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Evening Star, Issue 22630, 23 April 1937, Page 8

The Electric Power and Lighting Committee of the City Council states that the report of the consulting engineers on the progress of work in connection with the Waipori pressure tunnel for the week ended 3rd inst. shows that a further 54ft of steel pipe lining were placed and concreted up during the week, making a total of 1,082 ft, The quantity of concrete placed during the week was 59 cubic yards, and the contractors had 15 men employed.

In pursuance of Fuller-Hayward’s policy of maintaining their theatres on the most modern lines, extensive alternations have again been effected at the Strand. Not only is this theatre being completely redecorated, but its acoustical properties are being improved by the substitution of a special wall board for curtains and other fittings similarly improved upon. Entirely new seating accommodation has been provided in the dress circle, while in connection with the decorations, the proscenium arch has been substantially altered, while the lighting fittings follow the most modern trend. New cloak room accommodation has been provided adjacent to the landing leading to the circle, while the installation of grilles in the rear wall of the stalls floor should further improve the ventilation. Mp H. J. Drey feldt, of Wellington, has been supervising the decorations, with Messrs Wood and M'Cormack as the chief contractors.

The Tramways Committee of the CityCouncil recommends that the issue of passes for returned soldiers injured in their means of locomotion be renewed for a further year on the usual conditions. These conditions provide for the issue of 100 free passes. The case of each applicant _ is investigated by the Returned Soldiers’ Association, which furnishes the department with a certificate in the case of each person recommended for the receipt of a pass.

The case in which Robert Stanley Stuckey (Balclutha) claimed damages amounting to £4O 15s from the Crystal Ice Cream Company Ltd., resulting from a motor accident which occurred near Waihola, was continued in the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., yesterday afternoon. Mr !B. A. Quelch appeared for the plaintiff and Mr C. J. Mowat for tho defendant. The driver of the van, John Leonard James, stated that tho plaintiff’s car struck the van just behind the front axle. Sydney Smiley, a passenger in the van, and- James Thornton Brown and Care Henke, both residents near the spot where the accident occurred, also gave evidence on behalf of the defence. The magistrate said that in View of the evidence of the witnesses Henke and Thornton as to the position of the vehicles after the collision, the evidence of the witnesses of the plaintiff could not be relied on. Judgment must therefore be given for the defendant, with costs (£1 ss) and witnesses’ expenses (£2 15s).

A grant of £2 10s to the Tramways Association Football Club as a contribution towards the charge for the use of the club’s playing area is recommended by the Tramways Committee.

The postal authorities advise that tho air mail despatched from Dunedin on March 30 reached London on April 19. The tramway "manager’s statement of the traffic returns for the 10 days ended April 10 shotfs an increase 7 of £967 in the receipts for the period as compared with the corresponding period of last year. It is to be noted that the period under review did not include the Easter holidays this year, whereas it did include such holidays last year. The Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) announced yesterday that the Department had decided upon an .important change in the issue of season tickets at half rates which are now restricted to young people in employment _up to the age of 21 years. This_ will be extended (says a Press Association telegram) to include all young people up to 21 years, whether they are in employment or not. The present apprentice season tickets issued at half rates constitute 15 per cent, of the total suburban passenger traffic at other than ordinary fares.

Authority has been given by the Gas Committee of the City Council for extending the gas mains to the Liberton Township, Pine Hill, where the Government proposes to erect dwellings under its housing scheme. The estimated cost of installing the mains as far as this township is £250, and tenders have been called for a supply of the necessary Sin and 4in pipes for the purpose. Despite the rain and cold, ladies were out early this morning in the city and suburbs to offer poppies for sale as part of the annual appeal of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association. Brisk business was done, and before long most pedestrians were wearing on their coats the scarlet emblem of remembrance. A house-to-house canvas was carried out in tho suburbs during the morning, and poppy emblems were sold in the schools. The sale will close at 6 p.m., and arrangements have been made for the counting of the returns this evening.

Authority has been granted by the Gas Committee of the City .Council for the purchase of a small motor car for the use of the complaints department. This has been rendered necessary owing to a rearrangement of the duties of this department. ' ‘ , “ The whole thing is far-fetched and ridiculous,” said the chairman (Mr J. Rodman) at the monthly meeting of the Waitaki County Council to-day when consideration was given to a letter from the Marine Department advising that in view of the erosion that had taken place along various parts of the coast it had been decided to prohibit tho removal of shingle or sand from the foreshore between Oamaru and Moeraki lighthouse. “It is a ridiculous and absurd request because the erosion problem _ concerns only that part of the coastline north of Oamaru,” he said. Councillors pointed out that it would seriously affect building operations in the town and district, while the council would also be affected. It was decided unanimously to co-operate with the borough council in its protest against the restriction .—Oamaru correspondent. The gas engineer’s summary of the carbonising results obtained at the works during the month of March indicates a decrease in the output of gas, as compared with the same month of last year, of 441,000 cubic feet, or 1.7 per cent. Coke sold amounted to 398 tons, and tar sold to 22,115 gallons. The decrease in the output of gas is attributed to the fact that the Easter holidays this year were in March, whereas last year they were in April.

Three batteries of artillery will be in camp at Sutton from to-morrow until May 1, when the 9th, 10th, and 16th Batteries, all from Christchurch, will carry out their field training and liveshell pra6tice. The 9th and 10th Batteries are armed with 18-pounder field guns and the 16th with 3.7 in light howitzers. Major A. B. Williams (Christchurch) will be camp commandant.

Authority has been given by the General Committee of -the City Council for painting white lines on the roadway in Highclin, near Anderson’s Bay School, and also at the tram terminns ( as a guide for pedestrian traffic, and m particular for the children attending the school.

The provision of improved facilities and a scheme of redecoration has been effected in Victoria Hall, in Fullers’ Hall, (occupied by the Dunedin Badminton Club) and adjacent rooms. Included in the new equipment in the kitchen, serving the halls, is a new gas caliphont, while a much brighter atmosphere has been created by the liberal use of paint on all walls and ceilings. The Water Committee of the City Council reports that authority has been granted for quotations to be obtained for the supply and delivery of 200 ft of 80in steel pipe. This is required to be held in stock for dealing with any emergency that may arise at the Silverstream water race at Fernhill, where there are signs of further earth movement taking place. A length of 120 ft of piping was recently carried out at portion of the race in this vicinity. A deputation from the New Education Fellowship Conference waited on the Finance Committee of the City Council with a request that the council make a grant of £25 and also guarantee the expense up to £25 in connection with a conference to be held in Dunedin from July 19 to 22 next. The matter has been duly considered, and the committee recommends that provision be made for the grant and the guarantee in the estimates for the current financial year. The date of the first trawler fishing from Otago harbour is gradually being pushed back ns fresh data on the subject is discovered. Sixty years ago Thomson Bros., of Port Chalmers, used a steam towing craft, the June, for trawling purposes. The vessel was well manned, her crew including a shipmaster and a trawlingmastcr. Nevertheless, the beam trawl was not easily manageable, and often as not trawled on its back. Tho experiment after a time was discontinued.

The postal authorities advise that the Waitaki left Melbourne on Wednesday with 48 bags of Australian mail for Dunedin. It should reach the local office on Monday evening. The Finance Committee of the City Council reports that an application by the Kaikorai Band for the usual tramway concession made to the personnel of the military and other forces travelling in uniform has ben granted for such time as the band is attending Sunday morning rehearsals for the Coronation festivities.

A special meeting of the Chalmers Licensing Committee to-day approved of proposed structural alterations to the Green Island Hotel,

At the Port Chalmers Court to-day judgment was given against Michael Garro for arrears- of rent (£23 2s), with costs (£4 Is Gd); also against John Fletcher for £23, alleged to be owing to E. G. Rouse. Mr J. B. Bartholomew, S.M., was on the bench.

/There is a brisk demand for the good variety of apples at the present time, but the quality coming to hand generally has been that rejected from export. Retailers are buying from hand to mouth, 1 going round the market selecting the best apples, stated a member of the trade to-day. There has been a good inquiry for first-grade quality dessert cooking pears. Fair quantities are being held in cool stores, but growers are reluctant to take them out, surmising that better prices will prevail later on. 1 The potato market is in very short supply of good-quality tubers, the King Edward variety being tne one chiefly asked for. It is realising 7s 6d per cwt. Authentic reports indicate that the southern yield this year is exceptionally light, especially on the lowlying areas. North Island jam melons and pumpkins are meeting with _a good demand, and the market is again bare until the arrival of the Wauvi with fresh supplies from the Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay" areas. Growers report that the crops are very light owing to the unfavourable season. , It has been estimated that about 3,000 people viewed the exhibition of pictures by Dutch and Flemish old masters that were recently shown at the Dunedin. Art Gallery through the agency of the National Art Funds Collection Trust. The pictures are now being shown at Christchurch, and will later be taken to Wellington and Auckland.

The loan proposal yesterday evidently aroused a good deal more interest than the poll on the Deep Creek water scheme, which was taken on August 15, 1933. At the latter poll a total of approximately 6,300 votes was cast, compared with 10,073 yesterday. The difference was that, while the proposal to borrow the £IOO,OOO for street improvements was heavily defeated, the Deep Creek scheme was decisively carried.

Nominally at least the feast of St. George, the patron saint of is observed throughout the British Empire. In Dunedin to-day flags were flown on a number of public and other buildings in honour of St. George s Day, and a holiday was observed by the iianks and several insurance offices.

Winter was ushered in last night in the Hollyford Valley with a heavy fall of snow to a depth of 10 inc.ies. The work of piercing the tunnel in the Homer Saddle is proceeding to schedule, and has now reached the stage when weather conditions will not interfere with progress.

The South Dunedin Fire Brigade attended a chimney fire in FoAury Crescent at 8.59 this morning.

Eve strain—for eye comfort, for better vision, consult Sturmer and Wateon-Ltd., opticians. 2 Octagon. Dunedm.-UtiTt.J

In order to raise funds for improving the school grounds a fete will bo held at the John M'Glashan College, Maori Hill, to-morrow afternoon, when well-stocked stalls and attractive side snows will make their appeal to public patronage. The Otago Basketball' Association will hold its opening tournament at Logan i. ark to-morrow. Mr A. I>. Boydhouse will be in charge of the march past.