THE MINISTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20190, 30 August 1927, Page 8

THE MINISTRY.

Tub politicians are, it seems, already speculating as to the steps which the Prime Minister will take to fill the vacancy in the Government that has been caused by the death of Mr Bollard. Four members of the Lower House have been mentioned by our parliamentary correspondent as those from whom the choice is most likely to be made. There is, however, what may be called a prior question to which the consideration of the Prime Minister may be invited. That is the question whether it is absolutely necessary to make any appointment at all. There have lately been twelve Ministers in the Lower House. This represents a tolerably large proportion of a House of eighty members. No previous Ministry, with the exception of the National Government during the war period, was so numerically strong in the House of Representatives. The need for the presence of twelve salaried Ministers in that Chamber is not overwhelmingly apparent. Some of the members of the Government certainly have their hands full. There are others, however, who cannot be said to be overweighted with the responsibilities that have been committed to them. If the duties of the offices which were held by Mr Bollard were divided among these Ministers they would still be entrusted with smaller burdens than have to be carried by their colleagues who administer the most important departments of State. In the circumstances, it may reasonably be questioned whether there is any actual need for the appointment of a fresh Mints ten.

Larnach’s Castle and property was offered at public auction yesterday afternoon by Mr Tresider, of the Lands»Department, on behalf of the Works Department at the Land Board room, LowerHigh street. . The upset price was the same as that asked at the former auction —£2912 10s. From this amount the bids rose by £25, then dropped to £5 and £1 bids, but towards the close rose again to £lO offers. The bidding, though brisk, was confined to three persons. The property eventually fell to Mr J. Jackson Purdie’s bid of £3600. The property stands on an area of approximately 35 acres, and has its own water supply. The castle was built for the late Mr W. J. M. Larnach in 1873, and it is said that the building and the property, which then consisted ot 850 acres, cost its owner in the vicinity of £120,000. Mr Purdie will take possession on September 13. Ho intends at present to make the castle his home. A fairly lengthy discussion took place at the meetiryj of the Otago Acclimatisation Society last evening regarding the question of licenses to purchase opossum skins, the matter arising out of a legal opinion as to proceedings the society contemplated taking in one particular case. A section of the society’s council was in favour of abandoning any action, and another section considered that the opinion of the Department of Internal Affairs should be obtained. One member facetiously observed, after giving his views, “I want you to understand I am not going to charge you 10s 6d for that,” to which the Chairman laughingly answered, “ And 1 want you to understand that you would not get it if you did.” A motion and an amendment were moved, and the amendment—‘‘That the matter be held over until a reply has been received from the Department of Internal Affairs ” was carried. As the annual overhaul has been completed, the Municipal Baths will be reopened on Thursday. Andrew Erskine left his home at St. Albans shortly after 9 a.m. on Thursday (says a Christchurch Press Association message) telling his wife that he would walk to the city. He has been missing since then, and fears are felt for his safety. He had been in ill-health for some time.

The House of Representatives will resume business this afternoon. Before the sitting ends (telegraphs our special reporter) it is hoped to get an Imprest Supply Bill passed through all its stages. Mr Sidey’s Summer Time Bill may bo taken on Thursday. The intention is 1 that the remaining stages of the Finance Bill will be taken before the Imprest Supply Bill comes -on. It is usual to take one or more classes of the Estimates on Friday. The following are the returns of infectious diseases at the. Dunedin and Fever Hospitals for the week ended at noon yesterday;—Scarlet fever —admitted 1, remaining 5; diphtheria—admitted 1, remaining 2! poliomyelitis—remaining 1; erysipelas—admitted 1, remaining 4. Totals —admitted 3; remaining 12. At the Middlemarch Court on Friday, J. F. Bodkin, sheep farmer, of Hyde, was charged with using an unregistered brand, and with branding sheep with an unregistered brand. He was convicted and fined 40s, with costs (12s) on the first charge, and £5, with costs (12s), on the second charge. A bulky pile of correspondence regarding the duplication of the Dunedin-Port Chalmers railway was placed the Port Chalmers Borough Council at its meeting last night. The council had written to Mr J. M. Dickson, M.P., and the Minister of Railways (Mr J. G. Coates) protesting against the duplicating of the line being suspended ■ until such time as the residents of the fiurkes-St. Leonards district could decided as to the most suitable stopping place for trains. The reply received from the Minister of Railways was stated in very definite terms as follows:—“With reference to your representations respecting the duplication of the Dunedin-Port Chalmers railway, I have to inform you that it has been decided to provide, a central station in lieu of the present stations (Burkes and St. Leonards).” The letter from the Minister was received, and the opinion was expressed that the Minister was evidently following out a progressive policy, and that the council could nos take any further steps in the matter. Several firemen belonging to the oversea steamer Port Albany were responsible for an amusing scene at the Victoria whan yesterday afternoon. The men, probably; half a dozen, returned to the ship about 3 p.m. from a brief visit ashore. The ■ bright sunshine evidently produced a thirst, and when they returned to their vessel they bore evidences of having drank not wisely, but too well. One of the firemen became abusive to the second engineer, but he quickly found himself up against a strong proposition, as the engineer, who is evidently a fighter of some merit, lost not time in a useless argument. He was forced to defend himself in selfdefence, and the stoker was quickly reduced to a more humble frame of mind. The forecastle bands subsequently discussed the matter and they decided to hold up the ship. In the meantime another fireman had quietly walked ashore. The police and others ’ immediately began to search the waterfront for the missing man, but they were not rewarded with success for some time. A tug-master finally discovered the missing fireman sitting amongst some timber stacked on the Victoria wharf, about 200 ft distant from the stern of the Port Albany. When the tugmaster shouted his warning, a policeman and the second engineer induced the fireman to leave his retreat, but on approaching the gangway the man resisted, and a struggle ensued. Some of his mates then trooped down the gangway, and there was another argument. Two police constables and several firemen then attempted to drag the powerful, struggling man on to the gangway, but they could not shift him. In the grip of his strong hands the gangway was almost torn from its fastenings. After some persuasion the man was removed halfway up the gangway, where he again defied all efforts to get him safely on board. Another powerfully-built fireman then appeared on the scene, and, taking in the situation at a glance, he swooped down the gangway and, gripping the man by the shoulders, heaved him bodily on to the deck. This appeared to have the desired effect, as the man, although he declared his intention of jumping overboard, went to his quarters in the forecastle, and the policemen, ship’s officers, and the agents heaved a sigh of relief. Although the Port Albany was due to sail between 5150 p.m. and 4 p.m., it was 4.45 p.m. before the gangway was lowered and the ship nosed her way down channel, bound for Melbourne and Sydney.

The Labour Department reports that tho number v of unemployed on its books yesterday was 116 single and 52 married men. The total of 168 shows a considerable drop on the figures for tho corresponding day last week. An indiscretion in the matter of the purchase money for some fowls led to Ruby Stewart, of Ohakune, pleading guilty before Mr Justice Reed at the Wanganui Supreme Court last week to a charge of fraudulently stating that she had posted a packet ooritaining £2 14s to a resident in Palmerston North. Mr Tustin. for the accused, said that the prisoner had purchased some fowls from' a neighbour who was leaving for Palmerston North. She had been short of money at the'time, and, thinking to gain time, she had written stating that tho money had been posted. The postal authorities had made inquiries and had found that tho statement was not correct. The prisoner had not realised the seriousness of the act. The money had since been paid. Her character had been good in the past. His Honor pointed out that such an assertion was liable to throw postal officials under suspicion, with the result that innocent persons would be suspected. As the prisoner had not realised the seriousness of her action she would be admitted to probation for one year. She would be ordered to pay costs amounting to £7 ss. Tho first motor car in Christchurch was a single-cylinder Benz, owned and driven by Mr N. Oates. The car (says the Lyttelton Times) was a two-seater steered by a little wheel. It was cranked from the rear. The brake was a hand lever operating directly on the tyre of the big roar wheel. The maximum speed was 20 miles per hour. The engine of the ear is still operating a lathe and saw bench at Mr J. T. Kihvorth’s shop at Methven. The smaller wheels still do duty in a aulky and the larger once in a cart.

The aeroplane flight which Captain Findlay has just made from Christchurch to Auckland recalls the fact that a flight from Invercargill to Auckland was made as far back as 1921. On October 24 of that year Mr J. C. Mercer, pilot, and Mr R. L. Wigley and Mr \V. H. P. Fleming, passengers, left Invercargill in a DH9 aeroplane, belonging to the New Zealand Aero Transport Company, and fitted with a 250 h.p. Siddley-Puma engine. Bad weather was encountered and the aero plane was forced to descend at Timaru. Departure was taken at 7 o’clock the next morning and after several planned descent* the aeroplane made a safe landing at Cornwall Park on the evening of October 2S. The actual flying time of the trip from Invercargill was eight hours 63 minutes. Earlier in the same month a flight from Auckland to Wellington was made by Mr L. A. Walsh, who had with him Mr G. Bolt and Mr R. J. Johnson. The flying time on the trip was five hours six minutes. It was not a non-stop flight. In April last, a letter from the Business English Students at the State Centre High School. Oklahoma, was received by the education authorities in New Zealand giving an outline of the work done at the school in the various classes, and asking that something similar should be sent in return from a school in New Zealand. The Chief Inspector of Schools (Mr W. W. Bird) decided that Standard 6a, Lyall Bay School, should be given the honour (says the Evening Post), and the pupils have prepared a handsome album containing views of different parts of the Dominion; and maps illustrative of the production of the country so far as the chief psimary industries are concerned.; In a. letter to Mr A. C. Blake, head master of the school, the Minister of Education (Mr R. A. Wright) compliments the pupils on the excellence of their work, and says he is satisfied that the album will be an excellent advertisement for New Zealand. He also says that he has submitted the .album to the members of Cabinet, each of whom expressed pleasant surprise at the very fin© work done.

Attention is drawn to an advertisement s this issue that the Cash and Carry offer their present George street premises to let or on lease, as they will later be transferring to more central premises. The annual entertainment of the All Saints’ Girls’ Friendly Society will be held to-day and to-morrow in the schoolroom. A wireless concert will be given in the St. Kilda Coronation Hall and the Miller Street Hall, North-East Valley, to-night., Butywave for Beautiful Wavy Hair, 2s 6d; Butywave Shampoo, 9d packet; Boro* nia Perfume, from Is fid bottle; New Fetiche Powder, latest French production, 4s fid. —H. L. Sprosen, Ltd., cash chemists, 1 Octagon, Dunedin. —Advt. Barth Electrical Supplies (Ltd.), JO Princes street. Specialists in all kinds of electric appliances and wireless material, also in electrical contracting and repairing by competent electrical staff.— Advt. For Spectacles that sooth the eyes, consult W. V. Sturmer, D. 5.0.1.. G.A.0.C.; 2 Octagon. Our Business is Exclusively Optical.—Advt. Bronchitis has at last been conquered. Hoffman’s ‘‘Double Ex” has been proclaimed to be the most efficient remedy -for bronchitis, night-coughing, asthma, etc. 2s fid per bottle, procurable at Hoffman’s Pharmacy, 17 Princes street, Dunedin.— Advt. , A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359. —Advt. Diamond Engagement Rings.—Before purchasing compare our values;, large selection just landed; superior quality.— Peter Dick, the most reliable jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians, 490 Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt.