Australian Mails

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21645, 16 May 1932, Page 6

Australian Mails

The postal authorities advise that the steamer Marama, which is due at Auckland to-morrow from Sydney, is bringing 10 bags of Australian mail and two parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail is expected to come to hand on Thursday afternoon.

Poppy Day Collection 'The returns from the Poppy Day collection now total £1837,155. The following are the latest amounts to come to hand:—Green Island (per Mr A. L. Burk), £ll 18s; Queenstown (per Mr C. MTntyre), £l2 7s Id; Oturehua (per Mr F. G. M'Knight), £5 12s; Lawrence (per Mr F. L. M'Farlane), 15s 4d; Otakou (per Miss Fry), 10s; Edievale (per Mr W. B. Rush), £1 18s 9d.

Reduction of "Prices A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that, in addition to the lower coal prices announced by all firms, housewives will benefit this week by a reduction in the price of butter. An Indiscreet Question

A customer, on entering one of Wellington’s leading restaurants on Saturday, was asked* by one of the waitresses (says a Press Association telegram) if he was a “ special.” The question was put in the presence of other waitresses, and it was stated that they were refusing to serve “specials.” The management was approached following a complaint of the happening, and as a result it was subsequently announced that the waitresses concerned had been dismissed. The man who complained is not a member of the special police.

Winter Sports There ia at present a depth of 2ft of* snow at the Ball Hut. As this is very early for such a heavy fall it augiirs well for the' success of the winter sports carnival and ski championships which are being held at Mount Cook in July and August. \

Dunedin Horticultural Society The Dunedin Horticultural , Society’s Show, which was concluded in the Town Hall on Saturday night, attracted very good attendances over the two days, and as a result a fair sum of money will be available for “ Come to Dunedin ” Week. Those who visited the show were much impressed with the setting and the arrangements of the exhibits, and the chrysanthemums, which formed the greater part of the exhibition, were notable for the striking colour and size of the blooms. On Saturday night an entertainment was provided by Begg’s orchestra, and a physical culture display was given by Mr J. V. Hanna’s pupils.

Otago Witness Illustrations The two outstanding topics of last week’s conversation—the window-smashing caused by the unemployed in Wellington and the tramway strike (Unipn v. Com-munity-owned Service) in Christchurch are shown by means of two pages of photographs in the illustrated section of the Otago Witness, to be published to-morrow. The tumultuous nature of the scenes presented by these pictures contrasts subtly with two other pages in the same section —“ Views of Some Snowy Summits in the Mount Cook .Region, Southern Alps” and “ High Peaks in South Island Mountains,” and with the front page, where two views of old England—“ Caldey Abbey" and ,«Couch’s House, Polperro ’’—present quietude and tranquillity. Two groups of, historic pictures— ‘ Waitangi ” and “After Fifty Years” —show, in the first instance, the site presented to the Dominion by Lord and Lady Bledisloe, and, in the second, the loss of the sailing ships Benvenue and City of Perth at Timaru on May 14, 1882. Scenic views; portraits of prominent'people, snapshots of Mr Smith’s hydraulic elevating claim at Maori Point, Shotover River, and photographs, of Rotarians at the Rotary Conference, dancers at the Law Ball, and delegates at the Quaker Conference (Wanganui) help to complete the table of contents. • 5 ’ * ' '* ' , '

Loyalty to the State " ‘ A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the New Zealand Educational Institute, by resolution, affirmed its continued loyalty to the State and pledged its members to continue the long record of service in the interests of State which has been rendered by the teachers. Municipal Organ Recital The programme which has been prepared by the city organist (Dr V. B. Galjvay) for the recital which is to j be given in the Town Hall to-night is one that will appeal to all lovers of the organ. ’ For the first time at these recitals will be heard Mendelssohn s greatest organ Sonata, that in F minor, and a stirring Trumpet Minuet by Hollins. The programme also includes attractive items by Arcadelt, Schumann, Mansfield, Wagner, Elgar, and Schubprt. The supporting artist is Mr J. E. R. Benton, whose splendid bass voice will be heard ipHaydn’s “ Rolling in Foaming Billows.” ■>.

Seaside Cr}b Destroyed A three-roomed crib at Karitane, the property of Mr J. Atwell, of North-East Valley was destroyed by fire on Friday evening. Mr Atwell was at the crib during the day, but returned to Dunedin late in the afternoon. The cause of the fire is unknown. . , . ‘ ... Hobson and the Seer y

The gift by his Excellency the GovernorGeneral of the site of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi recalls an incident (says the Auckland Star) that is perhaps not very well known. After the strenu-, ous day when the Treaty was launched; Captain Hobson with a few others was making his way to his boat’ to return to H.M.S. Herald, anchored off Kororareka. Just then arrived a kaumatua, a greyhaired old man from inland who had been too late for the great meeting. He hurried down to the boat to have a look at the pakeha who was the, emissary of the great Queen. The old fellow looked at Hobson intently for a few moments,'and then said something in a wailing tone of voice.* Hobson wanted to know what it meant, but Colenso, one of the missionary,' staff who was at the' landing, gave an evasive answer. Hobson suspected something, and insisted. Colenso then had to confess that the kaumatua had cried out, “Alas! an old man. He will soon be dead! ” It was obvious that the, old man’s prediction made Hobson most melancholy. He passed away in Auckland in 1842. The incident will interest people who believe in second sight. There were many points of resemblance between _ the oldtime Maoris and the Highlanders, and the old seers of both races had much in common. Hobson was a sick man when he landed in New 'Zealand, and more than one person versed in handwriting on seeing his shaky signature to the Treaty of Wai-. tang has said, “That man had an affection of the heart.” .

jury Verdicts The duty of the court in regard to the verdicts of juries was touched upon by the Chief Justice (Mr Justice Myers) in a reserved judgment delivered in Wellington on Thursday. His Honor said he was dissatisfied with the verdict of the jury in regard to two particular matters in the case. Still, if was the duty of the court to accept the verdict of the jury unless the finding was one which no 12 men could reasonably come to. He had no right to set aside the verdict of the jury merely because he might' feel that he himself would have come to a different decision. Conciliation Procedure

Amended regulations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act providing new machinery for the operation of the altered scheme approved by Parliament some weeks ago were issued in an Order in Council published on Thursday night. In the main they relate to the forms to be used in connection with the creation, and progress of disputes. Power is given under the Act of last session for the appointment for 12 months qnly of additional Conciliation Commissioners, if necessary. The rate of remuneration for persons other than public service officers who are so appointed is now prescribed at £450 per annum in addition to travelling expenses. Living and Existing

. Saying that people of to-day are too much concerned with existing, and too little with living, Professor A. B. Fitt urged in an address delivered in Auckland' on Wednesday night that schools should be kept free from any attempt at vocational training, which should be reserved for later life. He was addressing teachers who are at present undergoing a refresher course at the Auckland Training College. "I believe that we should alter the orientation of our schools,” he said. “ Let us, by an extension of / permissive control/ defer the trade and vocation aspect until the child is past the cultural stage; and then through-larger and freer bodies organise.* a system, whereby . the trades are taught by trade specialists.” The most progressive countries, he said, were England, Denmark, and post-war Germany, Each nation, was trying to show how leisure might be spent in a useful manner,- and to place learning'in its cor-, rect perspective. Since Denmark catered for those who worked on the land, its system might give stimulus here. “It would be inadvisable to view America and her methods in any other light than as a young country writing educational history. We ought not to emulate 1 her system of counting equal merit in, say, salesmanship and literature.” Such a mixture indicated clearly that the ideals of living and of existing were confused. ’ % ’

Appreciation of Gift - f The New Zealand Educational institute (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) recorded its admiration of the gift of Lord and Lady Bledisloe of the historic , spot at Bay of Islands and expressed its gratitude for the spirit that moved their Excellencies to take such action as would stir the historic sense and patriotic feeling of the young people of the Dominion. '

Kingston-Queenstown Road \ • The matter of having work on the Kingston-Queenstown road completed ha» been kept in view by the General Conte mittee, states the annual report of the Southland Motor Association. Representatives of the association recently attended a conference of local bodies convened by the Southland League to dmcuss the matter, and the association was subsequently represented nt a conference with the Government Railways Board held at Queenstown. In view of the large: sum of money already spent on the road, it is considered most desirable that - the whole work should he • completed. ,The road will give direct access between Southland and Central Otago, and if the work ia recommenced at an ’ early* date, as is sincerely hoped, it, will give employment to a considerable number of men under the unemployment, relief scheme during the forthcoming winter. A Rare Bird

The reporting of a white pheasant i* the Clevedon district recalls the fact that >the albino pheasant ia ■ not ■ unknown 1b the Auckland province. Many years age (says the Auckland Star) there was B white pheasant at Miranda, and -for seasons it eluded sportsmen who pursued it. Twenty, years ago there .were several white pheasants in the neighbourhood of Whakapara, near Whangarei. One was shot, stuffed, and then, became a prominent exhibit in a North Auckland court at the Auckland Winter Show. , It was on the same occasion albino bird —it was not altogether white —was staged in a Franklin court ( New Zealand Salmon

The exceptional run of quinnat salmon ol 401 b and oVer in-weight in ,the Canterbury rivers this year was commented on last week by Mr A. E. Hefford, chief inspector of fisheries. The fish this year, he said, were unusually free from th« scars made by attacks of predacious fish. In some years, many, of the.salmon showed these marks and they were pne of the mysteries. of the sea. He was inclined to the view that the,'barracouta was responsible. It was a very savage fish, and in tropical Atlantic waters had been v known to attack swimmers.' Mr - 'Hefford said that last’year there was am unusual run of small salmon in the Canterbury rivers, and the large ones so plentiful this year 1 indicated that the spawning season four hr five years ago had been more than usually prolific- ,

A Ball of Fire Whilst Mr H. Smeaton, farmer of Waimata Waihi Plains, was engaged in his milking shed On Thursday morning about 7.15 what appeared; to him to be a bail of fire fell just outside the shed during a thunderstorm. After striking the ground the bolt exploded, with considerable force, exuding chemical odours- and fumes similar to thosfewhich follow an explosion of gelignite. Mr Smeaton, who was standing about eight feet jaway, received, a‘ sudden shock from concussion. Otherwise he was, uninjured and no damage was'.done.