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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21430, 3 September 1931, Page 8

The postal authortiies advise that the motor ship Melbourne Maru, which is due at Wellington on f Saturday from Melbourne, ‘is bringing 12 bags of Australian mail and four parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail should reach the local Post Office on Monday morning.

The estate of Mr Hyam Edward Hart, formerly of Dunedin, but latterly of Darling Point, Sydney, who died on May 6 last, has been sworn at £160,000.

At a brief sitting of the City Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Donald MTnnes, a statutory first offender for drunkenness, was fined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment.

The secretary of the Otago Motor Club (Mr W. F. Sutton) advises that a subsidence has taken place in the Main South road on the southern side of Saddle Hill, and motorists are warned to drive carefully when negotiating the spot. Owing to the unfavourable weather having delayed the finishing work at the new school at Macandrew Bay, which was to have been officially opened at 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, it has been found necessary to postpone the opening function until the following Saturday afternoon.

The City Fire Brigade received a call at 10.57 a.m. yesterday to a one-storey brick building in Rattray street owned by Messrs Spencer and Dunkley, and used as a motor car depot by Ford Motors, Ltd. A Studebaker car had _ backfired and the wiring had ignited, with the result that the vacuum tank was also damaged.

The estate of the late Samuel Rawnsley, of Remuera, a kauri gum merchant, has been valued for probate purposes at under £30,000. Mr Rawnsley, who died on July 22 in his eightieth year, was (says a Press Association telegram from Auckland) one of the oldest and best known figures in the kauri gum industry. Under the will the Jubilee Institute for the Blind is to benefit by a legacy of £IOO. '

The popularity of community singing was clearly demonstrated at yesterdays gathering in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, the hall being almost filled. The singing was ably led by Mr W. RSinclair, who, by the introduction of novel items, kept the singers, in the best of humours. The accompanist was Miss Rita Holmes. Messages were received from listeners-in at Moa Flat and Kurow expressing appreciation of the previous week’s singing, and special numbers were sung in response to a request by telephone from Port Chalmers.

Amending provisions to the Rural Intermediate Credit Act, 1927, were introduced into the House of Representatives by the Prime Minister (Mr G. W. Forbes) last evening. This Bill empowers the Rural Intermediate Credit Board within the limits of the Act to make advaneee to co-operative societies and to carry on the business of discounting promissory notes and bills of exchange. Any company may, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in its memorandum or articles of association, make, draw, accept, or endorse any promissory note or bill of exchange to be discounted by the board. Trustees are empowered to obtain loans from the Intermediate Credit Board. A. large, slip which came down between Deep Stream and Flat Stream early yesterday morning completely blocked the railway line to Central Otago. Neither the train from Cromwell nor the up train was able to pass the block, but the Railways Department made arrangements for all passengers and luggage to be disembarked at the slip and taken on to their destinations. The train for Cromwell will not leave until 1.15 p.m. to-day, and will proceed only as far 'as the slip where passengers will detrain and join the down train, which will return to Cromwell, whilst those from stations on the other side of the block will be brought on to Dunedin by the morning train. It is expected that the line will be clear for traffic by this evening.

The Otago Labour Representation Committee has been informed by the Otago Hospital Board that its letter with reference to a charge of 5s levied upon the nurses in the Dunedin Hospital forelocks for their bedroom doors was “ received ’ at the last meeting of the board; The Labour Representation Committee has again written to the Hospital Board stating that it considers the reply as indicating that the board is treating the matter of this charge as of no consequence, and reminding the board that as it is a public body, handling public funds, the public has a right to some explanation of the reason of its action. The committee, as representative of a large section of the public, considers that a reasonable explanation should be forthcoming. The state of low-lying land in the country districts bears convincing testimony to the large amount of rain that has fallen during the past, few days, and streams that last week were in their normal condition are now swollen far above their customary size. As usual the principal sufferer is the Taieri Plain, where the severity of the elements _is most noticeable, and along the railway line for several miles water may be seen lying to a considerable depth. A marked rise in the Taieri River occurred, yesterday, and at East Taieri a great amount of low-lying land is flooded. The Tokomairiro Stream was also flowing level with its banks, although the volume of water brought down was not sufficient to cause any damage, and even the Clutha was well above its normal height, indicating that a considerable amount of ram had fallen in the back country.

A protest against the slaughter of magpies in Eyre County, Canterbury, has been made by Mr C. D. Blackmore, of Horrelville. He writes: “The council has for three seasons delivered to farmers a deadly form of poisoned grain for the destruction of small birds, with the result that the birds’ natural enemies are fast disappearing. At one time in this locality it was a common sight to see 20 or 30 magpies about the paddocks, also wild cats about the river bed and fences. Both are fast being _ killed off through devouring poisoned birds. The magpie frequents plantations, destroying nests and devouring the young, roaming the fields destroying young larks, mice, etc. At one time in this district, by means of traps, we so diminished the small birds that we had a plague of caterpillars, and were pleased to see the sparrows increase. Why not save the ratepayers’ money, allow magpies, cats, etc., to keep the small birds in check, and the small birds to keep down insect pests? ” Criticising the encroachment on practical working conditions by the Railways Department’s efforts to reduce expenditure, the New Zealand Railways Tradesman’s Association’s journal refers to the dismissals of the month, including notices served on some apprentices, and points out that the clerical side is comparatively immune. “ The clerical and ‘ overhead ’ sections lead a charmed life through it all. Yet a great measure of the_ workshops disability at the present time is the weight of ‘overhead’ with which each productive unit it loaded. There is no question but that, in the reorganisation of the workshops, an ‘overhead’ department has been built up which goes far beyond the demands of economic usefulness. It has grown so big, and its methods are so intricate, that it has converted practical foremen into glorified clerks, and in lots of cases doubled the cost of getting the most trumpery jobs done. To run the production schedule now in operation takes more than twice as many clerks as were required before it was adopted.” A motion for a writ of habeas corpus for the production of her 14-year-old daughter, now in the custody of the father, was dismissed by Mr Justice Herdman at the Supreme Court in Auckland on Monday morning. The applicant was Charlottle Pollock and the respondent James Archibald Pollock. The parties were divorced, and when the decree was made absolute the custody of the daughter was given to the mother, but the girl subsequently left the mother and went to her father. On Monday morning his Honor interviewed the child in his room, and when dismissing the application he said that after speaking to the girl he was satisfied it was best to leave her with her father. “What she told me,” said his Honor, “ confirms what is stated in the affidavits. There can be no possible doubt what is best for the child. If the child is not properly treated by the father another application can be made.”

Cr‘ Hayward, chairman of the General Committee, presented a lengthy list of new by-laws governing the issue of licenses for the erection of hoardings, the question of street noises, traffic control in certain streets, permit to use liquor at dances, etc., to the meeting of the City Council last night. The town clerk (Mr Lewin) said that the by-laws were being formally presented to the council. Their purport would have to be advertised in the Dunedin papers, and they would then come before the council for confirmation One of the clauses relating to the consumption of intoxicating liquor in public halls reads a s follows: —“No person shall bring any intoxicating liquor into any building licensed as a public hall during any function of which dancing forms a part, nor shall he have an intoxicating .liquor in his possession in any such building during any such function. Provided, however, that it shall be competent for the council, under the hand of the town clerk, to grant permission for the use of intoxicating liquor at any such function on condition that the distribution of such liquor is strictly under the personal control of the licensee as hereinbefore defined.”

Writing to friends in Timaru, Dr W. It. Fea, who is at present visiting the Old Country, stated that motoring problem* in England had interested him a great deal. The average speed of cars in the towns right through the United Kingdom was considerably in excess of the speed in New Zealand. Traffic seemed well controlled, and automatic signals did & lot to adjust it. Automatic controls in England were worked only at certain times, and were fool-proof. Motorists entering from side streets were extremely careful, much more than they were in New Zealand. 'Fines for speeding were ■ not common, but for dangerous driving they were. The police had been trained to differentiate, and of course there was a difference. There was far less sounding of motor horns than in New Zealand, this being the outcome of necessity, as if all the cars in London were to toot as motorists did in New Zealand the people of London would soon become a band of insensitive ear-drums. Of course there were many accidents, but these were inevitable when one considered the volume of the traffic.

Many wives labour under the misapprehension that, because they buy furniture and other goods with money handed to them by their husbands, that such furniture and goods are their property. Last week a Sydney magistrate held that » wife’s purchase of furniture and other goods with her husband’s money did not constitute her the owner. Recently, m England, Mr Justice M'Cardie, the wellknown bachelor judge, in an action in which a wife alleged that valuable clothes and jewellery were her property, because she had bought them with her husband’s money, disillusioned her by recording a verdict for the husband. All that a wif© is entitled to under the law (says the Sydney Sun) are bare necessaries, such as food and clothing, and anything incidental to *the ordinary decencies of life. However, there is a distinction in the case where a husband gives a wife certain money for her own exclusive use. Should a wife then purchase furniture, furs, furbelows, and glistening gems out of such moneys, the husband has no legal right to them inasmuch as she has ceased to' be his agent, but in all circumstances where a wife merely buys out of the household fund, she does so as the agent of her, husband Where husband and wife are living apart, and a wife purchases goods in his name, the husband has the right at law to stop such purchases by public advertisement.

The view that when he stood before the electors again at the next general election he would no doubt be found doing so as one who sought return to Parliament free from party ties was expressed by Mr W.’ W. Massey, M.P. for Hauraki. in replying to the toast “ Members of Parliament” at the annual dinner of the Pokeno Chamber of Commerce last Week. Mr Massey said his acquaintance with the House of Representatives since His recent election had brought home to him how much time was occupied in tedious repetition ,in the debates—?-and this, too, at a time when the country had difficult problems to face. He felt that too many members went to Parliament tied too closely to a section or a party, or bound by pledges made on the public platform to do all they could to put through this or that Bill. Oft-times, while a measure which came before Parliament might benefit perhaps even nearly all the people, on examination it was found that it would also inflict great hardship on a few. A member who : had’ given .a ; pledpre on the public platform to support such a measure would, no doubt, have no intention of inflicting hardship on anyone, but would find himself committed to such a course as the outcome of his pledge. Mr Massey said his own view was that a member could best promote the welfare of all if he were free to take whatever line of action appeared to him best to meet each case as it arose.

There was very little change in the prices obtained for most classes of fat etock at the Burnside sales yesterday, and the market, in consequence, showed no improvement. The first sales of fat cattle were easier to the extent of 15s per head, but the closing rates were about on a par with those realised at the previous sale. Prices for wethers were unchanged, but ewes were about Is cheaper. There was little life in the store cattle section, but there was a keen demand for pigs at last week’s firm rates. The fat cattle entry numbered 182 head. The yarding included a number of pens of extra choice and prime heavy bullocks, and a few pens of prime heifers and cows. Extra choice bullocks sold to £lB, prime to £l6, medium to £l3 ss, light to £9.155; heavy heifers to £9 10s, medium to £B, light to £7; prime cows to £9 10s, medium to £7 10s, and light to £6. About 2000 sheep were offered. The yarding was of medium to fair quality, and included a large proportion of close-wool wethers, a moderate supply of heavy open-wool wethers, and about 500 fair to good hoggets. Extra heavy wethers sold to 27s 6d, heavy to 20s 6d, medium to 17s 3d, light to 13s; heavy ewes to 16s 6d, medium to 13s 6d, and light to 10s. Hoggets sold to 16s. About two pens of two and a-half-year-old steers were included' in the store cattle entry, which numbered 70 head. Medium steers sold to £3 6s, but prices for cows were unchanged. The pig entry consisted of 94 fats and 36 stores. The market was very buoyant for all classes, and a quick sale resulted. Porkers sold at prices equivalent to Bd, and baconers about 7d per lb.

Attention is drawn to the Railways Department’s advertisement appearing in this issue advising that the usual 7.52 a*™* train for Cromwell will not be despatched from Dunedin until 1.15 p.m. At the masquerade carnival dance arranged by the Palais Royale in the Pioneer Hall for to-night carnival novelties of various descriptions, including masks, will be distributed among patrons. Ask the motor owner—Travelling? And he will answer —No —just going anywhere.” He has the last word in economical transport, an Austin Motors (Otago), Ltd,, 284-286 Princes street; phone 13-215. —Advt. Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V, Sturmer (optician, 2 Octagon), thus conserving good vision for old age.— Ad A. t E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley. dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359. Advt, Poudre Houbigant Face Powder, new size, 1 8 6d. Liquid Nail Polish, Is. New Cheramy Perfume —Ciel Bleu, Offrande, Joli Soir, Cappi and Fausta, Is 6d • bottle.—H. L. Sprosen, Ltd., Chemists and Photographic Dealers, Corner Octagon and George street, Dunedin.—Advt. Get on our mailing list tor fishing tackle catalogue; ready soon—Barth Electrical Supplies, Ltd., 56 Pnncef street, Dunedin. —Advt. To see well see us.—Peter Dick, jewek lers, watchmakers, and opticians, 40f Moray place, Dunedin. —Advt.