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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20963, 28 February 1930, Page 8

Certain Ranfurly people yesterday enjoyed the opportunity of reading that morning’s issue of the Otago Daily Times at 8.30 a.m. New .Zealand Airways, Ltd., ■ sent a plane to Ranfurly from Dunedin at 7.50 a.m., and a parcel of Otago Daily Times was delivered there at 8.30 a.m. by the plane. At the meeting of the Otago District Council of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture yesterday afternoon, Mr R. G. Fountain brought to the notice of members an unusual case of needless destruction of bush at Evansdale. ,He remarked that a company of Boy Scouts from Port Chalmers, who had held a camp at IJvansdale, had found it necessary to throw two footbridges across the stream. The construction of these had involved a visit to the bush, where everything had been grist to the .mill. Panaxes, ribboiiwoods, and lancewoods had been used with ruthless disregard to their value. It was considered that the, matter was one which should be referred to in a letter to the Scoutmaster,in charge of the troop. It was stated at a demonstration of gas cooking, given by the City Gas Department yesterday, that 15,000 tons of coal were required annually to provide gas for the consumers of the city. There were 275,000,000 cubic feet of gas manufactured by the department last year, which fact gives ample proof of the immense popularity which is enjoyed by this medium of cooking and heating. The extent of the activities of .the Gas Department may be judged from the fact that in some years as much as 12 miles of gas mains are laid. It is anticipated that this years’ total will exceed that amount on account of the fact that the Green Island borough will be connected up. The department carries out a continual survey of' the metres in .the city, and about 1000 of these are brought to the gasworks each year for* repair. After they have been attended to they must, by a recent regulation, be inspected by a Government official before they are reinstalled. As there are approximately 17,000 metres under the department’s control, it will be seen that it would take .17 years for the whole number to be repaired. Two disputes have been filed, for hearing before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. H. Hagger)—brick, tile, and pottery makers, to, be heard at Dunedin on March 10, and Southland hairdressers, to be heard at Invercargill on April 2.. Plans for the new Blue Bath buildings at Rotorua are now in the hands of Dr Duncan, balneologist at the santorium at Rotorua (says our Auckland correspondent) .' ■ They provide accommodation Tor 1000 bathers, and a further 1000 may view the bathers from the galleries. , Refreshment buffets will be situated in the galleries. The facade is in the Italian Renaissance style, combining brightness with grace. The work on the building will be commenced at an early date. A correspondent writing from the Franz Josef Glacier states that Miss D. Le H. Mackie, of Ashburton, a member of the Dunedin Tramping Club, and an enthusiastic climber, has the distinction of being'the first woman to ascend Mount Spencer (9508 ft). The climb took place on the 18th ihst., in company with a guide and one other climber. After traversing extensive snowfields, the party encountered a huge semi-circular crevasse, which completely cut it off from its route, and necessitated its retracing its steps in order to find another way up. The next difficulty was an immense and dangerous schrund ioi its negotiation, for which the rope was requisitioned. After a gingerly crossing of the soft, snow on the lower lip,of the schrund, the visitors had to -stand on one step while the guide cut the next, first dislodging the snow that covered the ice. After the ice-slope came rock, necessitating the removal of their crampons by the members of the party. The view from the peaks at the top was magnificent in spite of the mist that lay below. The climbers looked down upon the spot at De La Beche corner, where occurred the recent alpine tragedy. The Executive Council of the Otago Christian Endeavour Union informs us that it has considered with much regret the increase of Sunday excursions and unnecessary Sunday travelling, and has adopted the following resolution; —“ Being convinced that the Day of Rest and Worship is a necessity for man’s social, mental, and spiritual well-being, and an essential condition (as the pioneer settlers believed) of the prosperity of ihe nation, we call upon our associated societies to oppose unnecessary Sunday travelling and excursions, and to take measures to bring before their parliamentary representatives the fact that many electors are opposed to the present policy of the Railways Department in regard to Sunday excursions.” This resolution is to be sent to the Minister of Railways. The Wellington Harbour Board has decided to call tbo floating dock which ifc has been decided to establish in ‘the harbour “ Jubilee .Dock,” .in commemoration of the board’s jubilee this yar. “ I have one very pleasant experience to report,” Captain Thor Hanrievig told a Daily Times reporter last night after the arrival of the Norwegian steamer June at Fort Chalmers with a part-cargo of phosphates from Nauru. Captain Hanncvig is accompanied by his wife and little girl. The very pleasant experience took place at Lyttelton, where the waterside workers brought bunches of flowers on board for the captain’s wife ami daughter. The vessel’s saloon is still brightened with vases of carefully tended chrysanthemums.

“ I paid a visit yesterday/* said Hr R. Irwin, of Wanganui, a retired schoolmaster, to a Daily Times reporter, “to Bracken’s tomb in North-East Valley cemetery. I noticed lately in John O’London’s Weekly that his burial place was given elsewhere—not Dunedin, and also in an earlier volume of this well-known journal that ‘ Not understood ’ was on the unknown authors’ list. I was pleased to find two verses of the poem inscribed on the tombstone. I should like to draw the attention of the ‘ powers that be * to the fact that the monument is sinking on one side and has already broken the concrete edging of the grave. I was delighted to learn that Bracken’s last resting place was in this beautiful, well-kept cemetery.”,

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a Gazette notice which appeared last night declares the Three Kings Island to he a sanctuary under the Animal Protection and Game Act, and prohibits the taking of dogs into, or the carrying of firearms on, the area.

In the City Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Hugh Alexander' Kennedy, a statutory first offender, was fined 20s, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment. A young woman, whose name had previously l been suppressed, was charged with attempting to commit suicide, and was remanded for a fortnight.

Two interesting arrivals in Dunedin on Wednesday were Messrs J. Gill and P. Irving, who are making a motor cycle tour of the world. In company with Mr W. J. Stephens, Mr Gill left London on May 11 last year and passed through Prance, most of the European countries, Asia Minor. India, and Australia, where Mr Stephens, who bad been suffering from malaria, was forced to give up the trip, his place being taken by Mr Irving at Melbourne after the two original motor cyclists had travelled 16,000 miles. After passing through New Zealand, Messrs Gill and Irving intend to proceed back to England via America. After the excellent display given by the Upper and Lower Harbour eightoared crews on Tuesday evening, the selectors whose duty it was to choose the crew to, represent Otago at the forthcoming interprovincial eight-oared championships, were faced with a very difficult task. The final selection was 'only arrived at last nighj: after a very thorough search into the merits of the various oarsmen on the harbour, and with systematic training it is confidently expected that the selected crew will mould into a combination that will uphold the prestige that Otago has already attained in These Interprovincial contests, namely, one first and one second in two starts. The crew which has been selected is as follows:—P.” Brough (s), J. Solomon (7), L. Fountain (6)‘, G. B. Johnson (5), F. Wilson (4), J. Mitchell (3), F. Eggers (2), H. Pritchard (bow), and C. Cramond (coach and emergency). The individual performances and records of the chosen crew will be reviewed in next Thursday’s rowing column.

A huge sunfish was rammed near Cape Brett recently by the Auckland launch Rantangi. The launch, ’ which is owned by Mr L. Ster inker, was cruising at aboutnine knots when it struck a submerged object without warning.' : The crew then noticed the huge fish thrashing the water. The impact had been severe, and the fish, estimated to weigh nearly a ton, was unable submerge. For over half an hour the injured: fish kept on the surface. Later the launch was beached, and it was discovered that the shoe beneath the propeller had been damaged. Two members of the ■ launch party later caught mako sharks weighing 2881 b and 2601 b. Among the recent, captures off . Urupukapuka Island was that of Mr L. M'Cormick, of Chicago, who , landed a' striped . marlin, weighing 2361 b, from the launch Alma G, Mr M'Cormick also hooked a large swordfish, which fought for 45 minutes, and then broke away from the hook. Another of his captures was a reremai shark, weighing over 4001 b. These sharks hav> been plentiful lately, but they are not classed as game fish, .

Statements not infrequently made in Australia and New Zealand that Canada is in danger of seceding from the Empire and joining with the United States were discounted by Major Andrews, a member of the Canadian timber delegation, which arrived at Wellington from Sydney by the Marama off Tuesday, “There is no more loyal and pro-British part of the Empire than Canada,” Major Andrews said. There was no danger that she would ever break away from the Empire or from England, which had given her the chances for real growth and development. The belief that Canada was pro-Ameri-can, and that she was ■ more partial to the United States than to Great Britain, was founded upon a complete misunderstanding. It was unthinkable that Canada would desert the Empire for an alliance with the States, She realised in the first place that such an alliance would do her no good commercially or politically. It also had to be remembered that 20 per cent, of Canada’s population consisted of French Canadians. They owned no particular allegiance to Great Britain, nor did they acknowledge France as their homeland. Above all else, they were Canadians and they would never ’ agree to Canada being anything else but Canada in name and reality. To these French Canadians the great territory north of the United States could never change its allegiance.” Discussing the United States, Major Andrews said the country was not as politically and commercially corrupt as reports made out. As in every other great country there were undesirable dements, but there existed a- great majority of deep-thinking and idealistic Americans who formed the backbone of the country. They were the" real Americans and not those who figured in sensational reports of corruption.

The growth of the Rotary movement was the subject of a short address by Mr D. A, Ewen at the Rotary luncheon in Wellington on Tuesday, which marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the .founding of the institution. He traced its growth and development into an international movement. The Wellington Club was formed in 1921, and while Dbere were things it might have done, it had been an influence for good. It had helped to break down parochial "feeling, and, ha concluded, “ I am sure Auckland and Weilington have been brought more closely together by the existence of the two Rotary Clubs, and I think it was very necessary,”—(Laughter and applause.)

The absurdity of a clause in the motor mechanics 3 apprenticeship order, fixing a maximum age of 18 for apprentices, in contravention of the provisions of the Apprenticeship Act, was commented upon by Mr Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court at Auckland on Monday (says the Sun). The anomaly was pointed but during the hearing of an apprenticed appeal against the decision of the registrar of apprentices in refusing to register an apprenticeship contract.' The ground of the appeal was that the provision in the apprenticeship order fixing the maximum age at 18 was u!t ( ra vires to the Act. Mr Jtistice Frazer pointed out that, although the age limit had been agreed to between the parties, the court or the Apprenticeship Committee could not order anythin"that exceeded authority given by the Act° which specifically fixed a minimum age tor apprentices, hut not a maximum age. Therefore, the jurisdiction of the court or the committee was limited by the exin ess words of the Act. If the clause in question as to be treated as valid an absurdity would be created, because’the Act specifically provided for the apprenticeship of persons over 21, subject to certain conditions. The effect of the clause would be that a boy between 16 and 18, and men-over 21 years, could be apprenticed, but a youth between 18 and 21 years would be barred from being apjvienticed. Ihe court allowed the appeal, and held the .clause in the order, fixiii"the maximum ages of apprentices at IS, to bo invalid.

Parliamentay enactment in New Zealand is in general’above the jurisdiction of the courts; expenditure is an act of sovereignty, since the State can take power to do anything,” said Professor B. E, Murphy in .an address to the Accountants’ Convention in Wellington. The limits, he added, were not legal, but practical, There were the limits set by Nature, what is not produced not being able to be sold. Then there was the rationality of legislators, who do not usually depart from the normal. Finally there were the sentiments and views of the electorate. " Subject to the’se checks the State can undertake to pay or receive anything, and can-legally repudiate its contracts. An Act of Parliament repudiating the national debt would be quite legal, though not prudent.” , The arrival of a swarm of bees at a meeting of the National Council of Women, held in Auckland on Monday evening, was the cause of a speedy removal to a room on the lower floor. The bees, which had swarmed outside the window, were attracted by the light, and a number of them hovered persistently above the table at which the president, secretary and treasurer Were seated. The insects were allowed to remain undisturbed until the secretary was stung on the hand, when it was unanimously decided to carry on in another part of the room. The bees were left “in possession.”

Attention is drawn to a meeting to be held in the Museum to-night, at 8 p.m., to discuss means of preventing further destruction of penguins and other native birds, the, protection of native trees and bush, and all historical, Maori, and other sites; also with ■ the object of creating archaeological reserves. It was incorrectly stated in the Naval and Military Notes of Wednesday last that Headquarters and “A ” Squadron, Otago Mounted Rifles, were .to parade at Pelichet Bay range on Saturday, March 1. The date should have been Saturday, March 8.

The Bristol Piano Company, in conjunction with Madame Martinelli Reggiardo, has arranged an entertainment for March 3 in the new Town Hall in aid of the St. Mary’s Building Fund. Radio Furnishing Company, 650 King street, for. artistic furniture, at lowest prices.—Advt.

W. ;V. Stunner, G.A.0.C., D. 5.0.1. optician. Consulting rdora. 2 Octagon Dunedin. Most modern scientific equipment for sight testing.—Advt. A. E J. Blakeley and W. E, Bagley/ dentists.. Bank of Australasia corner of Bond and Ratthiy streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359.—Advt ' Choice Jewellery.—Compare our values. Just landed, large selection Diamond Rings, Reliable Watches. Jewellery and Silverware.—Peter Dick,, the most reliable jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians, 490' Moray place. Dunedin. — Advt.'