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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21243, 26 January 1931, Page 6

The postal authorities advise that the steamer Marama, which is due at Auckland to-morrow from Sydney, is bringing eight bags of Australian mail and two parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail ia expected to reach the local Post Office on Thursday afternoon. A malicious false alarm called the City Fire Brigade to the corner of Royal terrace and Heriot row at 10 p.m. on Saturday. Swooping down from rocky eyries behind Athens, huge eagles have waged a determined war against aeroplanes for many years. A few years ago one attacked a machine flying high in this area. The bird struck the propeller and was killed. The impact so damaged the aeroplane that a forced landing was necessary. Not long after another eagle assailed a machine. It dashed into one of the struts and broke it. On a trip from Paris to Madrid a pilot was followed by a very large eagle when the machine was over the, Pyrenees. The bird soared round as if looking for a vulnerable point. A movement of the pilot’s head made it swoop straight at him. Fortunately the pilot drew a Very’s light pictol and fired it at the bird. This disconcerted the eagle, which dived out of sight.

The postmaster at Alexandra forwarded the following notification to the Dunedin office on Saturday:—“There was a thunderstorm in the mountains last night. The river has risen two feet to-day. The weather is now clear.”

The failure of the Lake Coleridge power to North Otago on Friday night was remedied in the early hours of Saturday morning (states a Press Association-mes-sage from Oamaru). The trouble was definitely traced to the failure of the set insulators near St. Andrews, which resulted in the burning of the pole,- consequent upon a short circuit. The power was cut off for two hours yesterday to enable a new pole to be erected, and permanent repairs have now been completed. “Through the Eyes of the Camera Over the Seas ” gives readers of the Otago Witness, to be published to-morrow, glimpses of personalities and events abroad. The big mining enterprise at Okarito, which is largely supported by Dunedin investors, is the subject of a page, of illustrations and a descriptive article. Another educational jubilee, that of Fairlie School, is pictorially recorded, and the visits of the Tasman' flyer to Dunedin and of Lord Bledisloe to Otama are included. The Prime Minister’s homecoming and the race and trotting meetings are events from the Capital City. A field day at Ashburton will interest those engaged in primary production, as will some of the champions exhibited at the Waikouaiti Show. Two photographs taken at Waipori by Lord Bledisloe reveal another of the Governor-General’s marked accomplishments, and some pictorial memories of Central Otago will bring back recollections to pioneer settlers. A number of onepicture events and personalities complete an interesting issue. The Hotel Canberra, the largest and best-appointed hotel in the Federal Capital, which cost the Commonwealth Government more than £150,000 to build, is now without a single guest (says the Melbourne Age), For weeks the guests have numbered fewer than a dozen, and it is unlikely that there will be many more before the parliamentary session beings. The authorities believe that it is better to keep the hotel open than to disband the staff, which may be needed again at any moment. The maintenance of hotels and hostels in Canberra is probably the heaviest item of expense which the Government has to bear in its administration of the Federal Capital Territory. Although complete figures are not available, it is estimated that in fewer than five years, taking interest and depreciation charges into account, the loss on the five hotels, three of which are now closed, and five hostels has amounted to approximately £300,000. The original cost was more than £530,000.

Prediction that unless the depredations of ficer are promptly curbed the forest in the Waikaremoana district eventually; will be entirely destroyed was made by Mr F. E. Smith, well known as an authority on New Zealand flora and fauna; who has just made ah extended tour, of the locality mentioned. Mr Smith says that the work of destruction is already well advanced. Deer in quest of their daily food have for many miles, within the forest, cleared every leaf from scrub, sapling, and tree, to a height of 7ft from the ground, and in addition the regeneration of native flora is entirely prevented by the animals. No tiny seedlings are allowed to sprout more than two or three leaves before they are destroyed; thus in the course of time, since old trees must diq, and since deer are killing young • trees that would replace them, the forest must disappear. Excepting beech,; manuka, and occasionally rimu, none of the forest trees escape destruction; 111 som'e' places the deer are so numerous that the land beside the streams that run into the lake is cut to pieces. Fortunately, at the northern end of the lake the' work of destruction has not. yet begun, and the beautiful and popular walk to Waikare-iti is still unspoiled. Indeed, it seems to have gained in beauty in the last few years.

In common with many other libraries in New Zealand, the Wanganui Public Library reports a very satisfactory year (says the. Herald). “ From the end of last April,” said the librarian, Miss Blackett, “we have had record months, no fewer than 10,000 books on, an average being issued each month. For that period we have issued 120,000 books, 6000 more than for any previous year. Our finances, too, are better than they have ever been. The reading room, where the daily papers are on file, is always full of readers. A departure popular with the children is a comfortable :room apart , from .the library, just for them, and in :this department I ’ also the librarian reports , a .most satisfactory increase.” "< . ■ - , . V :-' •A -warning to hotelkeepers was given by the magistrate, Mr C. R. Orr Walker, at tlie Magistrate’s Court at Ashburton last week. He, referred to an entry in; an agent’s book which showed that £24 worth of ale had been delivered to one man within a week. Could anyone possibly believe that one man would consume that quantity? By supplying individuals with quantities of liquor, hotelkeepers rendered themselves liable to be made a party to sly-grog selling, as they must know that the liquor was being illegally disposed of. The magistrate stated that he mentioned the fact as a warning to hotelkeepers. Interviewed by a Press reporter in Christchurch, Professor Eight, of Canterbury . College, remarked that a most important move was the senate’s definite assumption of the authority given it in the Act to approve of the differentiation of the courses at different university colleges. This meant that the definition of a curriculum, in a particular subject need not necessarily be the same in each of the four colleges. It would allow greater freedom for each college. Arrangements for the coining Methodist Conference are well under way with the Conference Arrangements Committee (states the New Zealand Methodist Times). The conference will open on February 19 in Trinity , Church, Dunedin. Several of the fixtures have had to be changed and rearranged several times. Part of the difficulty is cahsed .by the altered space in Trinity. It will now accommodate 400 people. Some have thought that the opening session should have been fixed for the Concert Chamber of the new Town Hall. Others preferred the church, but there will be little space for Dunedin Methodists, to say nothing of the general public. In order to provide for the large congregation which always attends the ordination service, it will be held at Cargill Road Church on Monday, February 23. As a brass band is not available, it is proposed to hold a Procession of Witness instead of an open-air meeting. ' Attention is drawn to the Railways Department’s advertisement in this issue referring to the running of another excursion to Miller’s Flat and Roxburgh from Dunedin on Sunday. February 1. Specially cheap fares are available, and arrangements have been made for excursionists to visit the wonderful orchards, at Rox- ' J. V. Hanna draws attention, through another column, that bin school of physical culture resumes, and that the 1931 pr.ospectus is now available at the gymnasium. , ~ After nine weeks of Preparation, the new Austin Showrooms at 284-286 South Princes street have been completed and are now open for inspection. No expense or effort has been spared, with the result that, the new premises are easily the largest and most up-to-date of their kind in Dunedin. Upstairs there has been established a modern workshop exclusively for the purpose of. servicing-Aus-tins. You are cordially invited to call and inspect.—-Advt. tso nt W. V. Stumer, G.A.0.C.; D. 5.0.1. 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, comer pi Bond and Rattray greets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-350. Advt S. E. Ferguson, G.P.0.C.. consulting optician, watchmaker, and jeweller. Consult us about your eyes; our advice ana long experience are at your, disposal Optical repairs a speciality; done at shortest nntice.—4s George street.—Advt, Who is Peter Dick? The most reliable Jewellers, Watchmakers, and Opticians, 490 Moray place, Dunedin.—Adyt-