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Otago Daily Times, Issue 17217, 21 January 1918, Page 4

The Chancellor, Sir Robert Stout, announced to the Senate on Saturday that the subject chosen for the Bowen Prize essay this year is " The Influence of the War on the British Communities Facing on the Pacific Ocean."

Tho acting secretary of the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board has been authorised to take proceedings in a case where drainago work had been dono by an unlicensed plumber and without a permit.

Dr Lindo Ferguson has given notice that he will bring beioro the New Zealand University Senate a. motion in favour of making physics and inorganic chemistry compulsory subjects for the medical preliminary examination.

Tho General Committee of the City Council recommends that notices be served on 11 Chinamen in various parts of the city to pull down promises condemned by the District Health Officer.

Tho following aro the tramway traffic returns for the fortnightly periods ending December 8, 22, and January 5, with the figures for the corresponding period in 1916 in parentheses:—Receipts—£s,47s 11s 8d (£3394 13s lid); £3124 3s 10d (£3316 12s 9d); £3110 6s 2d (£3178 7s Id). Mileage— 50,454 (52,726); 49,532 (49,870); 47,568 (43,059). '

Mr W. B. Steel, acting secretary of the Otago Expansion League, has been advised that the delegates from, tho Southland League, who were to meet the members of the Otago Expansion League and tho Dunedin Chamber of Commerce this evening to discuss questions relating to hydro-electric matters, have postponed their visit until some tune next month.

Tho Dunedin Horticultural Society's show will be held in the Art Gallery Hall on Wednesday. As this is the only local show when carnations, sweet peas, and roses <ire seen at their best, a visit of inspection will prove time well spent.

By winning the iinal of the rinks competition in tho ISe.v Zealand Bowling Association tournament on Saturday afternoon, Mr G. R. Smitli's rink was instrumental in bringing tho banner for the first time since tho inauguration of these tournaments four years ago to a South Island club. In the course of his reply to. Sir James Allen, who made the presentation of tho banner, Mr Smith expressed a double sense of the pleasure he felt in winning this trophy— first because ho had wrested it from tho North Island and brought it to Dunodin, aud second; because ho was president of tho Now Zealand Association when ho won it. Speaking a little later, Professor Maxwell Walker, of Auckland, Uglily commended 1 the arrangements that had been made for tho conduct of tho tournament in Duncdin, and said that in his opinion tho time had arrived when the conditions of play for these tournaments should bo standardised and soma accepted system adopted so that players would know exactly tho procedure to bo followed. Ho thought that the methods adopted in Dunodin on tho present occasion could, with one or two minor amendments, l>e profitably applied to future tournaments, the principal exception being in the case of doubles. Ho did not think it was fair to ask tho older players to take part in four games of doubles in one day, as sucn a procedure was placing an undue premium on youth and physique. In all other particulars tho conditions hero I luid been admirable, and the arrangements I had worked perfectly. Professor Walker's I remarks scorned to be generally endorsed, i and they wero warmly applauded. lie, and Messrs Parsons and Casey, who also briefly spoke, wero loud in their praise of tho hosjjitality they had received in Duncdin, and J the attontion that had boon paid to thorn ! a* , tho bowling authorities here.

Tho Central Fire Brigade was called out to Goovgo street by a telephone message at live minutes past 3 yesterday afternoon. There was no sign of fire discoverable and the summons boro tho appearance of a deliberate falso alarm. A similar malicious call was given from the intersection of High and William streets List evening.

Writing to a friend in Duncdin, a member of th« 23th Now Zealand Divisional Signallers, who was in England at .the time tho letter was despatched, stated, inter alia: "Most of us hero have a grievance. Wβ are not receiving even half civilian pay, while the '• Tommy " Royal Engineers from tho post oflhx? are receiving full civil pay, even those who have joined up quite recently—both single and married. In other words all British Post and Telegraph men employed in a special capacity receive full civil pay plus military, while the New Zealand men employed similarly receive only military, or at most, half civil pay. It is not as though they were inoro efficient than we. Comparisons are odious, but I cannot refrain from quoting our O.C in this connection—viz., 'Our men can beat them at everything bar saluting.' Ho has worked with them all at tho front, but I suppose somo allowance must be made for bias."

liosidents in the neighbourhood of Pelichet Bay are evidently thoroughly aroused to the danger threatened because of the condition of " Lake " Logan. A public meeting is to t<; hold in the Albany Street School Gymnasium to-morrow night to discuss the situation and to take steps that will have tho eJTect of promoting tho speedy and permanent accomplishment of what is an urgent reform. The Mayor has been invited to preside, the chairman of* the Otago Harbour Board has courteously acceded to a request to bo present, and ilr G. M. Thomson has promised to bo one of the speakers. Invitations to be present have been forwarded to tho members of the Harbour Board, tho chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, the chairman of the local School Committee, 'and the Chief Health Officer, and it is hoped that tho civic importance of the question at issue will induce tiie attendance of councillors and other public men.

Fivo neglected children, members of one family, and aged respectively six, eight, nine, 10, and 13 years, wero brought before Mr J. li. Bartholomew, S.M., on Saturday. The evidenco showed a distressing degree of parental indifference to the children, who were allowed to roam the streets at all hours in an unclean state, and without proper clothing. .They wero committed to the Caversham, Industrial School, where they will bo brought up according to the Church of England tenete. '

Two boys, one 11 and the other 12 years of age, wero brought before the Juvenile Court on Saturday, charged "with stealing an electric iron and fittings, the property of Miss Helen Stratton. A basket containing the property, which was valued at 265, was placed on the floor of Barton and Trengrove's butchers' shop while Miss Stratton was making a purchase. The boys camo into the shop at this time, picked up the property and decamped with it. They destroyed the fittings to the iron valued at 10s. Mr Bartholomew, S M., convicted the boys and ordered that they come up for sentence when called upon. His Worship directed that each boy should receive a thrashing, to be given by the fathers, and placed the lads under the supervision of Mr Axelsen.

There was a largo attendance at the Botanio Gardens yesterday afternoon, when the Maori Hill Band supplied a lengthy programmo of capital music, which met with the duo appreciation of the public. Persons competent to express an opinion remarked upon the eteady improvement being made by the band.

Speaking on Friday of the Government's necessity for importing wheat from Australia (says tho Lyttelion Times), the Hon. Gα W. .Jiussell expressed the emphatio opinion that Australia might very well have sold this million bushels of wheat to New Zealand at the same price as it' was sold to the Old Country. » Australia had added another 9d a bushel; 'but the time might come when New Zealand would bo able to return the compliment, and tho Australians would find that there was a little human nature on this side of tho herring-pond as well.

" I am losing 30s a day every time I come hero," stated a waterside worker at the sitting of tho Third Wellington Military Service Board on Thursday (says the N?w Zealand Times). Oaptain Baldwin: "That shows why registered plumbers at 12s a day are hard to get."—(Laughter.) Another waterside -worker stated that he had lost 28s by attending the court.

A curious experience befell Mr H. Otterson, C.M.G., retired Clerk of the House of Representatives, who has been Jiving in South Africa and' England for the past three years, but previously had been a resident of Wellington foj over 40 years. On his arrival a few days ago (says the Post| ho was drafted out with other passengers for further inquiry, having a foreign name, but eventually ho was allowed to land. It may be added that the name is Scandiiiuvian, but the family has been in Ireland for some hundreds of years.

"Thero has been some reference to slums and congestion in Wellington," said the Rev. H. Van Staveren at Thursday's Hospital Board meeting, "but the bulletins of infectious diseases issued by the Health Department indicate that in the last month Wellington was the healthiest city in New Zealand."

At a meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association on Saturday night, some strong criticisms were directed against the condition of affairs at Quarantine Island, both as regards alleged lack of sanitary precautions and differentiation in the matter of pay between returned soldiers and men who have never left New Zealand, to the disadvantage of the former. A deputation yesterday waited on Sir- James Allen, who informed the speakers that up to Wednesday last the island had ibeen under dual control. It was now solely within his jurisdiction, and ho intended this week to visit the island in company with tile principal medical officer, and he would inquire into the allegations made. If matters were as represented Sir James promised that there would be an alteration. '

The success of Mr L. F. Ayson, chief inspector of fisheries in New Zealand, in tJhe acclimatisation in tho dominion of tho quinnat salmon from the Pacific Coast of North. America is the subject of an appreciative reference in the Hobart Mercury, which snggests that Mr Ayson should be asked to report ttpon the Tasmanian fisheries. The paper says:—"' Mr Ayson is the only man in tho woricl who has proved that salmon can bo successfully introduced into alien waters. Many years ago the American Fisheries Commission tried to introduce Pacific salmon to the Atlantic. They failed badly, the only result being that they obtained -a limited success in a fresh-water kike. Victoria and New South Wales have also failed in their efforts to introduce any kind of salmon to southern waters. More than that, it has been asserted again and again that tho attempts made at enormous cost, and upon a big scale, to restock British, rivers, where "depleted, with local salmon, have proved of no use. New Zealand rivers I'.ow abound with t.ho Pacific salmon, and presently not only will thero be joy for sportsmen, but fresh salmon will be upon the breakfast tables."

A meeting, called by the Mayor, will bo held in tho Town Hall tnis evening for tho purpose of taking some action to assist the j>uncdin Returned Soldiers' Association in its project to raise £20,0 M to be devoted to the cost of erecting- a memorial club, eto. Sm-ashing B.S.A. and side-car victory. Christdmroh, Akaroa, Lyttolton, Sunnier. Tho 8.5.A., competing against all tho high. horso-powered machines, gained 6rst place. Wil?on, Dtmedin. —Advt.

Cheering news for thrifty wives!—" Golden Rule" Soap, Is 3d largo bar; "No Rubbing " Laundry Help, Js: best for every home. —Hunter and Etheridge, family grocere. —Advt. At Mollieons To-day.—-Special sale of long lace curtains at 5s in tho pound off wholesale rites; a genuine harspain. — Advt.

Watson's No. 10 is a h'Ulo doarer than most Whiskies, but is worth the money.— Advt.

A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray street! (next Telegraph. Office). Telephone 1859.— Advt.

Electricity in Country Horace.—The now Uni-Lectrio Lighting System solves tho jjroatest drawback of a country house. Lightens and brightens existence and makes life worth living. Machine easily installed, self-contained. Write or call for particulars. Turnbull and .Tonns (Ltd.). Dunedin.—Advt.

Eyestrain I—Consult Mr Peter G. Dick, D.8.0.A. F. 1.0. (London), consulting and oculists' optician.—Peter Dick, jeweller, etc., 490 Moray pkco, Dunedia.—Advt, ,