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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19801, 28 May 1926, Page 8

A Press Association telegram from Wellington reports that the Gazette records estimated tho population of New Zealand and mandated territories at March 31 at 1.463,847, comprising 749,217 males and 714.630 females. A call was received by the City Fire Brigade at 8.35 last night to 252 High street, where a conch wa« found to be on fire in a room of a 12-roomed wooden dwelling. Tho couch was burned, but no other damage was done. During the Exhibition period the staff of the tramways department was increased considerably to cope with tho heavy traffic. Unfortunately for the employees who were taken on during the -ush, the running of the trams and buses is again hack to normal, with (he result that the servico= of a large number of men are now being dispensed with. Twelve of the temporary staff have already been dismissed, six more are going to-day, and the staff wil: bo cut down by another 24 very shortly. .

Arrangements have been made by the Manufacturers’ Association to display New Zealand-made goods during Show Week, and these arrangements were ratified yesterday afternoon at a meeting of representative manufacturers and retailers, presided over by the Mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley, M.P.). The question of an Empire shopping week was also brought up, and a good deal of discussion centred round this question. Mr James Hogg said that there appeared to be a suggestion that it was just the retailers who were vitally interested, but he would like to say that the manufacturers were verysympathetic as well. They were, however, definitely committed to the New Zealand week. They were willing to help the Empire movement, but they wanted to push Dominion goods first. In Great Britain the slogan %vas: “Buy British goons,’’ and in Canada, “Buy Canadian good;,’’ and so on, and they desired to apply that principle here. The Mayor suggested that the Manufacturers’ Association should take the work on and control it, but Mr Hogg was of the opinion that the controlling body should bo representative of the Victoria League, and Expansion League, and the retailers, etc. He moved that a committee covering all interests bo appointed and given power to add. Mr George Hoffman seconded the motion, and in doing so said that he felt sure the success of the project rested with the retailers, and that he would like to see as many retailers on the committee as would be compatible with the working of it. The motion was -carried unanimously.

“The position is had,” said Mr J. M. White (secretary of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association), in response to an inquiry yesterday regarding unemployment. The association had been able to arrange with the Domain Board, he said, to subsidise £IOO of the Poppy Day proceeds. Two men had already been placed oo the work, which consisted of improvements to the reclamation areas on the beach reserve. Tire association had been unable to place men in employment through the Government or local public bodies. “I have had 26 inquiries for work during the last 10 days,” said Mr White, “and have been able to place oniy two or three men. 1 receive between six and 12 visits a day from unemployed men.” The association’s efforts are not limited to members. It helps all returned men, including exmembers of the Imperial and Australian forces.

“Maclaggan street needs a general cleanup, " said a visitor to an Otago Daily Times reporter yesterday. He went on to say that while pa«*ing a certain spot in the street when returning from a visit to Mornington one evening this week, he heard most disgusting language issuing from the lips of a woman standing on the steps of a house that stood back about a chain from the road. He had made inquiries from several people living in the vicinity concerning such behavioui, and he had met with a reply: “Oh, that is quite a usual thing up there several nights a week.” The visitor informed the reporter that he had seen many uninviting back streets in other centres, and he had come to the conclusion that none of them looked so uninviting as Maclaggan street after dark. ‘The language that I heard issuing from the lips of that woman quite convinced me that she was eitl intoxicated or that she was just a casual visitor to the house and had been taken down.’ The visitor also said he was of the opinion that the City Council and the police would onlv be doing their duty if they “thoroughly white-washed Maclaggan street.”

The setting up of an Appeal Board to hear evidence in cases where applicants, or those working in their interests, are not • satisfied with the decision of the Pensions Department, has already justified itself (says the annual report of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association). Any evidence deemed to be reliable and having a bearing on the state of a soldier’s health during his period of service is accepted by the board and given due weight In a large percentage of cases an adverse decision given by the Pensions Department on the medical evidence before it is reversed as the result of additional evidence, which, although probably not appearing on the applicants’ medical history sheet, is considered by the hoard and accepted if it proved to be reliable.

University and Training College short vacations started yesterday. Crowds of homeward-bound students in the best of spirits made the railway station lively and busy on the departure of outwardbound expresses. The information that a new style of signal is to be placed at the railway crossing at Tumai draws attention to the fact that this is not by any the only dangerous crossing in the vicinity (says our Balmertson correspondent). _ The next one to the south—Toomey’s Crossing—though not on the main road, is a bad one. while the first one south of Seacliff and the second one south of Warrington are dangerous in the extreme. Indeed, it seems nothing short of miraculous that these crossings have not already added their quota fo the almost daily increasing list of level crossing fataliiiep.

When distress exists as the result of unemployment, social workers generally know the full extent of such distress. It has been stated that there is a good deal of distress in Dunedin at present, but the secretary- of the Hospital Board (Mr J. Jacobs) says that there has been little evidence of it up to the prese-f time. Now applications for relief only number about three each week. This is not above the average of past years. The majority of those requiring assistance had been placed on the unemployed list as the result of the closing of the Exhibition. Sales by auction of the various fittings in the stalls at the Exhibition were continued yesterday, and it was surprising to note the number of eager buyers who attended. Glass show cases, counters, beaver board, and assorted timber all came under the hammer and were eagerly sought after. Prospective crib owners appeared to be the busiest buyers, and a number of them procured enough material to erect substantial and attractive seaside cottages at a very moderate cost. Quite a number of stalls sold were all the more a bargain in that the removal of them en bloc” would present no great difficulty, and their erection later on should not entail a great deal of labour or expense.

At yesterday's sitting of the Magistrate’s Court," before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., judgment was given for plaintiffs in the following undefended ca=es: —E, J. Bryant v. It. Lockhart, claim £3 12s, on a promissory note (costs 8s): George Withers v. F. H. P. Rogers (Nelson), claim £5, on a dishonoured cheque (costs 25s 6d) ; Allan Campbell v. David Thompson (Ophir), claim £lO 10s, for money lent and interest (costs £2 4s).

The Mayor of Port Chalmers (Mr T. Anderson) yesterday telegraphed to Mr Dickson, M.P. for Port Chalmers, requesting him to interview the Minister of Public "Works while in Wellington with regard to the erection of a new police station at Port Chalmers.

A Wellington Press Association message reporta that sittings of the Arbitration Court have been arranged as follow; — Wellington, June 7; Christchurch, Juno 30 and July 1 ; Auckland, July 5. Wanganui, Palmerston North, and Gisborne dates will be arranged at the Wellington sitting. Do ships sink easily? From their experience in sinking the Pnteena yesterday, the Harbour Board’s staff is of the opinion that they do not sink easily. For some time past the Pateena has been dismantled, and all her fittings were taken out preparatory to sending her to her final resting place. In the morning she was towed to the Heads by the tug Dunedin, and placed ready for sinking in a gap in the mole which had been made by heavy seas demolishing portion of the decaying woodwork. When the Pateena ws manoeuvred into position her sea cocks were opened, and, according to the recognised maritime calculations in such matters she should have sunk in an hour. T l -'. calculation, however, proved to be inaccurate, and she settled so slowly that the process was almost imperceptible. To facilitate her despatch the Dunedin started her salvage pumps, and during three hours pumped 300 tons of water per minute into the Pateena. Still the old vessel remained afloat. Then a hig hole was driven through her sides with crowbars, and as the volume of water which poured into her was thus greatly increased she soon lurched and settled on the sandy bottom. The forecastle head and poop were awash at high water.

The Norwegians, at present standing by the whale ’chaser* undergoing repair* at Port Chalmers, were much concerned yesterday on receipt of news that several cf their ex-shipmates had lost their lives on the store ship, the Sir James Clark Ross. After discharging last season’s catch at New 'ork the Sir James Clark Koss proceeded to Norway, where she was put under overhaul. Evidently a poisonous gas had generated in the oil tanks, with the result that the first men to enter the hold were affected by the fumes. Other men went to their rescue, and all were overcome by the poisonous gas. Some recovered but others succumbed to the effects of the gas. On Wednesday the Chalmers Licensing Committee visited Henley, Qutram, Deepstieam. Lee Stream, and Middlemarch. Yesterday the hotels in Port Chalmers were inspected. The annual meeting of the committee will be held next week. Mr John Fuller, a member of the wellknown theatrical firm, has written all the way from Sydney to the Otago Hospital Board to point out the very bad writing of medical men. He summed up hia arguments by stating that he thought students should have to pass some examination in writing before they secured their diplomas. A mass of newspaper clippings were forwarded bearing on the danger _of bad caligraphy when a doctor was writing out a prescription. When the letter wag being discussed at last night’s meeting of the Hospital Board, Mr Morgan said he thought that so long as the chemists could read the prescriptions it was all right. (Voices: But they can’t.) In the discussion which ensued members of the board were agreed that some people's writing could be very much improved, and that there was a weakness in the teaching of writing in the schools. It was decided (bat the matter should be referred to the Hospital Committee to report. It only needs to be added that in pointing out the mote in the handwriting of the medical men, Mr Fuller forgot about the cast in his own writing. Had even an expert in writing been called on to decipher the signature “Fuller’’ in the ' .ter from Sydney, without knowing anything about the complaint, he would very probably hare had to have several guesses before getting the correct name.

Owing to a typographical error the bank balance of the St. Kilda Borough Council was stated in our issue of Tuesday to have been £IC3, instead of £1863. In a recently-nublished list of awards in connection with the pottery section the name of one of the judges was given to us as Mr W. Gordon. This should have read Mr R. N. Gordon. Eyes are precious. At first sign of weakness go to the qualified and experienced (20 years) optometrist, W. V, Stumer, D.S.O.L, G.A.0.C., Octagon, Dunedin. Most up-to-date equipment, including test electrically-lit testing charts installed.—Advt. A. E. J Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone IBS!)—Advt. Make no mistake. For honest value in jewellery, watches, and optica! goods, “Pete, Dick,” the most reliable watchmakers, jewellers, and optometrists, 400 Moray place (opp. City Hotel). —Advt