Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20942, 4 February 1930, Page 8

The through express from Invercargill, which is timed to reach Dunedin at 11.20 a.m., was delayed at Invercargill yesterday for 28 minutes to enable passengers by the Maheno from Melbourne to come on to Dunedin. As a large number of travellers joined the express at stations on. the northward run, the train was further delayed, and did not reach Dunedin until 11.50 a.m. Drawing 16 well-filled carriages, the express was despatched from Dunedin for the .north about 3a minutes after schedule time. A telegram received from Bluff states that the intercolonial steamer Maheno arrived at the southern port at 5 a.m. yesterday from Melbourne, via Milford Sound. The vessel brought 268 passengers, of whom 68 are for Dunedin, 27 for Lyttelton, and 65 for Wellington. The Maheno is expected to arrive at Dunedin about 7 a.m. to-day, and will sail tomorrow 'evening for Lyttelton and Wellington. The following nominations have been received for the vacancy on the Education Board created by the death of Mr James Mitchell:—Neil H. Colquhoun, of Oamaru; William M. Cooper, of Kakanui; William Cron, of Oamaru; and John A; Macpher'son, MJ, of Oamaru. The electors are the School Committeemen in the North Ward, and an election will be held on Monday, February 24. When a fire engine is called out a. speedy arrival at the scene of the outbreak is usually necessary, but when the South Dunedin brigade was summoned to extinguish, a blaze yesterday afternoon the machine, travelled at a leisurely pace, and there was none, of the usual screeching of sirens. .The.explanation of the absence of hurry was that the brigade was leaving its.quarters as an obligement to the players in the cricket match between Otago and Wellington at Carisbrook. The smoke from a fire i a the Rugby Union section next to the ground was blowing across the pitch, and the wind was bringing with it ashes and pieces of burnt paper. The game was stopped for a few minutes while the umpires made-a request that something should, be done to get rid of the nuisance. Shortly afterwards the fire engine arrived on the scene, and a head of hose was directed on the flames, the game being continued in a much clearer atmosx^here. Speaking at a gathering of the Lou lon Press Club recently, Mr A. P. Herbert of Punch, said dangerous drinking was to' be cured by more and more restriction of the drinker; dangerous driving was to be cured by giving, more and more liberty to the driver. To die drinking -was a very exceptional thing, but to die by a motor car was so common an event that, while it was now in every case returned as accidental death, it would very soon be returned as death by natural causes. A search is being made throughout Chnstcburch for a freak sheep, having five complete legs and six feet. At the end of the fifth leg there are two perfect feet. The owner describes the animal as a very valuable one, and he is very much concerned at its disappearance. For-safe keeping, the sheep had been placed in the Animals' Home, but it escaped last week When the animal was born on a back-' country station it was considered that it would not live long. However, it was found that if had thrived and was fit to be sent to market. The extra leg however, condemned it at once and, of course no attempt was made to market it The owner describes the sheep, a CorriedaleLmcoln cross wether, as.being as healthy as any other sheep and a remarkable scientific object. Fine, clear summer weather Mas exnori. enced in Auckland yesterday (telegraph our special correspondent). The wind «as light from the east in the moraine and changed to the south in the afternoon It was one of the very few warm, pleasant days experienced this summer.

A. close study is being made by the Chinese Government of the status of Chinese people overseas, and New Zetland, of course, is receiving its share of attention. It is one result of the National movement which began in China in 1924. Three-quarters of a century" ago China had her doors barred and bolted against foreigners, then they were prised open a,little when a few treaty ports were defined along the coast, and now they have been practically thrown wide open. Possibly with the object of getting something in return for her change of attitude, China is to-day looking for better [ conditions for her own people in other countries. Many countries have dealt with Chinese immigration on a purely domestic basis, without the conclusion of definite treaties and agreements, said Mr F. T. Sung, Consul-general for the Republic of China in Australia, during a reception in Hotel Cargeu recently. With the new policy of seeking equality in all matters, the Chinese Government ■ expected to secure concussions in the direction of more favourable treatment of Chinese overseas. The state of affairs in Auckland, where it is estimated there are 1400 empty houses, prompted a Wellington Post reporter to make some inquiries of land ' agents in Wellington with a View to ascertaining whether building activities ' had caught up on the undeniable housiDg shortage which existed a year or two ago. There is as yet apparently no falling off in the applications for building permits m Wellington. I n fact, it seems likely that the year 1930 will constitute a record if it proceeds as it has started. There is no doubt, that Government loans ' enabling people td build with- Email deposits have caused a great spurt in home building, particularly in the suburbs, and that many of those who have secured Government money hare not yet built, so that it is safe to assume that there will be no immediate falling off in building . by private persons for residences, though ' builders may have curtailed speculative '■ construction. Although bad handwriting, careless typistes, and American ignorance of NewZealand geography are responsible for some strangely-addressed correspondence, the ingenuity of the postal officials « at most times equal to the occasion. In the last American mail (says the New Zealand Herald) a letter from the Chicago University arrived with the typewritten address: "Cruckland Stock : Exchange, . Cruckland, N.Z." Insult was added to injury with the addition of the words in red ink: "Try Auckland Stock Exchange." The destination proved a correct one, but \ members are amused that such an unwitting reflection upon their integrity should originate from Chicago. The total rateable value of Auckland ] City, according to the new valuation list (1930-31), which is subject to revision by the Assessment Court, is £2,781,224. an J increase of £82,50S over the 1929-30' period. This represents an increase of 3 per cent., which is almost wholly accounted for by the erection of new buildings and alterations. The capital value of buildings completed during the year is about £1,650,000, which includes Civic Square buildings, the Auckland Electric . Power Board's offices, South British Insurance buildings, the Smith and Caughey - buildings, and other large premises. The total number of new dwellings completed was 510. . ' : " There are 15,000 members of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia, the majo>rity of whom reside in New South Wales," stated the Very Eev. Father Germanos Heliou, archimandrite of the Greek Orthodox Church, Adelaide, to a Wellington Post reporter in the course of an interview. "They are divided into five: churches, or. communities, the principal church being the Cathedral of St. Sophia; Sydney, and their spiritual nee'ds are ministered to by five archimandrites or rectors. The head of the Church in Australia is;the,.Metropqle, the Very Rev. Archimandrite- - Papathanas' sopoulos, stationed at Sydney, while the other rectors are. stationed at Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, respectively. In New Zealand we have in all some 150 members of: the Greek Orthodox Church, 80 or 90 of whom reside in Wellington. Two years ago we had a bishop as the head of our' Church in Aus'-~ tralia, but now the head is, as Stated above, the Metropole in Sydney. ■ For the' better government of the Church in Australia and New Zealand, the Patriarchate in Constantinople has made it a point that all the priests shall meet together once" or twice a year to confer in regard to Church matters and Bee that everything is done duly and in-order. We have just held such a meeting .in Australia, and I am now visiting New: Zealand to see how the members of our Church are gettin* on here so far as religious mattters are concerned." Father Heliou added that ho likefi the Australian climate very well. ,It was. in some respects very like that of Greece, but in Greece the seasonsspring, summer, autumn, and winterwere more marked and more regular. Tha winters in Australia were not so cold, and in his opinion not so healthy as the'winters m Greece, where they had in winter more snow and not so much rain. Ha liked what he had seen of New Zealand and its climate very much. This country reminded him more of his homeland than Australia did. _ " I had the pleasure of inspecting an interesting experimental area in the Kerikeri district, on which passion fruit, citrus fruits, peanuts, choya beans, and other tropical products are being successfully grown," remarked the Minister of Public Works (Mr E.„A. Ransom), on his return from North. Auckland (.javs the Auckland Star). "The passion fruit crop was particularly abundant, and, seeing that this fruit does not readily thrive in many countries, the results here show wonderful prospects. I understand that the promoters of the operations intend to develop on extensive lines and go in for export of various pulps and juices. It seems to me to be pioneering on the right lines and opening up bright prospects for a new industry. I n conjunction*with this development I observed that the shelter trees ground the property are hardwoods intended to contribute to the future needs of poles in connection with the reticulation of hydro-electric schemes in the Dominion. The experiment seems to be quite successful. The trees are about 12' feet high in their third, year, and this speaks for itself."