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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19009, 3 November 1923, Page 9

A well-attended meeting of ratepayers in the Taieri River Trurt area met members and officers of the Trust at the Momona Hall last night for the purpose of discussing the proposed new drainage scheme and classification o? land. The position was fully explained from different points of view by Mr R. T. Sadd (chairman of the Trust), Mr. U. B. Campbell (District Engineeer, Public Works Department), Mr B. B. Couston (engineer to the Trust), Mr J. T. Gibson (clerk of the Trust), and Mr J. M. Dickson, M.P. Members of the Trust were questioned at great length, and it became evident that while those present favoured the scheme, a great majority of them were dissatisfied with the classification. It was explained that the proper procedure was to lodge objections to the classification, and it is probable that this course will be widely followed. 'The meeting was strongly in favour of a flat rate, but an assurance was given that this would be contrary to the Act. Mr Dickson and all the members of the Trust emphasised the value of the Government’s offer, and strongly advised ratepayers to take advantage of it. A full report of the proceedings will appear in Monday’s issue. Messrs J. Watson and J. Tait. J.P.’s. presided over a brief sitting of the Port Chalmers Court yesterday. The only business before the court was the striking out of a debt case without a hearing. The Bench appeared to be much amused at the meagre amount of business for which the court had been held. “This won’t do, you know,” exclaimed the senior J.P. laughing, ns he proceeded to sign the official book before vacating the magisterial chair. The City Fire Brigade answered two automatic false alarms yesterday—one at 12 o’clock to Hope street and the other about 4 o’clock to the Evening Star /office. Work at the Dunedin waterfront has been more active during the past three weeks than it has been for quite a long time. anti, according to a local shipping official there is every prospect of its continuing so. The cargo is turned out in good order, and tncre have been remarkably few cases of pillaging. Punctuality is always advisable if one desires to catch a boat, and the lack of this admirable quality almost caused two passengers to miss the Moeraki yesterday. Her departure, which was set down for Thursday night, was delayed on account of the heavy rain, and it was decided that the 'vessel would leave at 11 o’clock yesterday morning. Punctually at 11, therefore, the gangway was drawn up end the vessel commenced to move off. Just then a passenger came into sight, and a rope was thrown out to .enable him to get aboard. This task he accomplished after considerable difficulty. When he had reached the railings, some person, hoping to be of assistance, reached down and politely removed his hat from his head. Almost immediately afterwards another passenger arrived in even a greater hurry, but he did not experience the same difficulty. The outlet for the gangway, which was on a level with the wharf, was opened for him and he managed to scramble through. In connection with the forthcoming visit to Dunedin of the Hickson Mission, rumours have been current that the stiff seeking relief will be limited to those who belong to the Church of England. These reports are without foundation, and it has been stated from a reliable source that invalids from any denomination will be eligible to attend the mission. Everyone who desires to attend is requested to make early application for tickets of admission, as the. list will shortly bo closed. The Hon. W. Npsworthy (Minister of Agriculture' has advised the Otago A. and P. Society that ho regrets, owing to a prior engagement in Auckland, he will be unable to accept the committee’s invitation to be present at the Summer Shew. His Honor Mr Justice Sim yesterday granted probate in the estates of the following deceased persons:—Charles James Moncur (Taieri Ferry), Isabella Times (Oamaru). James Jeffery (Dunedin), Elizabeth Christiana Wilson (Dunedin), Jane Allan (Romahapa). Matthew Allen (Dunedin). Margaret Grant (Oamaru), Fred Reynolds Milne (Dunedin), Joseph Henry Cnnliffe (Caversham), James Ccekbnrn (Clinton), Thomas William Hitchon (Milton). John Thomson (Oamaru), Emma Bcaniard (Dunedin), John Waddy Coniissiong (Dunedin', and Francis John Harkness (Port Chalmers). His Honor also granted letters of administration in the estate of Wilfred Vivian Gain, of Dunedin (deceased). The Reserves Committee of the City Council has given instructions to the superintendent of reserves to have the Woodhaugh swimming pool cleared and put in order ready for the incoming summer seaeon. The decision arrived at by the City Council a couple of months ago to change the eyatem regarding pedestrian traffic and to replace the “Keep to the right” signs by “Keep to the loft” signs is being put into force. The old signs were taken down and repainted with the new instruction, and they are now being re-erected. The “Keep to the left” system is being followed in each of the four centres. The necessity of a system of-uniformity regarding pedestrian traffic was opproved at the recent Municipal Conference, and the Dunedin City Council has fallen into line with the movement. The Hon. G. M. Thomson has received Invitations "from Governor Wallace R. Farrington. Governor of Hawaii and President of the Pan-Pacific Union, and from Mr A. H. Ford, director of the union, to attend as a delegate the Pan-Pacific Food Conservation Confereno to bo bold in Honolulu at the end of July next. The Pan-Pacific Union is an unofficial organisation, the agent of no Government, but with the goodwill of all in bringing the peoples of the Pacific together into better understanding and co-operative effort for tho advancement of the interests common to the Pacific Area.

The Works Committee of the City Council has granted the city engineeer authority to clear the track through Fraser’s Gully at a cost of £25. In tho City Police Court yesterday, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Sophia Ellens was charged with that on December 15, 1922, being a person adjudged a bankrupt, she did within three years before the commencement of the bankruptcy make a payment out of the regular course of her business, not being for the ordinary expenses of herself or her family. She was further charged with that on December 15, 1922, being a person adjudged a bankrupt, she did, with intent to defraud her creditors make delivery as transfer to N. and E. S. Paterson of certain property belonging to her. Mr F. B. Adams appeared for the Official Assignee, and the defendant was represented by Mr B. S. Irwin. A plea of not guilty was entered, and the defendant elected to be dealt with summarily. Tho case was adjourned for a week, and tho defendant was allowed bail in her own recognisance of £25. A report has been received by the Gas Committee from tbo gas engineer relative to the matter of the distribution of coke from tho gasworks. The information given by tho engineer indicates that there is no legitimate shortage of coke locally, and that no case is known where any consumer has been inconvenienced by a short supply. The only alternative to the present method of sale would be for the department to undertake distribution at the works, but it is considered that the position does not warrant such action meantime. The initial expenditure would bo heavy for plant. Competition between the railways ana motor transport was referred to by the Hon. J. G. Coates in the course of a reply to a deputation at Culverden concerning railway facilities (says the Lyttelton Times). He said he believed that in some cases it would pay to scrap branch lines and turn attention to the roads. There were lines —taking the road and railway—which were commercially and economically unsound. The two might go on cutting each other s throats till each was nearly bankrupt and neither was giving what was requirefl. Therefore it would be better with one good service. When the scheme for tho Children’s Exhibition was launched the promoters were hopeful of a successful issue, but it is very doubtful if they anticipated such pleasing results as have been achieved. The attendances have been extremely gratifying, and tho interest aroused has been well ■ sustained throughout the week. From an educational point of view, the display has been all that could be wished for. The time yesterday afternoon was occupied' to advantage by lecturettes by Misses H. Alexander and Melville, who spoke on the aims of the kindergarten and home science respectively. In the evening music was supplied by the Returned Soldiers’ Orchestra, and a 45 minutes’ entertainment '\vas presented in Fullers’ Hall, where a recitation was given by Miss Rita Etheridge (“The Minuet”), songs by Miss Joyce Dove and a number- of boys from Knox Church Sunday School (“Five Jolly Sailormen”), dances by some girls from Archerfield School, a duo by Misses Miriam Beswick and Reid (“Girl and Boy”), a sketch by Miss Hazel Hannan (“Little Lady Wide-awake”), and eurythmio exercises by pupils of Archerfield. The railway concessions have led to a considerable influx of visitors from tho country, and more are expected to-day, when the exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. The concluding event in connection with the display will he the presentation .of “Tire Blue Bird” by the pupils of Columba College in His Majesty’s Theatre to-night. Instructions hare been given by the General Committee to tho traffic inspectors rigidly to enforce the city by-laws in all oases of speeding motor-cyclists, more particularly in the case of those who persistently use their machines without a silencer. It is intended that riders with unsilenoed .machines and those who drive unnecessarily fast shall be prosecuted. A quaintly-worded letter addressed to “City Hall, Christchurch. New Zealand, Australia,” lias been received by the Mayor (Mr J. A. Flesher) from a writer in Berlin, inquiring for the whereabouts of a friend. Tho letter states.—“ Herewith allow myself to inquire where it would be possible for me of finding out, or aiding me in finding out, the present address of Mr James William Bertmead. Mr Bertmead emigrated to Christchurch in the year 1918, and ever since wo have not had word from him or heard anything about him. The last residence of Mr James William Bertmead in Christchurch has been Park avenue, 7, Christchurch, N.Z.. Australia. You would oblige me very much indeed in answering mo, and in case you would not. find yourself in a position to assist me in locating, you probably might advise me which the best way would be in doing so. Thanking you in anticipation of the trouble I caused you.—Eleonoro Cyra. P.S.—Allow me to enclose one post stamp. It, of course, can hardly be of any use to you as far as the postage would be concerned, but might be added to a collection.” An application has been received by the Reserves Committee for the use of a portion of the Town Belt adjoining the Moana lawn tennis courts for the purpose of a bowling green and, possibly, a ladies’ croquet green. The committee is favourably disposed towards the application, and is now obtaining full details of the area required and the cost of constructing the greens, for further consideration and submission to council. The proposal meantime is that the greens should be constructed by the council at the cost of the applicants, and that an annual rental for the use of the greens should be payable as in the case of lawn tennis and other clubs. * The Department of Agriculture has at present a small supply of turnip seed supposed to be resistant to club root disease. This disease is one of the “bugbears” of the fanners in Otago and Southland, and in some districts its ravages are so serious that turnip-growing is becoming at best a most precarious undertaking. Efforts to control this disease in the past have not met with the success desired, and the Department of Agriculture is now turning its attention to the possibility *»f limiting the effect of tho disease by growing disease-resistant seed. A supply of such seed has been obtained both from England and Denmark, arid it will bo tried out in regard to its disease resistant qualities against ordinary turnip seed on tho various experimental farms. The Department is also desirous of growing this seed on several fa'ins in paddocks known to te largely infected with club root. The other day tho American Mammalian Society asked me the question, “Where do elephants ‘lief” says Lieutenant-colonel Gordon dass«rley, the well-known hunter and author. Vow, although 1 have lived and hunted in and ranged widely through the great IVrat jungle that stretches for hundreds of miles along the foot of the Himalayas, 1 have never seen a wild elephant that had died a natural death. Nor, although I have asked jungle tribesmen, limiters white and brown, planters and forest officers who have passed half their lives in the Terai, have I found anyone more fortunate. For it is still nn unsolved mystery, the question of where these groat mammals pass away. In all countries where wild elephants are found legends have grown up of liiddcn death-places lost in the heart of vast forests or in untrodden mountains to which the animals retreat when instinct tells them that their end draws near. The 12th 4.5 Howitzer Battery will proceed by a special troop train to-day to Matarao to undergo a week’s training under canvas. In addition to its passsengers, tha train will carry the battery's six guns, its waggons, live anirnuntion * for practice shooting, and four of the 6-in howitzer guns of the 14th Battery, which will go into camp the following week to do similar training. .Shell practice will be carried out by both batteries, the 12th Battery carrying out its shooting next Thursday and Friday, and the 14th Battery on the following Thursday and Friday. These camps will bo the first to be held for some time, and are compulsory for all ranks. Hiere has been no need to enforce the regulations, however, as all tho members of the batteries are very keen to undergo their training under conditions somewhat similar to service requirements. The rainfall registered at Ohirehua for tho 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday was 16 points (reports our correspondent). The total rainfall for the month of October was 106 points. Only 57 points foil in September, and consequently the ground is getting very dry. and a good soaking rain would bo welcome'^

A collision between a five-seater motorcar and a Ford one-ton truck, belonging to Messrs Laidlaw and Gray, occurred at the corner of Rattray and Princes streets at 9 o’clock yesterday morning. Tho front wheel and mudguard of the car struck the middle of the body of the truck, damaging the woodwork very considerably. A mudguard of the car was crushed and the front axle was bent slightly. A specimen of the jaw of the huge typo of wild pig the settlers of Taranaki have to contend with is on view at tho office of tho Palmerston North branch of the Forestry Department. The huge projecting tusks measure from jaw to tip 6in, while tho intervening teeth, which are in excellent condition, project half an inch from the jawbone and run back into their sockets no loss than 2in. In conversation with the owner of this trophy of the chase, a Standard reporter was informed that owing to the depredations of tho wild pig in central Taranaki a royalty of la per head is paid for tho extermination of the animals, and that during the winter months approximately 4000 pigs had been killed in this portion of the province. Many of lh e paddocks, ho added, show very distinctly the depredations of the pig, and more closely resemble a ploughed field, while in the past the lambing percentages had shrunk from 80 to 100 per cent, to as low as 20 per cent., through the wild pigs destroying the lambs. Most men who go down to tho soa in ships will hail with satisfaction the day when, by the use of oil as fuel, or the intervention of tlio Diesel engine, the genus firemen will be a thing of tho past (says our Wellington correspondent). This thought must have been uppermost in the minds of many who watched tho departure yesterday of the Marama from Wellington to Sydney. Just as tho lines had been cast off from the wharf two stokehold hands came down the wharf and nonchalantly signalled tl\eir desire to board the ship. They made an unceremonious journey to the ■ by means of a rope lowered to haul them up. Then half a dozen men under the influence of strong liquor came on the see They clustered about tho pendant rope and began ah incoherent argument. Finally they asked for a ladder, and a detective and a police constable bundled them on board, but not 'without protestations. One fell from the deck on to his waiting companions, and with much difficulty was finally hoisted on board, only to be handed down by tbo detective a few seconds later, When it was found that he was not a member of the crow. Two of the other stragglers were for the same reason forced protestingly back on to tho wharf. Then tho ship got under way. Mr Riddell. S.M., gave his decision in tho Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday (says a Press Association message) in the cij.il case m which Victor Beck, theatrical agent, proceeded against Captain C. F. Adams, proprietor of tho vaudeville ac" “Odiva’s Seals,” for the recovery of £2OO for alleged breach of an agreement whereby plaintiff was to act as defendant’s advance agent in Now Zealand. The Magistrate remarked that the duty of the defendant was to notify Beck of his departure from Sydney, no that plaintiff could prepare to take up his duty as agent on defendant’s arrival at Auckland. Plaintiff was now offered other employment by the defendant, but in view of the cavalier treatment he had received the Bench was not prepared to say tnat ho was not justified in refusing this’ offer as he had done. Judgment was entered for plaintiff for £BO and costs. A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859. Advt. Diamond Engagement Rings.—Before purchasing compare our values; large selection, superior quality.—Peter Dick, direct importers jewellery, watches, etc., 490 Mora” place. Dunedin. —Advt. Special sermons on behalf of the prohibition movement will be preached in several of the Dunedin churches to-morrow and on the following Sunday, when addresses will be given by Messrs C. E. Edmonds, dominion organiser of the Alliance movement, and Mr H. Grinstead, of Palmerston North. ! Notices of tho following Sunday services will be found in our advertising columns:— Anglican: St. Paul’s, St. Matthew’s. All Saints’. Presbyterian: First, Knox, St. Andrew’s. North-East Valley. _ Methodisti Central Mission, Trinity, St. Kilda, Dunda* Street. Baptist: Hanover Street. Mornington. Congregational; Moray Place. Wesley : Cargill Road. Salvation Army, Dowling street. Church of Christ: Tabernacle. Theosophists: Oddfellows’ Hall. Anniversary services will be held at the Moray Place . Congregational Church tomorrow, when the Rev. W. Walker will occupy tho pulpit in the morning and the Rev. "W. Saunders will conduct the evening service. The services will be to a large extent of a choral nature, and the choir will render “The Hallelujah Chorus,’’ besides several of the numbers from “The Prodigal Son” (Sullivan). Special solo items have been arranged for both morning and evening. Tho anniversary hymns sung at the Hanover Street Baptist Sunday School anniversary last Sunday will bo repeated to-mor-row. The Rev. Alfred North will preach in the morning, and the Rev. R. H. Knowles Kempton in the evening. Temperance Sunday will be celebrated at the Dundas Street and Ravensbourne Methodist, Churches. At Dundas street the Rev. E. Pearn will preach in tho morning, and tho Rev. E. O. Blamires in the evening. At the Methodist Central Mission tomorrow evening a temperance reform rally will bo held. An appropriate address will be delivered by the Rev. H. Grinstead. Miss Connie Flamnnk will render the solo “How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings.” An organ recital will bo given by Dr V. E. Galway in First Church on Monday, November 12. In response to numerous requests, Beethoven’s Concerto in C Minor for piano and orchestra will be repeated. Mr C. A. Martin will be tho solo pianist, and tho orchestral accompaniment will bo played on the organ. A varied programme of vocal items in aria, duet, and concerted form, covering a wide range of interesting compositions and embracing the work of old and modern composers, will be presented by Miss Ray Jackson’s students in Burns Hall on Monday next. The United Starr-Bowkett Building Society announces that there are still a few shares available in No. 7 group. Shares are still available in the Otago Mutual Starr-Bowkett Society’s No, 3 group. The Salvation Army’s new hall in the Main North road, North-East Valley will he onened by Commissioner Hoggard (territorial leader for New Zealand) at 3 o’clock this afternoon. The Dunedin Highland Pipe Band will play a selected programme of Scottish music at the Botanic Gardens to-morrow. A concert, with tho object assisting to clear off tho balance of tho cost of the Peninsula Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial, will be given by tho Anderson’s Bay Glee Club, assisted by well-known and favourite artists, on Thursday next.