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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21361, 15 June 1931, Page 6

The postal authorities advise that the Marama, which left Sydney-on Friday, has seven bags ofmailand two parcel receptacles for Dunedin, and the Kaikorai, which left Newcastle for Lyttelton on Saturday, i has one bag. The Marama’s mail is due in Dunedin on, Thursday afternoon, and that by the Kaikorai on Friday. ,* At Palmerston on Saturday afternoon a deputation of settlers from the surrounding district approached the Minister lof Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) to request that he should make representations to the Government to allow a brief open season for the shootidg of pukeko. Mr J. Gordon, who introduced the deputation, said that the position'with regard to pukekos in the outlying districts was becoming serious, and during the time when the Swamps were frozen these birds, unable to find their natural food, resorted to the stacks of the farmers. They did a great amount of damage, and he thought that if a briei* open season were allowed they would become wilder and keep further away from civilisation. Mr S. C. Greer supported Mr Gordon’s remarks and pointed out that, even when there was, an open season for, pukeko, they increased out of all proportion to the number that was shot. If 1 an open season of only a week were allowed he thought it would meet the position. The- Minister pointed out that any farmer who wished to shoot pukeko on his own land could get permission from the Department of Internal Affairs to do so, but aa soon as "he reached Wellington he would bring the deputation’s request for an open season before the, proper authorities. •; ‘ Acting on information received at the beginning of last week the Collector of Customs in Invercargill ; (Mr H. S. Cordery) and a party of police made a raid in a certain bush-clad district on Wednesday and seized a quantity of equipment and materials allegedly associated with the illicit distilling of spirits. Officials are reticent on the question (says the Southland Times), but it is understood that the incident will probably have a sequel" in. the Police Court rat a future; date. ' , - ‘

The Palmerston North Chamber of Com* merce has decided to seek : a reduction of medical charges. The secretary of the Combined Public Services at Palmerston North brought under the notice of the chamber . that many workers and earners, had suffered reductions, and found it difficult, to afford medical attention, and as a’ result some families had avoided getting medical aid when it .was really necessary.: It was suggested that the IQs consultation fee could perhaps be reduced to ss, the charges in England being as low as 2s 6d and ss. For the reason that the medical profession had high Ideals it was believed that any action might lead to success, the services being prepared to co-operate. It was regarded as unfortunte that some medical men had placed accounts in the hands of. debt collectors and that pressure was being brought to bear on the needy.

. With two New Zealand teams playing national gamesT-qne 'in England playing cricket and one returning from Australia after playing football —the page devoted to their activities in the illustrated section of the Otago Witness, to be published tomorrow, is of special interest. The front page shows two attractive views—one of Lake Mahinerangi, the storage dam at Waipori h|dro-electric works, and one on the Te Anau-Milford road now being constructed. 'The half and quarter page: themes are of a varied nature. There are "Jubilee of the Cathedral Grammar School, Christchurch,” “ Auckland Racing Club’s Great Northern Steeplechase Meeting,” "Laying the Ne Fifteen-inch Main from Sullivan Dam to Roslyn,” " Civic and Recreational Progress in Wellington,” "Something New;/ in Piledriving,” “Purebred Products of Otago: Border- Leicester Ewes,” “ Christchurch Pigeon, Canary, and Cat Club’s Sixty-fourth Annual Show,” and “ Scout Rally at Invercargill Show Grounds.” One-picture subjects complete the table of contents and include “ The World’s Tallest Skyscraper,” “ South Canterbury Harriers of Twenty-five Years Ago,” and “ Two Old Identities of the Wakamarina District, Marlborough.” At a meeting of the Rural ’lntermediate Credits Board it was reported (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) that the period which had elapsed since the last meeting had been a busy one as it had been necessary to bring into operation the special conditions under which loans are being made available to farmers for the purchase of fertilisers. A large number of inquiries had been received and arrangements had been made with several companies for the acceptance of their guarantees to enable- them to assist their clients or suppliers to obtain loans from the board.

In accordance with«the Scottish custom by which the. Mayor Provost of a’ city, invites his council to attend divine service in his own parish church at an early date after his election, the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) and councillors attended the Roslyn Presbyterian Church last evening. There was a good attendance of members of the council, and the service, which was conducted t»y the Rev. E. J, Tipler, was appropriate to the occasion.

Some interesting hints, but no specific details, about the future of -broadcasting in New Zealand were given by the Post-master-general (Mr J. B. Donald), when he officially opened the Radio .Exhibition in the Wellington Town Hall last week. As broadcasting came under his province, he said, possibly the public would expect him to say something of its future. Cabinet had been considering the matter, but as it had not yet given its O.K. to the proposals, he could not as yet go into details. “ What we have in view,” said the Minister, “will, I hope, make for the greater pleasure of people in New Zealand. Listeners will be given a say in the matter, as it should be, and, with combination between them and the dealers and the Government, there should be more satisfaction in the future than there is to-day. We have no reason to find fault with the present Broadcasting Company; it has done very well indeed. But it started under strange circumstances, and perfection could not be expected in 12 months. But listeners are demanding raore than they are getting to-day, and, as they pay the piper, they are entitled to get more. I hope that what we are arranging will satisfy them. I .do not know what part the Broadcasting Company will play in the new arrangements, but we will be pleased if it is able to take part."

A municipal organ recital will be given in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening, when the city organist (Dr Galway) will present' an entirely British programme of organ music. Pride of place will be given to-Elgar’s great organ; sonata, and representative works by 'Purcell, Wesley, and modern composers will also be given. The supporting artist will be Miss Dorothy Sligo, who will present a solo from one of Purcell’s operas and a group of modern jongs, -

The Combined Public Services in, Palmerston' North ‘recently made 's move ilk the direction of securing a redaction in medical charges, suggesting that the 10s consultation fee could be reduced to ss. When this proposal was brought, under the notice of a leading member of the .medical profession in Wellington he made the following statement;—“Medical fees in New Zealand, where the cost of living is relatively high, are lower for similar services than they are in Great Britain or the United States. (It is quite true that in Great Britain-there. are 2s 6d and 5s dispensaries, and it would be a\pity if such were introduced in New Zealand, because the service given 'is necessarily perfunctory and, in some cases, ’ almost farcical. With the expensive public hospital system in ..New Zealand, with large outpatient departments, it is absurd to suggest that anyone, through poverty, cannot get medical attention. Every medical practitioner, if unreasonable case is stated to him, is willing to meet people in regard to remuneration. Medical fees have never risen in anything like the-same proportion as has been granted by the Arbitration Court in New Zealand, and in the public service, and in other occupations.'”

According to a letter received by a hairdresser in a country district, in response to an advertisement for an assistant, one of the chief qualifications of a , barber is good looks. The letter reads;— “I. am writing this on behalf ■of my brother, .who had. a few months’ experience in the trade in Greece. He has been in. . this country only a few months, and can’t talk much English. He is 20 years of age, smart and good looking—just the cut for * barbed. He can cut hair and shave, but is not an expert, but ban got the talent for the trade.. He will work for his keep , till ,he..becomes «an expert; and then you can pay according to-his experience.”

Mutton-birders who returned recently to the mainland, from the islands off the southern coast brought, back the interesting news that the ipysteribus hjsika.wai was frequently beard this season ..(reports the Bluff correspondent -. .of the Southland Times)’. As usual the bird, was not sighted, though several people, watched for it. Hakawais seemed particularly plentiful on Solomon’s, Big South Cape, and v' Poutama Islands, a group.covering'a scope of several miles; and on these places the weird , sound was generally heard early on moonlight nights. The noise begins a booming at a great height, and this in- , creases in volume as the aescent is made till the air vibrates with it. At the end , the sound changes to a noise such, as is made the chain on a small craft when the ; anchbr is let go; - , Strong objections,to the cigarette coupon 1 system were raised at a meeting of the council of ‘ the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last week. It had been suggested by the Associated Chambers, of Commerce that; the local ’ chamber might approach local members of Parliament, ... but it was decided to take steps to • find outi immediately the pdlicy of the Government, Mr M. M. Heinemann said that in view of the decision vreaphed ajt the last meeting he was surprised that nothing .had been done. He quoted a letter from one tobacco company stating that owing to the dropping of the proposed legislation it was continuing its coupon system indefinitely and enlarging-thegrange of prizes. The company’s proposals Were not only ex-' tremely detrimental, to the watchmakers and jewellers, but also seriously affected leather goods traders and others. Members’ of‘ the Watchmakers and. Jewellers’ ABSociatiph had agreed that their'sales of , watches had dwindled by 50 per .cent, since the coupon system had commenced. The matter was so serious that many of the small shopkeepers might be forced out of business. ' They 'should learn'- immediately the Government's policy, and he moved that the matter be taken up with the Prime Minister , and the Minister of * Industries and" Commerce without. delay, Mr Myers considered that the mattog' should be referred, to the Associated Chambers of Commerce, asking it to range a deputation to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Industries and Com- ; merce. After some discussion a motion on these lines was moved by Mr Heinemann and carried. - .

Reconsideration j.s being given by the New Zealand Council of Fire Underwriters’ Associations in Wellington to the question of earthquake insurance premiums, and a new scale will probably be announced at an early'i date. The rate* now in force were adopted shortly after the Hawke’s Bay earthquake as a temporary measure, and sufficient time ha* now elapsed to allow a revision to be made. Insurance companies fake the view that the Hawke’s Bay disaster disclosed a grave danger of the repetition of such aa occurrence in other parts of the Dominion, and nobody can say whether the new scale us a payable one or not. They contend that the premiums charged in ; the past and since the earthquake have not been inequitable. Neither the Government nor the companies can , arbitrarily l decide whether or not the rates are reasonable, and it is acknowledged that the whole matter "is still in the melting pot.

During the past few months arrangements have been in hand for an extension of the train control system from Oamaru to Dunedin. At present train control on the Main South Trunk line exists between Christchurch and Oamaru, but from to-day the system- will be officially, extended to Dunedin with the Oamaru-Dunedin section under the charge of an officer at Dunedin, while the Christchurch-Oamaru section will continue as hitherto. Testing of the new section has been carried out during the past few weeks and has proved satisfactory. Ultimately train control will be carried on to Invercargill. The system is stated to have been responsible for eliminating delays which were unavoidable prior to train control, when the crossing of trains was in the hands of station masters. Every train between Christchurch and Dunedin will be charted and a speedier service, particularly with freight traffic, should result.

The suggestion was made by Mr S. B. Macdonald, a member of the Otago Ex-/ pansion League, at a public meeting in Cromwell on Saturday night, that numbers of the unemployed could be given work in planting large areas in , Central Otago in trees. He stated that the tailings left by the gold dredges along the banks of the Molyneux River extending/ from Cromwell to Roxburgh could be afforested and that other’ extensive areas of unproductive land could also be planted. It is understood that the matter has already been considered by the Government, which has offered to supply boroughs with trees free of cost.

In view of the benefit that would follow greater gold production in Otago at the present time, residents of the Cromwell district are showing increased interest in the possibilities of mining. ' Experienced miners are still obtaining gold in small quantities from the Kawarau River while the. level is low, and the opinion is freely expressed that considerable quantities of gold have, yet to be recovered from the river if suitable means of obtaining it could be Revised. A suggestion that i* gaining wide support in the district i« that a second dam should be constructed below the Shotover and Arrow Rivers in order to hold back the water from them and expose ledges which have not so far been reached.lt is claimed that this could be done at a cost which would enable gold to be profitably obtained.