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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21032, 22 May 1930, Page 8

The postal authorities advise that the cargo steamer Kairanga, which is due at Wellington on Sunday from Sydney, is bringing 22 bajjs of Australian mail and four parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail is expected to reach the local Post Office next Tuesday afternoon. The Public Works Department has commenced work bn a deviation of the Main North road at Goodwood, The work is being carried Out, with the object proving the visibility at a bad corner. Twenty-five mdn are employed on the work, which wjll involve the purchase of some land and i the removal of a cottage. Roading work is also being.done between Palmerston and Kartigi, and on the Wilden Estate, ! With a view; to bringing country folk into closer touch with the business centres, the Railways Department has inaugurated a system of “half-fare days," which will come into operation on Wednesday next. Under the new system, one day of each week will be to each branch, and on this day residents in the outlying districts will be enabled to visit the nearest of the 'three centres—rßalclutha, Dunedin, or Oamaru—for a fare amounting to practically half the ordinary rates. Thus, one day will be set apart for visitors from Clinton and the intermediate stations to Dunedin, another day will be allotted to travellers between Bushey and Oamaru and Kurow and Oamaru; and the scheme will also provide in a like manner for people on the Roxburgh branch wishing to visit Dunedin, or residents in the Catlins district travelling to BalclutKa or Dunedin. Only on the day allotted; to each district, however, will the reduction in fares be allowed. In order to enable the work at the Poolburn dam to be i carried on as long as possible without interruption from frosts, the Public. Works Department has sent a boiler to the site to be used for heating purposes in the mixing of concrete. The work on the foundations has already been passed by the department. About 100 men are employed on the works. The lake which will be formed will be 1100 acres in extent, and there will be several islands. Persistent rumours are still current that various types of- infectious disease, especially typhoid fever, are prevalent in certain parts of the city and suburbs. The medical officer !of health (Dr M*Lean) stated yesterday that this was by no means the case,.and that, as a matter of fact, Dunedin at the present time was remarkably free from infectious disease of any description. There were at present eight cases of scarlet fever and 11 cases of diphtheria in the Dunedin and Fever Hospitals, but in every case the malady was of the mild type, and' there was no danger of any epidemic occurring. The department had not received notification of a case of typhoid fever for over six months. When leaving the Lower Harbour early yesterday morning the Harbour Board’s pilot boat and the fishing launch Vera collided. The . mishap occurred about 6,20 a.m. at the end of the Mole, and both vessels were slightly damaged. The Harbour Board, craft was proceeding to the entrance to' place a pilot on board the American steamer Golden Cross,- and the Vera was also bound seawards. The fishing boat was ahead of the pilot boat, and was not visible to the crew of the latter. When near the Mole the Vera’s course was evidently altered to bring her round the end of the breakwater, and the pilot boat struck her about amidships. Neither craft suffered any damage below the water line,, but it was deemed advisable by both captains to return to Port Chalmers. The boats were later placed on the slip to undergo repairs. A fishing launch was then requistioned by the Harbour Board officials to convey the pilot to the Golden Cross. It is probable that an inquiry into the cause of the collision will be. held by the local superintendent for Mercantile Marine.

“ Some pa rente seem to be under a mis* apprehension as to when their children v can leave school," stated Dr J. W« \ MTlwraith, senior inspector, at a meet* ing of the Wellington Education Board yesterday (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington). Dr MTlwraith pointed out that the leaving age was fixed at 14 years, unless a pupil possessed a certificate of proficiency in Standard VI, in which case he could leave when he reached his thirteenth year, but no earlier. A child who gained his pro- • ficiency before the age of 13 could go on to a post-primary school or pass into the Seventh Standard of a primary school, but he could not leave school altogether. Fat cattle met with a marked rise in values at the Burnside stock sales yesterday, which must have been distinctly acceptable to pastoralists, but sheep and fat lambs showed little or no alteration from last week’s rates, any variation being in the direction of a downward trend. The fat cattle yarding comprised 170 head of fair to average quality sorts with a few pens of prime heavy bullocks. From the outset the demand was brisk, and all lines with the exception of unfinished sorts were easy to quit. Values were about 20s per head better than was the case last week. -The beet prime heavy bullocks made up to £l9 17s 6d, prime to £l7. medium to £l4, and light and unfinished from £9. The best cows and heifers were worth up to £l2 17s 6d, fair to medium sorts making from £8 to £lO 10s. There was only a very small yarding of store cattle, and as a result competition was very fair, with values firm at late rates. The fat sheep entry was somewhat larger than usual, the total being about 2900, 'comprising for the most light to medium wethers and ewes, with a fair percentage of heavies, only one or two pens of which were oustanding. The sale began well with values well up to last week’s schedule, but while the last races were under the hammer the inquiry slackened considerably, with the result that there was a falling away from last sale’s level. Prices for prime heavies, ewes or wethers, were fully equal to late rates, but medium weights and butchers’ sorts were cheaper by Is per head. Freezing sorts remained firm. A few extra heavy prime wethers made to 34s 6d, prime from 24s to 295, medium from 19s to 225, and fr.eezers from 15s to 18s. The best ewes made to 27s 6d, prime from 16s to 20s, medium from 14s to 15s, and freezers 9s to 13s. There were 1200 fat lambs in all, the competition for which was very keen in respect to good quality sorts, which sold well at late rates. Extra heavy butchers’ lambs made to 265, prime 20s to 21s 6d, medium 17s to 19s, and light Iss to 16s. There was a yarding of 78 fat pigs, which sold on a par with last week. There was fair competition for the small yarding of store pigs, prices remaining firm. Though it still exists, the Christchurch Socialist Party, which was once an active propagandist body, is now but a wraith of its former self. It do longer carries on propaganda work,’and for that reason (says our special correspondent) it has just refused a bequest made to it for propagandist purposes by the late Mr Arthur George Holden. ‘ In' communicating to "the Public ’Trustee the decision of the party to decline this sum, the secretary, Mr F. R. Cooke, said: “I have been instructed by members of the party to inform you that the said party has ceased to carry on the propaganda for which the bequest was intended, and that there arc .no responsible people who would take charge of a money bequest to do the work that the deceased comrade intended. Therefore the Christchurch Socialist party makes no claim. Probate was granted yesterday of the will of the late Sir George Clifford (reports our special correspondent in Christchurch) . The will, which was prepared by Sir George and is in his own writing, is dated December 18, 1926. It disposes of the # whole of. his property amongst nis relatives. There are two codicils making slight alterations affecting relatives. The value of the estate is sworn at £300,000.; The business dealt with at the meeting of the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board last night was mainly of a formal nature, the reports .of the Works and Finance Committees being adopted without discussion. The following tenders were accepted:—Construction of drain-in-common, Grendon street and Tolcarno avenue, Charles Glasson, £96; pumping, plant for St. Andrew street low levels, Richardson, M'Cabe, and Co. (Wellington), £I3O2TOs; pumping plant for Union street low levels, William Coward andCo, (London), £9lO. In connection with the large seaanemone which was secured a few days ■ago by Mr W. J. Gibbs, of Port Chalmers, while trawling outside the Heads, the chief inspector of schools in Otago (Mr F. G. A. Stuckey) states that its scientific name ( is Phlyctemattic petifera. This species of fish was first described by Mr Stuckey in 1909 in the transactions of the New Zealand Institute. It floats on the surface of the water and does not settle down on the rocks as most other sea-anemones do. The known range of the species is from Cook Strait to Stewart Island.

There are at present- only. about 10 teachers hot in employment by the Auckland Education Board (says our special correspondent). A total of 182 teachers are not in permanent employment, but all these, -with the exception of 10, will be in temporary employment when- the new term opens. Later, it is stated, practically every teacher will be employed. > The Auckland Education Board (says a Press Association message) yesterday decided to abolish corporal punishment of girls, and also that it would be considered an offence for n teacher to strike a pupil on the head. The senate of the New Zealand University decided yesterday {says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) that the papers of a candidate who had been proved guilty of what was described as a dishonest act in connection with his matriculation examination be cancelled, and that the candidate be debarred from sitting for the University examination for a period of, 12 months.

The recital of Scottish and Hebridean song which was advertised to be given in the “concert chamber of the Town Hall on May 29, by Mies Gretta Don, has been indefinitely postponed on. account of the uncertainty of tram services, etc. "Is Pentecost a'Vanished Glory? ” The Rev. Joseph Kemp of Auckland, will speak in answer to this question this evening at 7.30 in York Place Hall. • The recital of Mr Alfred Walmsley, in association with Dr Galway and Mr Arthur Gordon, is to be given at the Municipal Concert Chamber on Wednesday nest. Through inadvertence it was \ indicated in a paragraph yesterday that it was to be held last evening. The Calder, Mackay Co., Rattray street, has no connection with the wholesale firm ' of somewhat similar name which is closing its Dunedin branch. The Calder, Mackay Co. is not closing down.—Advt. W. V Stunner. G.A.0.C., D.S.O.i„ 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 of Bond and Rattray streets (nest Telecrapb Office) Telephone 12-359. Advt S. E, Ferguson, qualified optician and -*> refractionist. GJ* 0.C.. 45 George street. Twenty years’ experience in eight-testing and spectacle you consult us. Doctors’ prescriptions carefully attended to.—Advt Let us charge your wireless or car battery. Satisfaction guaranteed.—Barth Electrical Supplies, Ltd., 90 Princes street.—Advt, We make a special feature of high-class brushware: Tooth Brushes, Shaving Brushes, and Hair Brushes If you want something really good go to Sprosen’s, Ltd., leading chemists, corner Octagon and George street.—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.