DUNEDIN NOTES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4046, 26 April 1932, Page 5

DUNEDIN NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent). April 21. At the Police Court yesterday Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S'.M., sentenced eight 'men to terms of imprisonment on . charges of inciting to lawlessness. The < cases arose out of the charge on the Hospital Board’s offices on April 11, . when the police were obliged to . ■use their batons. The magistrate declared it to be a deliberate and premeditated act, with all the possibilities of creating an ugly riot. He < said it was the duty of the court < firinly to check all exhibitions of : violence and lawlessness. The de- ; cision of Mr Bartholomew will give < a feeling of security to the community, ; and should act as a warning that all outbreaks of violence will be sternly < suppressed. Rioting and outbreaks ■ of physical force against the law have never been tolerated in British com- ■ munities, and it is unthinkable that i incidents such as those recorded ' lately in the Dominion shall be , al- ■ lowed to recur. The Government, realising the emergency, has passed the Public Safety Conservation Bill, which will fortify it in its determination . to maintain order. One thing that is a matter for congratulation is the conduct of the police in the recent , troubles. They have acted with : commendable restraint and Judgment in very trying circumstances. These , outbreaks do nothing but harm. They irritate many people who are trying to help the genuine unemployed, who form the vast majority, and they are a hindrance and iharrassiment to the business community. A mere handful of irresponsibles cannot be allowed to continue to upset the normal life of the community. The overseas steamer Port Napier has been in port, and she has departed for England by way ol Cape: “Stiff,” which is the name sailor men have for a hundred years applied to Cape Horn. With very good reason, too, for 'many a ship has ended her career in that stormy locality. Mention of this steamer’s name recalls war days, when, as the Hawkes Bay, she left with Colonel Arthur Bauchop on board, in charge ol the Otago draft of the Main Body, bound for Egypt. Colonel Bauchop was a fine soldier, who had distinguished himself in the South Africen war. He was killed on ill-fated Gallipoli, where he had shown the soldierly qualities that distinguished him in the earlier campaign There is on exhibition in Dunedin just now a line collection of paintings, many of them being by British artists of the first rank. They have been brought here by Mi 1 E. Murray Fuller. This is his third effort in this direction. He brought out his first collection about four years ago, and it was received with so much appreciation that lie made another venture at the end of Ib-'J-i He met with disaster on that occasion ■ for the whole consignment was on • board the Manuka, which was wrecked on the Otago coast. Mr Fuller considers that the present one is the

best collection of the three. This is no doubt a correct judgment, for the names of the artists include such celebrities as the Late Sir William Orpen, Sir D. Y. Cameron, Augustus John, Brangwy.ll, Clausen, Hughes, Stanton, and others almost equally famous. It is hoped that some of their pictures will be acquired for the Dunedin Gallery. 'That was done on the occasion of Mr Fuller’s first visit. Dunedin is poorer to-day through the death of the Rev. Dr. Waddell. Ho had been an outstanding figure amongst- us for so long that lie seemed to be actually .part of the coiniminity. He was appointed minister of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in 1879, and there he remained for forty-one years. His church speedily became a centre of spiritual and intellectual activity, and people from all parts of the city and of many denominations helped to swell his congregations on Sunday evenings. But for the fact that lie suffered from partial deafness, and had a tongue impediment that made him difficult to follow, Dunedin would never have retained him for so long. Of Irish birth, he was eloquent, he had a vivid imagination and the poetic temperament, great breadth of view, and took a keen and fearless interest in all social questions. He had marked literary talent, and when he laid down his charge in 1921 he showed no disposition to rest altogether from his labours. He frequently preached in various churches, and he published booklets and volumes of sermons. In addition he wrote for the Evening .Star on Saturday evenings a column that was read far and wide. He was a sincere Christian gentleman—sympathetic, witty and charitable in the broadest degree. It was impossible to imagine him having an enemy, though his outspokenness in earlier years deeply o If ended some people who disagreed with his advanced views on religious and social questions. Though he was in his eighty-third year at the time of his death, he showed few of the signs of age, and walked the streets with a quick and elastic step l . It is doubtful if any man in the history of this city has Left a greater impression on its people. The Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association is a live body. It has been fortunate in having first rate men year after year on its executive, and it has done much for those who took port in the great straggle in watching their interests and -acting with authority when approaching the Government on their behalf. Its membership to-day is 1861, which .after -he lapse of years since the ar'mis doe, when so many have died, gives in indication of the number who vent to the front from this citjy. Amid the welter of chaotic conditions jxisting just now it is gratifying to ind that the Association is 'maintaining the sound and sane attitude that las characterised it in the past. At ;he annual meeting of the association ;his week the question of the dis- j ,-oyal demonstrations that have ocmrred lately was discussed. The ill airman remarked; “Our association las always upheld, and will, I hope, i-lways uphold, law and order, and Ice's not wish to retain as a member my ex-serviceman who forfeits his dght to be called a loyal and a; iecent citizen.” A motion brought forward included the words: ‘lf any returned men have taken part in my of these demonstrations they should not- receive" any further work yr assistance from the Dunedin LI.S.A.” This motion was considered ;oo drastic, and ultimately the M.owing amendment was accepted' by ;he mover of the motion and earned unanimously: “That this meeting reaffirms its loyalty to King and Empire, and exhorts its members who are for the time being unemployed to refrain from taking part in- any demonstration contrary to law and order.” As a community and as a dominion we have not done so much tor the men who fought as they deserve —that has ever been the way but at the same time it cannot be denied that substantial help has been given in the 1 past and is still being extended. The soldiers have the goodwill of the people, and this will be strengthened by the association’s attitude in regard to the recent deplorable incidents that have occulted. Rioting and only add to the perplexities of the Government and the miseries of the poorer people. The Methodist ministers -of Dunedin have been active in attempts tohelp 1 the distressed in the city in this time of stress. Constantly he see the names of the Rev. L. B. Mo ale (of the Central Mission) and the Rev. Percy Paris in the Press in this connection. The Dunedin Methodist Ministers’ Fraternal, as the united body is called, has issued a 'manifesto which does credit to the desire to help, and its recognition of the hardships and privations of the people; but the question of the judgment of the ministers is quite another matter. The manifesto seems t-o include an incursion 'to the political arena, for it says: ’“Vie pledge ourI selves to help to remove, the root ! causes of poverty and unemployment, and accord our support to all constitutional methods of securing redress of grievances, and of promoting industrial and social reforms. On the national question we urge the Governl mcn-t:— Immediately to abolish the stand-down week; that there shall be | no further reduction in wages; inI or easing!}' to provide productive work 1 as far as possible; lu provide sue-

tenance for all those physically incapable ol work. Now, some of these' questions arc of a highly controversial political character, and it hardly seems the function of a church to take sides on the'm. No one will withhold admiration from the Methodist ministers for the admirable work they are doing among the poor, but endorsement of 'the manifesto' will not be agreed to by everyone. The ministers appeal to all Christian people and to all men and women of goodwill to make a worthier response to the l compelling needs of thousands of fellow citizens in distress by providing work where possible and by /generous giving in money and goods. The word “worthier” is not happily chosen, for the amount of private charity poured out in Dunedin in the last twelve months has been astonishing. “Further” instead of “worthier” would have been more appropriate. Toleration of foreigners in the last hundred years has been a feature in British countries. Patriotism in this ■matter has been ignored to an astonishing extent. It is quite right up to a point, but people in this time of stress are beginning to wonder if the matter has not been carried too far. All British markets in the past have been flooded with goods of foreign make, and people for the most part never gave a thought as to whether their purchases were of British or foreign make. It was the same in the matter of emigration. England—and London in particular — became a dumping ground for great numbers of foreigners, and Swiss, Germans, and Italians seemed to be preferred as waiters in the big hotels to the native-born. The same facilities abroad were never afforded to our people. It has been remarked that it was folly on Germany’s part to go to war in 1914, for siie was conquering the world by her peaceful trading methods and commercial penetration. Now, however Britishers are waking up to the desirability of patronising goons manufactured in this Empire. Emphasis was given to the movement when tue British Government decided to forsake the traditional Free trade policy and to go in for a modified form of Protection. A matter bearing on the general question was ventilated at a meeting of the Dunedin manufacturers Association this week. It related to football jerseys. It was stated that a circular had been sent to 106 sports bodies in Otago drawing attention to the fact that thousands of foreign-made Jerseys were being imported to New Zealand. A great many of them came from Japan. Because they were cheap they bad a wide sale and were spreading all over the Dominion. It was pointed out that two mills in New Zealand were importing English yarn and were making a high-quality jersey. It was further stated when price comparisons were made that the New Zealand jerseys were made from a three-ply yarn, and were treated with a safe, guaranteed dye, whereas the imported articles were made from, a one-ply yarn and held a poor dye. The movement for the purchase of dominion-made goods first and Empire goods second is rapidly spreading. It should receive wide support, for it is only common sense. A feature of some schools nowadays is the school garden which is kept hi orcier by tnc pupils working m collaboration with the masters. Many of these gardens are most attractive. They add greatly to the aesthetic side of the children’s lives, and at the same time give information that is bound to be of value to numbers in later years. Every movement of this kind is deserving of the Heartiest encouragement. DOve ol work afld the appreciation of .beauty are two of the chief factors leading to a happy life, and in these modern days of unrest anything tending to their encouragement is all to the good In the school gardens much rests with the masters. 'Some have the gardening instinct in them, white ’with others their interests lie in dill©rent directions. At the Tokomairiro District High school good work is evidently being clone, for -at this week’s meeting of the Otago Education Board a communication was received from the head master stating that he was saving a quantity of llower seed this year, and the surplus would go far to supply the Otago schools.