Overseas Mails

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22137, 15 December 1933, Page 10

Overseas Mails

New Zealand mails which were despatched from Auckland by the Aorangi on November 14 for the United Kingdom, via Vancouver, arrived at London on December 12. f Christmas Fruits Consignments of dried fruits for the Christmas market will reach Dunedin today by the steampr Kartigi, which loaded her freight at Edithburg, Adelaide, and Melbourne, The cargo includes South Australian products and fruits from Mediterranean ports. The latter cargo was transhipped from several overseas vessels at Melbourne. A Freak Sweet Pea Something in the nature of a record sweet pea has been grown by Miss R. Sanders in her garden, Harbour terrace. Instead of having the usual three or live flowers on the one stem, this specimen will finally have no fewer than 21 pink flowers on its particularly thick stem. At present the lowet four flowers are out and the upper 17 are still in bud. This freak was grown in a bed of ordinary sweet pears, for which the seed was obtained from the Moa seed farm at Ettrick. Wool for United Kingdom

In addition to the steamers fixed to load at Port Chalmers, the National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd., agents for Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, advise that the passenger steamer Tainui is scheduled to arrive at Port Chalmers on December 30 to load frozen meat, dairy produce, and also will serve the Dunedin wool sale of December 20. After embarking passenger's on January 5 the Tainui will sail at daybreak the next morning for Southampton and London, via Panama and Kingston (Jamaica). The vessel is due at Southampton on February IS.

Claims of South .Island Upheld Regret that the tourist attractions of the South Island have been overlooked by the Cunard Company in the drawing up of a intinerary for the world cruise of the Franconia is expressed by the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association in a letter which has recently been despatched to the headquarters of the company in Liverpool. Pointing out that the association is entirely disinterested in the matter, the letter expresses the hope that when the next cruise is being arranged the claims of the South Island will not be overlooked. “We undoubtedly possess at this southern end of the Dominion,” states the letter, “scenery that can vie with anything obtainable in the north, and in the case of our lakes and fiords it far surpasses anything elsewhere in New Zealand, and indeed, compares favourably with scenery of a like nature in any part of the world. Our desire is that tourists may have an opportunity of viewing some of the finest natural beauties to be seen anywhere; and, further, that this end of New Zealand may not be entirely ignored in connection with tourist traffic from overseas.”

Malicious False Alarm The City Fire Brigade was called out at 7.55 p.m. yesterday as the result of a malicious false alarm from the corner of Every street and Highcliff road. Portobello Scenic Reserve With a view to improving the Titeremoona Scenic Reserve it was decided at the meeting of the Peninsula County Council, held yesterday, to plant a number of pohutukowa trees on the island. The control of this reserve, popularly known as Pudding Island, near Portobello, has now been vested in the council. “A beauty spot could be made of the island,” said, the chairman, Cr H. Maeandrew. It was pointed out that pohutukowas could be successfully grown in the South Island as well as in the North. Measles in Schools At the quarterly meeting of the Otago School Committees’ Association last night, the president (Mr H. H. Johnston) referred to the fact that measles were prevalent in several of the city and suburban schools, and said that in his own school (Musselburgh) 50 pupils were down with the malady, with a probability of this total increasing during the next few days. In the circumstances there was a possibility that the Health Department might step in with a view to preventing any gathering of children, so that it might be advisable for committees to apply to the Education Board for permission to hold their break-up ceremonies earlier that) was originally intended, and if permission were granted, to hold the ceremonies in the open air so as to avoid any undue risk of infection. The chairman of the x Anderson’s Bay Committee (Mr J. C. H. Somerville) said that in the case of an epidemic a committee had power to close its school without referring to the board, and he had therefore decided that his school should be closed on the following day, the break-up to be held on Monday, and to be an out-of-doors function.

Antarctic Cold How cold is it in the south polar region? was a question which was answered by IJr H. Ninnis, a member of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-16 Antarctic expedition, in the course of an address at the break-up ceremony of the King Edward Technical College yesterday afternoon. The temperature, he stated, was usually 72 to 73 degrees below zero. That meant that there were 110 degrees of frost. By the new year of 1916, after three seasons in the south, the members of the expedition had become so accustomed to the cold that they had been uncomfortably warm when the temperature had risen to zero, and had walked about dad only in the very lightest clothing. " Distribution of the Bible

The distribution of the Bible by the British and Foreign Bible Society was criticised by Bishop C. A. Cherrington, Bishop of Waikato, at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Hamilton, on Sunday evening. “ I do not believe in a good deal of the work done by the society,” said Bishop Cherrington. The society, he said, was fulfilling a useful purpose by spreading the Word of God, but he was opposed to “ throwing the Bible about ” before ignorant and misguided people. He thought such an action was a great' mistake. The bishop said the Bible was a most priceless possession which should be treasured. It was a most sacred book and should be guarded carefully. It was the book of Christian people, and should be kept safe and sacred by them. The Bible should be made use of in such a way that future generations would properly safeguard and understand it. The Carriage of Fruit

Cold storage s investigations, according to a report made to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, reveal the fact that it has been shown desirable to carry Cox’s, Jonathan, and Sturmer apples at slightly higher temperatures than has been practised in the past, ia order to reduce wastage to a minimum and maintain quality at its best level. It is anticipated that, with the progress of years, when different matters have been subjected to thorough testing, the fruit industry will be gradually provided with new information which -vVill assist towards maintaining a high standard of quality. \Cold storage investigations have, in a number of other instances, reached stages when a certain amount of additional experimentation' is necessary to secure complete verification of results

Tasman Flyers’ Arrival Mr C. P. Ulm’s monoplane Faith In Australia is expected to arrive at North Taieri to-morrow, and the Otago Aero Club has made arrangements for the flyers to be accorded a civic reception by the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) at the aerodrome at 2 o’clock in the afternoons At the conclusion of the reception the president (Mr H. L. Paterson) will extend a welcome to Mr Ulm and party on behalf of the Otago Aero Club.

Scapa Flow Memories Lieutenant-commander Bingley, who was a destroyer commander at Scapa Flow through the war, in a recent address at Papakura related many striking stories of the days when they ran through the night without lights along a dangerous and unlit cogst. Reference was made to the death of Lord Kitchener. The commander said that it was sheer bad luck that he was drowned, as when the cruiser Hampshire left Scapa Flow a course was set north-east, but the weather turned out so bad that the destroyers' accompanying the cruiser were sent back, and the Hampshire i turned back through Pent-land Firth and round up the northwest coast of the Orkneys. It was round that coast that the cruiser struck a mine and sank.

Research Funds Decline Reference is made in the chairman’s •report to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to the falling-off in funds received from outside the Dominion towards the cost of various researches. “In view of the falling-off in the funds received from the Empire Marketing Board towards various researches, and from the Rockefeller Institute towards the maintenance of the Apia Observatory,” says the report, “it will be necessary for the council to give consideration to the measures which should be adopted in regard to the continuation or otherwise of the various activities affected, and an opportunity taken to bring before the Government such recommendations as will seem most desirable to meet the position which will arise in consequence.” With the conclusion of the Empire Marketing Board’s activities, revision of the grants received from this body have been undertaken by a specially constituted body in Great Britain, the policy in general being to maintain each of the remaining grants until the end of their respective periods.

No Opportunity for Engineers Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Christchurch on Wednesday and referring to engineering graduates of Canterbury College, the president (Mr A. F. Wright) remarked that a great many students were not able to find scope for their activities in the land which had trained them, and they had to find an outlet for their abilities and energies in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, the engineering profession, which was regarded as an important profession in the Dominion years ago, had to some extent been encroached upon in that the Government, through the Public Works Department, had carried out most of the large engineering works of the Dominion during the last 10 or 15 years. It was regrettable that it should be so, for there was no opportunity for advancement in New Zealand for students unless, as in a great many cases, they became members of the staff of the Public Works Department. They spent large sums of money in training young men, but lost them as New’ Zealand citizens, and through private enterprise not being allowed full sway in the Dominion they had lost the most valuably products of that important educational institution. .

Closing of Parliament According to a statement made by the Prime Minister (Mr Q. W. Forbes) yesterday (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington), the session of Parliament -will be concluded on Wednesday next

Ten Per Cent. Wages Cut Having resolved by a small majority last month to restore the 10 per cent, cut to its labourers and to abolish the rationing of outside work, the Auckland City Council as a special meeting (says a Press Association telegram) adopted the report by its Finance Committee postponing action indefinitely, and in any ease for the remainder of the present financial year. The committee was unanimous that the cuts should be restored and rationing abolished as soon as possible, but whether anything could be done next year it wag impossible to say.

Car Crashes Through Window Shortly after 1 o’clock this morning pedestrians going along Moray place were startled by the spectacle of a De Soto coupe car resting precariously in the narrow doorway of the premises of Messrs Spedding and Bagley, land agents. The car stood half-inside the large plateglass window, and while the battered petrol tank discharged gallons of fuel, heavy fragments of plateglass fell at intervals. It is understood that the owner of the car, unused to this particular make of vehicle, put the machine into reverse gear instead of low, and plunged headlong into the doorway from the adjacent parking area. The car suffered surpris. ingly little damage.

The Spirit of Adventure “It would be a sad thing for this school if it turned out boys whose only motto was ‘Safety first,"’ declared the headmaster (Mr R. J. Richards) at the prize-giving ceremony at Christ’s College, when referring (says a Presa Association telegram from Christchurch) to the deaths of two old boys, members of the Roy al Air Forces in aeroplane smashes during the year. “Last year I spoke with approval of the number of bpyg who were going Home to take up commissions," said- Mr Richards. “ During the past three years this school had been hard hit by, the number of young old boys lost in accidents in the Royal Air Force, but'. I do not believe that this will deter others entering the profession which must be well supplied even if it is more hazardous/than other professions. While we deplore the loss of these young lives, we remember them with pride, and hope that a due proportion of boys will never be lacking when adventure or danger points the way." '

Electricity and Tramway Concession* The Wellington City Council last night adopted the following recommendations (says a Press Association telegram):— That subject to the passing of legislation suspending certain provisions' regarding renewaPfunds, to reduce Ithe charge* for electricity for commercial lighting 33 1-3 per cent, and for domestic cooking and heating 25 per cent., and that single section tramway concession tickets be reduced 20 per cent. It is estimated that the electricity concessions will total £20,000 a year and the tramways concessions £15,000.

Plunket Day Collection Over £260 is in hand (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) as the result of the Plunket Day street collection in the city yesterday.

Three Rare Fish V Acquisitions of world-wide ; scientific significance' in' : the " realm ■ of ■ fish fauna have - been' made by the Auckland War Memorial ■ Museum (says a Press Association ■ telegram) as the result of recent discoveries in New Zealand, waters of three fish sent to the museum by the finders—a raft fish, a unicorn ribbon fish, and a longfinned albacore. The 'first-named has never before been found in the waters of New Zealand. The unicorn ribbon fish is, so far as it known, the most complete specimen of this very rare species ever to be recovered by scientists; and the albacore, it is believed, may prove to be of a type: not hitherto recorded in Nsw Zealand. The raft fish was cast ashore at Whangarei Heads, It is about four inches long, which is believed to be the maximum size. It is one of the deep-sea species sometimes east up on Australian beaches, where it is always considered a rarity* Its appearance in New Zealand waters constitutes something entirely new in the records of the Dominion’* fish fauna. ‘

City Police Court There were no cases set down for hearing at the City Police Court yesterday.

■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. Save your. eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V. Stumer; optician (2 Octagoh), thus, conserving good vision for old age.— Advt."■ i ' i • Those who are requiring an engagement ring wilf do well to inspect our rings.— Peter Dick, ring specialist, 490 Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt. •