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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21363, 17 June 1931, Page 6

“ Unless there is something behind ail this —something we do not know—l cannot understand why there is all this talk about Russian butter,” said an Auckland butter merchant yesterday (reports a Press Association telegram). “Just look at the figures.” He quoted the statistical position, comparing the amount of Russian butter imported by Britain with a vastly greater total of imports. In 1930 Britain’s total imports were 294,720 tons, of which 65,496 were from New Zealand and 10,631 from Russia. He concluded that there might be more behind the question, but the statistical position was such that anyone interested in butter would not for a moment consider Russian butter as a possible factor in affecting New Zealand’s position on the Horae market.” There was a clean sheet at the City Police Court yesterday.

A municipal organ recital will be given in the Town Hall this 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 composei’s 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 songs. The programme will conclude with a performance of Elgar’s great march, “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Half a century of service without a single accident to its steamers involving loss of life is the proud record of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, which yesterday celebrated its fiftieth birthday. After all these years (says our special correspondent in Auckland) the company is still guided by the man who, in 1881, saw the necessity for an adequate service between the northern and southern shores and set himself out to give the public that service—namely, Mr E. W. Alison, M.L.C.

A correspondent points out that the flow from Lake Hawea has at no time been gauged by Professor Park, and that the statement made by Mr J. C. Parcell, at the public meeting on Saturday last at Cromwell to discuss the Hawea irrigation scheme, that Professor Park had given the flow from the Hawea River as 80,000 heads is absurdly erroneous. In November, 1907, the united flow from Lakes Wanaka and Hawea, as gauged by the professor and recorded by him in his Alexandra bulletin, amounted to 14,500 heads. Probably less than half, of that amount came from Lake Hawea.

At the meeting of the Dunedin Fire Board yesterday afternoon Mr F. T. Anderson mentioned, in connection with the superintendent’s report, that the owners of the shops under the seat of a fire which had broken out in Princess street during May were very pleased with the manner in which the brigade had prevented any serious damage to their stock by the use of salvage sheets. Several .other members commented on the excellent save which the brigade had effected, and it was generally agreed that great credit wae due to the superintendent (Mr J. J. Salmon) for his work in this connection. The superintendent later explained that these salvage sheets, which consisted of waterproof material, were always carried with the engines, and in an outbreak where the premises beneath the seat of a fire were likely to be damaged by water from above the sheets were spread out over damageable property before the water was played on the flames.

The open-air schools movement in Canterbury was highly praised by Sir Truby King in the course of an address at the annual meeting of the Christchurdh Plunket Society on Monday evening. In this provision for the care of the school child, he said, Canterbury had a special claim to distinction. It was a perfect joy to those who wanted the youth of the community to have strong, healthy bodies and minds to see the Fendalton and other open-air schools, said Sir Truby King. No one could fail to have some idea of the frightful waste of money in the past 10 years in putting up school buildings far more expensive than the simple open-air shacks. The pretentious buildings were anachronisms. There was a totally wrong idea of the durability of wooden buildings. What was wanted was simplicity in these things. For the next few years it was going to be a virtue to be economical, and it was not going to be a virtue to spend public moneys on expensive and elaborate buildings. People should not let their civic pride run to the erection unnecessarily of costly public buildings. The Wanganui Presbytery yesterday expressed disappointment at the failure of the General Assembly to give a definite lead in stipend reduction. The decision come to (says a Press Association telegram from Palmerston North) marked a generous attitude by a committee of laymen towards their ministers, but did not do adequate justice to the willingness of most ministers to stand shoulder to shoulder with their members in the matter of personal sacrifice. The presbytery decided to establish a central fund by means of which stronger congregations accepting the proffered " cut ” could assist financially weaker congregations which were only at present able to pay the minimum stipend or less.

From information received from country districts (says the Timaru Herald) small birds seem to be as numerous as ever. Owing to the dry nature of the soil the birds are getting at the young wheat and pulling up rows at a time. Where drilling is in progress, the birds flock to the paddock in hundreds. Some few years ago, when the system of using strychnine wheat for killing the birds was in vogue, a farmer, after having spread poisoned grain over the top of the wheat he had drilled, started to pick up birds that had eaten the poisoned grain and put them in the cover of his drill. On completing his work for the day he opened the drill to take out his catch, and the birds flew out. The system adopted at present is to use phosphorous on oats, and this makes a sure kill. The Farmers’ Union has started out on a campaign to lessen this pest, and hopes that all farmers will co-operate.

"One of the principal features of the past season was the trans-Tasman race,” said the commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Mr N. L. Macky, at the annual prize-giving ceremony at Auckland (reports the New Zealand Herald). “ The squadron took a certain stand in respect of the Rangi. Whether it was right or wrong is open to anyone to judge. To Mr Erling Tambs we offer our congratulations on winning the race, and to Lieutenant-commander W. C. Juler and the crew who sailed with him we offer our congratulations on a successful venture, which was against the opinions of the officials of the club. He sailed across the Tasman and back successfully and meritoriously.” “The race was a very large venture, and to a certain extent I am inclined to agree with the view of the commodore,” said Rearadmiral Geoffrey Blake. “ You need for a race like that a particular type of boat which is not quite suitable for cruising or racing in home waters. I think such a race needs a craft which possesses some qualifications which are not ordinarily found in the usual cruising classes.”

The depression has hit the cabbage and carrot trade in Taihape, and the local Celestials are right after business (states a correspondent of the Auckland Star). In light delivery vans they trundle garden produce around the countryside. A local service car driver witnessed, on Thursday morning last, a parallel to the tea clippers homeward bound or “how we carried the good news from Ghent to Aix.” It was on the five-mile straight to Utiku, when the vans of two rival firms were observed proceeding “ flat out.” With Oriental simplicity the machine in advance kept to the middle of the road, with the pursuing auto agitatedly klaxoning in the rear. A wide portion of the road came along, metal strip in centre, clay on side, and frenziedly tooting, No. 2 pulled out to pass. A fall in vegetables followed as a natural sequence, as with frantically churning wheels the van slithered to rest in the drain. When the smoke cleared, a much wiser Chinaman was discovered stolidly at rest in a foot of mud, and garnished with vegetables. No, I got the business—he didn’t even stop.