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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21569, 15 February 1932, Page 6

Australian Mails The postal authorities advise that the steamer Waikouaiti, which is due at Bluff to-morrow from Sydney, is bringing 14 bags of Australian mail and eight parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The Marama, due at Auckland to-morrow from Sydney, has one bag of mail, and the Ulimaroa, due at Wellington to-morrow, has eight bags of Australian mail and two parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mails by the Waikouaiti and Ulimaroa are expected to reach the local Post Office on Wednesday evening, and the mail by the Mararna on Thursday afternoon. Motor Car Stolen

An audacious theft occurred shortly before 11 o’clock last night, when a motor car belonging to Mr M. W. D. Adams, of Waitaki Hydro, w-as stolen from the parking place beside the Pioneers’ Hall. Mr Adams, who was staying at the Leviathan Hotel, heard' the car being started, and, recognising the sound, looked out of his window just in time to see the vehicle being driven away. Painted grey, with a black hood, the car is a 1926 model, four-cylinder Dodge tourer, its registered number being 165-167. An aluminium kewpie is fixed on the radiator as a mascot.

Otago Witness Illustrations Three magnificent views of Northern California forming the front page of toe illustrated section of the Otago Witness introduce a set of topical pictures to contrast with our own outstanding scenery. There is one set showing the decades at the Kelso School jubilee; another taken on the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s autumn meeting at Wingatui, a third dealing with events at the second annual sports meeting organised by the Waihola Improvement Society; a fourth giving glimpses of Whare Flat, and a fifth relating to the recent Otago Provincial Girl Guide camp at Waianakarua. Hampden. Phar Lap, the New Zealand racehorse, on board R.M.S. Monowai, provides a series of fine photographs; modern methods of gold mining adopted by the Nflkomai Company; harvesting by improved methods in North Canterbury; the flight of terrified Chinese from Tientsin; Rakaia School jubilee; and a photograph of Captain Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird are other groups of pictures, the whole being very interesting. The remaining one-picture subjects are varied in theme and provide diverting entertainment. Fire Calls

A grass fire on the railway embankment at Caversham claimed the attention of the South Dunedin Brigade shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday. The blaze .was extinguished before any damage was done to adjoining property. At 4.37 p.m. on Saturday the City Brigade turned out in response to a call from the corner of Rattray and Crawford streets, but its services were not required, as it was found that a malicious false alarm had been registered.

Brighton Parking Area The Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association has decided upon a name for the new Brighton parking area which was formed by unemployed returned men working under the direction of the association. The area will be known as the Travis Parking Area, in memory of Sergeant R. C. Travis, D.C.M., M.M., V.C., who served with the Otago forces-in the Great War.

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

A Valuable Gift The Board of Trustees of the National Art Gallery and Museum has been presented (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) by the Italian Consul (Signor G. Formichella) with an oil painting copy of the famous “ Mona Lisa,” by Leonardo De Vinci, the original of which is in the Louvre in Paris. While on a visit to Paris some months ago Mr L. M'Kenzie became acquainted with Antonio Bin, an artist who was making a copy of the picture, with the result that the copy was presented to the National Art Gallery. Members of the board expressed the greatest appreciation of the gift, and it was .decided to write to Signor Formichella asking him to forward the thanks of the board to the artist. It is understood that the picture very faithfully reproduces the wonderful expression of the famous original. , Mr M'Kenzie’s action was much appreciated. The picture will probably be hung In the existing Art Gallery until the National Gallery is built.

Converting Barren Land A public demonstration arranged by the Buller Progress League, and attended by Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., and members of local bodies and of the farming and business interests on the West Coast, was held on Saturday (says a Press Association telegram from Westport) on the experimental plots of the Cawthron Institute of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture. The Cawthron experiments on the utilisation of the Pakihi land for dairy farming have proved to be very successful, and have shown that large areas of this barren soil may be economically converted to dairy pasture. Representatives of the Cawthron Institute are of opinion that 50,000 acres of hitherto useless Pakihi land on the West Coast can be successfully converted at a cost of £6 per acre.

Ex-criminal’s Plight Drawn in the face and moving with difficulty, an elderly man took his place in the dock of the Wellington Police Court the other day. His name was Henry Jefferd, alias Boss, alias King, and. having been found sleeping out, he was faced with a charge of being an idle and disorderly person in that he had insufficient lawful means of support. It was -just another appearance 'of a onetime expert criminal upon whom age had taken its toll. “What do you know of this man generally? ” inquired Mr E. Page, S.M., of Sub-inspector Lopdell, who had said he had known the accused for the past 30 years. “Of recent years,” said the sub-inspector, “he has slipped physically and mentally, until it is now impossible for him to work. He pokes about the city in a feeble way. I have often stopped and spoken to him, and it is quite evident he is helpless. He is not old enough to get a pension, and, in any case. I doubt if he would get one.” Mr Page: Has he been convicted previously? Sub-inspector Lopdell: Yes, sir; he has a very long “ list.” In his active days he was one of the most skilful burglars we had. The Accused wandered around the city picking up a meal here and there, and sleeping out. The police, by arresting him, were really saving the accused from dying through sleeping out. “It is quite evident that this man should be placed in some institution,” said the magistrate, in sentencing Jefferd to three months’ imprisonment.

A Lesson from Waikato “The Waikato is an object lesson to the rest of New Zealand on how land should be devolped,” said Mr E. 3. Howard, M.P. for Christchurch South, when speaking at a meeting of parents and unemployed boys against a proposal to absorb the boys in farm work. “The Waikato has certainly shown us the way to do things,” he added, “but I hope we will not side-track ourselves into thinking that the land can absorb many boys,”

Ensilage Fourteen Years Old Fourteen years ago a farmer in Hawke’s Bay saved a stack of ensilage in a hillaide pit, but soon afterwards the pit was severed by a slip from the hillside, so amch spoil falling on it that he did not undertake to uncover it. The drought this season and the consequent shortage of grass made all fodder valuable, so the farmer decided to investigate the pit. On uncovering it he found the ensilage in excellent order.

Large Dairy Yield Although the hot, dry weather which has prevailed over the Auckland Province since early in December has scorched the pastures and is now causing e drop in the production of dairy herds, the first six months of the current season have been so bountiful that there is a good margin to carry forward for the remainder of the season (states the New Zealand Herald). December’s yield of butter-fat used in the manufacture of butter and cheese for overseas markets was approximately 1,772,0001 b, or 8 per cent, ahead of that of December, 1930. For the first six months of the season the output of 76,635,0001 b of butter-fat was greater by 4,477,0001 b, or 6.2 per cent., than that of the corresponding period of 1930-31. Calculated on the basis of lOd per lb butter-fat, the return for the six months is approximately £3,193,000, compared with £3,006,000 for the first six months of the 1930-31 season, an increase of £187,000. The increased yield is some consolation for the very low returns the farmers are receiving.

Sunday Train Excursions Over 2000 people travelled to Dunedin by the special excursion trains run by the Railways Department yesterday, the brilliant sunshine which prevailed during the day making the outing a very enjoyable one for the visitors. Two trains came from Invercargill, each carrying over 900 passengers, whilst a third train came from Timaru, bringing about 300 visitors from the northern districts. Each of the south trains consisted of 19 carriages,' whilst the train from the north was made up of nine carriages.' From 5.15 p.m. until 6.48 p.m. the Dunedin Railway Station presented a very busy scene as the various homeward-bound trains received their complements of holiday-makers, all of whom bore every appearance of having thoroughly enjoyed their brief visit to the city.

Farmers and Cost of Power A reduction in the charges for electric power from Lake Coleridge was sought by a deputation from eight rural power boards in Canterbury, which interviewed the Minister of Public Works (Mr J. G. Coates). The deputation pleaded the difficult circumstances of the boards’ farmer customers. The suggestion was made that to overcome the disabilities of the smaller boards, whose wholesale rate increases in proportion to lessened total demand, there should he a reduction in the bulk price, accompanied by a small tax per unit sold, which could be used as an equalisation fund to overcome the disabilities of small supply authorities. The Minister undertook to investigate the possibility.

A Witness Confused The confusing effect of persistent crossexamination was admitted by a witness in the Auckland Supreme Court last week with a candour that caused some amusement. Questioned as to a previous statement that he had sfeen a motor car climb a tram pole, the witness said he was not sure now that he had seen that. But you were one of those who were there and saw the car,” said the Crown Prosecutor. “To tell the truth, after being here I don’t know whether I saw it or heard it,” responded the witness. A Curious Fact

“ I might as well have it in front of men on a big blackboard,” said Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., a little wearily _ when a witness in a traffic case in Christchurch the other morning said that she was travelling at 20 t 6 25 miles and hour, and slowed up to 15 miles an hour, to cross an intersection. “They all go 20 to 25 miles an hour, and reduce to 15 at intersections,”;’ Mr Mosley continued. “ You know, witness, that I frequently stand on intersections and watch. It js part of my business to see how traffic moves. Not one car in 50 goes across an intersection ,at 15 miles an hour. But when they come to court they all do. Curious, isn’t it? ” British Justice

The statement that men in New Zealand had often been convicted and sent to prison for long terms as the result of false identification was made by counsel in a criminal case at the Auckland Supreme Court last week. The case before the court hinged solely on the question of the identification of the accused man, and the jury found a verdict of guilty. Mr Justice Smith queried the use of the word “ often,” but counsel said that he did not think that there was any need for him to modify his statement. “Innocent men have been victed in every country in the world,” he said, “ although not so often in Britain as in other countries, for undoubtedly the British system of justice is the best in the world.” High Premium for Exchange

An Auckland business man received a surprise when he found that it would cost him approximately £9 10s to pay an account of £6 6s in Capetown, South Africa (states the New Zealand Herald). His banker told him that the draft would have to be remitted through London, and that there would be a charge of 12s for it. On top of this he would have to take into consideration the fact that South Africa was still on the gold standard, and to ensure his Capetown correspondent receiving the full amount due it would be necessary to remit sufficient to cover the depreciation of the English paper pound against the South African sovereign, roughly 7s 6d in the pound. In the circumstances, he decided to defer payment of the account. The latest available quotation of sterling exchange on South Africa is £IOO sterling for £72 10s South Africa for sight drafts, on December 31. War on Shags

The Wellington Acclimatisation Society is waging a war upon shags as unlicensed poachers of trout. Mr O. Walton, secretary of the' Eketahuna Sub-com-mittee, advised the council of the society that he had recently made two trips to the shaggery, and on each occasion he was accompanied by three companions. They were armed with shot-guns and rifles, and on the first trip did great slaughter, as the shags were on the nests. Besides shooting a large number of the birds, all the nests from which the birds were seen to fly were blown to pieces. It was only possible to recover a few of the birds, and trout were found in the stomachs' of all those examined. The largest trout was approximately 10 inches long.

At the request of the Mayor of Dunedin the Mayor of St. Kilda is calling a meeting of the St. Kilda Unemployment Relief Committee and all interested in relief •work in the borough for to-morrow evening, in the Town Hall, St. Kilda, to coneider the advisability of starting the K pound-a-week ” scheme. Attention is drawn to Parker's motorbody building advertisement on Motor Notes page. These firms know where to go for quality. Bodies of all descriptions, caravans, trailers, cars converted to sleepers, repairs, painting and trimming.—Advi The quality of workmanship and material remains" what it has always been: ■unsurpassed. See Austin 1932 models and prices.— Austin Motors (Otago), Ltd., 284-6 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.— 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, and opticians, 490 Moray place, Dunedin. —Advt.