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Otago Daily Times, Issue 18759, 12 January 1923, Page 4

At the meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board yesterday Mr J. L. Hamilton’s tender was accepted for the erection of the Milton and Ownka cottage hospitals, 'ihe tender was £7746 10s in the case of the Milton Hospital and £7560 in the case of tli© Owaka Hospital. New' Zealand newspaper proprietors are apparently not yet assured of any probable reduction in the cost of newsprint paper. Mr Howard Smith, president of, the Howard Smith Paper Mills, Canada, expressed the opinion when he arrived in Brisbane last month that the forecast of another paper shortage in the near future is right. While there is no actual shortage at present, there is certainly stringency gild higher prices are, in Air Smith’s opinion, likely to rule on account of the increased cost ot wood, used for paper pulp purposes. 1110 police have been advised that a returned soldier named William Baglem died in the Cromwell Hospital yesterday. The hospital authorities are unable to nnd any relatives of the deceased, who had been employed by the Public Works Department at Moa Creak.

At the dose of the final performance ot the Shakespearean season at His Majesty’s Theatre on Wednesday night last a large number of floral tributes were presented to Miss Hunter-Watts, Miss Hilda Dorringtoh, Miss Lorna Forbes, and other of the lady members of the company. In response to numerous recalls Mr Allan Wilkie said that although from circumstances beyond control the four months spent in (he dominion had from a financial point of view been far from satisfactory, he hoped to return to Dunedin in 1924, when in addition to his present repertoire he would present four new plays—viz., King Lear, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and Coriolanus. He paid a tribute to Miss Dorrington, who at the commencement of tho present tour had faced the arduous task ot interpreting 10 or 11 characters new to her and which she had played with much ability. Miss Dorrington was severing her connection with" the company nnd was re turning to America; Miss Hunter-Watts, whose health was completely restored, resuming tho leading roles. The Union Steam Ship Company’s intercolonial passenger steamer Mooraki. which has replaced the Paloona in the MelbourneNew Zealand run, is due here this morning with passengers and cargo from Melbourne, via Bluff. She has not visited (his port for eight-and-a-lialf years, having made her last call cn July 21, 1914, when she was engaged in tho Melbourne-Now Zealand trade. The Moeraki, which is under the command of Captain J. G, Doorly (formerly of tho Paloona), registers 4421 tons, gross, as compared with the Paloona’s 2791 tons gross. She arrived at. Bluff on Wednesday night from Melbourne, manned by a free labour crew. The vessel has been replaced on the Melbourne run c-.nog to the increased trade, and the Union Company hopes that the trade will justify her retention. As she is a much larger and nnore modem vessel than, the Paloona, and is very popular with travellers, it is expected that increased passenger traffic will result.

There is at present, a mild degree of excitement in connection with the mining (telegraphs our Cromwell correspondent). There is, in fact, a. boom on a small scale. A report recently gained' currency that, a big scheme had been organised by which it. was proposed to shut off the water in the Kawarau River by means of a huge structure at Lake Wnkatipu, and to hold it. for many days at a stretch. There is more than rumour in the report as it (s authentically stated that the Kawarau River from the junction at Cromwell to the lake has been pegged off by a syndicate at the ordinary low winter level' under the usual conditions. Many rich patches of gold are now close to the water’s edge and if the river could be controlled as proposed many rich deposits would undoubtedly lie won. At present the proposal is quite a topic of conversation As the stemming of the Kawarau would greatly decrease the level of the Molynoux after it leaves Cromwell, numerous local residents have already turned their attention in that, direction and have pegged out areas with the idea ol profiting by the scheme. One party, it is said, pegged off the old Hartley claim and another party—to nil appearances m a shooting expedition--is said to have been occupied till a. Into hour on Wednesday night securing an area near Half-way House. It can bo said definitely that the scheme is being seriously considered, but full details are not available in the meantime.

Cabinet has tentatively approved of a now scale of telephone charges (says a Wellington Press Association message). In the revise;! scale it is understood that certain concessions will he made to private users of telephones, especially in country districts. The scale .will not bo brought into action until the Chamber of Commerce and other organisations have had opportunity of expressing their opinions in regard to it. It is probable that the more frequent users to the telephone will find themselves liable to an increased charge, as the basic principle of the' new scale is stated to bo that the cliarge is according to service. A deputation consisting of a number ot business men waited upon the Mayor (Mr J. SI Dougins) yesterday morning ugid ashed that he should take steps, in his official capacity, to prevent the removal of the site of the Dunedin Summer Show ns is involved in the proposal to sell Tahuna Park. Some of the speakers suggested that the difficulty would be overcome if the Domain Board could be induce.-) to grant the A. aindi P, Association another 25 acres of land, and there was also a suggestion that tile City Council might assist the society by reducing the tram fares at present charged for conveyance to the show grounds. The Mayor noted the representations and undertook to consult the parties interested.

Neil M'Kenzie appeared before Mr J. Tait, J.P., at the Port Chalmers Court yesterday on a charge of using obscene language, and was remanded to appear at the Dunedin Police Court to-day.

At a meeting of the Waikooaiti domain Board, held on Wednesday last, a

letter was received from the Under-Sec-retary of Lands and Survey asking as the appointment of the board would expire by effluxion of time on March 20 next, whether (lie present members would be willing to nooept ro-appointment for a further term. All the members agreed to not again, and the secretary was instructed to reply to that effect.

Walter Kennedy, a seaman at present on strike, was charged at the Police Court yesterday with using insulting language within the hearing of passers-by on December 15. Senior-sergeant Matfijeson stated that the (rouble arose through the accused using abusive language to a labourer. The three Crown witnesses, not putting in an appearance, the case was adjourned to March 7.

An Invercargill Press Association message says that Mr Gummer, of Auckland, adjudicated on the plans for the Southland war memorial, to cost £IO,OOO. The first prize of £l5O goes to Coombs and While, of Dunedin, and the second, of £SO, to M. K. Draffin, Auckland. Ihe main fabric will be of reinforced concrete, covered with slabs of Bluff granite.

An interesting farewell took place on the Dunedin railway station yesterday morning prior to the departure of the 8 o'clock express for the north. The Allan Wilkie Company, which is disbanding for a brief holiday', includes ladies and gentlemen hailing from every one of the Australian States. Half the company went north to catch the Ulimaroa for Sydney; the other half leave for the south on Saturday to catch the Moeroki for Melbourne. An association which in some cases has lasted for several year was about to bo severed, and the future is uncertain. The farewells were affectionate and in some cases quite touching. The close camaraderie of the members of the company was pleasingly evident.

Two men, who were arrested last night on charges of drunkenness, will appear before the court this morning. One- ot them will also bo charged with assault. A Port Chalmers resident will appear before the court on a charge of using obscene language on the Port Chalmers wharf. At the Timaru Magistrate’s Court (says a Press Association message) G. S. Cray was fined £2O and costs for conducting a treasure hunt in connection with the Caroline Bay carnival. Five others were each fined £2 and costs for conducting games of chance.

Large quantities of fmit are (our Roxburgh correspondent reports) being •consigned from Beaumont daily. From November 27 to January 6. 145 j tons had teen sent away. Since then the consignments have been as under:—January 8, 3880 cases (51 tons 19 cwt 2qrs); January 9, 3310 cases (45 tons 1 cwt 3qrs); January 10, 3040 cases (42 tons 6 cwt). A Wellington Press Association message states that January 27 has been fixed as the day for nomination of members and acting members of (ho Court of Arbitration, to represtent the employers and workers respectively. A Wellington Press Association message states that the delegates and members attending the sixteenth congress held under the auspices of the Australasian Society for the of Science were tendered a civic reception in the Town oall yesterday. Those in attendance! numbered about 400, including ICO from Australia. A most important real estate transaction occurred in Melbourne recently, when the Southern Cross Assurance Company purchased the buildings known as Modem Chiambers, right in the heart of Melbourne. The building is a six-storey one •and tlxe price paid was in the vicinity of £39,000, which works out at about £2OOO a foot. The possibilities of the property are considered unique, and Mr T. J. Confoy and the directors are said to have seized on© of the ‘‘plums” of the market at a propitious moment. It is noteworthy that .the buijding, erected in ISBB, cost £79,100, including £38,000 for construction, £40,000 for the land, and £llOO for the electric installation.

Falcon Island, in the South Pacific, is the most restive and changeable piece of laud jn the world. It has a knock of disappearing below tho waves and then suddenly bobbing up again; It was first seen and charted by H.M.S. Falcon in 1865. But in 1877 another ship found that the land had disappeared, though smoko was issuing from the sea. The charts were accordingly altered. Then, in 1885, the island returned quite jauntily, and remained so long that the steamer Egeria, in October. 1889, charted it again, showing it to b« just over a inile long, a mile broad, and 153 ft rbove sea level at its highest point. Early in 1894, however, a survey ship found that the island consisted of only a low stretch of narrow rock, less than 1090 feet in length. By December of the same year the island had bobbed up again, and was over three miles long and nearly two broad. As if exhausted by such au effort to increase in area, it vanished once more in 1698. No further signs of ambition were noted until 1900, when the island again began to grow. Since then it has undergone many changes. To-day it is covered with palm trees and vegetables, but its reputation for misbehaviour is such that no one will settle, upon It. Brass bands from New Zealand often come to Australia to strive for championships and shields to carry back with them (says the Sydney Sun). But. only on one occasion has on Australian band gone io New Zealand for a similar purpose, and that was 17 years ago, which as the dominion is extremely busy with eisteddfods and competitions, a serious want of uiterpii.se among our bands. At least Mr W. M. Partington abates that tho only occasion on which an Austreli.m band visited New Zealand was 17 -years ago. And as Mr Partington h&s been going up and down the country nearly all the days of his life winning band contests against all comers, he has determined to break the Australian silence in New Zealand. and for this reason he is taking his hand, (ho Redfern Municipal, late South Sydney Model, to the dominion in February, to compete at the Uunerjin Band Contest. Mr Partington was (he bandmaster of the famous Hozelle band, which for seven years was busy collecting oil the trophies in Australia. He led this band to victory in the com per ft ions for the Commonwealth championships in Sydney. Ballarat, and Brisbane, and to the winning of the Grand Aggregate Trophy for three years in succession at Ballarat and Sydney. Mr Partington has an enviable record, both as the winner of band championships, solo chanipionshiiw for his own instrument, the euphonium, and as adjudicator. The South Sydney Band, which gained the 1919 championship in Sydney, changed its title to that of the Redfern Municipal, when it received a subsidy from the Redfern Council, and thus becanjp in fact a municipal bind. In order to augment the band's funds for tho object of visiting here it will give « series of concerts at the principal towns cn rpute.

Wo have received a cony of the Australasian T. and G. Mutual Life Assurance Society’s calendar for 1925. £SO Reduction: 38<13 model Harley-David-sen motor cycles, fitted with carriers, lamps, pump, tools, Goodyear tyres; best value offering. E n memhcr 1 £SO per machine reduction. 1923 models now on view.—W A. Justice and Co , Imperial Garage, Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt. We advise all marriageable girls to sing plenty, especially while “No-Rubbing” Laundry Help is doing the weekly family washing.—Dunedin Industrial Co-op., agent lor “No-Rubbing.”—Advt. The always-busy tailor, the tailor that has sot Dunedin buzzing—G. S. Roberts, Stock Exchange Buildings. It’s the material in the garment that gives the wear. See that it is good.—Advt. Mollisons are specialising; in ladies’ Allwool Black Cashmere Hcso at 2» lid per pair.—-Mollisons (Ltd.), corner George and Frederick streets, Dunedin.—Advt. Try Watson’s No. 10 in hot milk for nightcap. Induces sound, refreshing sleep. Great whisky.—Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist Rank cf Australasia, corner of Bond anti Rattray street* (next Telegraph Office). Telephone J859.-' Advt, Xmas Jewellery.—Just landed, large selection diamond rings, watches, brooches, pendants, and silver ware. Compare values.— Peter Dick, Jewellers, 490 Morey place.-* Advt