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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20867, 6 November 1929, Page 8

It was reported at the monthly meeting of the Green Island Borough Council last night that the water consumption for the quarter ended September 28, totalled 8,003,000 gallons at a cost of £2OO Is 6d. The consumption of water for domestic purposes had been approximately 14 gallons per head per day. Early on Monday afternoon light rain set in throughout the district (writes our Cromwell correspondent) and extended at intervals well into the night. It has tended to relieve' the dry spell, but/more is needed to make the position secure. Yesterday afternoon rain was again falling, and showed signs of continuing, i The fall appears to have been fairly general, but the rivers have risen only slightly. Jamee Robert Dickson Jeffery failed to appear as a juror at the Supreme Court on Monday, and Mr Justice Kennedy imposed a fine of £5 unless cause was shown. The absent juror appeared at the court yesterday morning, and explained that he thought his attendance was required on Monday next. He had misread the notice, and he regretted • his error. His Honor, after peruising the notice to attend, said that the fold of the paper came over the date, and he could understand that such a mistake as had occurred might be made by a person who did not carefully read the summons. He would accept the explanation and remit the fine. !

Yesterday. Guy Fawkes Day was revived by the young fry of the city with a burst of enthusiasm and bright and colourful display of costumes, -which sent the memory of the older' people skipping ■rapidly back to the days when there were no picture theatres, and a*penny was wealth untold. And although the average adult felfc rather diffident yesterday about proffering a mere penny to the first accosting youngster, most of them remembered that in their own childhood days a penny would buy much more than it does to-day, and they cheerfully parted with sixpences and threepenny bits, and continued to bask for the remainder of the day in the anticipatory glow of welldoing which arose from the pleasure their largesse would confer. The day was one of fun,and sky-larking, sweet and all-too-short, as such days are, bringing its aftermath this morning with the grimy sheets and pillow cases, scented faintly with the’ whiff of gunpowder, where the tousled heads of tired and happy youngesters bad lain. The history of Guy Fawkes Day concerned them not at all, or if it did, it was to Guy Fawkes as the blessed being who was responsible for the happy day, that they looked, and not to a misguided Papist who met his death at the orders of an equally misguided Parliament in the days of old King James. And after all, is it not betted so? America has its Fourth of July, China its Feast of Lanterns, France its Capture of the Bastille. Let Britons have the Fifth of November, and forget the misunderstandings which history has wrapped around its earlier anniversaries.

Mr E. Branscombe, of the Westminster Glee Singers, stated at Burns, Hall last night that it was the company’s intention to give matinees, at which music having an appeal to children would be featured. At the present time, he said, music was suffering from another unpleasant invasion, which went by the name of "jazz.” That was one of the reasons why, on this tour, the singers were making a specialty of the folk songs of the Old Country, and they thought that in time this would provide a welcome antidote to the rather dreadful jazz. It was very satisfactory to know that during their recent tour in Canada and even in the United States, these old songs were extraordinarily well received. Mr Branscombe went on to say that one of the chief aims of music was not only to entertain and charm, but to uplift to a better condition of mind and emotion, and give relief to what be termed the debasing nature of the music regarding which he bad been making his observations. They found in the folk songs the charm of old English, Irish, and Scottish life, and even to those who might claim that they had no'musical instinct, these songs had a particular charm. It seemed a great pity that where they had such a great wealth of national music they should not be content to exploit it instead of that of, another country. In conclusion. Mr Branscombe stressed the point that they should endeavour to instil into the hearts of their children a love of the folk songs and nher music of the Homeland.

The appointment of a woman inspector for dance halls was discussed at a meeting of the Christchurch City Council, when Cr Annie I. Fraer moved (says a Press Association telegram) that such an appointment be made, the inspector to have authority to visit the dance halls in and around the city. The matter was referred to the Departmental Committee for report.

A warning similar to that mentioned in the Australian cable news against professional dancing girls taking' engagements for Eastern native States (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington! has been received by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle). It has special reference to the Manila Carniyal in February, for which it appears a troupe of girls is-to be engaged. The writer gives a number of reasons against such engagements, and.states that it costs from 130 to £35 per month for ordinary living expenses, let alone outside items.’ '

While excavating on the road to Stratford Mountain House the Public Works staff unearthed a Maori oven (says a Press Association telegram 1 from Stratford) . The stones ' were covered with charcoal, and imposed tbreeon was a layer of scoria and another of soil containing immense rotting tree trunks, indicating that the oven was in use a great many years ago. The stones, which had to - be removed, have been carefully preserved. In taking out the tree stump the staff also, caught a. lizard eight inches long, a specimen of which is. said. to have never previously been found in the North Island.

Mr A.. A. Paape, lessee of the Grand Hotel, Dunedin, who was a passenger to Auckland from- Sydney by the Mabeno, when asked (says a Press Association telegram) as to the accuracy of" a report that the Mount Cook Touring Company had purchased an interest in the Grand Hotel, said: “There is no possibility of anything of the kind taking place.” The original company was the Mount Cook Motor Company, which has recently been reconstructed, and has interests in the Cargen Hotel (Auckland), and the White Star Hotel, Queenstown, as well as in the Chateau at Tongariro. It was stated that there was a possibility of the company forming a chain of hotels 1 throughout the Dominion, and that the Grand at Dunedin was one of them. A strong northerly wind and an incoming tide, coupled with a temporary reduction of the power available from her turbines caused a difficulty at one stage in the. operation of bringing the Mabeno from her anchorage off Devonport to a berth at the Queen’s wharf in Auckland yesterday (says our special correspondent). When the anchor was raised shortly after 8 o'clock the vessel had to turn into the wind and tide in order to make a course for the wharf. Apparently lacking sufficient way to do this, she drifted across the harbour into Mechanics’ Bay, carrying with her the tug, which was in attendance to assist in berthing her. Passengers who were on deck feared at one time that the ATnhnrm would drift on to the rocks of the wave deflector, but the danger was not real. When it was clear that the vessel could not manoeuvre Captain Toten, had the anchor dropped, holding,the ship until the tug was in a correct position to give the required assistance in turning, A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states that the following bequests have been made under the will of Lady Rhodes:—Christchurch District Nursing Association, £1000; Rhodes Memorial Convalescent Home, (special trust), £1600; St. John Ambulance Association, Christchurch, £500; Hospital Ladies Visiting Association, £500; St Pauls Church, Tai Tapu, building fW £250.

r , I, rißsl r h ?* forwarded to us £1 for the Jubilee Institute for the Blind. We are forwarding the donation to the Institute authorities. • '

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