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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19903, 24 September 1926, Page 8

The Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Marine) informed a Daily Times reporter last night that his department had considered that there was a necessity for the coastal survey of New Zealand. As a consequence the Right Hon. J. G. Coates (Prime Minister) would interview the Admiralty when he arrived in England on the best way of carrying out the work — whether by the Admiralty or by the New Zealand Government, with officers trained by the Admiralty. It was hoped that the it atter would be finally decided by the Prime Minister in conference with the Admiralty authorities, and once the details were completed the work would be put in hand as soon as possible.

The prices of flour, brn, and pollard in the city were reduced this week by £1 pet ton. Present prices are: Flour £l9 10s per ton, bran £7 10s, and pollard £9 10s. The troubles of the motorist grow with the advance of time, and if pranks such as one which was perpetrated on Monday night are to be numerous his lot will be exceedingly unenviable. A motorist who was negotiating a curve in the Queen’s Drive between Como street and Driver’s road, Maori Hill, at 6.30 on Monday evening came suddenly upon an obstruction across the road, and, by the quick application of his brakes, he was able to stop within a few inches of it. Investigation showed that two logs, four or five inches in diameter, had been placed across the road, a petrol tin on the crown supporting one extremity of each. Fropi one side of the road a steep bank rises, and on the other side is a drop of three or four feet, so that had the car i. the obstruction when travelling at even a moderate rate an accident involving the whole of the five passengers might easily have occurred. Another large contingent of new settlers reached Wellington by the steam lonic yesterday morning from England. The South Island quota crossed Cook Strait by last night’s ferry steamer, and those booked for Otago and Southland will reach Dunedin this afternoon by the express from the north.

At the City Police Court yesterday Eliza beth Govvie, Charles Kerr, and James Duncan appeared before Mr J. R Bartholomew, S.M., to answer charges -f drunkenness, and using obscene language in a public place. Kerr and Duncan pleaded guilty to both charges, but the female accused entered a plea of not guilty. The Senior Sergeant characterised Duncan as a “bad egg,” and said that Gowie had a long list of previous convictions, but Kerr was merely a fool from the country who had got in *ow with hese two. Evidence as to the language used and the state of the three accused when arrested was given by Constables M’Rae and Watt and Gordon Spudding. His Worship said it was easily seen that Kerr was in a different class to Duncan and Gowie, an.l fined him 10s, in default 2' hours’ imprisonment for drunkenness, and convicted and fined him 20s, with witnesses’ expenses (10s), with the alternative of seven days’ imprison ment on the second charge Gowie and Duncan were fined 20s, in default *3 hours’ imprisonment, and 10s, in default 24 hours respectively on the charge of drunkenness, and both were sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, with hard labour, for using obscene language.

The amalgamation is proposed of two oldestablished firms of printers and stationers, Smith and Anthony (Ltd.), of Christchurch, and Coulls, Somerville, and Wilkie, of Dunedin. The business in Christchurch will be carried on under the style of Coulls, Somerville, Wilkie (Ltd.), incorporating Smith and Anthony (Ltd.). It will be managed by Mr Gordon Coull, of Dunedin, and Mr H. C. Mathieson, late of the firm of Mathieson and Clark, of Auckland. The firm of Coulls, Culling, and Co., which was established in Dunedin for 50 years, and the firm of Wilkie’s (Ltd.), some years ago amalgamated, and have since been known as Coulls, Somerville, Wilkie (Ltd.). Smith and Anthony’s is also a very old firm It was founded in 1869 by Armitage and Smith. On the retirement of Mr Armitage it was carried on as J. T. Smith and Co., and in 1890, when the late Mr J. O. H. Anthony joined the firm, the name was altered to Smith and Anthony. “I’ve forgotten the marriage license!” With these words a young Wanganui man disturbed his household on his arrival from Wellington on the night before his wedding (states the Chronicle). He had motored to Wanganui from Wellington, and in his haste had forgotten the all-im-portant document. He at once awakened one of the wedding guests and bade him drive him to Wellington. The distance was covered in record time, the license found, and the return trip accomplished without mishap. At one stage of the homeward journey the car ran dry and the bridegroom and the driver went scrambling over fields looking for a gurgling brook. They found one at length, but not until the bridegroom had stumbled into the water in the dark. The two men arrived in Wanganui in tini for breakfast, and the wedding took place at the appointed time. The Lands and Survey Department is fencing a historical spot marked by a stone in Hongi’s Track, between Rotoiti and Rotoehu (says the Rotorua Chronicle). The stone is concerned with Hongi’s raid, for at this spot he captured an Arawa chief named Kanewa, and decapitated him. He took the head with him on his trip to Mokoia, where a large number of the Arawas was massacred. The head of the chief Kanewa was recognised by the people of Mokoia. Realising from the remarks which he overheard that Kanewa had bt«n an important chief, he, sent men back, with a sinister motive no doubt, to recover the body. However, a fellow chief, Te Mapu, who while in hiding witnessed the execution, took charge of the body and left promptly for Maketu, where the remains were interred. The fence is to be erected to protect the stone, which has already been somewhat defaced through carelessness. The majority of the children who attended big public primary schools were dean, and had clean parents, said Dr Eleanor Baker M’Laglan, in a lecture to the Christchurch School Committees Association on Tuesday night on ‘‘Diseases Common in School Children” (reports the Press). But, she continued, there were always some families who revelled in dirt and vermin. And no matter how kind, how cross, or how extremely rude the medical officers werr to them in an endeavour to persuade these people to become clean, they could, sometimes, make no difference to them. Speaking of those poor people who tried and struggled to make themselves and their clothes clean after some member of their household had been affected with a disease, she said that sin felt very strongly that the city should provide a cheap and effective means, sc that any parent, who so desired it, might have the clothes, etc., sterilised. An Auckland glazier, according to the New Zealand Herald, has hopes of winning one of the substantial prizes offering in Tattersall’s November consultation on the Melbourne Cup, which will be run on November 2. His hopes are pinned on Count Cavour. In connection with this it might bo stated that a student at the Otago University has oven more cause un congratulation than the northern sport. The horse drawn by the local man is Heroic, who is first favourite for the big event.

“We should send a deputation to the council to ask it to reconsider its refusal to grant a sum for the Health Week funds, and if that fails an indignation meeting should be held Sometimes the best results are accomplished by force,” said Dr Thacker, speaking at the representative meeting held at the Christchurch Council buildings on Tuesday to consider the holding of a Health Week (states the Lyttelton Times). “If the council is too penurious to make % grant for this purpose it is neglecting one of the town’s greatest assets. One wonders whether it is too close, or merely rather pinched.” The Mayor: A little of both, I think. The Rev. Clyde Carr: The City Council is the recognised health authority, end if it neglects to give help to a scheme for the prevention of disease it is failing in its duty to the citizens. On the motion of Dr Thacker it was decided that the whole meeting should attend as a deputation to the City Council’s next meeting in order to appeal to the council again for a grant towards the funds.

“I will sing the National Anthem as heartily as anyone,” said Mr W. J. Jordau, M.P., at the Poultry Club’s social on Saturday evening, “but it may not be of much use to the Empire!” (reports the Auckland Star). He said that all could assist the Empire by encouraging the production of more eggs for export. In one year Britain spent £13,£00,000 on imported eggs in shells, of that sum £11,300,000 was paid to foreign countries, tnd £2,500,000 to various British possessions, £5742 coming to this Dominion. ■The sum of £3,100,000 was paid in one year for egg pulp and dried eggs, £3,086,000 of which went to foreign countries, and £13,000 to British possessions. New Zealand should export £1,000,000 worth of eggs, said Mr Jordon. Less money shuald be sent out of the Empire, but until wa could supply the great need of Britain it waa useless to condemn other countries. That they should do their utmost to maintain the traditions of the craft was urged upon Freemasons by the GovernorGeneral, Sir Charles Fergusson (who is Grand Master of New Zealand), when laying the foundation stone of a new lodge at Kilbirnie on Saturday afternoon last (states the New Zealand Times). “The fact that you conceive the project of erecting a new temple is testimony to your desire to do honour to the craft,’ said his Excellency. “Let me remind you that a temple, however magnificent, is not in itself a sign of genuine Masonry. It is merely the covering which enshrines Masonry. Our most splendid ceremonies are of no value except inasmm as they lead us to practise the principles which they inculcate, and the most fitting jewels and furniture of this lodge are the active principles of virtue, morality, and brotherly love. By this profession of Freemasonry you are challenging the regard of your fellowmen, and you must be prepared for an even closer scrutiny than in the past. I beg you to look upon tin stone as the altar upon which you renew your pledges, and I ask that the brethren practise charity, not only in the material form, which gives assistance to the needy, but also in the greater form, which thinketh no evil and oeth no ill.”

An endeavour is being made by the military authorities to infuse new and younger blood into the Permanent Military Staff (states the Wellington Evening Post). To this end, applications were invited recently for nine vacancies on the instructional staff, and there were some 40 aspirants for the positions. These have been reduced to 16, and the selected men ere how under a course of “bull-ring” instruction at Trentham Camp, with a view to the best being picked out for duty. Many of the Territorial instructors have been a long time in the service, and advancing years are telling upon their stamina and depriving them of that ‘ pep” which anyone who was with the Expeditionary Forces in the Great War associates with the office of army instructors. ixeadqusrters is aiming at the selection of young men of about 25 years of age, who are keen on their work, md have the necessary alertness to enable them to qualify as good instructors.

Two large additions are at present being made to the Christchurch Hospital (states the Lyttelton Times). They comprise a new storey on the top of the administrative block and a new ward on the top of the women’s ward. The new ward will be finished in a couple of months. It will accommodate about 30 patients, and will be very similar to the present wards. The growth of the specialist department has necessitated the erection of another storey on the top of the administrative block. It will be occupied by the dental department and the clinical laboratories. The rooms on the first , floor, at present used by the dental department, will be utilised by the pathological, chemical, and bacteriological department. The growth of the pathological and bacteriological department is amazing. Fourteen years ago Dr Pearson opened the department from a staff of one. The number connected with the work has grown to 11. Last year tests were carried out for the hospital, besides a large amount of work for outside practitioners. In the course of his address at the executive meeting of the Southland league the other evening, Mr C. J. Brodrick gave two illustrations of the ignorance of some of the English people concerning New Zealand (says the Southland Daily News). “Generally speaking,” he said, “New Zealand is well known in England. It has been wonderfully advertised by the soldiers and the football teams, and English people seem to think that it’s a wonderfully nice place. I came across two instances, however, where New Zealand had been too well advertised. I was fishing on a loch in Scotland when I wont over to look at a very large concrete dam that was being built. The contractor, a man in a big way of business—the contract was for £30,000 —was very kind to me and showed me all over the dam. At the conclusion he remarked, T showed another New Zealander over here yesterday.' On my asking what part of New Zealand the man came from, the contractor said that he had come from South Africa. When I was going over Bamborough Castle in Northumberland the janitor’s wife asked me where I came from, and when I stated that I was a New Zealander, said: |Dear me, you’ll have no castles like this in Canada.’ ”

Devonport has for many years been noted for the number and variety of its dogs, many of which did not seem to have any abiding place of abode (states the Auckland Star). This was very detrimental in many ways to the public safety of the streets. When compiling new by-laws the Borough Council, in the interests of the inhabitants, made very stringent regulations with regard to dogs. A general round-up was the first result of the by-law, and it is safe to say that never before have so many dogs in sucli a brief period been got rid of. Meetings of protest are being called by dog-owners, who claim that the by-law is too severe, but the improvement in the streets and on the beaches is so noticeable within the time that the by-law has been in force that it is not likely that any relaxation of the new rule will be granted. It has been the custom for many years for people in the city with undesirable dogs to try and get them across the water to Devonport and then try to lose them there. Tht citv fathers of the marine borough say that this must now stop, and that all dogs whir' are not led on the streets will be liable to be destroyed if owners cannot be found. It is a big relief to children and elderly people, as well as others, that there has been such a clearance of worthless dogs in Devonport.