Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21819, 5 December 1932, Page 8

South African War Veterans The street appeal conducted on Friday on behalf of distressed South African War veterans and their dependents hardly met with as liberal a response as was expected, but it is hoped that the effort will serve as a reminder to the public generally that the men who fought in the Boer War and who are now in distress are deserving of some assistance at the hands of the community. The total collection amounted to about £ 113, and after certain unavoidable expenses have been met there will be available in the neighbourhood of £IOO with which to form the nucleus of a fund for the benefit of the veterans or their dependents. Saturday s appeal was under -the control of Mr Be.i EHis, president of the South African War Veterans’ Association, Dr A. R. Falconer, and a strong committee, and assistance was given by the Returned Soldiers’ and the Commercial Travellers’ Association.

A Monster Whale A whale 81ft long was washed np on the beach near Awatuna on the West Coast on Friday night. Dedication of Nelson Cathedral The dedication 0 f Nelson Cathedral was performed by Archbishop Averill on Saturday morning. The GovernorcGeneral read the lessons, and the Bishop of Nelson (Dr Sadlier) preached the sermon. There was a very large attendance. “ Back to School ” Policy A circular issued by the Canterbury Education Board, to be distributed to all parents, urges that all boys who cannot find work should be sent back to school. The circular suggests that boys who have passed their proficiency and competency tests and are unable to find work should go back to school for a post-primary course, and boys who have not obtained these certificates should stay on at school to get them. The board suggests that the policy is the only one offering a solution for the problem of occupying boys full time. Excursion from Timaru Approximately 450 visitors from Timaru and the larger intermediate stations took advantage yesterday of the opportunity afforded by the Railways Department’s excursion train from Timaru to spend a day in Dunedin. The train arrived at Dunedin at 12.42 p.m., and it was not long before the excursionists had disembarked and were on their ivay to their various destinations. The majority utilised the time at their disposal in visiting friends, whilst others set off on a eight-seeing tour of the city, including in their itinerary such places of interest as the Museum, the Botanic Gardens, and bt. Clair and St. Hilda beaches. The tram left on its return journey shortly after 5 o’clock, and was expected to reach iimaru about 9.30 in the evening.

Municipal Organ Recital The municipal organ recital which was presented last evening by the city organist (Dr V. B. Galway) provided a feast for music-lovers, and varied to suit every taste, the programme proved to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable yet heard in the Town Hall. Pride of place must be given to Grieg’s Concerto in A minor (the last two movements), in which the solo-piano part was played by Miss Alice Wilson, an accomplished pianist, who interpreted the theme of this difficult composition with rare artistry, and at all times displayed a thorough .mastery o the intricacies of the piece. The orchestral accompaniment was played on the organ by Dr Galway, who lent a delightfully sympathetic background to the soloist’s performance. All of the organ numbers proved very enjoyable, two of the most popular being the Pastoral Symphony from Handel’s “Messiah and an Offertory on Christmas Themes by Guilmant, both items appropriate to the Christmas season. Other items were a fantasia on Harris’s “Veni Immanuel, “Prelude and Fugue in C minor (Mendelssohn), a Hebridean Pastorale, _On The Moor” (Nesbitt), “Etude de Concert” (Bannet), Rubinstein’s “Reve Angelique” (by special request), the everpopular “Serenade” by Schubert, and “Marche Heroique,” this last being a number of more than passing interest in that it .is the work of a Dunedin composer (Mr J. C. Easton). The assisting vocalists were Mr A. J. Lungley, who rendered a bracket, “ Drink To Me Only and " A Wanderer’s Song,” and Mies Beth Ritchie, whose offering, “The Spirit Flower” (Tipton), met with an emphatic demand for an encore.

Motor Cycle Thefts A series of thefts of motor cycles in the city, extending over a period of several months, have been solved as the result of smart -work on the part of Detectives Gibson and Turgis, who have been busy tracing the cycles for some days. About noon on Saturday Detective Gibson arrested a young man on a charge o stealing a motor cycle. charges against the accused in connection with several recent motor cycle thefts are pending. The detectives, in the course of their investigations, found two other missing motor cycles and parts of a third machine. The man arrested on Saturday; will appear in the Police Court this morning.

Australian Mails The steamer Marama, which is due at Wellington to-morrow from Sydney, is bringing 26 bags of Australian mail and 35 parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The Kiwitea, which is due at New Plymouth on Wednesday from Melbourne, has four bags of mail and two parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The Marama's mail is expected to reach the local Post Office on Wednesday evening, and the mail by the Kiwitea on Friday.

Apprentices’ Wages «I should be very sorry to see any boy .—who was a good stamp of boy getting less than 15s a week,” said Mr H. Kitson, chairman of the Christchurch Domains Board, when the question of the scale of wages to be paid to apprentices in the Botanic Gardens came up for discussion, Mr W. H. Winsor held the view that the scale, rising from 15s in the first year to 50s at the end of the fifth year, was too high when compared with wages in other centres. Mr Lyons joined issue with Mr Winsor, stating that the type of boy they had in mind was not a “ clod," but an intelligent boy who would learn quickly and do a fair day’s work. Mr Kitson remarked that it was not a liberal wage they were offering, but that it afforded some little inducement to a good type of boy. It was decided after discussion not to establish a fixed scale, but to start the boys at 15s and review the position from year to year. Farmers and Hard Times Some amusement was caused during a visit by Auckland Hospital Board members to the northern end of the hospital district, where they met many settlers in connection with matters pertaining to the district nursing services. The farmers were complaining about the hard times through which they were passing (says the Auckland Star), and saying they worked as hard as the old pioneers, who first settled at Port Albert and other localities in that district. “Now, look here,” observed one of the members, “ how many of you fellows have, motor cars? ” and a general smile came over the faces of those present, and it was candidly admitted that motor cars seemed almost a necessity for farmers in these days. They were getting splendid roads now, so different to those the pioneers had to travel, and why should they not use them? Anyway, the members left with the impression that the farmers were worthy successors to the early settlers, and when good times came again they would reap a rich harvest because of the way they were developing their land. When the Dome Valley road was completed, that Would be the greatest transformation in roadmaking the district had .ever known, and it would link many districts much closer together. Kissed Two Children A relief worker, Hugh Hughes, aged 58. pleaded not guilty in the Hamilton Police Court to two charges of assaulting children. Senior Sergeant Sweeney said that while employed on footpath improvements at Whitiora, the accused stopped a child of seven years and kissed her. The child was unknown to the accused. Constable Callaghan submitted a statement signed by the accused, in which he admitted having kissed another child of three years and a-half. The accused gave evidence admitting having kissed the children, but denying that he had assaulted them. The magistrate, Mr Wyvern Wilson, said he regarded it as a very grave offence for anyone to interfere with the freedom and rights of children who could not look after themselves. Passionate familiarity such us the accused had shown would not be tolerated. : The accused was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.

“ My Country First ” , Reference to the motto of the Itußi® patriot, Giuseppe Garibaldi, ‘"My country first,” and its application to presentday difficulties was made by the Go|j-ernor-General (Lord Bledisloe) at a lecture on Garibaldi given at Victoria College (Wellington) by Professor F. P. Wilson. The world, said his Excellency, was passing through almost unprecedented difficulties, problems, anxieties, and perplexities, but surely it was the same spirit, so well expressed by the motto, "My country first,” which, when fully and clearly called forth, was going to save modern Italy and the other great civilised nations of the world. Selfless patriotism, combined with the determination to pursue the highest ideals of nationalism and nationhood, such as had inspired Garibaldi, would carry modern civilisation through the stupendous difficulties that were facing it at the present time.

Certificates of Naturalisation The Gazette, published last week, sets out the names of 21 persons in different parts of the country who have been granted certificates of naturalisation, in accordance with the provisions of the British Nationality and Status of Alien* Act, 1928. The respective countries of birth shown are: Denmark (6), Germany (3), Norway (3), Italy (2), Jugoslavia, Holland, Poland, Finland, Belgium, France, and Russia (1 each). With one exception those granted the certificates are all males.

Man Declared Alive The courts have the power to declare a man dead, but they also have the power to declare him alive, and the Acting-Chief Justice, Sir Leo Cussen, exercised this power in the Practice Court, Melbourne, the other day, when it was proved to Lis satisfaction that the death of William Pelchen, formerly a farmer, was a legal and not a physical death. Heinrich Pelchen, a brother of the “dead” man, told Mr Justice Mann on August 18 that William had left for New South Wales in 1910, and he had not been heard of since 1920. The application had its sequel last week when William Pelchen, on the ground that he was alive and well, asked the Acting-Chief Justice to revoke the grant of letters of administration. The request was granted. Dominion’s Scenery Whole-hearted enthusiasm for the scenic beauties of New Zealand is voiced by Mr E. O’Sullivan, of Melbourne, general manager of the English, Scottish, and Australian Bank, who is in Auckland at. the conclusion of a holiday visit to the Dominion. “I have not had a single dull moment since I have been here,” he said. "Australians who miss an opportunity to visit your beautiful country are simply robbing themselves of one of the most enjoyable experience? imaginable.” Mr O’Sullivan paid a high tribute to the standard of hotel accommodation in the Dominion. One expected good hotels in large cities, he said, but hotels in the small towns of Australia simply could not compare with hotels in the country districts in New Zealand. The Dominion’s country hotels were comfortable, the service wai excellent, and the food was frequently worthy of a first-class metropolitan hotel. Added to this, tariffs were most reasonable, “The beauties of New Zealand scenery must make every visitor an Oliver Twist among tourists,” Mr O’Sullivan said. “ There is nothing in Australia comparable to your uncanny thermal regions, your beautiful lake country, the magnificent mountains and glaciers of the Southern Alps and the matchless West Coast sounds. New Zealanders should never cease to be thankful for the beauties of their own land."

City Police Court There was no business to bring before the City Police Court on Saturday.

Tenders are being called for the lease of portion of the railway reserve at Milton. Austin the name implies British Quality Motor Car. See the latest Ten Four—£2B9 complete.—Austin Motors (Otago), Ltd., 284/6 Princes street, phone 13-215.—Advt. Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V, Sturmer, optician (2 OctagoflJ, thus conserving good vision for old age.— A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner or Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359.—Advt. Buy that Christmas Gift you require from Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians, 490 Moray place, Dunedin.-r Advt.