Overseas Mails for Dunedin

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21537, 8 January 1932, Page 6

Overseas Mails for Dunedin

The postal authorities advise that the motor ship Opawa, which arrived at Auckland yesterday from Liverpool, brought 28 bags of English mail for Dunedin. The letter portion is expected to come to hand to-morrow afternoon, and the remainder on Monday morning. The Makura, which is due at Wellington on Monday from San Francisco, is bringing 100 bags of European, American, and Canadian mails and five parcel receptacles for Dunedin. This mail is expected to reach the local Post Office on Tuesday afternoon.

Tourist Traffic A noticeable feature of the business which has passed through the local office of the Government Tourist Department during the holidays is the falling off in the number of Australians among the overseas visitors. Most of the visitors of this class who have booked for the principal resorts of Otago have come from America and England. Though the number travelling from Dunedin to the North Island this year has not been so large as in recent years, the carnival at Rotorua between Christmas and New Year proved an attraction and there were fairly satisfactory bookings. Milford' and the West Coast have been somewhat neglected so far this season, but there have been several parties of trampers from Elfin Bay (Wakatipu) to Lake Howden and the Hollyford. It is reported that good fishing was found in the Greenstone River and the lakes of the district, and the shooting was also good. Albany Street School

During the visit to Dunedin of Mr T. B. Strong, director of education, toward* the end of December, he intimated to the Otago Education Board that there was little probability of the main building of the Albany Street School being proceeded with at once, though it is likely that some portion of the building will be erected in the near future. Dunedin Training College

It is understood in educational circles that, in the event of the Dunedin Training College being closed, it is the intention of the department to re-establish the district high school in Union street, and the Training College building would be utilised as portion of the school.

City Police Court There was no cases set down for hearing at the City Police Court yesterday.

Naval Training Ship Wakakura Completing an uneventful voyage down the coast from Auckland, the small naval vessel Wakakura arrived at Dunedin yesterday afternoon. The vessel, which left Auckland at 6 a.m. on January 1, made brief calls at Wellington and Lyttelton. The Wakakura’s visit is in connection with the Royal Naval' Reserve movement, and the lads who comprise the Otago division will be given further opportunities of gaining sea experience on board the ship during the next six-weeks. The Wakakura will be based at this port until March 5. To-morrow she will embark the first draft of reservists and proceed. north. Timaru or Akaroa will be the training base for a week. Returning to Dunedin on January 15, the ship will embark the second draft and sail for the north. Drafts will be embarked at the end of each week until the training period has been completed. The Wakakura is attached to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. Her base is Auckland, and she is used principally for training purposes. The ship visited Dunedin in January last'year, when the members of the Otago division of the Royal Naval Reserve underwent their first period of sea training. Com-r missioned Gunner T. E. Brooker is in command of the Wakakura, and Commissioned Gunner H. Dean is second in command. The vessel’s crew totals 16, about 80 per cent, of the seamen being New Zealanders. ,

Aluminium Cable Rejected ' Sixty-four drums containing aluminium: cable, imported by the Public Works Department from Canada, will be shipped back to Winnipeg by the steamer Canadian Challenger from Dunedin to-day. It is understood that the cable, which was landed in New Zealand some time ago and conveyed to the Waitaki hydro electric works, is not suitable, and it will be replaced by another shipment. The consignment is at present stored on the Victoria wharf. A further shipment of aluminium cable will be landed at Dunedin early next week from the steamer Canadian Transporter. The cable was shipped at Montreal and is consigned to the Waitaki works.

Holiday Angling Most of the local anglers who have returned to Dunedin after holiday fishing trips report that the sport has been good on the majority of waters visited. The Shag, is stated to have given better results during the holidays than at any other time since the season opened. The Pomahaka, the Waipori River and dam, and the streams of the Gatlins district have also been in excellent condition, and most of the Southland rivers and Lake Alexandrine in Canterbury are also reported to have offered good fishing. The Waikouaiti, the Temuka, and Lake Ohau, however, were very disappointing, and those who visited these waters had little success. It is reported that Lake Hawea is not giving good results at present, but the Hawea River is stated to be fishing well. The secretary of the Otago Acclimatisation Society (Mr R. Hanning) has received advice that good baskets of Loch Levens have been secured at Lake Onslow. Two Roxburgh anglers recently spent a week on this water and, in that time, they landed over 60 trout, many of which ranged from 31b to 6lb in weight. The remainder were all fairly large and well-conditioned fish. The Roxburgh lagoons have been affected by cold, changeable weather, and the sport has not been so good recently as in the early part of the season. The Teviot River is said to be giving good sport in certain places. New Tramcars Designed to improve the riding qualities and to incorporate the most recent developments in tramcar construction, six new tramcars have been built by the Melbourne Tramways Board at the Preston workshops and are now in service (says the Argus). These trams have been built to the same general outline as the board’s standard car. The bodies are of steel, electrically welded, with timbered interior facings. More than 2J tons in weight has thus been saved, with a corresponding reduction in power consumption. The windows have been made larger, with louvre blinds. The bogies are of new design with extra long leaf springs, instead of helical springs, following motor car practice. Larger wheels have permitted improved braking. Tests have demonstrated that the improved design has resulted in much quieter operation. With the exception of portion of the Westinghouae brake equipment, Australian materiali have been used throughout - , -

Wilton Still at Largo Seventeen days have elapsed since Thomas William Wilson, aged 26, who was serving a five years’ term in Mount Eden prison for a series of crimes in Dunedin, including a vicious assault on an aged pawnbroker and his wife, left a ward at the Auckland Hospital. He has not been reported since. Unflagging efforts to find a trace of Wilson have been maintained by the police, but no clue has been found. Vigilance is still being observed by both the detective and the uniform branches of the force, and a particularly keen watch is being kept on the waterfront at the various ports in case Wilson attempts to leave the country. A description of the missing prisoner: has been circulated throughout New Zealand. The ground has been covered in Auckland and the province since Wilson’s escape, but it is the intention of the authorities to persevere in the hope of tracing the man.

Bowlers’ Railway Tickets In connection with the “ pleasure party ” tickets by means of which parties of not fewer than six bowlers may travel at reduced rates to and from the Dominion tournament at Christchurch, the secretary of the Dunedin Bowling Centre (Mr E. Hanning) wrote recently to the Railways Department asking if the return journey might be made by smaller parties without forfeiting the concession for that portion of the journey, A reply has now been received stating that the concession can be offered only if the parties consist of six or more persons, both going to Christchurch and on the return journey.

West Coast Beachcombers

The gold fever which made the West Coast famous in the latter half of the last century seems to have gripped the province again with a strong hold, for from end to end of the long mountainous stretch of country, from north of the Duller River to the practically unknown forests and beaches of South Westland, prospectors are out seeking feverishly for gold. Beachcombers are toiling day and night (says the Christchurch Press) to keep pace with the tides which uncover the gold-laden stretches of black sand; in the deep gorges and on the river beds parties are working with pans, shovels, and cradles in search of the precious nuggets; and on the river flats or near the sea coast dredges wheeze and whine as their buckets haul up the dirt from which is precipitated more of the gold about which the whole countryside is talking. West Coast people are confident that they are on the verge of a great boom in gold mining, and in West Coast towns there is an air of prosperity and an absence of the gloom accompanying depressed conditions elsewhere, which adds weight to their assertions that already the increased amount of gold being won from the hills and plains has restored prosperity to their trade. In Greymouth, the principal West Coast town, there was little indication that business over the Christmas period was anything but satisfactory; business people stated that they had little to complain, of and on Christmas Eve people from the town, the mining settlements, and the farms thronged the streets to celebrate in traditional style.

Shooting the Godwit* A number of sportsmen have ventured out after godwits since the opening of the godwit season on New Year’s Day (states the New Zealand Herald), The tides on the Manukau Harbour have not been particularly favourable, but otherwise fairly good conditions obtained. Several fine flights of birds were observed by various parties and one party secured 26 birds, followed by a bag of 15 on the next tide. Those who have returned from shooting expeditions on the Manukau report that the flocks are roughly similar in number to those on the harbour last season. In Canterbury (says the Christchurch Press) there are no reports to hand of any large bags of godwit and knot since the opening of the season. In a party of seven guns last week the best.bag was six.birds, and another Christchurch scportsman obtained 10 godwit several days ago at Lake Ellesmere. Both godwit and knot are good open sport and the godwit especially is palatable table game. There is some general confusion as to the identity of the birds and each should be carefully distinguished from the other, and both from the snipe. The godwit is definitely not the snipe, and the latter bird is extremely rare in New Zealand, if there are anj here at all.

A Sportsman’* Paradise A party of campers, who recently spent several days in the lakes district beyond Te Anau House, spoke very enthusiastically on their return of the magnificent scenery and the wonderful sporting facilities which the country in the vicinity of the Eglinton River and Lake Gunn offers to tourists. At this time of the year the native hush is a glorious sight, the mistletoe and ironwood making great splashes of colour, which were a delight to behold. The hush was also teeming with bird life, while deer, wild pigs, and ducks were very plentiful. The Eglinton also afforded good sport for the angler, although conditions for fishing would not be at their best until the latter end of January. The members of the party also made appreciative reference to the courtesy and assistance extended to them Messrs Plunket and Riddell, of the public works camp, who placed tents at their disposal and in other ways helped to make their holiday an enjoyable one. The provision of tents was a great convenience to campers and it was, perhaps, not generally known that these could be obtained upon application. It was anticipated that by Easter the new road would be completed as far as Lake Gunn. The members of the party were Mr and Mrs Rates, Wanganui t Mrs J. S. Johnston, Dunedin, and Mr and Mrs Stephenson. Gore.

, Intruders Re*ented Since the Health Department’s ban was lifted Motuihi has been the most popular resort in the Hauraki Gulf, and there is = only one thing on the island that does not now welcome the great crowds of Aucklanders who flock to its sandy beeches during the holidays. The objector is the island goat, an animal curiously marked in V black and white. “ Billy ” is_ supposed to be tied up when there are visitors; but he generally manages to get loose, and then the youngsters have an anxious time, for he has a nasty way of “butting in.” One lad left the island with a rooted objection to the whole tribe of goats, and black and white ones in particular. After a delightful swim he was putting on his boots, and was struggling with a lace that had lost its tag and was too conscious of a piebald menace approaching from the rear, a menace with a malignant look in its eye and a businesslike lowering of the head. Just as the little fellow was mastering the lace the goat caught him fairly and squarely, and the most surprised boy on the island picked himself up several yards further on and chased a fleeing goat.

Holiday Rail Traffic Actual returns of the number of passengers carried by the New Zealand railways during the Christmas and New Year holidays are not yet available; but in-’-formation received by the head office of the department indicates that there wid be an increase in all districts. Twelve months ago the rail excursion period extended from December 15 to January 15, but in view of the recent reduction in the railway tariff no further reduction was made in fares for the present holiday period. A fair comparison will be poseible by taking the figures for the December 15 to January 15 period of 1930-31 and those for the corresponding period of 1931-32. and this the department intends to do. This holiday season the department has had more rolling stock than last, j but considerably more difficulty has been j experienced in providing accommodation for the travelling public. Between 70 and 80 new carriages were added to the department’s rolling stock during the past 12 months.

Removal of Half-tide Wall Although work upon the removal of the half-tide wall in the harbour was suspended some time ago as a result of the need for reducing the board’s expenditure for the current financial year, the work has been sufficiently advanced to indicate that when it is completed it will be entirely satisfactory. Of an approximate length of 95 chains which it was proposed to remove, a distance, of 800 yards has been completed, and it is considered that the increased body of “ dead ” water thus created has already proved its advantages in the greater facility with which larger vessels are now handled when berthing.

Nearly a Disaster A few inches between safety and the possible destruction of thousands of gallons of oil stored in wells at the Blenheim oil bore, New Plymouth, was the margin that remained when a fire was extinguished there a few days ago. The fire brigade was called to a grass fire that started by the side of the railway nearby, and found that while the grass could be extinguished the wave of fire flowed along the oilsaturated ground nearer and nearer a well. Water could not be applied, for it would carry the oil and flame into the well, and it was only by covering the ground with earth that the outbreak was stopped in the nick of time. Had the well caught fire it would probably have burnt for at least a day and would have threatened a house and further stores close by. Cricket Poser*

A good deal of interest was aroused by a couple of cricket posers that were introduced for the delectation of a group of visitors to Eden Park on Monday (says the Auckland Star). The first was as follows: When the eighth man is going out to bat, how many more wickets must fall before the innings closes? A hasty calculation induced nearly every member of the company to reply, “Three.” The correct answer is “four,” for it must be remembered that only six wickets have actually fallen when the eighth man goes out to bat. The other problem was even more baffling. It was: “ Describe the circumstances under which a bowler can perform the hat trick spread out over three overs.” Two was a simple matter, but the extra over got everyone " stumped.” The explanation is simple. The bowler takes a wicket with the last ball of one over and another with the first ball of the next. That is the tenth wicket, and the side is out. The side has to “ follow on.” and the same bowler gets a wicket with the first ball.

River Drying Up The dry spell has played havoc with the trout in the Ashley River, a rain-fed stream, and hundreds of them (says our special correspondent in Christchurch) lie dead on the shingle and on the bottom of the stagnant pools. The river has dried into a chain of such pools with no more than a trickle of water between. Members of the Acclimatisation Society have been occupied in netting the trout from the pools and transferring them to the Cam River. On Wednesday they netted 300.

It is because of the great ease of operation and control that so many Austin Sevens are the property of Lady Drivers. Aek for a demonstration. —Austin Motors (Otago) Ltd., 284-286 Princes street. Phone 13-215—Advt. Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W V. Stunner (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.