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Evening Star, Issue 22723, 10 August 1937, Page 8

Increases in salaries involving an extra £3,170 a year are made necessary (says a Press Association message) by tho application of the Local Bodies Officers’ Union award to the employees of the Auckland Electric Power Board, according to a report received from the Grading Committee at a meeting of tho board yesterday. Other salary increases recommended by the committee and approved by the hoard by way of adjustments to officers who had lost seniority provided under the board’s grading scheme brought the total increase to £6,050, A Wellington Press Association telegram states that the Marama left just after noon for China with a Chinese crew. A little band of spectators gathered at the Clyde Quay wharf to see her go. The purchasers are the Linghua Dock and Engineering AVorks Ltd,

The renewal of the tramway tracks round the curve in the vicinity of the Upper Gardens is being carried out at present. While the work is in progress the service is being maintained by buses, but it is hoped that the repairs will be finished by to-night, in which case the trams will resume running tomorrow.

Once again the matter of wandering dogs and horses in the borough was brought up at the St. Kild'a Council meeting last night, when several members complained of dogs lying about the doorways of shops which sell milk and foodstuffs. Horses, it was stated, were also often turned out to wander at night. It was suggested that the services of a ranger might have the effect of clearing these nuisances, but no decision was reached, the matter being deferred until the next meeting. Interesting calculations are being made by officials and others /with leisure of the aggregate annual cost to Melbourne of the acts of vandals. The parks of the city alone suffer to the extent of approximately £2,000 a year. The loss from thieving and damaging may even exceed that amount. The suburbs lose much more in respect of their parks and public gardens. Some calculators say that the total for the whole metropolis from vandalism and straight-out thefts of plants and trees, may be £5,000 a year. It seems at first blush an incredible amount (says the Melbourne ‘ Argus ’), hut those who move about city and suburbs and are in touch with the local governing bodies do not doubt the figures—in fact, are disposed to expand them. It is an indication, they say, of a stratum of the population that has a lawless taint ever seeking to find expression. The postal authorities advise that the Waitaki left Melbourne at midnight on Friday with 18 bags of Australian mail for Dunedin. This should roach the local office to-morrow evening.

Included in the broadcast to be given from 4YA on Friday night by the Savoy .Dance Band will be the wellknown and popular waltz song ‘ Wanganui Moon,’ composed by Eric Mackenzie, of Oamaru. This song has recently been featured throughout the world by Eox Movietone, the recording being by the Rotorua Maori Choir, as an accompaniment to a scenic or the Wanganui River. Recently the song was acquired by the New Zealand Government studios for filming at Miramar. Mr Mackenzie has composed many pieces, but his greatest successes were * Honolulu Dream Girl ’ and ‘ Wanganui Moon.’ He writes his own librettos, and is at present completing a musical comedy which is said to contain many delightful melodics. In addition to tho efficient service provided by the Aiickland-Wcllington monoplanes they servo as time signals to workers out of doors to whom clocks and w'atehcs are not available. On a farm near Auckland the workers depart for lunch when tho southbound’ air liner flies overhead about midday; and the passing of the inward machine about 3 o’clock is a signal to start rounding up tho cows for milking. The farmer considers that all that is now required is that the cows should bo trained to come in of their own accord when they hear tho aeroplane go by.

Tho wall of a washhouse at 88 Grove street, St. Kilda, the property of Mill. Mitchell, was slightly damaged by fire this morning. The City Firo Brigade answered the call at 10..‘10, and soon had tho outbreak under control. Tho firo was caused by a defective destructor.

At Port Chalmers the school children will celebrate Arbor Day by the planting of native trees and shrubs tomorrow afternoon. Several young trees have already been planted in Rangi Park this season.

The postal authorities advise that the air mail despatched from Dunedin on July 17 reached London on Thursday last. '

“No time is being wasted; it is only about 15 months since the elimination policy was launched, and tho results must bo considered satisfactory,” said Mr P Keller, local Public Works engineer, this morning in reference to the progress made with the Government's campaign for the elimination of level crossings. Tho contract for the l\aianakarua overbridge has been let, and preparations arc being made for an early start with tho work. To date, two contracts in Otago have been completed—at Kartigi and the Deborah subway, near Oamaru. The Lovell’s Flat and Clarksville overbridges are in course of construction, plans are nearing completion for Palmerston, Waikouaiti, and Mosgiel, and the surveys are in hand for Malieno, Clinton, Wairnna, and Waipahi. When tho latter are finished the Seacliff line will probably be the next problem approached.

Eyo strain—for eye comfort, for belter vision, consult Slurme: and Watson Ltd., opticians, 2 Octagon, Dunedin.—[Advt.l A school concert by tho pupils of tbo Dunedin North Intermediate School will bo held in tho Town Hall Concert Chamber on Thursday. Booking for 2s Beats at Begg’s^