DUNEDIN NOTES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3615, 25 November 1924, Page 6

DUNEDIN NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent) November 20. There is an atmosphere of excitement in Dunedin to-day. This is to. be noted now and then ,but the cause is generally a big football match or some other similar event that is in accord with the sporting tastes of the people. On this occasion, however, it is the taking of a poll that is stirring the ratepayers to activity. As a rule, when the electors are called on to record their votes on a financial proposal the apathy and indifference shewn are almost beyond belief, and only a fraction of those on the roll take the trouble to go to. the booths. In the highway proposition, however, which is being put to to the test today, a keen interest is being manifested, and the indications suggest a much bigger poll than usual. For the most part, there must be a personal element involved to arouse the voter from his indifference. He appears to be more interested in persons than in tilings, even when his own packet is concerned. The Harbour Board has made a line offer to the city, the effect of which is this: “Build a highway for us at a cost of £33,000. spend £9,000 on compensation and £38,000 on drainage, while we spend £IO,OOO on drainage ,and we will give you the. park of sixty-five acres far 198 years.” The value of tine park, at the lowest estimate, is £IOO,OOO. There will also be constructed an attractive highway leading from Auzac Square to the exhibition, which would improve immensely the now unsightly approach to the city from the north. The objectors are chiefly those who fear increased rates and others who, living in remoter parts of the city, take the narrow view that they should not be taxed for improvements at the north end. There is every hope, however, that the vote will be favourable, and that the proposed loan will be. sanctioned. The Moeraki steamed up the harbor from Melbourne this morning. She. had a famous passenger on board— Gloaming, to wit. A correspondent

wrote to the ‘Star’ last night, pointing out that the Moeraki would be at the Dunedin wharves all to-day, and. suggesting that Mr Greenwood should be* asked to parade Gloaming at the Oval dr some other suitable plane and give Dunedin a chance of seeing this wonderful racehorse. Of course' the proposal is hot practicable, for there' would be the risk and trouble of taking Gloaming off the ship, and even supposing the owner were willing todo tills, the time would be too short to notify the public. There is no doubt, however, that if Gloaming were: paraded on a suitable occasion it would be a most popular event. It i.s possible that later Mr Greenwood! may consent to let the people of ( Dunedin see. this equine hero, for the!' journey from Christchurch to Dunedin ■ is not a very arduous one. Little is heard now of the Otago ; Patriotic and Gen caul Welfare Associa- ! tion. A few years ago the main committee. met once a week, and transacted a great amount of business. Huge sums were subscribed in the city

for the benefit of the soldiers, and the Association carried out the trust which it accepted with zeal and painstaking care. During the war and immediately after much money was expended on sick and disabled soldiers. That need, owing to the provision of pensions and the passage of time has lessened, though some, sick men who for various reasons were not entitled to a pension need help, and the committee in later years has beleu concerned) in assisting our soldiers in othc<r ways.

In presenting a report at the quarterly meeting of the Association this week Mr J. J. Clark called attention to the way in which the soldiers were j repaying their loans. He said the .com- * mitten, had expected that there would : be some slackening off in this respect, ! but the men had shown their appreciation of what was done for them by , making the repayments in a most j satisfactory way. Mr Clark said that 1 quite a number of men were now : coming before the committee and asking for small sums, say up to £SO, to help them over some obstacle which < was holding them back in their bust- ■ ness, and there were men whom ths committee was only too pleased to 1 help. It was natural enough that j the committee should expect some j slackness in payments, for that is an 1 inevitable experience, but on the, other side it must be remembered that the i men who fought our battles were, the flower of New Zealand’s manhood and ! it is reasonable te expect that the,higihj! standard they reached during the war will be maintained in times of peace. | In the early days of New Zealand j whaling was an important industry. 1 Try-,out stations were established ,at various points from Riverton to the • Bay of Islands. Many whales were, 1 caught, and great quantities of oil ! were, shipped away. 'The American | whaling ships were particularly active. | Employing methods that would not be ! tolerated' in these days, crews werei obtained by dubious means at San j Francisco and sent on a cruise which ; did not end until the ship was full ! . of oil. As whales became scarce with continual hunting and killing in the Southern seas the. industry languished i and very few ships went out. Lately, 1 the Norwegians have turned their j attention to whaling with some sue- j cess and an expedition has just left i New Zealand for the southern whaling j ground's. Modern methods have quite j replaced those, which were in vogue half a century ago. The single ship j with its boats and harpooners has i been replaced by safer and more ex- ! peditious devices for chasing and killing the leviathans. In the: present case there is a mother ship, which carries stores and takes charge of the oil, and she is assisted by five I whale-chasers. These are fast and up- j to-date craft that give little chance j

to the unlucky whale that comm i within the vision ot those on board, j The mother ship, the Sir James ! Clark Ross, has been .at Port Chalmers obtaining - supplies and she proceeded! to Stewart Island to-day to pick up the auxiliary shins, which have Wintered there. Last year the expedition „ left Hobart at the beginning 1 * of. Do- * oember for the whaling grounds, and \ the experience gained then has caused | an earlier start to be made this year. I Hobart is feeling sore over 'the die- | velopments. A recent alteration in | the Commonwealth lighthouse dues re- I J gulations removed the exemption from j | whaling mother ships and store ships. j | This caused the Sir James Clark Ross j | to come to avoid Hobart and come to j S New Zealand. There was oonsterna- § tion in Hobart when this was .an)- B nounced. It was pointed out that the | ship’s visit would to some extent have | relieved the serious unemployment I among the waterside workers, .also a that if the voyage w,as successful the B company would now ]>ay over £SOOO | “

to the New Zealand revenues instead of to those of Australia. A deputation waited on the Federal Minister of Customs when he visited Hobart, and he said he would agree, to exempt the times provided the vessel used Hobart as a bone fide base. When this was intimated to Captain Larsen, the commandier of the expedition, in Dunedin, he smiled and said the Federal exemption was expected, but he had no intention of making Hobart a base, as Stewart Island had already been decided on. Two important appointments to the staff of Otago University have been made. The first was that of a protestsor of surgery in succession to Dr. L. E. Barnett, who resigned after many years service. The. choice fell upon Dr. F. Gordon Bell, a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He is a New Zealander by birth with a distinguished University record, and he also did good war service. He is at present on the staff of Edinburgh University. A curious coincidence is that he will be thei third Professor 801 l on the staff of Otago University, the other two being the< professors of mathematics and dentistry. In addition (two- other members of the University staff are named Bell.

The other appointment was to the chair of economics, formerly held, by Professor Pringle, who resigned more .than a year ago and whose' duties have since been carried on by Archdeacon Woodthorpe. The new appointee is Dr. Allan G. B. Fisher, of Melbourne, who also has a fine record in scholarship. His war service, like that of Dr. Bell, was extensive. If records and testimonials go for anything Otago University has been fortunate in securing the services of such able men.