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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21530, 30 December 1931, Page 6

New Year’s Day The Otago Daily Times will not be published on New Year’s Day. Girl Citizens The Y.W.C.A. Federated Clubs and Girl Citizens’ Conference was opened in Masterton yesterday, over 90 girls from all parts of New Zealand being present. It is the first conference (says a Press Association telegram) that the Federated Clubs and Girl Citizens have held together. Exodus from Commonwealth A steady exodus from the Commonwealth is revealed by the quarterly esti-' mates of population prepared by the Acting Commonwealth Statistician (Professor Giblin). During the year ended September 30, 1931, 10,444 more people left Australia than entered it. The excess of departures over arrivals in New South Wales alone was 8385. Other States losing population by emigration were:— Western Australia, 3648; Victoria, 2818; and South Australia, 1059. Queensland alone gained substantially, the excess of arrivals over departures being 5500. Tasmania showed a gain of 967.

Municipal Organ RecitalThe city organist (Dr V. E. Galway) has arranged a special programme for tne recital which is to be given in the Town Hall this evening, and a large attendance of visitors, as well as of regular patrons, is anticipated. The programme will contain no music that is being performed for the first time, but will be compiled from those numbers which have found most favour with the public during the past year. Items demostrating the full range of power of the organ will be Handel’s “ Cuckoo and Nightingale ” Concerto, Boellmann’s “ Suite. Gothique,” Sibelius’* “ Finlandia,” Wagner’s " Hide of the Valkyrie,” and Rossini’s overture to “William Tell.” A contrast. to these more thrilling items will be provided by some choral preludes by Bach, Schubert’* “ Cradle Song,” Rubinstein’s “ Reve Angelique,” and a Morris Dance by Wood. Objects of Education The Lieutenant-Governor (Sir William Irvine), in opening in Melbourne recently the sixth annual conference of the Victorian Teachers’ Union, said there were many who to-day wondered if they had. not become too far removed from the old curricula. What were the objects of education? There were three, main objects, and he would mention them in order of merit. Those objects were, first, the formation of character; secondly, intellectual development; thirdly, the imparting of more knowledge. Perhaps they were turning too much to the Greek, rather than the Roman tradition. The Roman stood for character, the Greek for sensibility. The Roman governed himself, the Greek did not. His Excellency pleaded for a greater concentration bn the Roman system.— (Applause.) He reminded his audience that those who thought that “science was the only thing,” that the great scientists had been trained on the old system. The educational system should strive to turn out strong-minded, simple, - clear-headed men and women, and not “ little ” scientists, economists, art critics, or literary critics. Novel Find on Beach While walking on the back- beach at Ocean Beach on Sunday afternoon, Mr Charles Rose, a resident of Bluff, noticed a ball-like object at the water’s edge. Examination revealed that it was a glass globe of the kind used for* floating submarine nets in the English Channel during the war, the globe, which is ,a little over 18 inches in circumference, was completely encrusted with barnacles and small sea growth (says the Bluff correspondent of the. Southland Times), and the matrix thus formed doubtless accounted for its preservation, as numerous minute marks bear witness .of contact with rocks or other hard substances. On the coating being removed, tire glass was found to be of a dark green colour —this shade being the one selected by the defence authorities as difficult to detect in the sea. Although Ocean Beach is a far cry from the English Channel, no water had seeped through the globe in its remarkable journey. Bridegroom’s Dash ,! A bridegroom whose bride-to-he was under age had an exciting time in making a dash from Christchurch last week to a mining district on the West Coast to obtain the signature of the bride’s father to a consent order. The ceremony was arranged for Thursday, and on the Tuesday afternoon he decided that the only course was to make the journey. He obtained the assistance of a dirt-track rider to catch the only available train at a distant station; and, after travelling by motor cycle, train, and taxi, found the father in a West Coast mine. No time was lost in getting the signature, but, in the meanwhile, the bus that would connect with the train for Christchurch had left. The bridegroom covered- the 15 miles bn foot, caught the train, and arrived in Christchurch on Thursday morning. Recognition of World Flights It was stated in Melbourne before the Federal elections that if the United Australia Party secured the reins of government Air-commodore Kingsford Smith would be recommended for a knighthood in recognition of the great world flights he has made. It. is asserted that Mr Lyons and others who will form the new Cabinet are anxious that the airman’s services should be recognised in this way. Mr Lyons said prior to the poll that the recommendation of titles was a confidential matter between the Prime Minister and the King, and that he could make no comment. Several times a title has been suggested for Kingsford Smith, but the Labour Government does not recommend titles. Cost of Education The Melbourne Argus, referring to the report of the Independent Commission set up, by the Hogan Government in Victoria to investigate the cost of education in that State and in what directions expenditure could be cut down without impairing efficiency, states that “while approval cannot be given to all the recommendations of the. Board of Inquiry into the State system of education, its reports contain much that is valuable. To require a higher standard of qualification for admittance to a high school is a very desirable measure. Many children who are not fitted to make the best of higher education, and who do not put to use in after life the instruction they receive in high schools, are now a considerable expense to the community. The raising of fees to make them more commensurate with the cost of the education given would be a sound reform. Many parents who, with a little self-denial, could pay for their children’s education, are now content to be pensioners upon the taxpayers’ bounty. Agreement cannot, be expressed ■with the proposal that State secondary schools should be financed by municipal rating. The effect would be special taxation of many people who receive no direct value from the State educational system. Greater control over technical schools, such as is proposed, would probably eliminate some of the present wasteful overlapping. The reference in the report to a possible saving of £250,000 a year e"mphasises that which critics of the present extravagant system have long been saying.” In the Southern Alps On December 19, Dr M'Dowall, accompanied by Guide Brustad, made an ascent of Mount Chadleigh (9038 feet), in the Mount Cook region. This ascent, which was made on the western side, was done in 13 hours. Excellent weather prevailed throughout, with good snow conditions. On December 25 Dr M'Dowall, accompanied by Guides Brustad and Lyn Murray, climbed Mount Johnson (8850 feet) in 13 Lours. This also was done from the western side. Soft snow on the rocks near the summitmade the going towards the end somewhat heavy. A feature of both climbs was the wonderful panoramas viewed from the tops. On December 19 Messrs Mahan and L. V. Bryant ascended Malte Brun, On December 22 they ascended Elie cle Beaumont. In each case conditions were excellent. It was noticed that the latter peak, Elie de Beaumont, is likely to be cut off later in the season. Wool-tar Road Mixture The possibility of using wool as a road surfacing material was suggested to the Marlborough Sheepowners’ Union by Mr W. G. Rudd, who related that at Benopai some years ago, through an accident, • mass of wool became impregnated with ■ tar. The whole mass was flung out on to a roadway, where it speedily incorporated itself with the road surface. It had, been subjected to years of heavy traffic, but was quite unaffected. Mr Rudd said the accident had suggested to him that a good use might be found for the rougher qualities of wool. Members of the union appreciated the possibilities of the proposal, and it was decided to ask the Marlborough County Council to lay down an experimental strip of the wool-tar mixture, members of the union providing the rough wool for the purpose-

City Police Court In the City Police Court yesterday morning Hoyden Victor Curling was charged before Mr A. B. Sullivan, J.P., and Mr T. D. B. Paterson, J.P., with the theft of two cases of benzine. Inspector Cummings stated that the accused was aged 29 years, and was a single man engaged oh relief work. While on his way from Christchurch he saw two cases of benzine inside a farmer’s gate near Hampden. Ten of-the. 16 gallons he put in the petrol-tank of his car, and the remaining six he placed in the back of the car. The accused had a bad criminal record. A sentence of three months’ imprisonment was imposed.—A first offender was fined 20s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment, on a charge of drunkenness. The Timber Industry “ White pine orders are firmer, but the prices are no better,” said a timber merchant, when asked by a Greymouth Star representative for information regarding the position of the timber industry on the West Coast. He stated that the price per 100 feet to-day was 2s 6d less than in 1929. “If the rimu could be used in Australia, and a good market established there, it would absorb 1000 timber workers,” he said. “ The greatest difficulty has been the competition with foreign timbers which are being imported by Australia. That has killed our trade. There is a little rimu going across all the time, for we are putting a little into every ship, and the market is gradually hardening. We are hoping to get these rimu orders increased. That can only be brought about by careful management in the direction of supplying the quality of timber required. We can then hold together our market. Our trade in the past has been lost through millers putting in unsaleable timber. Roughly, the amount of rimu now going to Australia is about 10 per cent, of the total. Many of the mills on the Coast have white pine orders on hand to carry them on till the end of February!” The very modern machinery, methods, and direction of the factory ensure that confidence.—“As dependable as an Austin.” See the lateet models at Austin Motors (Otago) Ltd., 284-289 Princes street, Dunedin. Phone 13-215. —Advt. Save your eyea Be wise, and consult W V. Sturmer (optician, 2 Octagon), thus conserving good vision for old age.— Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists. Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next (Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359.—Advt When you buy a watch, buy a Watch. Purchase from Peter Dick, jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians. 490 Moray place, Dunedin. —Advt.