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Evening Star, Issue 23817, 22 February 1941, Page 10

The city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, has arranged for his after-church recital in the Town Hall to-morrow night an interesting programme featuring tiyo items which are being played for the first time at these recitals—viz., ‘ Pastorale ’ on Psalm 23, v. 1 (Whitlock), and Chorus from ‘ Messiah ’ ‘Amen’ (Handel). Special mention should bo made of Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F minor (1 Allegro moderate, 2 Adagio, 3 Recitative, 4 Allegro vivace), Other pieces of interest to be performed are Prelude and Fugue in B flat major (Bach), Nocturne from the incidental music to ‘ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Mendelssohn), ami War March from ‘ Athalie ’ (Mendelssohn). The assisting singers will bo Miss Evelyn Clyde, who will sing Rccitative and Aria ‘ With Verdure Clad ’ (Haydn), and Mr A. .1. Jones, who will contribute ‘ Who Is Sylvia ?’ and ‘ Serenade ’ (Schubert). There will be no charge for admission. The doctor in an overseas ship recently at Bluff is 78 years of age. He served in the Boer War and in the 191418 War, when he received Belgian and French decorations besides two British medals. He was living in retirement in England at the outbreak of the present war, and, being too old for the. Navy, he joined the merchant service. The ship he is on assisted in the evacuation from Dunkirk, the whole of the ship’s company being for over three days without sleep. In au Auckland suburban residential district, which otherwise was complying with instructions in a trial blackout, the wardens were,surprised to see ono house so brilliantly illuminatedthat it stood out as a beacon. The officials visited the offending house, to find it was a new one in which painters were working overtime to complete the contract.' The problem of what action should be taken was solved by ono understanding warden with the remark: “ Heaven forbid that we should stop any man from working more than 40 hours a week.” Tho expansion of the Royal Australian Air Force has been one of the most remarkable activities of Australia’s war effort, states “ Australia To-day.” The personnel of the force is over five times greater than it was in April, 1939, and the number of aircraft in the Commonwealth has been doubled. Australia’s capacity as a producer of war planes is still growing, and projects are afoot involving the expenditure of several million pounds sterling. The successes of tho Short Sunderland Flying Boats Squadron, manned and maintained by members of the R.A.A.F. in the services of the British Coastal Command, have proved the skill and daring of the Commonwealth’s war birds. The adventurous life of Mr Charles Wooster has come to a -close in Australia at the age -of 101 years. Ho first came to New Zealand as a member of the crew of a ship which brought a consignment of rabbits to the Dominion. The voyage was one of murder and mutiny, and Mr Wooster decided to leave the sea. He enlisted to fight against tho Maoris, and during an engagement in the Waikato lie was taken prisoner. Later he went to Australia, where he lived an adventurous life, being engaged in coastal trading, gold mining, and many other adventures. The characteristic red back of New Zealand’s only poisonous spider, the katipo, was recognised by a group of Territorials in camp at Wanganui, who, when returning from manoeuvres among the sand dunes, discovered a number of spiders beneath a pile of driftwood. Katipos are to be lound among the matted roots of sedge, or under rotted timber, but they are seldom found more than about 200yds above high tide mark. Along Wellington loreshores, too, katipos have been found, but the policy of the spider seems to be that of no interference with tho frequenters of the shore, providing these people do not interfere with the katipo. If, however, the spider is disturbed, ho can retaliate with a poisonous bite. The body of the patipo is no bigger than a small pea, and the hind end is glossy black, with a vermilion stripe or spot, and tho forepart, or poisonous end, is dark brown. The general manager of the Wellington tramways, Mr M. Cable, has received £5 from a man in the Auckland district. The accompanying letter said : “ ’When a boy in Wellington 1 used to travel on the trams for half-fare when 1 should have paid full fare. 1 am sending more than 1 have ever taken.” Another letter received by Mr Cable is equally interesting. The writer says; “ Recently God has been convicting me of sin done in my old life. . . . God has shown mo how I have defrauded the tramways of fares and rides at different times during my short life. So 1 am forwarding a Kls postal note, which could be given to the board's funds.” Tho letter is signed “ Converted.” Three other letters received with conscience money were from members of the Oxford Group.

A deep-water starfish, the third recorded in New Zealand waters, has been sent to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It was caught off the Bay of Plenty. it is covered with roundish knobs of a purple hue on a background of bright yellow and Vermillion. Jt is sometimes found off New South Wales, where the fishermen call it the firebrick fish.

An interesting link with early days in New Zealand is recalled in an exchange of letters between Mr W. Paterson, secretary of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association, and Sir Edward M arlay Samson, of London, whoso grandfather, Admiral John Stokes, was in command of H.M.S. Acheron, which surveyed much of the Now Zealand coast. Sir Edward Samson wrote: “ Thank you very much for your letter and the very nice leaflets, which I have read with much pleasure. I am very glad indeed to hear that the view of Port Chalmers has now found a homo with vour association, as no homo could bo more suitable. Hanging in the sitting room of my homo, in Scotchwell Haven, Pembroke, is a line oil painting of the Acheron riding out n winter gale off flm south coast of the South Island. I was only a small hoy whe my grandfather died in 1885, and I had little chance to hear from him any account of his voyages. But 1 feed sure that he must have named some of the places that ho surveyed; Milford Sonne! and Laurcuy Point are ns likely places, as his home was near Alii ford Haven, and Laureny was a village near his home that ho was fond of. Wo have two very beautiful water colours of Other places in New Zealand also hanging in the sitting room. I hope so much that some day all these pictures will ho sent to Now Zealand. _ There are some fine Maori canoe carvings in the hall at hit homo, and a very fine collection of stuffed birds that came from far Now Zealand and Australia, where ho also spent many years on survey work. He named both the Victoria River, in North Australia, and Darwin. Ho had been with Professor Darwin on the Beagle in South America and was a personal friend. My home is full of old pictures and books and other interesting things relating to Australia in the early days, but I can find very little beyond" what I have mentioned in regard to New Zealand. I know he had friends there, and I can remember him speaking of a Mr Campbell, whose danght r-in-law, a Miss Howden before her marriage, became a ladies’ maid to my mother, but am sorry to say that my generation lost trace of the Campbells. I was very interested to hear that you went to New Zealand as far bark as TBSB. ami I am glad yon arc hale at over 80.” In view of certain criticism which is being made of the Home Guard by members attention is drawn to one of the more important regulations of this organisation. This regulation declares : “ Members of the Homo Guard must observe the military rule against public criticism of the organisation, particularly by way of newspaper correspondence, anonymous or othcrwise. Every officer will be responsible for ensuring that the men under his command are aware of this order, and will explain its necessity. Disciplinary action will bo taken in cases of breach. The matter is of great importance in the Home Guard at present, as wo arc compelled to do our, best to train men with inadequate resources and equipment. Wo can scarcely hope to avoid causes of complaint, and, if such complaints are ventilated by guardsmen in the Press, the consequences will he most serious. It should be impressed on the men that officers are not free to publicly to such complaints; that their proper channel of complaint is through their superior officers; that if they find conditions intolerable; their remedy is to apply for discharge; and that, while thev remain in the Homo Guard, it is their duty to he loyal to it under all circumstances, and do or say nothing that will depreciate it in the public eye.” At yesterday afternoon's sitting of the Armed Forces Appeal Board, Stanley Noel Stickett, motor body builder, appealed against service on religious grounds, tie stated ho had no objections to non-combatant service. The appeal was dismissed with the recommendation that he be posted to a noncombatant unit. As there was no appearance of Alexander Gordon Webster, his appeal, filed on the grounds of conscientious objection, was dismissed. The City Fire Brigade answered a call to a six-roomed dwelling at 1 0 oelwyn street. North-east Valley, at 10.48 ■aim. to-dav. Fire broke out at the back of the dwelling and three rooms and the roof wore bntUy daniaged before the outbreak was brought under control. The property is owned and t'ccupicd kv Mrs E. Bclesky. Week-end bathers will find all three local beaches in good state for surfing. Conditions are very good in the markedoff areas at St. Kilda, St. Clair, and Tomahawk, and only moderate seas are running. There has been some softening on parts of the upper beach at Tomahawk, and because of this bathers arc requested to heed the warning to keep between tbe flags. Cars will bo allowed only as far as the rocks.

Tho Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of the altered running of the usual 5.40 p.m. Dunedin-Palmerston train on Fridays from Friday, 28th February also that second class accommodation only will be available on certain mixed and passenger trains on and after March 1. The Railway Department is running a popular day excursion from Dunedin to Timaru on Sunday 2nd March. Particulars of the trains and the, special cheap fares are advertised in this issue. The Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of an excursion to be rim from Balclutha to Queenstown on Sunday, March 2. A special train will also run from Invercargill and link up at Gore with the train from Balclutha. ■ To mark the completion of the renovation of the Cathedral organ, Dr V. F. Galway will give a recital in tho cathedral on'Tuesday evening next, at 8 o'clock. In addition to the organ items the cathedral choir will be heard in unaccompanied anthems and also in a performance of Mendelssohn’s famous motet, ‘ Hear My Prayer.’ Tho soloists at tho recital will lie Miss Dora Drake and Miss Blanche Errington. Sittings of tho Assessment Court to hear objections to valuations under the Rating Act have been fixed as follows; —City of Dunedin, Monday, March 10, at 11 a.ra.; borough of Green Island, Monday, March 10, 9.30 a.m.; borough of J’ort Chalmers, Friday, March 7, 11 a.m. All objectors to valuations will require to appear in support of their objections. To-morrow evening, at 8 o’clock, Mr W. 15. Wilson, Ibo well-known lectn rer from Wellington, will give an illuslrated lantern lecture in tho Early Settlers’ Hall. The title of tho lecture is ‘ The Coming World Dictator? ’ It is full of authoritative and prophetical matter, and should appeal to all who take an interest in world affairs and Bible prophecies.