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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20702, 27 April 1929, Page 12

THE DUNEDIN SAYINGS BANK.

The trustees of the Dunedin Savings Bank are to be congratulated on the success of the operations of the institution during the. past financial year. To the favourable terms that are offered to depositors may no doubt be attributed, in large measure, the fact that the Dunedin Savings Bank is not sharing in the experience, so common in recent years with the public offices- of the same description, of an excess of withdrawals over deposits. The margin in favour of deposits in the Dunedin Savings Bank in the past year was not so substantial as in any of the four preceding periods, but it was the , respectable sum of £77,953—a sum to which each of the three branches contributed in fairly even proportions. The most striking feature of the accounts of the institution, however, is the evidence they provide of rapid development and growth. In 'the past five years the number of depositors and the amounts of the deposits have alike been more than doubled; the amount of the deposits at the close of the year has increased from £862,310 at March 31, 1924, to £1,733,385 at the corresponding date this year; and the surplus profits, which were £5047 five years ago, were as much as £14,662 for the year that was recently terminated. It is rather curious to observe that the average amount of the deposits in both the South Dunedin and North Dunedin branches—in each of which the excess of deposits over withdrawals in the first two years of its existence was remarkably large—exceeds the average amount of the deposits in the head office of the bank. The record of the operations of the institution in its various ■ branches goes to show that, although extravagance in spending flaunts itself on every aide, the practice of thrift is still not neglected in this community.

The steamer' Tamaroa, which is due at Auckland on Tuesday from London, is bringing 200 bags of English mails for Dunedin. The letter portion should arrive here next Thursday afternoon, and the balance of the mail the following day. The game-shooting season will be opened on Wednesday, May 1. Information about the birds that may be shot and the duration of the season- in the Otago Acclimatisation Society’s district will be found in our advertising columns. There is no open season for pukeko this year, so that these birds cannot be shot. The season for paradise duck is limited to one week from May 1. Mallard duck are now included in the native game license. Sportsmen must carry their licenses with them when they go shooting. Anyone who. on demand of a ranger, is unable to produce his license renders himself liable to prosecution. Some fine samples of Maori art were recently by Mr D. H. Graham, when visiting the Far North, and they will be forwarded to the Auckland Museum (says the Whangarei correspondent of the New Zealand Herald). Among the collection is a greenstone axe in a perfect state of preservation, not having been touched by fire. The axe measures about eight inches in length and has. a sharp cutting edge.- One side has.not been rounded off, and this gives it an unfinished appearance. Many wooden implements of the Maoris have also been found, including clubs and paddles. Mr Graham intends to make further visits to the Far North. . Deer stalkers are now returning from the South Westland forest, where some good heads have been secured during the season. Eight deer were shot near Lansborough by Air Balfour-Brown, an English visitor, who was accompanied by Con Hodgkinson, a well-known guide of the Lakes district. The heads are all rather on the small side, so far as length and spread goes, but they are symmetrical. Of the eight heads, one is a 14-pointer, two are 13-pointers, four are 12-pointers, and the remaining one is an 11-pointer. The outstanding head is a 13-pointer, which is •45 .inches in length and has a. spread of 39i inches.

We understand that the Rev, Tulloch Yuille, minister of Knox Church, who is at present on furlough, has cabled* to the office-bearers, intimating his decision to resign his charge. A very fine display of work done by the juniors associated with the Red Cross Association is at present to be seen in one of the windows of the D.I.C. premises, whore it attracts a considerable amount of attention. Hitherto the juniors have probably not been very much under the notice of the public, but they have achieved a record of which they may well be proud. Hundreds of these young workers have obtained first aid and home nursing certificates, and have accomplished a great deal in addition. Their activities include visits to hospitals with gift? of flowers, eggs, fruit, and toys, sewing for hospitals, etc., visiting sick children in their own homes, raising money for the poor and needy by means of concerts, collecting clothing for the same purpose, the giving of money, clothes, and food for flood relief, and correspondence by means of portfolios with other countries. Sonic fine samples of articles that have been made, posters, scrap books, etc., all of a high standard of quality, are included in the display. A notice in last night’s: Gazette (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) declares certain land and buildings in the Mangaiiui survey district, Waimarino County, Wellington, to be a prison to be known as Horopito Prison. Another notice defines land taken in the Waimea survey district (Nelson) for the purposes of a mental hospital. The approximate area is 700 acres. A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states,that an official denial of the rumours that the holding’ of what is known as a “ regulation ” strike is being considered by the railway guards in Canterbury was given by the secretary of* the Christchurch Railway Guards’ Club in a statement made on behalf of the. members yesterday. The Port Chalmers Old Identities’ Association has received numerous messages complimenting the members who so successfully carried out the historical play in respect to Gabriel’s Gully, on Wednesday evening. The president (Mr J. Far T quharson), in replying to such messages, stated that “The Dawn of Sixty-one ” was undoubtedly a creditable performance, and the association was indebted to everyone who had taken part, not forgetting those who had gone to a great deal of trouble in preparing the stage so effectively. A unique opportunity of gaining his liberty was given yesterday -morning to : Roy George Cudby, aged 20, a prisoner serving three years’ reformative* detention for theft (says ■ a Press Association telegram - from Wellington). For some time past he had been an inmate of Wellington Hospital, and yesterday morning was considered to be well enough to be discharged. This was done, the fact that Gudby was a prisoner being apparently forgotten for the moment. The police are now looking for him. In spite of what is heard occasionally about the. crowded state-of the school syllabus, the. headmaster_o£ the Takapuna School is able to find room in his time tables for work that will assist his pupils to vocations (says the New Zealand Herald). A- novel ' feature introduced into the curriculum within the past few months *is tuition in bee culture. A small apiary has been installed, and the committee states in its annual report that the instruction given is both useful and instructive, as well as serving as an introduction. for the Children to a pleasant and profitable occupation. Another subject which is practised in the school garden at Takapuna is forestry. The addition of two temporary rooms to the. school represents an experiment on the part of the Education Board’s architect, who wished to prove whether he could provide a cheap and hygienic building of a temporary nature. In this, the committee considers, he has succeeded beyond the most sanguine expectations. The new rooms are draught-proof, warm, comfortable, and very well appointed. One result of their installation is that overcrowding has ceased,. and accommodation for additional pupils is made available. An interesting souvenir of the war. has recently • been mounted near . the parade ground at the Devonport naval base, Auckland. . It is a fragment of armour plate from the turret of HALS. New Zealand, which fought in the Battle of Jutland. The piece of metal bears a dent made by a German shell. Another souvenir at the base, though not a war relic, is the figurehead of the brig Moa, built in Auckland in-. 1849. .The Moa was one of the oldest vessels known to have; been. built in New Zealand. She ran continuously for 10 years between 1850 and 1860, and made several record trips between Auckland and Sydney. Dr W. Aitken, who is retiring from the charge of the Military Sanatorium, Cashmere, explained to a Christchurch Press reporter that he was retiring in order to specialise in chest diseases. ■ He would hot restrict his work’specially to tuberculosis cases, however, but he hoped to continue his present ; investigations . into the incidence and decline of tuberculosis, in . New Zealand. . If his investigations into tuberculosis were successful, he hoped to publish his results in the future. An old well, apparently of considerable original depth, which was ' unknown to occupants of the building and others who could remember the spot for the past 30 years, was revealed in a workshop in Albert street, Auckland, on Wednesday (says the New Zealand Herald), when a portion of the floor unexpectedly collapsed. The well was discovered in the front portion of the premises of the Reliance Battery Manufacturing Company by an employee who was unloading drums of lead from a lorry which had been backed into the workshop. When one of these drums was dumped on the floor the surface broke away and a deep cavity was revealed. On investigation is was found that the well was about four feet iu diameter, tapering to a narrower width at the top, where a pump had apparently been installed. The interior was lined with bricks, of a smaller size than those now in use, and somewhat different in shape. The bricks were hand-made to all. appearances, and were in a remarkable state of preservation. The depth of the cavity was found to be 20 feet, but Us the bottom is filled with rubble it is impossible to. say how deep the well was originally. There is now no sign, of water in the shaft. Recently heavy weights have been placed on'top of the well, and many persons have stood on top of it. It is fortunate that the discoverer of the shaft did not meet with an accident. The present buildimr, a brick structure; was built about 39 years ago, and a house occupied the site before the present 'building was erected. It seems likely that the well was sunk when the house was built, and is upwards of 50 years old.

An interesting statement made by the director of town planning (Mr J. W. Mawson) in conversation with a Wairarapa Age representative was that the amount that -must be spent in widening unduly narrow main streets in New Zealand towns and cities was negligible in comparison with the amount that might be . saved by reducing the width of streets that were needlessly wide. Elaborating the latter point, Mr Mawson said that in many casesdt would highly advantageous to reduce.the width of the streets in residential areas and thus save the money now wasted annually in meeting needlessly heavy street maintenance costs. The right policy in such areas was to move the fence lines forward while keeping the building lines ■as they . were. The disposal of the surplus street land would be a matter to be dealt with by the local controlling authority. In some instances the land might be sold or leased to the owners of frontages. There were cases in which it would pay.the local authorities handsomely, to, give away , this .surplus ■ land.

Ah a fountain pea passed from hand, to hand in a group of men at the Grand Hotel in Auckland yesterday morning % £250,000 construction Heal was signed and finally settled (says our special octree* pondent). It was a contract for Aucfe. land’s newest theatre. The Civic. The parties concerned are the Civic Theatres, Ltd., Super-constructiop Company of Aus* tralia, Ltd., and the Fletcher Construction Company, Ltd. Simultaneously with the signing of the documents came- word that the construction of the huge building had been begun in the Civic square. The two big construction firms are cooperating in the contract, as it is the aim of the organisation to complete the theatre by Christmas. On the ground floor will be 20 shops. A' total of 3,500,000 bricks will be required, and an order for 2,000,000 has already been placed. One thousand tons of concrete, 500 tons of steel, and .90,000 feet of timber will be used. Amoflg other items of the huge orders •to be placed are 300 tons of fibrous plaster and £50,000 in furnishings. While in Queensland, Mr H. T. Armstrong, Labour member for Christchurch East, met members of the Cabnet, and made a special effort to obtain a wide expression of opinion as to the probable result of the State elections on May 11, and he told a Christchurch Press reporter that he was firmly of opinion that the Labour Government would again be returned to power. :

“ New Zealand is primarily all agricultural country,” said the Minister of Education (Mr H. Athiore); at Waitara last ■ week, “and despite the fact that the •' farmers mean so much to the* Dominion, A 95 per cent, of the efforts of the education, system has been in the direction # of turning out clerks and professional men and women. More children must be trained to go on the land. Farming is rapidly becoming a more scientific pursuit, and now requires the best education. In 1890 New Zealand reached a similar state of affaires as to-day, and as the efforts of the Government then were concentrated upon furthering, fanning interests, so must the policy of the Government'of today be directed.” -. A party of five Wellington young men who recently decided to spend a holiday seeing New Zealand decided to try motoring instead of the usual tramp. .They purchased a 1912 model touring* car -of ■ 10 h.p. for £25, and adjustments were made by a friendly ageut and mechanic. .When loaded up with the party of five, camping equipment and provisions for the trip (says the Dominion) the old car was asked to undertake the job that would have taxed, some of its later competitors. The following trip was carried out through a fortnight’s holiday without particular incident or trouble:—First day, Wellington to Taihapcj second day, Taihape to National Park; third day, National Park to Wairakei; fourth day, Wairakei to Rotorua; fifth day, Rotorua, to Auckland; sixth day, Auckland to Hamilton; seventh day, Hamilton to Tongaporutu; eighth .day, Tongaporutu to Wanganui; ninth da*y, -Wanganui to Wellington. -The days’ runs were not consecutive and time was spent at most of the places visited. In all over 1200 miles were traversed and the total cost of tha trip was £lO per man, including the cost ot the car, which apparently is still good for further trips. Mr. F Wilkonson disclaims the statement, attributed to him in our report of his speech on Wednesday night, that he did not propose to criticise the City Council. He strongly deprecated extreme and purely destructive - criticism, but ha tried to show that the City Council wa« open to serious criticism in several lmportant directions. The Railways Department advertises ia of special Sund § r i f 9L t V aVBi hy tbe Dunedin-Oamaru ounday trains; .„ this issue particulars of special week-end excursions to Mount Cook. - U ? lte i Starr 'Bowkett Building Society advertises particulars-of Its new A commencing on May 13. Ihe Railways Department advertises in SSU ?v tha ‘- red^ ed fares WU' operate between Dunedin, Warrington, Ominii, and Seacliff from April 28. The Dunedin S tarr-Bowkett Building Society advertises particulars of shares in , o- 7 group and the disposal of £ISOO by ballots in Nos. 3,4, and 6 groups. Have your Diamond Ring overhauled at t Williamsons. They are the ringmaking specialists (next the Bristol).—. Advt. - . *

Ladies will be pleased to learn that wa have just landed a fresh supply of Ilka. Cream. This beautiful cream at 2s pot. by post 2s 3d, is one of the finest for beautifying the complexion.—H. L. Sprosen, Ltd., toilet specialists and chemists. Octagon, Dunedin.—Adyt. Electors of Dunedin: Read Or C HHayward’s advertisement elsewhere Will speak. Saturday. Coronation Hall, Maori Hill; Monday, George Street Hall Advt. Tl i® Deputy—a- Radiator from the Barth Electrical Supplies, 90 Princes street. A large and varied assortment now on view.—Advt. If you are looking for health, hanpincas and prosperity join the Dunedin Radiant Health Club. Sleets weekly. Memberpt P „c o^2-7G5.-A a dvr r - RinK BeCretary * Those desirous ot having electricity installed in their boused should consult the Stewart Electrical Company, 171 Rattray street. Time payments arranged, from 2a 6d a week.—Advt W. V, Sturmer. G.A.0.C.. DS OI optician. Consulting room, 2 Octagon! Dunedin. Most modern scientific equipment for sight testing.—Advt, A. E. J, Blakeley and W. E. Bagley' dentists, Bank of Australasia corner oi Bond and Rattray streets (next Tel®, graph Office). Telephone 12r359.—Advt. Diamond Engagement Rings.—Before purchasing compare our values; targe selection; superior quality.—Peter Dick, the most reliable jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians. 490 Moray place, Dunedin. Advt.