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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19532, 15 July 1925, Page 8

Advice received by the postal authorities states that New Zealand mails which were despatched from Auckland by tho R.M.S. Niagara on June 9 for the United Kingdom, via Vancouver, arrived in London on July 9. An English parcel mail, consisting of 43 receptacles, ex Remuera, at Wellington, is expected to reach Dunedin to-morrow morning. An Australian mail, ex Moeraki, at Wellington, should reach Dunedin this evening.

A sprig of kowhai on which are several blossoms has boon forwarded to this office from Allanton. The tree from which tho flowers were picked is growing on Scragg’s Hill. As the kowhai usually blooms in August some idea of the mildness of the season may be gathered, bat the Allanton free has been completely “outflowered,” so to speak, by one or two trees at Macandrew Bay, from which blooms were collected a mouth ago.

The bad weather which prevailed yesterday was responsible for a slight dislocation of railway traffic on the north line. The exprpss, which left Dunedin at 11.30 a.m., was unable to negotiate the steep gradient near Herbert, and what is known as “double-banking” had to be resorted to. The express, which was due at Dunedin at 4.18 p.m., was delayed in consequence, -"End was 40 minutes late at Herbert, arriving at Dunedin at 4.48, exactly 3p minutes behind schedule time* The train was oorre* spondingly late in taking her departure for Invercargill.

A board of inquiry into matters associated with the dangers of shunting, arising out of the recent fatal accidents on the railways, will commence a sitting at Invercargill today. The members erf the board, 'who went south by the express train last night, are Messrs J. Brown, H. L. P. Smith, J. K Perry, and S. Schofield. The board will hold a sitting in Dunedin at a later date.

The recent disorganisation of the Roslyn cable service and the attendant inconvenience occasioned to hill dwellers was fortunately relieved by touches of humour. Citizens who reside in the more distant areas —and especially in those badly served by transit facilities—have apparently cultivated the virtue of patience in a marked degree, and hence such insignificant trifles as the suspension of a tramway service more or less frequently is viewed with remarkable imperturbability. The goodnatured crowds who waited in the rain for a problematical journey home per medium of a totally inadequate bus service from Rattray street to Highgate obtained a good deal of fun at the frantic attempts of “struggling masses” to find the solitary entrance to the charabanc. In one instance a somewhat piqued female voice was heard to protest, “Gentlemen, gentlemen, , ladies first,” followed (mpre peremptorily) by “Mind my umbrella —it cost me 255.” However, the lady eventually gained her objective after having attempted unavailingly to forestall a male passenger’s entry by snatching at his hat. The quota of passengers who had gained an entrance were highly amused at the chagrin depicted on the lady’s face when she was politely offered a seat by the gentleman she so adroitly attempted to foil.

Dunedin waterside workers were forced into idleness yesterday owing to continuous heavy rain. The waterfront presented a dismal appearance, the various steamers at the wharves being swept by heavy showers. Consequently there was very little activity on board any vessel, the crews wisely remaining under cover. There was only one shipping movement during the day.' This was the freighter Wanaka, which arrived at 1 p.m. from Auckland, via Wellington and Lyttelton. She was added to the idle A large motor truck chassis carried on deck was landed during the afternoon by the vessel’s crew, as it was urgently reby a local firm. Four steamers were listed to sail for various ports had the conditions being favourable few working cargo, but all of them had to remain at their berths until to-day. These vessels * were the Comma, Kahika, Storm, and Oreti. , The oversea steamer Papsroa has. still a quantity of New York cargo to land, and she will not sail until to-morrow for Sydney. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion liner lonic was considerably delayed in working cargo at Port ..Chalmers, and will probably not leave until Friday morning for Tim am.

Southern passengers by the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Bemuera, from England, left Wellington by last night’s ferry steamer. The Otago and Southland quotas should therefore reach Dunedin by this evening’s north express. Passengers’ baggage is being carried by the Holmdale, which is due at Dunedin to-morrow from Wellington direct.

Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., presided over a very brief sitting of the City Police Court yesterday morning, and fined a first offender 10s for drunkenness, in default 24 hours.

Some caustic corrodent was-indulged in at the meeting of the Balclutha Retailers’ Association the other day on the subject of the degree of license allowed to itinerant auctioneers and hawkers in Balclutha. One member considered the association should get some protection from the Borough Council in this matter. He believed tee town of Masterton had by-laws teat dealt with this sort of string. Last week the speaker said at least £2OO had been taken oat of Balclutha in hard cash by one of the itinerant vendors referred to, and in some cases the methods employed were not desirable. He did not exactly know what tea association could do to check these practices. ' The position at present was that an auctioneer could take out a license in Dunedin, say, and with that he could sell all over the dominion. If the local bodies got together perhaps something could bo done in the way of getting legislation to meet these cases. In tee meantime he thought it would be well to send a deputation to the Borough Council, and urge teat a special license fee, or tax, be imposed on those city people (itinerants) who came only for a few days and held sales. It. waa decided that a deputation wait on the council at its next ordinary meeting.

“In my address last year,” said Bishop Sprott at the opening of the Anglican Synod at Wellington, “I .spoke of tea dearth of clergy. lam glad and thankful to say that, as far as New Zealand is concerned, things appear to be brightening. More of our young men seem ready to offer themselves for holy orders. St. John’s Provincial College, Auckland, is, I believe, quite full, and I am looking forward to admitting to deacons’ orders in Advent next three St. John’s men from our own diocese. What we need now is not so much a larger supply of men—though we need that toor—as a larger number of assistant curacies in which to place them.”

Mr T. S. Spencer, of Bluff, has received a letter from the lion. G. J. Anderson with reference to the proposed open season for seals, in the course of which the Minister states:—“l have given further consideration to this question, but regret that I cannot see my way to comply with your wishes in the matter. I trust I shall have the support, not only of yourself, but of the people of Southland generally in my action in refusing to declare an open season for sealing at the present time. In my opinion there is no doubt that sealing can be made a very valuable industry to Nqw Zealand, but more particularly to Southland, and while 1 am glad to know teat the seals are increasing in numbers, still, in order that they may multiply, I am anxious teat they should be unmolested for a longer period. In pursuance of this policy the permission which was granted to the Campbell Islands syndicate to take a_ number of seals annually, is being withdrawn, and in the meantime that syndicate will not be -allowed to capture any more seals on the Campbell Islands. With reference to the suggestion contained in your letter that vessels from other countries visit our outlying islands and take seals, I shall be very pleased to known xwhether you can furnish me with evidence in support of this contention,”

Shortly after 9 o’clock last evening a fire was discovered in a storeroom attached to a building occupied by Messrs Ward and Quennell, brickwork contractors, Ward street, at tho rear of the railway station. The City Fire Brigade responded promptly to the two calls which were given almost simultaneously, and had no difficulty with one line of hose of confining the fire to the storeroom, and finally extinguishing it, though the place was well alight when the brigade arrived on the scene. The building was a wood and iron lean-to, and not of large dimensions. This was completely destroyed, and the contents damaged. In conseqence of the outbreak the electric wire sagged down and came in contact with the wet roof, and the electric circuit in the section in which tho premises are situated had to be cut off for a time. It is difficult to estimate the amount of damage caused by the fire, as tho value of the contents of the storeroom is not known.

Tho Alexandra correspondent of the Otago Daily Times reports that glorious sunny weather prevailed over the week-end, and one felt that spring had already arrived. The Central has quite lived up to its reputation this winter, for apart from a few days of fog the weather has been fine, and a lot ot sunshine’has been enjoyed.

The drenching rain which commenced to fall on Monday evening continued all night. All day yesterday the rain continued to fall steadily. The conditions out of doors were made still more unpleasant by a cold northerly wind. At an early hour this morning the conditions were unchanged, and the weather showed no signo of clearing

A man •was arrested last night by Constable Potts in Maclaggan street on charges of drunkenness, resisting the police, and assaulting a civilian. It is stated that when the assault occurred it became necessary for the constable to intervene and eventually arrest the accused, who resisted violently. So violent was his behaviour that he had to bo handcuffed. He was then taken to the police station, and locked up for the night. Whether it is due to the speed of modern life or the reading of accounts of shanghai-ing affairs in the underworld of Sydney, the nerves of the average man today are not what they might bo (remarks the Christchurch Press). A young man •was walking along a dark street in the Papanui district the other evening, having lost his sense of direction. With the object of getting on the right track he called out to a man who was passing by. The latter must hare had visions of assault and battery, and, taking to his heels, vanished in the,darkness with remarkable speed. Though heavy rain fell continuously last evening it did not prevent nearly a dozen enthusiasts from attending a meeting—the second of the season—of the astronomical branch of the Otago Institute- In the absence of Professor White, Mr G. Hoffman was voted tb the chair. The attraction for the evening was an address by Mr J. F. Morris, who chose as his subject, “A Study of New Zealand Weather.” In the course of his remarks, which lasted for more than two hours, Mr Morris dealt exhaustively with numerous factors which have an important bearing on climatic conditions, such as air pressure, winds, etc., A number of diagrams was employed to emphasise his statements. The address was followed with keen attention by those present. Direction sign posts 'for motorists have been erected at Stable’s Creek (Miller’s Flat). This fact was made known at last night’s meeting of the Otago Motor Club. The clerk for the Vincent County Council advised that the engineer had been instructed to supply data required in connection with the erection of danger and cWeotion signs, and to erect the signs when forwarded. The secretary of the Kindergarten at Caversham wrote thanking the club for erecting the sign posts to warn motorists to drive slowly when passing through Marion street. A special meeting of the Otago Labour Representation Committee will be held in the Labour Club to-morrow night. Mr P. H. Hickey (organiser for Otago and Southland) will be present. Members of tha New Zealand Labour Party are invited to attend. Have your old-fashioned wedding ring remodelled at Williamsons, The Quality Jewellers (next The Bristol). —Advt. Woods 1 ' Great Peppermint Core, , for Coughs and Colds, never fails.—Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859. —Advt. Save Your Eyes.—Consult peter G. Dick. D.8.0.A, F.LO., London, consulting ana oculists’ optician.' —“Peter Dick," jewellers and opticians, Morey place, Dunedin.— Advt.