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Evening Star, Issue 23093, 20 October 1938, Page 12

The Supreme Court was to-day engaged with the hearing of a case in which George William Thomas, a labourer, was charged with unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16 years, and, alternatively, with imlecent assault near Macandrew Bay on August 11. Thomas, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr G. M. Lloyd. Mr F. B. Adams conducted the case for the Crown. Evidence was given by Dr Harty, the girl concerned (who was 15 years of age), her father, mother, and sister, two youths, and De-tective-sergeant Le Sueur. The hearing had not concluded when the luncheon adjournment was taken. The Awatea, which left Sydney on Tuesday for Auckland, has 30 bags pf Australian mail and the Empire mails of October 2,6, 8, and 9. The mails should) be to hand next Monday. Competition at the opening of the fat sheep sale at Burnside yesterday was keen. However, values were slightly easier than at the preceding, market, and the early demand dropped towards the finish, with the result that a further recession in values took place. Most buyers had filled their requirements at the concluding races, and some lots were hard to dispose of, only odd pens commanding attention. Quotations were, for extra heavy woolly wethers, to £2; prime heavy woolly wethers, from £1 14s 6d to £1 16s; prime medium woolly wethers, from £1 8s to £1 12s; light and unfinished wethers, from £1 3s 6d; prime heavy shorn wethers, from £1 6s to £1 8s 6d; prime medium shorn wethers, from £1 3s 6d to £1 5s 6d; extra, heavy woolly ewes, to £1 16s 6d; prime heavy woolly ewes, from £1 7s to £1 13s 6d; prime medium woolly ewes, from £1 Is 6d to £1 ss; and light woolly ewes, from 16s. Thirteen years ago the CanadianAustralasian liner Aorangi was placed in the Pacific service. In a short time she will have completed 1,250,000 sea miles of travel. She first visited Auckland in February. 1925, on her maiden voyage. On that occasion she carried Southampton passengers and proceeded vi|a San Francisco and ’ Vancouver. Under Captain T. V. Hill,, the Aorangi left Auckland early on Wednesday morning for Sydney, to finish yet another of her many voyages of 6,447 nautical miles from San' Francisco to the Australian port. The business in the Police Court this morning was soon disposed of, the only case before the court, over which Mr H. W. Bundle presided, being a charge of drunkenness against Walter Arthur Wilson, who was fined 20s, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment.

The German, freighter Naumburg on Tuesday lay at Fryatt Quay, Wellington, discharging cargo from the Gulf of Mexico (says the ‘Dominion’). At her stern flapped the Swastika ensign of the Nazi mercantile marine. A fortnight or so ago, when the Naumburg was in mid-Pacific on her way down to Auckland, her officers listened tensely to the radio reports of the European crisis to decide them whether to hold on their course or to turn back from the danger of internment. Their plan of action was actually laid, and the ship hove to, according to statements made by the chief officer yesterday. Although unwilling to discuss the crisis, he admitted in terse sentences that the captain and officers had agreed to sail for Chile rather than risk imprisonment. They delayed their voyage until the position was definitely known. In the past week or two some irresponsible individual has been poisoning dogs, a mean, despicable type of mischief which periodically occurs in the city and environs. Two very valuable dogs at Anderson’s Bay were destroyed in this manner. Needless to say the owners are very wroth, ’and it would go hard indeed with the culprit were he to fall into their hands.

An interesting sight was witnessed yesterday afternoon by passers-by in Princes street. A section of the footpath which had been dug up by workmen repairing the mains was sealed at the joint by 12 buckets of liquid boiling bitumen. As it settled down, the air pockets beneath forced their way to the surface through the steaming mass, to create huge bubbles, a true replica of the boiling mud pools at Rotorua. Pedestrians evinced considerable interest in the sight of this arti-ficially-created thermal pool. Questioned by a curious reporter as to the reasons for the large quantity of bitumen used for sealing purposes and the likeness to Rotorua’s mud pools, the workman said he had heard the name of the northern resort mentioned more times that afternoon than ever in' his life before. ' Who said the Scots never went far beyond their own hearth? A number of inspectors have been appointed to the traffic department of the Dunedin City Council within recent w'eeks. They seem to have concentrated most of their activities on directing vehicular traffic at the various intersections in city and suburbs during rush hours. However, in conversation with a ‘ Star ’ reporter this morning, a visitor to the city suggested that some attention might be given to the pedestrian traffic for a change. The manner in which pedestrians meandered all over the footpaths and across intersections was appalling, the visitor said. No attention was paid to the simple “ keep to the left ” rule on the footpaths, while crossing the roadway at any old point instead of between tho'recognised pedestrian lanes was a chronic fault with citizens.

Despite the close heat experienced in Dunedin yesterday, the maximum thermometer registration over a period of 24 hours from 9 o’clock in the morning did not show as the highest this month, though it went close to tho mark. As early as October 1 77deg had been recorded, while yesterday the peak reading was only 72.Cdeg. The variations were greater yesterday also, the respective figures for the days mentibned being Si.Gdeg and 43.4 deg- •,

An amusing incident occurred recently outside the premises of certain dog kennels in the city one lunch hour. Along the street came a bunch of solemn-faced small boys drawing a trolley, and carefully packed with sacks in the box portion of the conveyance lay a small pup. The cortege stopped at the kennels and called out the attendant. “ Our dog is sick, mister. Can you fix him up?” the spokesman asked, as the others stood round the invalid, great concern depicted upon their faces. The man from the kennels gave the pup an examination, only to find that its greatest trouble was overfeeding, the boys in their kindness having stuffed it, with food. A little attention to the pup, and a measure of advice to the boys not to kill their pet vyith kindness, sent the troupe happily away. Which recalls an incident at the same place some months ago, when two lads, tears streaming down their faces, arrived at the kennels, one bearing their dog under his arm. The other carried a lashing line, one of the hooks of which was embedded in the dog’s under Up. When the barb was cut off and the hook removed two grimy-faced but smiling boys scampered away with an equally boisterous dog at their heels. Is there any reason why some people persist in using vacant sections as rubbish dumps when they have a recognised method of disposing of it? _ Within a stone’s throw of the city’s chief railway station is a vacant section which, looks something like the rubbish tip-'at St. Kilda. It is littered with pieces of old iron, piping, parts of old car mudguards, bits of old chimneys, sheets of waterproof packing paper, and, last but by no means least, the remains, or an old car. The latter, of considerable dimensions, has been on the section for at least six months. When it was first dumped there it was a whole car. Since th4n, neighbours say, it has been raided for spare parts every week, turned upside down, and unwanted portions scattered far and wide. The untidy litter about the section, makes a dreary spot look a thousand times worse than it is.

“ At the (present there would seem to be little excuse for a boy or a girl to be idle, if fit and not waiting for a special type of work,” said an officer of the Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association this morning. A decided shortage of boys for industrial work and: errand boys’ jobs is reported, although sometimes difficulty is experienced in finding apprenticeships for unemployed boys . who _ possess considerable working experience. The position to-day is in striking contrast to that which existed in the depths of the depression, for at one time then the association had over 800 unemployed girls and boys on its register seeking employment. One hundred andl thirty-three years ago to-morrow, on October 21, 1805, the British Fleet, consisting of 27 vessels, under Lord Nelson, defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets, totalling 33 vessels, commanded by Villeneuve, off Cape Trafalgar. The British destroyed, captured, or sank 19 of the enemy’s ships and a decisive victory was gained, though at the cost of Nelson’s life, the admiral passing away in the hour of success. The anniversary of this battle will be celebrated at the Cenotaph in the Queen’s Gardens at 11 o’clock to-morrow morning, when a short ceremony will be conducted by the Dunedin, branch of the Navy League. A floral anchor will be laid on : the Cenotaph by Mrs J. Sutherland Ross; wife of the president of the branch, and the Dunedin Navy League "Sea Cadet ,Corps will make its first pub-. O Hc appearance at the function.

An Association message from Wellington, states that wages, hours, holidays, and the term of the award are to be referred to the Arbitration Court in the hospital section of the drivers’ dispute. In the Magistrate’s, Court. To Aroha, to-day, before Mr W. R. Freeman, S.M., Brian Coombe, a hairdresser,_ of Te Aroha, was charged with carrying on the business of a bookmaker. De-tective-sergeant Thompson deposed that defendant was betting in a small way. He was fined £2O and costs. Arthur George Hill, a* storekeeper, of Waihou, charged similarly, ivas fined £ls and costs.—Press Association.

Michael Hogan, who admitted drunkenness while in charge of a motor vehicle, was fined £25 and costs by Mr H. 'Morgan at Timaru this morning. The incident occurred two months ago. when the defendant lost control of the vehicle, which ran off a bridge into a hedge, Hogan suffering a severe fracture of the right arm.— Press Association. ' Automatic false alarms front Ellis’s mill, Kaikorai Valley road, caused the Roslyn Fire Brigade to turn out at 9.32 p.m. yesteitlay and 3.55 this morning. ,

The Governor-General has received the following telegram from Queen Salote, of Tonga, in reply to His Excellency’s message of congratulation:— “ Please convey to Lady Galway, the Government, and the people of New Zealand my sincere thanks for their congratulations on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of ray, coronation.' I greatly appreciate your own thoughtfulness. Signed, Saloto Tubou.” —Press Association.

Eye strain—for eye comfort, for better vision, consult Stunner and Watson Ltd., opticians, 2 Octagon, Dunedin. —[Advt.]

The Railway Department advertises particulars of special excursion fares and train arrangements in connection with races at Gore on October 22 and 24.

The Railway Department advises particulars of special excursion fares and train arrangements in connection with trotting meeting at Oamaru on Labour Day.