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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21431, 4 September 1931, Page 8

In the Dunedin district in August there was one bankruptcy, and in the Oamaru district there were three bankruptcies. For the eight months ended August, 1931, there were 30 bankruptcies in the Dunedin district, against 17 for the corresponding period last year.

The local secretary of the Association of Superannuated Public Servants has received advice from Wellington that the payment of the cost of living bonus has been extended to March 31, 1932.

After being in port for five days the American yacht Northern Light, which is on an extended cruise of the Pacific, left Auckland last Saturday night for Lyttelton. From Lyttelton the yacht will proceed to Dunedin and thence to England, via Australia and Eastern ports.

Good progress is being made with the clearing of the slip that came * down on the Central Otago railway line between Deep Stream and Flat Stream on Wednesday, and it is expected that the track will be open for traffic late this afternoon. To-day’s train for Cromwell will leave at 7.52 a.m. and will run as far as the slip, where passengers will ;be transferred to a special train which will take them on to meet the down train from Cromwell. This train will then run back to Cromwell, while the special will bring passengers for Dunedin to the block. Here they will join the morning train, which will then return to Dunedin. Advice was received yesterday from the district engineer of railways (Mr H. C. Lusty) that approximately 1500 subic yards of material had come down, but that if weather conditions remained favourable it would-be possible to resume the normal service to-morrow.

An interesting link with the early days of the Otago Boys’ High School has been received by the Otago Early Settlers’ Association in the shape of a bundle of papers which belonged to the late Mr Daniel Brent, who was one of the first masters at the school. Among the collection are two of the early school maga--zines, which, although they were, short lived, were very creditable publications. One of these, the Highflyer, dated October 11, 1883, was edited by a boy who signed himself “G. A. Skoin,” while the illustrations were done by Frank Haggitt, but this magazine evidently did not find favour with the authorities as it was suppressed, and the only issue was withdrawn. About 1889 there appeared the Buzzer, conducted by F. Baron, but it also flourished only for a very short time, as it was apparently in opposition to the present school magazine, the first number of which is dated July 1, 1885. The founders of the latter were Graham Turton and J. B. Thomson.

There was a clean sheet at the City Police Court yesterday.

An insight .into conditions in America at the present time is given by the following extract from a letter received by a Dunedin resident from a relative in the United States. “Trade seems to be on the gain here,” the writer says, “but there is no indication of the distress that is rife in the gaiety of dress and habit that the people generally seem to be indulging. The number of new cars careering about, and the general appearance of extravagance even among the rank and file, belies our situation, and is amazing in the extreme. Nowhere else in the world could one see anything like it, and I often try to imagine what the' average European would think of the daily parade of extravagance and show. The first question would certainly be, ‘When do these people work.’ Of course, there is a ridiculous side to the picture. Right opposite to where I am sitting is a recent bride, who is at this moment hanging put on the clothes line a few pieces of silk underwear, washed with an electric washing machine, while the laundry wagon has just taken away everything else. She is dressed in highly coloured silk brocade, with silk stockings to match, satin pumps with heels six inches high, and to give the final touch she has seven or eight rings on her fingers, a watch on her wrist, a permanent wave in her hair, and paint on her face and lips which would give a man painter’s, colic if he attempted to kiss her. There are a .lot of laughs to be had at our extravagances. It is really amusing to see negroes wearing diamond rings and pins with stones large enough to choke a cow and perhaps driving a garbage wagon or wielding a pick and shovel, and. all the time whining about poverty and the loss of the big pay they used to get. We are without doubt the moat extravagant nation in the world, and the young people have developed such an extraordinary pace in life that parents have to pay very dearly to maintain the . overhead: expense.^: The lengthy winter lull that settles on racing in Otago will be broken to-morrow, when the Otago Hunt Club’s annual race meeting will be held. In addition to the interesting racing that is always witnessed at this fixture, the social side of it attracts many who. are not regular patrons of race meetings, particularly so far as ladies are concerned. There are indications that the weather has taken a turn for the better, and the officials are confident that to-morrow’s meeting will be favoured with success.

The effect of'the rain during the past week is particularly noticeable on the Peninsula road between Portobello and Broad Bay, where there is a very muddy surface, due to a large extent to the fact that formation and maintenance work is being carried out in that locality. Considerable progress has been made with the construction of the sea-wall by the Public Works Department, and another amenity for Portobello consists of the footpath that is in the process of completion from the wharf to the township. When, as was decided at the meeting of the Peninsula County Council yesterday, the bank dividing the path and, the road is laid down in grass this avill add considerably to the appearance of the roadline.

Mr Peter Davidson, who on the advice of his doctor is retiring from the managership of the Christchurch branch of Messrs Ross and Glendining, has been connected with the drapery trade for over 60 years. He had 10 years’ experience of it in Great Britain before coming to Christchurch, He was connected first with the now defunct firm of Messrs Edwards, Bennetts, and Co., then he was with the firm of Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen for 23 J years, and finally he will have been with Messrs Ross and Glendining for 21 i years when he severs his connection with that firm towards the -end ,of next month. Mr Davidson always has taken a keen interest in the commercial and business life of Christchurch (says the Press) and for over 20 years he has been a member of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. He was president of the chamber in li)18-19, the diamond jubilee year of the chamber. At present he is an honorary member of the council of the chamber, and a member of the council’s Importers’ Sectional Committee. ‘

Mr S. Glanville, of the China Inland Mission in North China, in writing under date July 24 to a local friend, says: “You have asked me about bank rates of interest in China. The local banks allow only 1 per cent, interest on current accounts for sums over 500 dollars, and 4 per cent, on fixed deposits. Chinese banks allow 4 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, but one is never sure when these will close their doors. Owing to the present uncertain state of things in China, it is hardly wise to invest money in local schemes. On the other hand Sir Victor Sassoon says he considers Shanghai a safer place to invest money than India, and he proposes to invest more of his wealth in Shanghai. Life and property are a very uncertain thing in China to-day, and one can never forecast what will happen next. Foreigners get taken captive and in some cases ar'e ill-treated, yet their home Governments seem unable to do anything to relieve the situation. The whole country is in a state of revolt. A rival National Government has been set up iu Canton. Chiang Kai-shek is at death grips with Communists in Central China, while up in the north another war lord is endeavouring to break away from. Nanking. All this strife causes main lines of communications to be broken, since the military seize all the railways and rolling stock. Some time ago a disbandment loan was raised to pay off soldiers and reduce the size of armies; as a matter of fact, for some time past coolies and farmers have been pressed into the service of the contending armies. In spite of it all, the Lord’s work goes forward, so we must just press on and seek the salvation of the lost while the door" is still open.”

Owing to the fact that the unfavourable weather conditions of the past few weeks have delayed work on the new school at Macandrew Bay, it has been found necessary to postpone the official opening, which was to have taken place at 3 p.m. to-morrow, until the afternoon of Saturday, September 19.

The Brazilian Government has issued a notification (says a Press Association telegram) that it has decided that it will be represented in New Zealand in future by a Consul and will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the Consulgeneral in Sydney.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that amending regulations under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, 1915, and regulations for examinations for certificates under the Inspection of Machinery Act, 1928, were gazetted last night.

The institution of a" regular and adequate steamer service between South Island and Australian ports has long been advocated in this part of the Dominion, and it is now stated that there a likelihood that this much-needed service will be inaugurated in the not distant future. Proposals have been put forward having as their basis the formation of a company, with headquarters in Dunedin, and the placing in commission of two steamers of 8000 tons each, to run between Dunedin and Melbourne and Dunedin and Sydney, with Lyttelton, Bluff and Hobart as ports of call. Further proposals are to the effect that, should the flotation of the company be effected and the service successfully inaugurated, all provisioning for the vessels will be carried out in Dunedin, and maintenance and repair work will be dealt with at Port Chalmers. The vessels which . are considered to *be most suitable for the proposed service will, it is suggested, be chosen for their speed and modern equipment, whilst ample accommodation for both passengers and freight will be a feature of their appointments. Special consideration is to be given to refrigerating space in order that perishable goods might be transported between the two countries. The prospectus of the proposed company is now being prepared, and it is stated by the promoters that the promises of share capital already received give them every cause to feel confident in the ultimate success of the flotation.

The flag which was carried by Wingcommander Kingsford Smith and Flightlieutenant C. T. P. Ulm on their flights to and from New Zealand is to find * permanent resting place in the Auckland Town Hall. The flag was presented to Mr L. J. Schmitt, New Zealand Tourist and Trade Commissioner in Australia, at a meeting of the New Zealand'Woflaeh’s Association in Sydney on August'lo with the intention that Mr Schmitt should forward it to the Auckland City Council.

The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the New Zealand Council for Religious Education held in Christchurch on Wednesday evening, at which Bishop West-Watson presided;—“Concerned at their effect on the young people of New Zealand, we represent to the Government that whatever immediate financial advantage for certain causes may be obtained through so-called art unions, these are far outweighed when we take the long view that the ‘ trust to luck’ spirit engendered in a community is destructive of thrift and reacts seriously on economic and moral life. We respectfully urge that no further permits be granted.” The resolution will be forwarded to the Prime Minister (Mr G. W. Forbes). •

Some sound observations on the disciplinary value of competitions to children were made by Mr W. H. Dixon, judge of the vocal section at the Wellington -competitions, at the conclusion of one of the children’s classes. “It is a good- thing for .children ■to be disciplined to disappointment,” said ’Mir Dixon. “ Competitions, it seems to me, are valuable in helping parents to discipline children to what is sure to come in later life. In a hard, practical world there are bound to be rebuffs and disappointments, and it should be part of a child’* training to be able to meet them. It i* a fatal policy to encourage children to enter competitions for the mere sake of winning prizes. Competitions provide an outlet for the natural love of singing and acting, and that alone makes them worth while.”

Mr Alan Thom, an old boy of the Auckland Grammar School, sailed on Wednesday for France, where he will spend a year on the staff of a school in Vendome as teacher of English conversation. Mr Thom is a member of the staff of the Murchison District High School, and leave of absence has been granted him. It is Mr Thom’s purpose (says the New Zealand Herald) to continue his study of-the French language, particularly the old Anglo-French, in which he As specially interested. There is no regular system of exchange of teachers between France and English-speaking countries, but the French Department of Education welcomes teacher visitors whose services in teaching English are desired. The initial arrangements for Mr Thom’s visit were made through authorities in London,

Many people, said Mr H. Ninnis at the luncheon of the Wellington Rotary Club on Tuesday, questioned the usefulness of Antarctic exploration, but the present development of modern whaling was due to it. Through the work of expeditions a great deal of information had been gained that was most valuable to countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Mr Ninnis was a member of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last expedition.

In connection with the competition of the Matson Shipping Line in the service between America, New Zealand, and Australia, the Wellington branch of the Navy League recently wrote to o'ther branches of the league asking for their views on the matter. The Auckland branch, in its reply, said that Great Britain had relinquished her navigation laws, which were somewhat arbitrary, and by doing so had opened her ports to the shipping of all nations. It was hoped that eventually American navigation laws would be adjusted on the same lines as those of Great Britain. While we were ready to throw stones at America with regard to her subsidies and her prohibitive navigation laws, it was not to be forgotten that similar serious restrictions to shipping were imposed by Australia, and with regard to New Zealand the very high wages paid to New Zealand seamen under our Arbitration Court awards practically and, indeed, actually precluded other nations from carrying cargo from port to port on the New Zealand coast. Loosing at the matter politically, it had to be realised that the steamship service such as the Matson Line projected would bring, it was hoped, thousands of tourists from the United States to New Zealand, and they would perhaps help to open extra markets for our primary products, “In these circumstances,” concluded the letter, “we think it would be extremely unwise to foster any agitation in opposition to what, we hope, will be a competitive business ultimately to the national advantage.”