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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20433, 13 June 1928, Page 8

There was a clean sheet at the City Police Court yesterday. Some time between 1 and 2 o’clock yesterday morning the premises of Messrs Leech, Turner, Ltd., engineers, 106 King street, were broken into, entry being effected by breaking in a panel of the front door. The intruders had prepared for a speedy exit by opening a back door, and apparently they were disturbed, and decamped before they had time to make a search of the building, as, on investigation yesterday nothing was found to be missing. A meeting of the Window Display Committee of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association was held on Monday afternoon to deal with a number of detail matters. Mr J. Hogg presided. It was reported that displays of New Zealandmade goods would be shown in 200 ■windows in shops and suburbs, and that arrangements had been finalised for the mannequin parade of New Zealand-made clothing. “ New Zealand-made Week ’’ (j’une 20 to 27), promises to be a huge success. Shopkeepers are entering into the spirit of the undertaking very willingly. Subject to approval by the county ratepayers, the Rangitikei County Council has adopted a scheme put forward by the county engineer, Mr S. A. R. Mair, for the improvement of 164 miles of main highway in its extensive county, which extends from Bulls nearly to Waiouru. Mr Mair has prepared a seven-year programme for bringing the highways in the county up to modern standards. The total cost of the work is estimated at £240,000. Of this sum £98,630 will be spent in widening and preparing the roads for bituminous treatment, and £141,370 will be expended in the bituminous surface treatments. Under the present subsidy basis of the Main Highways Board a contribution of approximately £141,119 will bo due from the Highways Fund and the county will have to find £98.921,

According to the latest issue of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics, the retail price index (Dominion weighted average) for the three food groups as at April 15 was 1545 (on the base average prices in four centres during the years 1909-13 = 1000), a decrease of 10 points as compared with that for the previous month, and an increase of 44.4 per cent, over that for July, 1914. The price of sugar is still decreasing steadily, though only slightly each month, and this, combined with seasonal reductions in the prices of onions and potatoes, is reflected by a decrease in the index number of the groceries group of 37 points. Butter shows a slight, and both bacon and eggs a sharp increase in prices resulting in an increase of 30 points in the dairy produce index number. The movement in meat prices since April has been negligible, the index number for the group showing a fall of only one point. Expenditure on food constitutes somewhat less than two-fifths of the expenditure of an average household. In order to present a more complete picture of movements in retail prices generally, statistics regarding the retail prices of clothing, drapery, and footwear, and miscellaneous items of family expenditure, are collected at quarterly intervals, and when combined with the indexes for food, rent, fuel, and light, approximately 87 per cent, of the average household expenditure is represented. The April indexes for food, fuel, and light have been combined with the February indexes for the rent, clothing, and miscellaneous groups. The resultant all groups index is 60.9 per cent, above that for July, 1914, so that it now rakes fl 12s 2d on the average to purchase what could be purchased for £1 in that month. The date of the Otago farmers’ excursion to the West Coast will probably be Thursday, June 28. The visitors (says the Greymouth correspondent of the Christchurch Press) will probably run straight to Hokitika, will visit Kakatahi on the Friday morning, and the Rimu dredge to the afternoon, going on from the dredge to Lake Kanieri. They will arrive on Saturday morning in Greymouth. The entertainment in Greymouth will probably include trips to Punakaike, Rewanui, and Lake Hochstetter, via Nelson Creek. Mr F. Pawson, railways business agent, who arrived at Greymouth on Saturday, is conferring with the president of the Farmers’ Union, who hopes to have all the arrangements for. the visitors’ reception and entertainment completed during the next few days, after a conference with other bodies which will be joining with the Farmers’ Union. The Christchurch City Council has (says a Press Association telegram) decided to revert to the proportional representation system of election. The non-observance by cyclists of the rule that they must have red reflectors attached to the rear of their machines was commented on strongly by several members of the Otago Motor Club at the club’s monthly meeting last evening, and it was unanimously agreed that the City Council be written to requesting that this by-law be enforced with the utmost strictness. In April last the Balclutha Borough Council applied for a traffic inspector at a weekly remuneration of £2 and “ finds.” This advertisement was referred to at the meeting of the Otago Motor Club last night, the chairman, (Mr A. E. Ansell) remarking that at first he thought that the advertisement had been wrongly worded, but subsequent inquiry proved that this was not the case. The appointment had been made, and he had been assured that the appointee was an excellent type of man in every way. This, however, said Mr Ansell, was beside the point, and he intended to bring the matter up at the forthcoming meeting of the South Island Motor Union. “ Finds,” in conjunction with such a small wage, offered too big a temptation to any man, and in the circumstances he would be liable to lay as many informations against motorists as he could. “ I intend,” concluded Mr Ansell, “to request the union to approach the Government and ask that steps be taken to prevent such appointments,” a remark which met with the unanimous approval of the members. Whilst the deviation of the Lookout Point road—a work which will take some four months to complete—is in progress, the Green Island Borough Council has decided to close the road to all traffic. Mr F. J. Williams, engineer to the council, explained at the meeting of the Otago Motor Club last night that this step was entirely necessary, as the blasting and the running of trucks in connection with the deviation would prove a constant source of danger to motorists using the road, more especially to those who were not familiar with it. There was open, however, an alternative route by way of Short street and Lower Kaikorai Valley road, both of which were now in excellent order, and which would be kept so; but motorists would be well advised to proceed cautiously, as the roads weer narrow, and it was impossible to widen them. They should remember also that on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings a large number of cattle would be bound for the Burnside saleyards, making it necessary to drive with extra care in this locality. That school children should have impressed on them as part of their school curriculum, dangers attendant on street traffic, was advocated by Mr H. Halliday at the meeting of the Otago Motor Club last evening. This question had been brought before the authorities before, said Mr Halliday, and although in a few isolated cases, teachers had taken it on themselves to instruct the children to use every care when crossing busy thoroughfares, he thought that it was a matter for either the Education Board or the Education Department to take up. He moved; —“ That a deputation from this club wait on the Otago Education Board and bring before it the necessity for impressing on all school children the dangers attendant on street traffic.” Mr G. T. Thorne seconded the motion, which was carried, and it was agreed that the deputation consist of Messrs A. E. Ansell, and the mover and seconder . of the motion. A letter received by the Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association from Mr O. J. Hawken stated (says a Press Association telegram from Palmerston North) that the Government has under consideration the question of permitting the importation, under very stringent safeguards, of stud stock from Great Britain where energetic measures are being taken in an endeavour to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease. No decision has yet been reached on the subject by the Government. The collection of New Zealand stamps at the Canterbury Museum has been completed by the Postmaster-general and is now up to date. Recent acquisitions are a picture of the Hurunui entering the Lyttelton Dock, and a copy of the prayer of Mary, Queen of Scots, presented by Mrs R. M’Clinton, of Geraldine. From France has arrived a collection of prehistoric implements which have been arranged to show the development of manufacture in its various stages. They are in the antique room. A ringnocked pheasant has been presented by Miss Ward Smith, of Lincoln, and Mr T. L. Cowlishaw has presented a whitefronted tern. The first numerical survey of religious professions of the Maori race shows that there are 63,670 Natives in New Zealand, the religious beliefs being:—Church of England, 21,738; Ratana Church, 11,567; Roman Catholics 8558; Hauhaus, 4540; Methodists, 4066; various missions, 3804; Mormons, 3461; Presbyterians, 638; followers of Tc Whiti and Tohu, 375; Maori Church, 90; Seventh Day Adventists, 84; Seven Rules of Jehovah, 71: other Christian churches, 335; indefinitely specified 699; objected to state any belief, 3193; non-Christians, 12. The percentage of Church of England adherents is 34.14.

The night express from Invercargill to Christchurch left Dunedin last night with 29 passengers in the ordinary cars and nine in the sleeping cars. The following amounts were received by the several Government departments between April 1, 1927, and March 31, 1928, as “conscience” money:—Treasury Department, £4 12s; land and income tax, £100; pensions, £6 10s; marine, 3s 6d; Post Office, £2 Is; State Forest Service, 8s; working railways, £8 17s 8d; —total, £122 12s 2d. For some time past the Railways Department has used a battery car, commonly known as “ J umbo,” for inspecting and overhauling the overhead electrical gear on the Christchurch-Greymouth line. This was found to be too expensive for the purpose (says the Press), and it was decided to build a petroldriven car to take “Jumbo’s” place. The new car is now at Otira, being fitted up, and it is expected that it will show a considerable financial saving on the previous method of inspection. The superstructure, consisting of a tower and accommodation at each end for the driver, has been constructed in the railway worKshops. All controls are duplicatsd at each end to allow the car to be operated in both directions with the full trailing lead. There is a total load on the chassis of 90001 b and a gross trailing load of 14,0001 b at a speed of 15 m.p.h. The superstructure is about 15 feet long by 8 feet wide, and houses the driver, the engine, and the repair material for the overhead cable. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce has been interesting itself lately in suggesting re-timing of railway services so as to obtain a through connection to the South Island. It has suggested that the night expresses should be re-timed so as to fit in which the eoejection via Picton, which would give through transit without the present delays. Especially it is emphasised that mails and passengers desiring to proceed from Auckland to, say, Dunedin and back, now take two hours and a-half longer on the southern journey than they did 20 years ago, when the North Island main trunk railway was opened. It is understood (says the Evening Post) that the Railwa fs Department is going into the suggestions made, and will in due course report upon their practicability. When these suggestions were before a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last week, while the convenience of such an alternative service was fully appreciated, doubt was expressed whether there was a general demand for it, as the additional changes involved would not always suit the convenience of travellers. The matter affects through passengers from other districts more particularly, and it was decided to await the report from the railways whether the suggestion could be satisfactorily put into effect. That the recent National Industrial Conference held at Wellington had done a great deal of good was the opinion expressed by Mr G. Finn, president of the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association, when making his report on the conference to the committee of the association (states the Auckland Star). Mr Finn said that he was greatly pleased to have been the association’s delegate to such a wonderful conference. At first all of the 50 delegates were strangers to one another, but by the end of the conference they were all friends, and the employers and employees’ representatives were mixing and taking part in many informal discussions. The conference had been able to reach practically unanimous decisions on everything with the exception of the Arbitration Act. Mr Finn paid a tribute to the employees’ representatives, who, be said, strove bard to do the best, not only for themselves, but for New Zealand. The manufacturers and the employees could now meet in a manner that would not have been possible but for the conference. The speaker did not think that the success which attended the conference, and the manner in which both sides combined, would have been possible in any other country. Interest in the promotion of the sale of Empire products in the United Kingdom has increased considerably in recent years, not only through the efforts of such organisations as the Empire Marketing Board, but also through many other channels. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently received a letter through the Department of Industries and Commerce which typifies the interest that the distributing trades are now displaying in this matter. A large grocery store in Haymarket, London, advises that it stocks a large range of New Zealand products, and is always prepared to deliver parcels of these goods of £1 or upwards in value, freight free, to any address in Great Britain. This service, with the scheme of advertising New Zealand products adopted by the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board and the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board for sending gift parcels of butter and lamb, as the case may be, as presents to friends in Great Britain, should add considerable publicity to the high quality of foodstuffs produced in this Dominion. “A piece of H.M.S. Orpheus, wrecked on the Manukau bar in ISiC. when 192 souls were lost,” is the inscription on a piece of wood carved in the form of a book from the bull of that vessel, this relic having been left by the late Mrs Fitzgerald to the Early Settlers’ Association in Wellington. It was displayed at a meeting of the association last week. Sir Douglas Mac Lean remarking that when he attended in England the funeral of Bishop Selwyn, he stood beside a naval officer who was one of the few survivors of the Orpheus disaster. In a letter received from Australia by a Wellington resident during last week, there was enclosed a clipping from an Australian paper in which it was stated that while Mischel Cberniavsky. a member of the famous musical trio, was returning by train from Rockhampton to Brisbane, his Guarnerius ’cello, valued at £2OOO, fell from the luggage rack to the floor, and wa% broken into two parts. “ Three years ago,” continues the report, “ the same instrument was smashed in a luggage van at Euston Station, London, but was repaired. On this occasion, it has been handed over to the firm from which M. Cberniavsky purchased it when in Brisbane years ago, and, it is anticipated, will be restored to its previous condition.”

The rooms that have been occuped by the University Club since its inauguration a few vears ago will be vacated on day, when possession will be taken of the suite at the top of the new building in Princes street. To-day the speaker at the yunch will be Mr Laszlo Schwartz, who will give a short talk on “ Religion, Sex. and Music.” , The finest watch value m the Dominion is Williamson’s Welden Lever; 20 year* 1 service for 40s. (Next The Bristol).— j^dvt Arthur Malcolm, rheumatic expert of 38i years’ practical experience, now offers those afflicted a remedy chosen from numerous old family formulas, proved by previous generations beneficial for rheumatics, neuritis, bad back, stiff and swollen joints, knees, feet, ankles, or hands, also cramp. This has also been used with success during my many years practice. A trial solicited, which you will not regret. Obtainable at Marshall's Pharmacy, Princes street, Dunedin. Price 4s, posted 4s 6d. If your case is chronic communicate with me/— —Arthur Malcolm, rheumatic expert, C.P.O. Box 397. Dunedin.—Advt. . If feeling out of sorts. Pearson s Medlines will do you good. We prescribe for VOU r ailments. Pearscn s Pharmacy, George street (next G. and W. Haywards) . —Advt. Many years experience, plus the moat up-to-date equipment scientific optometry ca suggest, entitles W V. Stunner, O \ O C., D. 5.0.1., Octagon, Dunedin, to guarantee complete satisfaction in all ey« trouolcs. Advt. -\ E •!, Blakeley and W E. Bagley, dentists. B. k of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Tetograph Olllce! Telephone 12-3511. A4NO. For Diamond Engagement Rings, Reliable Watches, and Optical Service, Peter Dick, the most reliable Watchmakers, Jewellers, and Opticians, 460 Moray place (opposite City Hotel).—* Advt.