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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20455, 9 July 1928, Page 6

A man who was attempting to enter a residence in Ross street, SpreydOn, last week (says our special correspondent in Christchurch) received a painful surprise. The lady of the house was alone at the time, her husband being absent at a meeting in the city. She was engaged in ironing, when a noise at the front door attracted her attention. She silently crept down the passage to investigate, and was surprised to see a man’s hand groping through the letter slot in the door. She crept back ! to the kitchen, and, seizing the. electric iron, which by this time was very hot, she returned to the front door. Promptly the groping hand was pinned down by the hot iron, and a yell of agony, followed by the clatter, of rapidly-retreat-ing footsteps, told of its effect. ■ The woman fainted as soon as the suspense was ended.

In the City Police Court on Saturday morning, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Henry Atkinson pleaded guilty to a charge pf drunkenness. Senior Sergeant Quartermain stated that the local police knew nothing about the accused, who had, however, stated that he had been arrested several times -in Auckland for drunkenness. The accused, who bad been drinking methylated spirits, was absolutely pennilegsf and he (the senior sergeant) .did not think it was advisable to turn him adrift for the week-end. He should be kept in custody until the methylated spirits was got ■ out of his system. The accused, said he would be very grateful if he were kept in Custody over the weekend only, and he was then remanded until to-day. A five-seater Buick touring car disappeared from the parking area in Cumberland street, near the Early Settlers’ Hall, between 9 o’clock and 11 o’clock on Saturday night. The registration number of the car, which, is painted a fawn colour, is 138-870.

The illustrated pages of the Otago Witness, to be published to-morrow have the charm of “ infinite variety.” A page of scenes in South Africa, where the Ail Blacks meet the Rhodesian Fifteen on Saturday, forms one of the attractive features and shows some of the most' characteristic parts of Bulawayo and Matapos. A page describing the Nevis Valley in winter time, when all the country is hidden under deep, long-lasting snow, is in contrast to this. The opening of the final session of the present New Zealand Parliament makes an interesting half-page, while events in the Port Chalmers-Dunedin road race supply some spirited photography. Scenic pictures include snapshots of the North Canterbury deer country; on the banks of the Waimakariri River, Canterbury; Mount Hart; and Back Creek, at the Blue Mountains, Rongahere. Events during the visit of certain famous overseas aviators to Australia make a topical appeal, as do those in connection with the first match played by the All Blacks in South Africa, and others dealing with the Olympic Games at Amsterdam. Sir George Wilkins’s Arctic expedition and a motor holdup on the main road to Roslyn complete the list of subjects illustrated with more than one photograph. Of the remaining contents, mention may be made of M.S. Taranaki, a modern motor ship, “ New Zealanders Presented at Court,” “ Sir Alan and Lady Cobham Home After a 22,000-mile Flight,” " A Destructive Gale in Invercargill,” “The Latest Thing in Portable Mirrors,” and “ Father and Mother.”

Replying to a deputation of Labour organisations and members, of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Saturday seeking amending legislation to provide that public servants who appear as candidates at the general election should not lose their status in the service, the Prime Minister (Mr J. G. Coates) said (reports a Press Association telegram from Wellington) that nobody was .anxious to deprive public servants of the right to take part in political contests. At the same time, a good many people felt it was not a good thing to encourage public servants to participate in the whirl of politics, but he himself was averse to imposing disabilities on public servants simply because they figured as candidates. He could not give the deputation any definite promise, but- he would place the matter before Cabinet, apd endeavour to get a decision at an early date.

Through some misunderstanding the statement was published on Saturday that the members of Opera Company would render Gounod's “La Messc Solemnelle ” at St. Joseph’s Cathedral yesterday. The statement was erroneous and not officially authorised, and we regret that, through the insertion, large numbers of people were disappointed.

The daylight saving measure was considered at a meeting of the employees el Messrs A. and G. Price, Ltd., of (says a Press Association telegram), and the following resolution was carried unanimously;—"This meeting of the employee* of A. and G. Price, Ltd., engineers, Thames, desires' to place on record its appreciation of the benefits derived from the Summer Time Act, and expresses the earnest hope that the measure will be made a permanent one.” A copy of the resolution is to be sent to Mr T. W, Rhodes, M.P., and Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., asking them to support the measure.

“ The cancer death rate in New Zealand is a direct antithesis of the tuberculosis death rate,” states the Government Statistician, in a review of “ Causes of Death, 1927.” ‘‘ In 1875 the rate for cancer,,” he says, “ stood at the low figure of 1.98 per 10,000 of population, as compared with the extremely high rate of 15.64 for tuberculosis. The paths traced by these two diseases rapidly converged, until about the year 1910 they' crossed and the cancer rate assumed the ascendancy, the margin between the rates for the two diseases gradually growing wider. For the current year the cancer death rate stands at 9.63, as contrasted with tuberculosis death rate of 4.86. Even so, it is of interest to note that the, rate for cancer for 1927 shows a decrease of 2.83 per cent, compared with the previous year, the rate for 1926 being 9.91. The location of the disease according to the primary site of the affection was as follows: —Buccal cavity (mouth), 4.83; stomach and liver, 31.27; intestines, peritoneum, and rectum, 18.65; female genital organs, 10.50; breast, 9.29; skin, 2.27; other or unspecified organs, 23.19.”

“ Considering the fact that accidental deaths in the majority of the more highly civilised countries of the world show a decided tendency to increase in numbers, it is both surprising and satisfactory to record a decrease in the rate for New Zealand for the past year,” states the Government Statistician. “ The number of deaths recorded from all accidental causes in 1927 was 656, corresponding to a rate of 4.77. This compares with 708 and 5.23 for the previous year. Still more satisfactory, however, is the fact that deaths from motor vehicle accidents record an appreciable decline. The number of deaths attributable to such accidents during 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927 are 59, 94, 108, 149, and 138 respectively.”

Seven bankruptcies, of which six were in the North Island, were notified in the latest issue of the New Zealand Gazette.

The secretary of the North Island Motor Union (Mr H. J. Stott) states (report* our special correspondent in Wellington) that the union has completed a mutual insurance scheme. Every association in the union has been visited, and all are in agreement. In a few days a cover will Be given on cars to anybody under all the customary advantages.

In the Australian Supreme Court at Darwin recently an aboriginal wa* ' charged with the murder of an aboriginal woman at Vanderlin Island. The accu&ed admitted to the arresting constable that he hit the woman on the head because rile growled at him and ran away. The judge directed the jury that it must take into account the accused’s admission, but after a short retirement the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. -

The chairman of the associated bank* announces that on and after to-day the minimum overdraft rate will be reduced from 7 to 6i per cent., and that rate* of interest paid on fixed deposits will be a* under:—On deposits lodged for any period between three and 12 months, ,3| per cent, per annum; between 12 and 24 months, 4 per cent.; over 24 months-, 4J per cent.

A resident of the Lower Harbour, who claims that the freehold rights of some of the. farms in that locality extend to lowwater mark, expressed the opinion to a Daily Times reporter that the action of the Harbour Board some years ago in obtaining harbour rights to low-water mark was a very doubtful proceeding. He held that owners of properties adjoining the harbour and extending to low-water mark should have been notified beforehand. Bo that they-could have opposed the board’s action. He alleged that the area between high-water mark and low-water mark had thus been filched from certain settlers. If this area had been reclaimed and used for the widening of the road which skirts the foreshore there would have been no need now to approach people, who had generously given sufficient land for a single road, with requests for more land so that the road may be made wide enough for two carts to pass each other.

“ The man who helps us over our weaknesses is the man we have to thank in after life,” said Mr H. H. Sterling, general manager of railways, at the annual reunion dinner of the Christchurch High School Old Boys’ Association (reports the Lyttelton Times). “I am one of those who appreciates the work of the masters. The harsh things they did in those days can be looked on to-day by most old boy* as the kindliest of actions. There is not one of us here present, or, for that matter, an old boy of any school, who dpes not honour with 100 per cent, of affection the' work of those men who have helped to make us what we are to-day.”—(Ap* pause.)

By the last mail from America (say* the tVellington Evening Post) Dr E. Marsden, Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, intimated that he had wasted no time in investigation of the many problems which a® has gone to the State and Canada to probe into. He has already inspected a large number of meat works, and has been investigating cold storage methods as used for meat, fruit, poultry, eggs, and other produce. Several research stations have been visited by him, much valuable information being gathered. One important aspect of his investigations has been that of utilising by-products in fish and meat works.