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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19260, 26 August 1924, Page 6

With regard to a letter. signed “Te Awa” which appeared in yesterday morning’s issue of this paper, the Union Steam Ship Company inform us there was no foundation for the statements made that the s.s. Maori was in any danger either on the occasion about which there has been so much talk, or on prior, or subsequent occasions. It claims that the reports of the Marino Superintendent of the company and of the captain of tho Maori conclusively prove this, and it is said in addition that on the first occasion referred to the captain was in his cabin and did not notice that anything out of the ordinary had occurred, and that it was not until subsequently that ho heard of the alarmist reports. With regard to tho statement that lifebelts wore handed out, the company states that neither on the occasion referred to nor on any other were lifebelts handed out to passengers on tire Maori It Is pointed out that in any case a supply of lifebelts is kept in a handy place in tho cabins of all the company’s steamers, including the Maori, and passengers are expected themselves to put these on should the necessity arise. It would bo quite impossible for the stewards in a ferry steamer carrying a large number of passengers to distribute lifebelts to everybody, and the lifebelts are accordingly stowed ready for use in an easily accessible place in the cabins.

A witness giving evidence in a case heard at the City Police Court yesterday afternoon proved reluctant in answering Mr A. 0. Hanlon, who had asked him how many drinks he had had on a certain day. Aifter some hesitation, witness solemnly .stated (fiat he was a teetotaller. —Mr Hanlon: Is that so? How are you quite sure? —Witness (smilmgly); Well, I did have two drinks, Mr Hanlon, —“A teetotaller means a total abstainer you kpow,” said Mr Hanlon.

On Saturday night th® St. Andrew's Literary and Debating Club held an interesting and amusing debate on the subject of ‘‘whether wo ought, or ought not to obey Mrs Grundy.” Mr Wilson, who led for the affirmative, held that Mrs Grundy stood for convention, and that, convention was responsible for laws w’Pnt which society could not exist. M: .Vngbt and Miss Purvis, who supported Mr Wilson, contended that if it were nr-t for Mi Grundy, oranks and faddists ould hold sway, and that already many undesirable practices such as women smoking ciragottos were the direct result of disobeying Mrs Grundy. Mr Cameron, who led for the negative, pointed out the distinction between obeying the dictates of Mrs Grundy and obeying the dictates of common sense and conscience. He also held that Mrs Grundy had in the past seriously retarded progress, had caused unnecessary misery, and that in pandering to Mrs Grundy the character of the race had suffered. Dr Dorothy Cameron and Mr R. Henderson, who, supported the negative, showed how women’s education and development had been retarded by Mrs Grundy, and instanced many of the present undesirable practices, such as the etiquette of afternoon calls, for which Mrs Grbndy was responsible. If Mrs Grundy considered it right for men to smoke, then she was most inconsistent if she found fault with women' smoking. Mr J. G. Patterson, who acted, as judge, gave a very helpful criticism of the speeches. He gave his decision in favour of the negative side of th© debate. The following is the return of infectious diseases of the Dunedin and Fever Hospitals or the week ended noon yesterday: Diphtheria. admitted three, discharged eight, remaining 15; scarlet fever, remaining three; cerebro spinal meningitis, discharged one; typhoid, romlaining one; pneumonia, admitted one, died one, remaining two. Total admitted, four; discharged nine; died one, remaining 21. A new method of snoak-thieving, the very simplicity of which is liable to catch the house-wife unawares, is at present being exploited in the southern portion of th© city. It is worked by two persons, both of them men, although one wears feminine attire. The system employed is for one of the “partners” to knock at the front door of a house, and to engage the occupant in conversation while the other enters by the back door in search of any articles of value that may be lying about. The trick was discovered yesterday by a woman who asked ,v >e caller at the front to wait for a moment while she removed a pot from the kitchen fire.

The raising of pigs is carried on by the borough of Now Plymouth incidentally to the collection of household refuse (states the Herald). The growth of this department is shown by the following report made to the council lay the chief inspector (Mr R. Day); “The receipts from the sale of pigs for the month (£53 19s 3d) is the largest amount for any one month. I have had the pleasure of topping the market on two occasions and I am pleased to say that the quality of the stock is becoming known and appreciated. In view of high prices being likely to rule this season I have concentrated on the supply of weaner pigs, and, given anything like ordinary luck, this branch should show a substantial profit. I have steadily sought to improve the quality of the progeny by securing unregistered pedigree stock, and with this end in view I should like to gradually work into a registered pedigree herd. This can be done by purchasing at opportune times stock, and in this way a good herd can bo bred at a comparatively low outlay. Extra fencing as required can now be paid for out of income. For a number of year# now no food has been bought.”

Oar Wellington correspondent reports that a further increase of capital for the State Advances Department may be announced shortly.

“During all the months I was lecturing on American platforms I never once heard a discourteous word against New Zealand,” said Mr C. H. Poole, when speaking at Auckland (states the Star). He could not understand why there should bo a certain boisterous element anywhere trying to create dissension between the two great brandies of the Anglo-Saxon family. During his travels ho had found that the people of America and Canada were appallingly ignorant of New Zealand, on© man having stated that prior to hearing of Mr Poole’s lectures he had always thought New Zealand was a small town in Southern Illinois. Other Americans had congratulated' Mr Poole on being able to speak such good English.

Some amusement was caused at the conference of Bay of Plenty delegates owing to the title “Hell's Gate,” which is the name of the spot from whence it is proposed that Opotiki should obtain a supply of hydro-electric power (says the Whakatane Press). Mr Gill, of To Puke, facetiously suggested that the name should lie altered. He did not like the idea of power from “Hell’s Gate.” Amid much laughter Mr H. I?. Hogg, at a later stage of the meeting, stated that Opotiki delegates had met together and passed a vote of sympathy to Mr Gill as they oould quite understand the feeling he expressed. Henceforward, therefore, and for ever more “H.eH’s” would be known' as “Paradise Gap.”

the now system of collection of fees by the Auckland Hospital Board is proving satisfactory. At tile last meeting of the Auckland board, the fees committee reported that figures proved that the system which was being aimed at—namely, ooncentrat ing efforts on the more recent accounts in preference to the very old ones, was the policy to bo adopted if the maximum amount of fees was to be collected. There wore now no accounts remaining on the books dating over two years. The amount of fees collected for four months to date was £10,953, as against £6756 for the corresponding period of last year (states the New Zealand Herald). The committee also reported that it had dealt with a number of difficult cases. It was deemed inadvisable to proceed further, and the amounts were ordered to be written off as irrecoverable. Instructions were given to take legal proceedings against several delinquents who had failed to respond to letters. Accounts against other hospital boards were still in a very unsatisfactory position. The majority of boards seemed to ignore entirely requests for payment. The amount owing at present, part of which dated bock a number of years, was over £SOOD. Twelve boards had been written to, demanding payment within one month, failing which the matter would bo referred to the Minister for his decision report was adopted.

“Another thing that came down with tho Fleet from Hawaiki in 1350 was rats, and they also have become extinct,” remarked Dr P. H, Buck in the course of a lecture (reports the Auckland Star). “It was not your bubonic rat with the purple face that carries plague about with it. The Maori rat was quite a nice rat, and lived in the bush. It ate berries and other things, and got quite fat, and was a wholesome article of food. It was caught in traps, and was quite an esteemed article of diet. Preserved in ite own fat, it was quite palatable, and was looked upon as a delicacy. It was supplanted by the Norway rat that so much has been heard of lately. Ido not say that the Maoris purposely brought them, ns they may have got amongst the foodstuffs.”

The Prime Minister visited Levin yesterday (says a Press Association message) and laid the foundation stone of the block of municipal offices, theatre, and shops to be erected in the main street at a cost of £27,000.

The Board set up by the Minister of Railways to receive evidence and report upon tho 72 points involved in the dispute between the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and the Railway Department has (says our Wellington correspondent), compiled its report. As was anticipated tho report is not a unanimous finding.

The hulk Te Anau has now been placed in her final position at (he end of the basin wail (says our Wanganui correspondent) The old vessel now lies on an even keel, with her nose pointing out to open sea over which she once proudly rode. One of the masts was loft, and it is proposed to utilise the after deck as a coal store for the Kaione. It is rather interesting, as having some bearing on the durability of the vessel, to learn that when cutting a hole in her side the other dav it was found that her plates consisted of three-quarters of an inch of steel, tnd they were not showing the slightest signs of deterioration. When the remaining work of driving in a number of piles to keep the hulk in her position and the filling up of th© gap between her stern and the end of the stone work is finished the basin will be completed. This was commenced just prior to the outbreak of war, but work w r as suspended during hostilities and was resumed when conditions began to reach normality after peace had been signed. Since then the job has been pushed on as fast as possible. ?>!ow that the ‘Te Anau is in position she will begin to function at once, and considerable improvements in the entrance to the channel are anticipated from the completed wall.

The recent “ringing-in” cases were mentioned by Mr J. Rowe, the president of the Auckland Trotting Club, at the annual meeting on Monday last (reports the Star). “During the year,” he said, “there have been discovered some of the worst cases of malpractice that have ever been heard of in connection with trotting. lam pleased to think that it was in no way a discovery of general evil-doing, but just a nest of conspirators who had been guilty of a number of crimes before being discovered. It is now a matter of history that the X c w Zealand Trotting Association, taking the matter in hand, and working in conjunction with the police, sheeted the crimes home to the guilty ones, who are now sutlermg the penalty. I think the sentences imposed will act as the finest deterrent it would be possible to find, and, with the extra precautions which are being taken should prevent any further malpractices.” Mr Rowe further stated that ho could not allow an opportunity to pass without saying a good word for our stipendiary stewards. The good effect of the work done by these gentlemen was continually in evidence. They were to be commended 1 for the energy and tact which they displayed in the carrying out of their duties on the courses.

Whether one travels abroad or at home the practice of giving tips crop* up at almost every turn; but probably the limit in the tipping evil is met with on the Home liners where passengers are more or less at (he mercy of stewards. Writing from London to his father in Blenheim, a young man refers to the matter of tips. He said ho purposely avoided causing the stewards any trouble in connection with his cabin, preferring to help himself in most things. However, towards the end of the voyage he felt he would like to give the cabin steward a tip and handed him a “couple of notes.” Imagine the donor’s amazement when the man almost threw the money back at him, at the same time firing a query whether th© tip was meant for the pantry boy!

Miss Edith Howes will speak on the native birds and their songs at an evening to be given in connection with the University Literary Society to-morrow. The annual reunion of the' Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association will be held next Monday night in St, Paul’s Schoolroom. Wood’s Great Peppermint Cure for cough) and colds never fails. —Advt. Barth Electrical Supplies (Ltd.), 61 Princes street, Dunedin, handiest shop in town for all descriptions of electrical supplies. Inspection invited. Contracting and jobbing undertaken. Repairs a specialty.—Advt. Ever miss a train? It’s pjighty irritating. Buy your watch at Williamson’s, the quality jewellers, and be sure.—Advt. The Pacific Starr-Bowkett Building Society invite applications in the new (No. 5) group. £IOOO free ballots and sales, ofiice, 86 King Edward street. —Advt, A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist. Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (ner-t Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859. Advt. Save your eyes.—Consult Peter G. Dick, D.8.0.A., F.L.0., London, consulting and oculists' optician.—“ Pater Dick," jewellers and opticians, Moray place, Dunedin.— A dvL