Art Society's Exhibition

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21983, 19 June 1933, Page 6

Art Society's Exhibition

The exhibition of paintings, photographs, and crafts work which has been open to the public for some days in the Pioneer Hall, was brought to a close on Saturday night. The attendances, which from the commencement were consistently good, were maintained till the final day, and the exhibition may be classed as one of the most successful of the society's, winter efforts for some years. The sales were recorded on Saturday of Mrs Elizabeth M'Crorie's "Homestead, Morven Hills," and Mr A. Dickison's " Lake Waihola." • Butter Prices in Wellington

The wholesale price of butter in the Wellington market will be advanced today by Id per lb, making the wholesale price lid per lb net. Lost Silver Recovered

A message from Wanganui states that three leather bags containing silver to the value of £Bl3, which disappeared from a taxi on June. 4, were discovered on Friday among some scrub on the roadside on the Great North road, 11 miles north of Wanganui. John Ralph Penny, a taxi driver, who brought William Toomey, the owner of the silver, from Auckland, is at present on remand on a charge of theft. Developments in Auckland are expected to follow the recovery of the money.

Fire Brigade Calls The City Fire Brigade was called out at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday to a house at 163 Taieri road, where flames had broken out as the result of an attempt to stimulate a fire by the use of petrol. The outbreak was extinguished before any material damage was done. At 10.17 last night the brigade answered a call to High street, where a chimney fire had occurred.

Noted Maori Navigator Historically correct in the details of its construction and decorative symbols, a memorial t 6 the famous Polynesian navigator, Turi, in the form of a replica of the Aotea canoe, is in course of construction at Patea. The-memorial is composed of six ornamental pillars of concrete, faced with boulders, supporting a canoe 55ft long and sft wide. The prow attachment, or tauihu, which is being worked in concrete at Hawera, is more than half finished. It features two large scroll | designs which typify speed, and a groI tesque projecting figure. The detail work between the scrolls and in other parts is being carefully executed to conform with photographs of the carvings preserved in the museums at Auckland and Wellington. It is expected that the prow will be completed shorty for removal to Patea. Work will be commenced later on the stern attachment, or taurapa, and the unveiling of the memorial will take place on July , 19. Turi was a famous navigator and 'warrior, unsurpassed in Maori tradition for valour and determination, and was a founder of the Maori race in New Zealand. He settled at Patea following his 1300-mile voyage from Raeatea in the war canoe Aotea. Turi fortified the headland to the south of Patea River, and the descendants of the migration still reside in the district.

Bush at Wakatipu A paragraph which appeared in these columns a few days ago quoted Mr W. A. Kennedy, in a lecture at Christchurch on Qucenstown, as saying that there was very little bush on the shores of the upper reaches of Lake Wakatipu. He attributed this to the carelessness of picnic parties failing to put their fires out before they left, the bush gradually smouldering away. A different view is taken by Mr E. L. Bryant, of Invercargill, who formerly lived at the head, of the lake. He declares that tourists are not to blame for the fires. He recalled that the first fire occurred early in January, 1887, and was the result of buslimen failing to extinguish their fire. The second, in March, 1894, was started by a runholder when endeavouring to clear a way for his sheep.

New Zealand Plants " The more I see 'of British gardens and gardeners, the more I learn to prize our New Zealand plants," writes Mr J. G. C. MacKenzie, of Wellington, who is at present studying in Kew Gardens, London, to Dr L. Cockayne, the eminent botanist. "At a recent lecture in Kew on choice trees and shrubs," writes Mr MacKenzie, "I was surprised at the number of New Zealand plants mentioned. At this meeting I heard that Pachystegia insignis was one of the two plants especially admired by her Majesty Queen Mary while on a visit to one of the large private gardens in the south of England. New Zealand plants played a large part in attracting attention to the British exhibits at the Ghent Quinquennial Exhibition."

Starving at Sea An account of the hardships he suffered when returning from Easter Tsland, which he visited in 1924 in his study of the ethnology of the Pacific, was given by Professor J. Macmillan Brown in' his address to the North Canterbury branch of the Educational Institute of New Zealand at its jubilee social in Christfhurch on Friday night. Hp went there at the age of 77. he said, and the voyage back in the schooner to Chile took 42 days instead of the usual 17 or 18. They were provisioned for the usual voyage, so that there was an acute shortage of food and water. He lost at least five stone in weight as the result of the experience!

Trying Britain's Patience "We must treat Great Britain fairly before she turns and smacks us," declared Mr Walter Baker, a Christchurch business man, who, on his return after a year spent in England, regards New Zealand's position with respect to her export trade very seriously. "We are sitting on top of a volcano," he said. "I am proud of being a New Zealander, but it has been impressed upon me that the idea of a million and a-half people imagining themselves a nation is ridiculous. The trouble is that we are suffering from an overdose of God's Own Country complex." Mr Baker said that £800,000,000 of British capital was invested in Argentina, a country which could supply all Britain's needs. It was only loyalty that had induced Britain to study New Zealand and put up with her unreasonable attitude so long, and Britain might decide at any time that it was not worth while to carry New Zealand any longer. The ship on which Mr Baker returned to New Zealand brought out only 4000 tons of enrgo and her capacity was 12,500 tons. That was the sort of thing that was happening all the time and Britain could not be expected to put lip with it. New Zealand's position was quite untenable. "Within five years, Britain will be tired of carrying us and then—. the Lord help us," Mr Baker added.

Murchison Earthquake The fourth anniversary of the Murchison earthquake, which occurred oh June 17, 1929, fell on Saturday. In all 16 persons -were killed in this earthquake, which, up to 1929, was the most disastrous experienced in New Zealand. Although the Napier earthquake on February 3, 1931, caused nearly 300 deaths, it has been maintained that the Murchison disturbance was greater in intensity, although the population in the affected area was small and scattered. News filtered through slowly from the West Coast, and it was not until the next morning that the full magnitude of the disturbance was made known. A vast area of land was uplifted and the damage to buildings'was extensive. In the area surrounding the centre of the upheaval the contour of the country was changed by many landslides. I Austin Motor Cars are designed to effect economical running costs. ' The Seven runs for years and years at less than a penny per mile. —Austin Motors (Otago), Ltd., 284/6 Princes street, phone 13-215.—Advt. A. E. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley : dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359.—Advt Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V. Stunner, optician (2 Octagon) thus conserving eood vision for old age.Advt. Those who are requiring an engagement ring will do well to inspect our rings.— Peter Dick, ring specialist, 490 Moray place Dunedin.—Advt.