The Shortest Day

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21985, 21 June 1933, Page 6

The Shortest Day

At the meeting of the branch of the Otago Institute last night Mr J. C. Begg, speaking on what is known as “ the shortest day,” said that it would actually occur to-morrow, June 22. On that day, about 8.42 a.m., the sun would attain its maximum distance north. It followed therefore that tonight would be the longest night. One read in the press from time to time that the shortest day was June 21, which was really a day in advance of the true date. The origin of the mistake was that in England the date, June 21, was probably correct, but New Zealand time was in advance of Home time, and consequently the date here , was one day later than in England. Mr Begg added that this was, as it were, the turning point of the year, and it was right that the correct date should be known. Stolen Goods Recovered I During January the Gladstone Presbyterian Home was entered and a quantity of goods removed. The whereabouts of the stolen/articles remained a mystery till yesterday (says a Press Association telegram from Invercargill), when Detective Sergeant Hewitt visited theNorthope district, where the missing property was discovered buried in the ground. A young man was later arrested. Invercargill Tram Fare* Penny sections were introduced on the Invercargill trams yesterday (says a Press Association telegram), which marks the beginning of a three months’ trial of a cheaper rate. For a penny a passenger will be carried a little over a mile. Membership Campaign {, The Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association now has a lead of 167 over the Christchurch Association in the membership campaign, the figures at June 15 being; Dunedin 1180. Christchurch 1013. Quality of New Zealand Cheese , In a letter from a London firm to its Dunedin house, the writer says:—“ So far as cheese is concerned, we are afraid New Zealand is rapidly losing the market. The quality has been very poor lately, and Canadian cheese is selling more freely and getting a better price. We are sorry to report this, but there ia no question about it; the quality has deteriorated very considerably during the past two years.” Broken Insulators The Otago Electric Power Board’s engineer (Mr R. D. Yeitch) reported at yesterday’s meeting of the board that several insulators at Purakanui had been broken by rifle bullets, and the board decided to offer a reward of £5 for information leading to the conviction of offenders. j Performance by Massed Choir

An unusual opportunity of hearing the beauties of Stainer’s “The Crucifixion,” as rendered by a massed choir, will be presented to the Dunedin public on Sunday evening in the Town Hall. after church hours. The choir of about 450 voices, drawn from the various churches in the city, will be controlled by Mr Alfred Walmsley, and the city organist (Dr V. E. Gal-way) will provide the organ accompaniment, which should of itself be a feature of vthe rendition. A section of the choir which promises something of more than ordinary musical appeal will be that composed of about 30 choir ‘boys from St. Matthew’s Church and St. Paul’s Cathedral, whose voices should give to sections of the work a particularly charming quality. The soloists will be Messrs Ernest Drake, E. R. Benton, and Allan Fleming. It is understood that recent practices have revealed an unexpectedly well-balanced tone, and it is anticipated that the performance, which is in aid of the Mayor’s Unemployment Fund, will be a memorable one. Sealy Saddle Crossed A mountaineering party of four men from South Westland reached Timaru on Monday, having crossed the Sealy Saddle. The -party, which consisted of Messrs W. Gunn (Wataroa), E. Berry (Harihari), and A. and J. Nolan (Wataroa), left Matainui, South Westland, on June 19, and made its way past the saddle and down the Godley glacier, arriving there on Friday last, and reaching Tekapo House that evening. The weather was generally good, only one bad day being experienced, but as the conditions were threatening on Thursday it was decided to make a short trip. Although the men are accustomed to the beautiful scenery on the West Coast, members of the party were impressed with that through which they passed on their trip, considering it quite the best they had yet seen. Animals, which they believe to be chamois, were seen by them on the West Coast side of Skone Creek, but they were unable to got close enough to make certain. The opinion that it would be feasible to ski from the terminal face of the other side of the glacier to the terminal face on this side, owing to the grade being slight, was expressed by Messrs Gunn and Nolan,

Kiwis, ob West Coast

A report that kiwis are still to he found in fairly large numbers in the bush in parts of Westland has been brought to Dunedin by a tourist who has just returned from a trip into some little-known parts of the West Coast. Though he did not have the good fortune to see the birds himself, the traveller states that he has reason to believe that they do exist and are, indeed, plentiful in some parts.

Annual Tram Tickets The provision of annual tramcar tickets was discussed by the Auckland Transport Board yesterday (says a Press Association telegram), and it was decided to make the passes available to the general public at an annual cost of £l2 12s, the tickets not to be available on Sundays. The tickets are to be issued subject to certain restrictions ensuring that only the purchaser shall be able to use them.

“ Basic ” English A new English language, intended for international use, whose 850-word list may be said slowly on a gramophone record in 15 minutes, has been devised by the Orthological Institute, Cambridge. The main features of Basic English, as it is called, are the suppression of the verb and reliance upon 600 selected nouns. Great thought and experimentation have been applied to the new language—which is new only in the sense that one has to get along with a platoon instead of an army corps of words —and its- originators' claim (according to an article in the American Mercury) to have improved on Esperanto. That Basic resembles in some respects American slang would not at first sight appear a recommendation, but we learn that experts contend American slang is more easily broken up into its component parts than is " British English." English, as the article points out, is the language, either of use or government, of more than a fourth of the world’s population, and at any given time 80,000,000 persons are learning it. Basic English is easily learnt, say its inventors, and round this nucleus of the most useful words in the language the foreigner, or the unlettered nonforeigner, may proceed to build up his knowledge of the language. Two sentences will serve to show that Basic, though a little quaint, is not so inflexible a medium as might he imagined:—“The English language may itself, little by little, be damaged by the reading of bad writings, put together without care. Good English is one of the best, if not the best, of languages for the thought of to-day.”

“ Imperial Bee ” Honey The Government has advanced a loan of £6OOO to the Honey Control Board to enable it to purchase from the liquidators of the New Zealand Honey Producers’ Association the good will and trade-mark of “ Imperial Bee ” honey. Repayment (says a Press Association telegram) will be made out of the levy on the export of honey.

Gratuities to Hospital Staff i An allegation that certain business interests were giving gratuities to members of the Auckland Hospital staff in return for custom was made by the Rev. W. C. Wood at a meeting of the Hospital Board. Mr Wood referred to the report from the House Committee (reports our special correspondent) that certain taxi owners were in the habit of distributing bonus tokens to members of the hospital staff. “The position is that if a member of the staff, telephones for a certain taxi company’s cab. on behalf of a patient or visitor he is handed a disc worth threepence by the taxi driver,” Mr Wood said. “ When a number of discs have been obtained they are redeemable for cash. Even the undertakers have adopted similar measures by making payments to members of the staff in return for securing orders.” It was stated that the medical superintendent had been asked to give instructions to the effect that on no account should employees accept gratuities. How About Reciprocity?

A North Auckland resident was -reminded recently that there are two sides to every question. He corresponds regularly with friends in London, and had formed the habit, of putting a small written advertisement on the back of the envelopes sent Home appealing for support for New Zealand produce. Last week the English mail brought him a letter from one of his London friends, and on the back of the envelope was written: “Britain is playing the game in buying New Zealand butter. Is New Zealand doing likewise by raising the tariff on British goods 25 per cent, through the rate of exchange? ” Waitomo’s First Name It is not generally known (says the Auckland Star) that the former Union Company steamer Waitomo, which is at present berthed at the western viaduct preparing. for her voyage to China, was not specially built for the New Zealand trade. When launched at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1911 the Waitomo was known as the Gifford, and it was as the Gifford that she was purchased by the Union Company two years after her launching. At the time that the steamer came into possession of the New Zealand company it was reported in the press that she had cost £57.000, a price equal to £7 12s per ton deadweight.

Testing of Concrete The steady increase in strength of concrete used for the construction of buildings in N a P ie r silice regular tests were commenced by the council authorities is indicated in a report prepared by the engineeer, Mr H. R. Climie. Following the commencement in earnest of the reconstruction of the city it was urged by many who had the interest of the property owners at heart that some system of regular testing should be adopted in regard to the materials used in buildings. Mr Climie states that from 80 to 90 tests had been carried out each quarter since the system was adopted. The test has been to crush cubes of concrete from the site after they have been allowed-28 days in which to become set. The tests gave the following interesting figures of the increase in’ strength;—July, August, and September, 1932, 31061 b per square inch, approximately 28 tons; October, November, and December,'36lolb, approximately 32 tons; January, February, and March, 1933, 37721 b, 33 tons; April, May, 40811 b, 36 tons. • City Police Court There were no cases Set down,for hearing in the City Police Court yesterday. The Beaumont Hotel In our report on Saturday morning of the meeting of the Central Otago Licensing Committee it was stated in error that the police report on the Beaumont Hotel disclosed that 10 Convictions for after-hours’ trading had been entered. Actually the .report stated that 10 men had been convicted for being found in the hotel yard after closing time, but the men had not been in the hotel. An exhibition of pictures by Miss Kathleen Salmond, who has studied art in Cornwall and London, is now being held in the New Zealand 800k < Depot, Octagon. The collection consists of water colours and oils. To the Motoring Public the word “ Austin ” denotes a standard of excellence and dependability, which sets Austin Cars in a class by which others are coim pared. See the 1933 models at Austin Motors (Otago), Ltd., 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 good 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.