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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20643, 15 February 1929, Page 8

a very great advantage will undoubtedly be derived from the removal of the physical discomforts that have in the past been associated with the entrance to their city from its northern approach, and, as the change will admit of greater economy in the operation of the railway system, the Dominion as a whole mil benefit by it.

The postal authorities advise that the steamer,lonic, which arrived at Auckland yesterday from London,. has 13 bags of overseas mail and 140 parcel receptacles for Dunedin, The letter portion of the mail should come to hand to-morrow night and the balance on Monday next.

The Pomahaka River is now providing very fair sport after a comparatively quiet period. Three local anglers report having taken 26 fish during last week-end, ranging from half a pound to two pounds and a-half weight. All were in good condition, and were taken on the fly. The same fishermen also accounted for two perch weighing two pounds each. The fishing was done in the vicinity of Scott’s bridge. ‘ A healthy and apparently well-nourished baby girl, about 14 days old, was discovered in an . empty section, at Anderson’s Bay early yesterday morning. The child has been placed in the charge of the Child Welfare Department pending further inquiries. ■ The City iFire Brigade received a call at 0.2 this morning to a house in King street, owned arid occupied by Mr G. Knowles; A fire had occurred in some outhouses attached to the building, which were badly damaged. The premises are insured in the Ocean office for £4OO.

Seven applications for the Last Chance irrigation .block were examined by the Otago Land Board at its meeting yesterday. This land is situated on the western bank of the Molyneux River, between the river and the main Roxburgh-Alexandra road, about ■ five miles from Alexandra. Applications for the block .will close on Monday, February 25, at 4 p.m., and the examination and ballot will be held at Alexandra on the following Wednesday. Those applicants examined yesterday could not make it convenient to attend at Alexandra, and took advantage of the meeting <if the board in Dunedin to be examined. Numerous inquiries, are being made for the block, and it is probable that a considerable number of applications will be received.

. A dog which rushed out at a motor cyclist on the Belfast road and took a piece out of his coat was the cause of a case in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch yesterday, before Mr E, D. Mosley, S.M., when the man round whose place the dog had been running was prosecuted for> keeping the animal. The magistrate ruled (says our special correspondent) that although the man was not the owner, of the dog he was responsible for it., William Jenkins pleaded not guilty to a charge of being the owner of a dog which attacked Bertram Richards, whereby his limbs were endangered. For the defence it was stated that Jenkins had done everything he could to get rid of the dog, which belonged to people named Bates, who had left Belfast. “ The defendant should confine the dog and give notice to the owner to remove it or he should destroy it,” said 'the magistrate. “He is fined 20s and costs.”

A meeting of representatives of the various ratepayers’ associations in the city was held in the Returned Soldiers’ Clubrooms last evening for the purpose of forming a federation of ratepayers’ associations. The chair was occupied by Mr C. E. Price, who explained that every association in the city and suburbs bad been circularised and asked to appoint two delegates. However, last evening’s meeting could hardly. be called a representative v one, as .there were only tlpree associations who 1 had- sent Tainui. and Mornington. The. City Ratepayers’ Association had two delegates at the meeting, but neither considered himself authorised to take any part in the discussions beyond stating that the central body wanted to know what'were the aims and objects of the new organisation. Roslyn, it appeared, had definitely refused to have anything. 1 to do with the movement, and although Anderson’s Bay, Cavefsham, and North-East .Valley had appointed delegates, they had not put in an appearance. The meeting agreed that the. time was ripe for the formation of a federation of ratepayers’ 1 associations, that body to comprise two delegates from each of the associations in the city. Mr Pryce was appointed chairman, and Mr E. J. Congalton was elected secretary, both appointments, however, to be pro tem. Messrs Pryce, Congalton, G. Faulds, and subject to the approval of the City Ratepayers’ Asosciation, one of the city delegates, were appointed a sub-committee to draw up rules of association to be submitted to, the next meeting of the federation, which ■ will be held, on Thursday evening of next week.

During January the total live births registered for the urban areas (reports a Press Association telegram from Wellington) amounted to 1185 as against 1017 in December,, an increase of 16fS. The deaths in January were 493, a decrease of 10 as compared with the previous month. Of the total deaths males contributed 260, and females 233. Forty-three of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 8.72 per cent, of the whole number. Thirty-one of these were under one year of age. The estimated total population of New 'Zealand and its dependencies and the mandated territory Stands at 1,525,942 (males 779,772 and females 740,170).' The population jof New Zealand proper is estimated at 1,401,445 (excluding Maoris), the Maori population being 65,441. The estimated populations of the North and South- Islands, including Maoris, are 937,357 and 529,529 respectively.

Although they had never met. on board, and had had no speech with one another from the time the good ship left the Thames until she dropped anchor off the Boulder Bank at Nelson, two old shipmates, who arrived in . Nelson by the ship John Masterman, on February 10, 1857, met on a Wellington bowling green the other day and exchanged friendly greetings. The one was Mr Thomas Bushi of Seatoun, ex-presideftt of the Wellington Bowling Club, and the other was Mr J. Blizzard, town clerk of Picton. The reason for their aloofness on board ship was that Master Bush was five years of age, while Master Blizzard was 11 days short of 12 months old when the vessel arrived. It is said that one of the passengers by the John Masterman was so impressed with the Boulder Bank that he thought it • was “an amazing work for the pioneers of Nelson to have built.”

Not a little concern was caused in Gisborne the other day when it was announced that grub infestation was discovered among imported kumeras on sale in the town, and fear was expressed that the parasites might contaminate locallygrown tubers if immediate steps wpre not taken to counteract the presence of the imported grubs. Thi- matter was taken in hand by Mr kl'lndoe, orchard instructor, who subsequently announced that the grubs had been divided into two classes, the Cyclas formacarius, and the Euscapes batatae. Both burrow into the kumera while they are in the grub stage, eventually hatching out. into insects, the former taking a shape like a greatly enlarged ant, while the other has a beetlehke appearance, though on a small scale. Asked concerning the possibility of further infestation, Mr MTndoe informed a press representative that, it was highly improbable that the local crops would become infested, for the appearance of the grub was discovered in fairly good time, but he maintained that concentration would be necessary in preventing the further sale of infested imports, and' preventing' such lots from coming into the country.

Information has been' received by the Government Publicity Office that an individual has been touring the South Island representing himself as a photographer attached to the office.. (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington). The authorities understand that in several instances money has been obtained as ■ a result. The man’in question has no connection with the Publicity Office. All the official photographers carry credentials for production whenever these may be required.

A development of the Government’s policy of lessening State interference in private business' is an agreement between the Commissioner of State Forests (Mr W. B. Taverner) and the nurserymen in regard to the sale of young trees for planting. It is understood (says a Press Association telegram from , Wellington) that prices have been agreed on for the coming season that are satisfactory to the nurserymen.

Several minute pieces of brass which had been lodged in his left eye for/ oyer 20 years were the cause of an operation performed upon Mr David Carroll Watson in the Waikato. Hospital (states the New Zealand Herald). As a schoolboy in ■ Temuka in 1907, Mr Watson was injured by the explosion of a percussion cap, small pieces of brass entering his lefteye. Subsequently several were removed and other pieces had been removed since then or had worked out. Excessive pain caused.Mr Watson to enter the hospital, where an X-ray examination, revealed a piece of brass in the pupil. As it was impossible to remove it without destroying the sight the eye was removed, Mr - Watson served twice with, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.. Mistake •in identity was one of the points of defence .to a robbery charge tried in the Supreme Court at Auckland on Monday , (says the New -Zealand Herald)), counsel for. the accused pressing the. witnesses keenly as to the way in which they had picked out-the men in the identification parades. , One witness, a -woman, declared, “I could not help picking out'the man—he looked so guilty.” She admitted the detective might have told her -the person accused was a small man. Another witness admitted he identified the man because _he had seen him in, association with his co-prisoner, whom the witness knew. A sore on the face of one of the identified men figured conspicuously in the cross-examinations. - It was elicited the accused was the only man in the line who had such - a disfigurement, and the suggestion was made counsel’ that,the witness had been informed beforehand that the-man could be ,distinguished by this singularity.- However, both .witnesses and police denied that anything of , the kind had occurred: One female witness, when asked why it had been necessary for her to go back and take a second look at the line of. “ exhabits,” said: “ I had never been in anything like, that and the first time 1 ali Wanted was to get oiit again.” Another insinuation was that the person charged have been picked out from the fact that he was stood in a particular place in, the line. Detective Moon said that in on • identification parade all the unsuspected persons were drawn up and then the suspect was brought in and allowed to take any place in the line that he chose, , . le knack of passing. examinations has anything to do with the >o!d idea that twins have a smaller endowment of brains than the -rest of the human fSmily, an Auckland parent claims to have discovered an exception (says the Star). The case is one of twin sisters of Newton road, who are now-16 years of age. - Towards the beginning of last year they parsed an advanced commercial college course in book-keeping, shorthand; and typewriting. During the year they passed the terms examinations in dressmaking and millinery at the Seddon Memorial. Technical College. In August last, at 15 years and 10 months one obtained a partial pass, and the other a complete pass in tile first :*“■. D . examination, and in December both passed the matriculation examination. * -

As the result of.the recent rain all anglers are highly delighted with the'wonderful, salmon trout fishing at Tokaanu. Several have taken their limit of 15 fish (states the Taumarunui Press). The trout are m great condition, and hardly a poorcondUioned fish is seen. The best fiffiSg has been in the near vicinity of the Delta camp and the adjacent Tongariro River, as J, a,n co ?t»nues. the sport as far up fli ' s bridge should be exceedthe nest month. Many" at thf U Tok V “ « ” , are accommodated at the Tokaanu Hotel and hotel camp the°Ho? e B rd and Lad y Haihpdeu, Smif? r ® arba J a Brand, Mies Martin Smith Lord and Lady Hillingdon and disT \ aDd Lord l and Gaveuaish, all of whom speak in the hio-hpsf terms of the sport they have had. Stbe Passengers who arrived at > Makura oi Sday (says the. Dominion) was Mrs William Baurenschmidt. better known to stage and screem as Lola Luxford, and formerly Miss Pola Pratt, of Hastings. From' playing m small-town amateur theatricals to leading lady in Hollywood films-is a far cry, and so far she is the only Hew Zealand girl who has accomplished it. Miss Luxford, when she first went, to the United States, alternated between legitimate stage work, scenario writing,- and the nlins. . Picture Avork she considers is very satisfactory "because you can watch yourself and discover- your weaknesses by attending a performance of the film, you have been appearing in. It is' most interesting, too, that'l was the. only New Zealand girl in Hollywood,” she said. “Isabel Wilford came for a time, but returned again to England. When T go back again I am going to make a voice test for the movies just to see whether my voice would be suitable or not. Talkies are going to revolutionise everything in motion pictures, because it means that some actors and actresses are not going to ‘get by* with just a smile. 1 think I got my first taste for acting when I appeared in Mrs T. W. Lewis’s production in - Hastings, but it was a hard job getting a footing, in pictures. I played in Western films, society dramas, and the * Flying Dutchman ’ was one of my favourite pictures. However,' iust as I was really succeeding I married William Baurenschmidt and gave up film work, for the time being at any rate, and we now live quietly at Baltimore.” ‘