known wool buyer and a reputable citizen,” said Mr J. M. Paterson in the Police Court today, when applying for an adjournment till Wednesday next of a charge iagamst a man of being intoxicated while m charge of a car on the Portobello toad. The adjournment was granted by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. and defendant s name was suppressed until the facts are gone into, the defendant not to drive a car in the meantime.

Suddenly seized with a spirit of hilarity, all hands in and around the big graving dock at Port Chalmers downed tools or other implements of duty at 11 o’clock this morning. The “ strikers ” hurried across to the sheerlegs and the dockhead, gazed_ very earnestly down the harbour for a little, and then, becoming more or less excited, called and shouted like a crowd on a racecourse. But it was a case of boat racing, not horse racing. The steamer Cornwall, at present in dock, has two racing whalers, in which the cadets train and race. The first race was officers versus stewards, the chief officer (Mr H. E. Hopkins) coxing the officers’ crew and the chief baker (Mr L. Bache) the stewards’ crew.. The officers won by two lengths, with nothing of a walkover about it. _ The next race was even more interesting. It was the cadets . port watch versus starboard watch. The cadets showed they could handle an oaf well, and they made the racing whalers skim along very speedily. The port watch (Mr E. P. Posgate, cox) won, but was hard pressed by the starboard watch, with Mr B. T. Ainley at the tiller. The_ winning .boat had a slight advantage, in that it was more out of the adverse tidal current than the other.

A warning regarding the indiscriminate use of hoses in domestic gardens has been sounded from the Town Hall. The city engineer (Mr J. G. Alexander) told an ‘Evening gtar ’ reporter this morning that, although there was still plenty of water in the storage reservoirs, the daily draw-off during the past few days had been enormous, and it was known that hoses had been largely responsible. ' The position was that, when an abnormal quantity of water was drawn off, there was insufficient pressure to supply some of the higher levels, and, as a result of the present policy of over-liberal hosing, residents in Hunt street, Anderson’s Bay, had been without any water this morning. The public are reminded that hosing is illegal) It appears, therefore, that unless more care is taken with the city’s water supply restrictive measures will be introduced by means* of the law. That the Port Chalmers ship repairers retain their old skill has been demonstrated in the case of the big overseas liner Cornwall, which went into dry dock yesterday to have a defective tail shaft replaced by a new one. It meant the removal of the eight-ton propeller from the old tail shaft and fitting it on the new one. This morning at 9 o’clock the propeller had been fitted on the new shaft, and the finishing touches of cement applied to the huge nut which screws on to the end of the seven and a-half-ton ■ tail shaft to hold the propeller in place. The fitting of the inboard end of the tail shaft to the rest of the shaft remained to be done. Such fitting occasionally takes some time, because it has to be very accurately effected, and the confined space within a ship’s shaft tunnel is the antithesis or a machine shop. The Cornwall is expected to come out of dock to-morrow and sail for Wellington. Officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers of the Southern Command of the Permanent Force assembled to-day at Waikouaiti for a refresher course to last till December 13, Colonel Nichqlls in command. The Dunedin contingent travelling by the mail train consisted of Major Mead, Captains ■ Satterthwaite and Johnson, Staff Sergeant-Majors. Fitzgerald, MTvenzie, and Kerr. The Southland contingent, under Lieutenant Moore, cam© up by the express and went on in the same train. Sergeant-major Little, with them'. Wilful destruction of Government (or any other) property is a very serious offence, and the young larrikins at Tomahawk who have viciously attacked the Domain Board’s by-laws which were displayed on sign posts at Smaill’s Beach and at the lagoon bridge, would be well advised! to keep this in mind. According to a Domain Board representative, the signpost at Smaill’s Beach has been uprooted and thrown aside, while the glass case on the other post has been broken and the copy of the by-laws torn to shreds.

Don't delay with eye troubles; thejr lead to other troubles. See the optician without delay. To give satisfaction is. the ideal of W. V. Stunner, optician, 2 Octagon, Dunedin. —TAdvt.» The annual sale of work of St. Andrew Street Church of Christ will be opened on Saturday at 2.45 by Pastor W. D. More. Young and Anderson, George street, food specialists, stock specially matured Tinned Cheese, treated under scientific conditions.— [Advt.]