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Evening Star, Issue 24004, 1 October 1941, Page 6

The mails and luggage which arrived at Lyttelton this morning on the interisland express steamer were conveyed south by a special train which is due to arrive iu Dpnedin at 5 p.m. Tho passengers connected with the express in tho usual manner.

The beer strike which has been in progress at Burnett’s Face, on the West Coast, for somo weeks, has now been extended to Denuistou. A decision to enforce the strike at Denniston was made at a public meeting, when Mr J. Longnmir presided. Tho strike was instituted following the decision of the Buller hotelkeepers to eliminate “ shouting.” Our parliamentary reporter telegraphs On tho motion of Mr Richards, Government Whip, the House of Representatives granted two days’ leave of absence to Dr M‘Mi 11 an, Dunedin West, on account of private business. There was no Opposition comment on this occasion. Evidence that the black shag is a deadly enemy of fish was provided last week when a New Plymouth sportsman shot one and on opening it up found inside a trout which weighed 2Jlb, was loiiix long, and Sin round the girth. The handy men of New Zealand are tho officers of the Department of Internal Affairs. There is no limit to the tasks they may be called upon to perform.- The annual report of the Department of Lands and Survey records that an Internal Affairs officer visited Tongariro National Park during tho year, and as a result of his effort 28 wild cats, four rats, and two stoats were destroyed. The lion, treasurer of the churches’ air raid relief fund (Mr J. H. Don Miller) advises of further amounts to hand :— Previously acknowledged, £BB2 IBs lid; Knox Church (balance), £2l 18s sd: Roslyn Presbyterian Church, £B4 12s 4d; Russell Street Sunday School, £ll 15s; Sawyers Bay Presbyterian Church, £5 14s; Deborah Bay Presbyterian Church, £1 19s 4d; Hanover Street Baptist Church, £42 17s 3d. Total to date, £1,051 15s 3d. A number of cases bearing marks of damage caused by splinters from shellfire or bombs have been received from abroad by the New Zealand Wax Vesta Company, Dunedin. The cases contained tins of an ingredient used in the manufacture of wax matches, and very small pieces of shrapnel were found embedded in them. The material is inflammable and of an explosive nature, and it is surprising that it arrived here intact. Whether the damage was caused at the port of loading or in transit at sea is not known. A recreation domain is tohe created at Seacliff under the provisions of a clause in the Lands Washing-up Bill. The area is about three roods. It was purchased many years ago for recreation purposes by means of funds raised by public subscription. The prime mover, the late Sir Truhy King, took the title to the land in his own name with the intention of establishing public ownership over tho area. Steps in that direction were, however, never taken, and the land is now held by the Public Trustee as administrator of the state. The Trustee recognises the trust with respect to the land, but cannot accept the responsibility of deciding who is beneficially entitled to it. It has been ascertained’that the land is very suitable for recreation purposes, and that the wishes of the local people would be met if the area were made a public domain and placed under the control of a domain board.—Parliamentary reporter.

Irresponsible shooters have slaughtered a number of valuable racing pigeons recently at the Heathcoto Estuary , whore the birds go each morning to pick up grit and also salt, which they seem to relish at this time of the year, when they are rearing their young. The secretary of the Canterbury Pigeon Flying Club (Mr J. E. V. Maxwell) has had four of his best birds, valued at £5 apiece, shot during the past week, and many other club members have lost crack birds. Those who arc doing it might not be aware that they are liable, if caught, to a fine of up to £SO.

In the normal course of events, all clocks and timepieces in New Zealand would have been advanced 30 minutes on Monday morning, in order to inaugurate summer time. But, as the extra daylight which the adoption of summer time involves has been enjoyed throughout winter this year, as a war measure, there was no alteration. The clocks wore not put back as they normally would have been at the end of last April, and therefore they wore not put forward. Tho Gaels have had to surmount an awkward difficulty in their “ V ” campaign. Nowhere has the “ Victory ” idea caught on with more enthusiasm than in the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. When the Gaels began to think of chalking up the symbol on their homes and business premises however, they were undone. There is no letter “V ” in Gaelic. So they reversed the Morse sign. Now they arc using tho letter “ B.” which is—”, . . Buaidh means victory.

There was a clean sheet at the Police Court this morning.

Referring to the recent fire at Logan Park, the president of the Otago Cricket Association (Mr F. N. Binnoy), at the annual meeting of that body last night, advised all clubs to inspect their insurance policies, as the AlbionY.M.C.A. Club had discovered that property apart from cricket material which had been destroyed in the fire had not been covered. Mr (Binney added that the fire was a disaster affecting all cricketers, for with the destruction of the grand stand the ground had become simply a playing area. He expressed the hope, however, that the City Council would not delay too long in providing for the sporting bodies using the ground and necessary accommodation.

One of the methods of petrol saving suggested by Mr Kidd (Waitaki) in a question to the Minister of Supply yesterday was that ho should explore the possibilities of effecting considerable savings in connection with the delivery of bread from Invercargill to Wyndham and other country centres in Southland. “ Why,” asked Mr Kidd, “is the local man’s petrol supply cut down while the outside trader still continues his invasion of these places distant from his place of business? ” —Parliamentary reporter.

Because thoughtless persons persist in walking across the newly-laid turf on the Godlcy plot in Cathedral Square, the Christchurch City Council will erect low ix-on railings along the top of the concrete korbing. The need for more seating accommodation round the plot has also been recognised, and the council will place seats along the whole length of the plot opposite the tram stop. The new railings will provide the backs for those scats.'

The mayoress (Mrs A. H. Allen) will bo launching in the first week of November a “ silver thimble ” appeal, and during that week women of Otago will bo requested to donate r" pieees of broken jewellery, silver tin;, .es, or anything of a like nature which they are willing to give. Proceeds will go towards tho Otago Provincial Patriotic Council’s fund for tho post-war relief and assistance of returned soldiers and their dependents. The naxne and address of donors should be attached to each article forwarded, and in each case a description of the article should also bo sent. Articles are to bo foxwarded or delivered to the treasurer of the O f ago Patriotic Council, town clerk's office, Dunedin, or in country districts handed in to the treasui'er of tho Patriotic Comxxxitteo or zone. In each case a receipt will be givexx. Gifts may bo sent from now on until the first week of November, when a special drive will ho made. The silver thimble scheme, which originated in tho last war. has already resulted in many thousands of pounds being collected in Great Britain and Australia since the present war commenced. The packing of Otago’s quota of 4,000 Christmas parcels for New Zealand members of the armed forces overseas has now been completed by a group of 30 women, who have been engaged on the task for a week. The parcels ai’o portion of a total consignment of 45,000 which will leave tho Dominion. Every person who gave a parcel was invited to supply a card which xvas included in the package stating who the donor was, but otherwise there xvas included a card of greeting of a gexxeral nature from the people of Otago. Tho City Fire Brigade xvas called out last xxight at- 10.30 as the x'esult of a malicious false alarm from the corner of York Place and Young street. From Auckland recently it xvas recorded that a cat had lived for 18 years, at the end. of xvhich, on account of signs of old ago and illness, it had to be destroyed. At tho Central Battery at Dunedin, hoxvever, a cat reached the age of over 20 years before dying. Known as “ One-eyed Riley,” on account of the loss of an eye, he arrived at the battery as a kitten early in 1919, axxd died in November of 1939, being buried on the grassy mound at tho depot xvith a little tombstone on the grave. “ One-eyed Riley ” xvas xvell knoxvn and popular, and it is said ho augmented his larder with the rats that infested the rubbish tip on the Ocean Beach foreshore.

In connection xvith the daylight running of the Lyltelton-Wellington steamer express service, the Railxvay Department advertises in tliis issue particulars of important alterations and additions to the express train service between Invercargill-Duiiedin and Lyttelton, operating from Friday, October 3. The sixty-third annual meeting and dedication service of the Y.W.G.A. of Dunedin xvill be held on Thursday, October 8, at 7.30 p.m. After the meeting a short dedication service will be held. This xvill bo followed by tbo birthday party to celebrate the anniversary of the association. Items, consisting of part songs, violin solos, and a short play, will be given by members of the clubs and the hostel residents. Supper will be provided. An opportunity for members to contribute towards tho gift to the world’s office will be given during the party.