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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19197, 13 June 1924, Page 6

A deputation of leading citizens waited on the Mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley) and the General Committee of the City Council yesterday morning to enter a protest against the construction of a public convenience opposite the dress circle entrance to His Majesty’s Theatre. After hearing the deputation the committee decided to bring down a fresh report on the matter at the weekly meeting of the council to be held on Wednesday next. In the meantime the work has been stopped. It is reported in the latest issue of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics that the index number for the three food groups is at April 15 was 1605, an increase of seven points over that for the previous month, and of 50.00 per cent, as compared with that for July, 1914. A fall of 11 points in the groceries group was caused mainly by a fall in the price of potatoes in most towns. An increase in the price of milk in two important towns and a rise in that of eggs in all towns caused the dex number for the dairy products group to rise 47 points. The index number in respect of meat prices was the same as tha for March. As an illustration of the difficulties that i(tend trading between Dunedin /and the East Coast of the North Island under existing conditions, a lioatnote has been exhibited to us for the consignment of a parcel of goods to Gisborne, this having been made out on April 28 last, while the goods verc landed at Gisborne not earlier than last week. At last night’s meeting of directors of (ho New Zealand and South Seas Ext lion Company it was decided to turn the rst sod in connection with the Exhibit m the afternoon of Saturday, June 28. letails have not been finally arranged, but t is understood that the ceremony, will b d a somewhat imposing nature, and wi' nclude a unique procession through the nain streets. Tram traffic on the route between the city and Caversham via the Main South road vas dislocated to a certain extent yesterday owing to the necessity for effecting * re)airs to the line opposite the Southern 'Vtnclery. For some hours it was necessity to transfer passengers from on© oar to mother ait a bond in the lino where workman were engaged in putting in new rails. The conference of the Industrial Cor■oration of New Zealand, which is sib in Auckland (says a Press Association mes;gc), rescinded last year’s resolution relating to the conditions under which the oorloration would support the New Zor aid South Son« Exhibition at Dunedin. The Tristchurch delegates dissented. Eveilly it was decided: ‘That the conference, s representing the manufacturers of f lominion, cannot as an organisation supert any exhibition enterprise displaying 'oreign goods.” It was also decided to refer o each association for individual action the ■cstion of dealing with the Exhi 1 if New Zealand goods at Dunedin. The party which wont across to Half Way "?ay station on Wednesday morning in r-arch of the missing man, J. Small, roomed to Queenstown the same night (retorts our correspondent) without having seated his whereabouts. Small’s dog was ioticed to bo persistently keeping to the vliarf and the waterfront, so the search ■tarty returned to Half Way Bay ycsterdai ith grappling irons for the purpose of dragging the lake in the vicinity as it is feared the unfortunate man may have been howned. The carillon which is to grace the big clock tower of Sydney University will 'writes our correspondent) be a magnificent memorial to the men and the women of mr chief seat of learning who, in diverse vays, did their but during the war. The arilton, which will cost, £15,000, will consist of 49 bolls, weighing from four and abnlf tons to a few pounds. They will 1 •ho first in Australia. The range of music on a carillon is such that Beethoven may ■e played with the same success as a simple arrangement for ordinary bells. The full height of the toyer in which the carillon vill he installed is 115 ft. This and the fact that the university stands on a hill, will give the music of the carillon a wide ••a.nge. It will float out over the city and will bo hoard even in the suburbs. Carillon concerts at the university will also be possible with this memorial. It is probable that when the carillon is installed in about a year an expert player from abroad will he engaged, in order .also that ho may instruct those at the university in the uso of the hells. A very pertinent question regarding the erection "of a costly group of molten images of horses to bedeck the upper portion of the facade to Australia House in the fetrand i 8 asked by the Shipping World (London) of April 23. “No doubt,” says our contemporary, “horses will look handsome beasts, but we should have thought there might have been a more appropriate selection of fauna for the purpose. Why not kangaroos?” Australians, who have to pay for the costly eccentricities displayed by the management of Australia House, will quite agree that the group of horses is not a happy symbolic idea. A big white elephant would be the most appropriate animal to choose for the purpose.” In a speech at the annual prize night of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (says our Auckland correspondent) the Governor-General said that the yachtsmen had given him some of the happiest hours since he had come to the dominion, and his whole stay had been one of the happiest. Some of his happiest moments had been spent in the Iron Duke on the Waitemata and in the other yachts. "The only time Her Excellency accompanied mo, the Iron Duke went on shore. Whether it was due to extra draught or the navigation I do not know—(laughter)—but on that occasion she stuck fast.” He thought that he would have to advise hia successor to have an, 18ft yacht, because in the 18ft class there were all prizes and no blanks, while one was perhaps a little bit drier in an 18-footer than in a 14-footer. “I need hardly assure yachtsmen that it will be a very sad day for us when we leave. I do not know yot whether it will bo from Auckland or from Wellington. We have spent four of the happiest years of our lives here and I assure you that it will be a matter of the deepest possible regret when we turn our backs on the happy, delightful, and prosperous country of New Zealand. New Zealand will be ever in our hearts and wo shall never forget the happy days spent here, and the people whose memories we shall treasure.”

“If ever there was an unfair arrangement made in the world,” said the Prime ‘Minister at the opening of the Winter Exhibition in Auckland on Tuesday, “it was that which enabled goods containing 25 per cent, of British workmanship to receive the benefit of the British preferential tariff. The great foreign manufacturing countries made motor cars and motor lorries, for instance, and other goods for which New Zealand had been an important customer. The parts of the machine were assembled in England,* and by the time it was painted the 25 per cent, of British labour had been put into it. Then it was given the same advantage in regard to preferential duty as if it had been manufactured in a British community. Clearly 25 per cent, was not enough. He did not know that 50 per cent, would be enough, hut ho would make sure by putting it at 75 per cent. What was now happening was grossly unfair to the manufacturers of Now r Zealand, and as regards Britain it was taking the bread out of the mouths of the mothers and children of the land. On this matter ho felt strongly, and while he had the opportunity he would try to bring about a better state of things. The Prince of Wales has been voted in America to lx? the most fascinating man in the wmrld (writes the Daily Express). What are the mysterious qualities which make a man fascinating? We do not mean the qualities of that despicable creature the lady-killer We mean the qualities which make a man popular among men ns well as among women. The man who is a man’s man as well as a woman's man is rather rare. What is the secret? Is it courtesy, good breeding, kindliness, blended with tact and that geniality which does not easily clot into flattery? These things are ingredients, but there is something more. What is it? We suspect it is the ability to listen. Few men and fewer women are good listeners. The magnetic man who is as welcome in a club os at a dinner table is invariably a good listener. A man may not be clever or witty or even humorous. But if he be a good listener everybody likes him. The Prince of Wales is also a good speaker Besides having a sunny disposition, an attractive smile, and a natural ease of manner, he is above all a listener whom no bore appears to boro. H.lt.H. gets the vote.

The population of the dominion on March 31 last (reports a Wellington Press Association message) was 1,293,934 —an increase of 4731 during the quarter. Including Maoris, the population is 1,347,754. Births during the quarter totalled 7081, compared with 6823 during the first quarter of 1923. Deaths totalled 2385, compared with 2371 for the same three months of lost year. Speaking in Dannevirke at a conference with the Waipawa Hospital Board (says a Press Association message), Dr Valintine. Director-General of Hospitals, said, that nothing called for more attention on the part of hospital boards than the question of the erection of maternity homes in connection with the hospitals in the dominion. It was now the policy of the department to encourage boards to erect maternity hospitals in connection with their institutions. It was high time something tangible was done to meet the needs of maternity, for the birth rate now was nothing to what ought to be. The department had in view the extinguishing of all private maternity hospitals in favour of institutions controlled by hospital boards. It was necessary to have thoroughly up-to-date hospitals, where women could feel that they were receiving proper attention. '

So many stories of how punters have been “had” in connection with racing have been told that one would think the very last had boon related. A new one came to light in connection with the final race at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Winter meeting. The ingenious punter had a good thing for the last race, and he had to get inside information at the lart moment to see whether the animal was to bo a trier. The information was divulged to four other punters, and they were to be let into the good thing. The ingenious one made a hurried departure at the time appointed, and came back with the news' that everything was “set,” but that he was under a strict bond of secrecy not to divulge the horse’s name until the totalise,tor closed. He would have to put on the money himself. One of the quartet of punters thereupon handed over a£s note and another one £2. The remaining two decided to look on. The machine closed, a.nd the quintet again foregathered, and were informed of the name of the good thing—the third biggest outsider in the field. Wonderful to relate tlie good thing ran second, and paid a good price, and the two puntore were on' joyful terms with Themselves. Then came the startling climax—“ You wore not on. I put the money on with a bookmaker for a straight out win at 10 to 1.” Who the bookmaker was or what would have happended if the horse had won outriaht has not been divulged. In the meantime all the attempts of the two punters to get back their £7 have proved fruitless. To take a motor car which may be (handing in the street out of the possession of its owner, and to indulge in joy-riding at the owner’s expense, is not stealing, according to a court decision here (reports our Sydney correspondent) as long as the intention is to return it. The question is: How long is the joy-rider entitled to keep the car without being a thief in the eyes of the law? ' Almost every day in Sydney one reads of cars being whisked away and not infrequently found later in, a damager' condition; the* joy-riders, haring knocked the cars about, simply cast them aside. The position is accentuated by the fact that th joy-riders, incompetent very often to handle a car, are a source of grave danger to others on the road. The whole thing has become such a scandal that Parliament is being urged, in the interests alike of common honesty and public safety, to pass legislation making the illegal use of cars, if not theft, in the eyes of the law, something equally serious. The point is urged th; if the joy-rider cannot be dealt with ns a common thief there should be a law equally effective for showing him the error of his ways under some other name- It is obvious that until the law is applied more rigorously a lot of high-spirited young fellows still continue to regard the motor car as the average person regards an umbrella —something which, by the morality, or immorality, of society, one can take away with indifference.

Considerable interest is being taken in the laying of the foundation stone of the St. Martin’s new Sunday school, North-East Valley. The stone will be laid by his Worship the Mayor to-morrow afternoon. A E J Blakeley. Oenliei. Buna ■! ‘ tralaaia. corner of Bond and Rattray etreeu next Telegraph Office] Telephone 1058 - Advt ~ Choice Jewellery; compare our valine*. large selection diamond rings, watches bracelet" silverware, etc. —Peter Dick. jewe. lers. 490 Moray place.—Advt.