DUNEDIN NOTES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3967, 23 September 1930, Page 5

DUNEDIN NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent). September 18. One of the modern developments, especially since the motor car became so popular, is the erection of advertising- signs along the roadside, it is very noticeable in the City, but it is even worse in the country. The Government is an offender in this respect by allowing unsightly hoardings to be erected on its property, especially the Railway Department, which no" doubt would put up the excuse that it means considerable revenue that is badly needed at the present time. The Dunedin Amenities Sot ciety and other bodies have forwarded protests to Wellington frc*n time, to time, but without much result. The ‘Star’ in this connection relates an incident which is said to have occurred in the Cromwell Gorge. It is

.stated that four prominent Dunedin citizens, armed with saws and axes, cut down a hoarding a short distance from Clyde and dumped it into the river. One of the leading participants explained to a ‘Star’ reporter that the action was taken as a protest against the attitude of the Government in allowing hoardings to be placed on the roadside, thus making the (country ixidfnous. When a busy man went for a holiday into the country, he said, he wanted to leave the town and all its associations well behind, but if such signs were to be broadcast all over the country the town was ever present in the traveller’s mind. Many years ago roller skating was an absolute craze in Dunedin with all classes of the community. In the course of time its popularity waned and the rinks were discarded. Now it has caught on again, and a rink that was opened not long ago has been doing great business. So much .so that a project is said to be on foot to open another rink in Dowling Street. A syndicate has been formed and the necessary work is in hand. It has been reported also that the construction of a rink for ice skating is under contemplation. This form of amusement is said to be popular in Melbourne and other cities. The Otago Provincial Council of

the Farmers' Union this week discussed the question of the destruction or’the stoat and the weasel. The matter was brought up by the receipt of a letter from the president of the Associated Acclimatisation Societies of New Zealand asking if the Farmers' Union would agree to the protection being taken oil' stoats, weasels, and ferrets, on the ground that they were enemies to the bird life of the Dominion. Different v’iews were expressed by the delegates, hut the majority were agreed that if stoats arid weasels were to be slaughtered the rg,Units would soon be as numerous as they were tea or nfteeri years ago. The meeting ultimately decided to send the matter to the branches of the Union for their opinion. Mr Alexander Bathgate, who died at the age of eighty-five, was one of Dunedin’s most notable citizens, who had been actively connected with the history of the town a»nd province. ! He came here with his father (the Hon. John Bathgate) in 1863. The latter was in turn a banker, a Minister of ,the Crown, and a district judge. Mr A. Bathgate began life in the Bank of Otago as a cadet and he was stationed in the (gold rush days at such interesting places as Hamittons and Cromwell, where life at the time was lived in the raw, so to speak. From those stirring scenes he returned to Dunedin, took up the study of law and became one of Dunedin’s most trusted solicitors. Public life, in its political sense, never appealed to Mr Bathgate, but he had a line public spirit. He was chairman of the Otago and Southland Conciliation Council, soon after the Arbitration law was passed, in which capacity he showed marked impartiality and fairness. He was a director of several important public companies bearing on our commercial and industrial life, and he took an active part in the work of the public bodies connected with the development of Otago Central. He is perhaps ibesit remembered for his efforts on behalf of the Amenities Society. He was its founder, and for forty years lie acted first as honors* ary secretary and then as its president. The aim of this Association is to improve the appearance of the city and suburbs, and many drab places have been turned into beauty spots. Mr Bathgate was a keen lover of nature, and this is reflected in his literary work. He wrote in verse arid prose, and his books record much of the romance of the life of the pioneers. One aspect of his life which is of interest is his association with Thomas

Bracken, the. author of ‘Not Understood.’ Many years ago Bracken, was editor of a weekly journal, the ‘.Saturday Advertiser,’ and Mr Bathgate, who was financially interested in the Journal, had many of his poems published in its columns.. Mr Bathgate was a man of unswerving probity. With him it was a question of ‘‘no compromise” on anything that assumed a dill'erent aspect. Now that the cricketers are donning their flannels interest is being roused in the proposed tour of England by a Dominion team during the next Home season. It is stated that G. R. Dickinson, the Otago bowler, will not be available, which is a pity, for ho is without question the best fast bowler in New Zealand to-day. Blunt, who is a first-rate all-round flayer, and did well on the last English tour, is considered a certainty, while C-avauagh is thought to have a good chance of being included. This young plaver has the right temperament for big' cricket. He has been improving each year since he lirst took part in first-grade matches, and with a little tuition from Badcock, Otago’s new coach, he should be in the first rank of the Dominion’s batsmen. J. Shepherd would be an acquisition to the team. He is a most attractive batsman of the forcing order, but it is said that he lias never taken cricket seriously enough to develop his undoubted latent abilities. Griminet.li, who was born in Dunedin, is the | greatest cricketer New Zealand has

produced, but lie acquired most of bis experience of the game in Australia. In the tour of England just ended he proved himself a wonderfully line bowler. Great interest was taken in Dunedin in the result o’f the America Cop races, and the announcement of the first three races, in which the Shamrock was defeated, was received with much disappointment. At the time of writing the chances of Sir Thomas Upton’s yacht do not seem at all hopeful, indeed, it appears impossible under present conditions for a British craft to will the Cup. 'i he long crossing oi the Atlantic is too great a handicap. 'lt is true that an American boat .sailed across To England and won the trophy nearly eighty years ago, but the conditions have changed immensely in the- interval. In this series of events the Americans have shown a much better sporting spirit than on some when the ooh tests have been held in the past, in all the circumstances they might take the suggestions that have been made and agree to a yacht constructed in any Empire port taking part. The Canadians, for instance, are good boat builders, and a yacht constructed in their Dominion would sail under much more even conditions than those which now prevail.

By the death of Mr William Parker, Dunedin suffered the loss of one who in his heyday was a line all-round athlete. For fifteen years he was a member of the Grange Cricket Club’s first eleven and he represented the province on numerous occasions. He was a sound bat, a good field, and an effective slow bowler. On one. occasion he pulled a match against Canterbury out of the fire in a sensational manner by a fine innings. It locked as if Otago was going to lose the game. Wickets were falling fast, but getting support from the tail Parker by vigorous hitting saved the situation, liis last and the winning hit being a sixer out of the Carisbrook Ground. In his young days Mr Parker was a noted light-weight boxer, and was the victor in many 'contests. He was a pupil of the famous Jem Mace, and he showed so much promise that Mace was anxious to take him abroad with him. Mr Parker, however, was prepared to stick to his own line of business, which was that of a tannery proprietor in the North-east Valiev.

In the departmental repents presented to the City Council some interesting’ figures are revealed. They show a great increase in expenditure in accordance with the modern methods of civic government in providing increased facilities for the people. Stressing that the finances of the city were absolutely sound, Cr. Clark (chairman of the Finance Committee) pointed to the fact that a huge loan

capital was being built up. The

citizens have to pay for their increased comforts. Ten years ago the City’s debi was £200,488, and this year it was £939,470. This means that we pay away ijn Interest £62;,1:26 yearly. In other words, out of every £1 of rates collected 9s goes to the moneylender. Cr Clark repeated that the finances were sound and there was nothing to worry about, but Councillors must be cautious, and he suggested that there should be no more borrowing in the general account during the next six or seven years. Wise words, especially in the prevailing conditions.