City Police Court

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22269, 23 May 1934, Page 6

City Police Court

As there were no cases to be dealt with there was no sitting of the City Police Court yesterday morning. Trees and Power Lines

The engineer of the Otago Electric Power Board (Mr K. D. Veitch) .reported at the monthly meeting at Milton vaster-, day that the majority of consumers were adopting the practice of advising the board when they intended feeling trees near power lines. Some, however, had failed to do so, and there had been cases of damage to power lines as a result of trees falling on them. The chairman (Mr A. E. Russell) said that in future cases proceedings would be taken against those concerned. The breaking of pow-er lines in this manner resulted in a severe loss to the })oard, and the interruption of power services caused consumers considerable inconvenience.

Importation of Canned Fruit The importation of Australian canned fruit has been giving the fruitgrowers of this district much concern (writes our Roxburgh correspondent), and unless something is done to combat the dumping of canned fruits on the New Zealand market the industry in the Dominion will be seriously threatened. The Teviot Fruitgrowers’ Association has been in communication with the canning companies operating in Otago and Nelson, and a conference has been arranged with the managing directors in Nelson and Dunedin. This will take place in Dunedin on June 1. Representatives of the other associations are being invited to attend, and an endeavour will be made to meet members of Parliament and the Minister and place the position before them.

Beech for Tennis Rackets It is highly probable (says a Press Association telegram from Invercargill) that nest season Southland lawn tennis players will be using rackets made from silver beech grown in their own province. The manager of the Co-operative Beech Company of Southland has received advice from a well-known Sydney firm that Southland beech of high-bending quality has been tried for racket frames with satisfactory results. An order for this class of timber has been placed, and it is probable that rackets made from beech will appear on the market.

Progress in Broadcasting " Broadcasting in New Zealand is making most gratifying and continuous progress,’’ said the Postmaster-general (Mr A. Hamilton),when declaring the radio exhibition at the Town Hall iu Wellington open last night (says a Press Association telegram). In 1925 when broadcasting was first instituted as a national service, he said, there were some 3000 listeners. At March 31 last there were nearly 118,000 receiving licenses issued. It was computed that the number of radio licensee to the population in New Zealand . was 75 per 1000. It was estimated that one house in every three had a radio set installed, and it might not be wide of the mark to prophesy that in a few years radio sets would be in practically every house.

Round Trip to India A fourmionths’ cruise to India and back was the enjoyable experience of six ’New Zealanders who arrived at Auckland by the Union Company’s chartred Eastern freighter Narbada on May 10. The vessel, which reached Dunedin yesterday, left Bluff in ballast for Newcastle at the end of January and loaded coal at the New South Wales port. From Newcastle the Narbada proceeded to the East, making calls at a number of ports in different parts of the East Indies and the Straits Settlements. A sta/ of two weeks in Calcutta enabled the passengers to occupy flats ashore and get an insight into life in the great port of India. On the eve of the Narbada’s departure on the return voyage each member of the Indian crew and the passengers were inoculated against cholera, a precaution always taken at Calcutta and without which landing is not allowed in the Dutch East Indies ports. A further inoculation was given at sen, but this did not prevent one of the crew dying at Singapore. A large consignment of tea was taken on board at Calcutta, and a further freight of rice at Rangoon. Further south, at Singapore, large quantities of pineapples were added to the cargo, and during the many calls through Java, Sourabaya, and other East Indian ports bales of kapok and bags of sago and tapioca helped to swell a typical Eastern freight. Excellent weather prevailed throughout the trip, weeks passing with the ship on an almost even keel. Except for a spell of cold weather during the last two days, warm conditions prevailed throughout the trip. Shop Girls in Uniform

One of the large stores in Brisbane has had its young ladies —perhaps less politely described as “ female shop assistants ” attired in uniforms approximating to those of the trained nurse sisterhood. The nurses have publicly complained of the trespass upon what they regard as something particularly associated with their calling, and ask that the copying should be prohibited. In that they have a lot of sympathy,. One “ ex-army sister ” suggests something in the nature of a boycott, but really (writes the Brisbane correspondent of the Melbourne Age) the mass of the people do not care much about uniforms, (bough they are rather inclined to admire the gentlemen who stand at the entrances to some of the picture theatres more resplendent than the Gilbertian major-general. But the girl workers in the store, it may be, are no more fond of uniform than are domestic helps; indeed, a good proportion of our democrats are hostile to uniforms of any kihd unless theybe those of the Salvation Army. So far we have not had a proposal to seek legislation against uniforms of nurses being taken to the base uses of- commercialism.

Art and the Public

Since it was i opened three weeks ago the Empire Art Loan Collection has turned the Pioneer Hall into a veritable Mecca for art-lovers. It has provided them with an extraordinary stimulus and an unflagging theme of discussion. The variety of the exhibition has proved to be one of its most effective features, and has. furnished matter, indeed, for many interesting and sometimes entertaining differences of opinion. Certainly the first venture of the Empire Art Loan Collections Society will long be remembered in this community. Art-lovers acknowledge their debt to the society for the delightful interlude, for the oasis of colour in these cheerless winter days, which it has provided. In their many walks round the gallery season-ticket holders linger in fj-ont of works the persistent appeal of which they find irresistible. Beauty in art, they no doubt reflect,-as they ponder the sweep of the brush of Augustus John or . the intricacies of line of .Muirhead Bone, is achieved by different methods, but it is built on craftsmanship. To make friends with a picture is good, but the "acting with it becomes difficult. That this exhibition is drawing to a close will be a matter of great regret to many. The attendance has been remarkably well maintained, yet there are people in Dunedin whom one meets every day, and of whom one would expect some interest in all forms of culture, who appear to be quite unaware that any special attraction is being staged for the public edification at,the Pioneer Hall at the present time. Next week they may possibly realise with surprise that they have missed something. A Three-tailed Lizard

A living specimen of a three-tailed lizard has, been forwarded to the Dominion Museum by Mrs H. C. Wilkinson, of Featberston. The director of the museum (Mr W. R. B. Oliver') stated yesterday (says a Press Association telegram) that though he knew of threetailed lizards being found in other countries, this was the first occasion,on which he had heard of one in New Zealand, and the find was of considerable interest to zoologists. Needless Alarm Nervously reacting to the simultaneous flash of an electric torch and report of a toy pistol, which came from a stationary car as he passed through the township of Manakau, a motorist stepped hard on the '“gas,” aud made all speed to OtakfV about seven miles, distant, there to report to the police that he‘had been the victim of an attempted but unsuccessful “hold-up" in broad daylight. The motorist, accompanied by a police officer —rboth protectively equipped for even-tualities-—returned in haste to the scene of the alleged outrage, only to discover that the incident was due to nothing more than the experiments of a ■ couple 'of youths with a flashlight and a comparatively harmless weapon primed with gunpowder caps. Women Police Advocated The subject of the introduction of women to the police force has also been strongly urged by this society ■ for. the last 20 years (says the annual report of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children). Several European and Asiatic countries have utilised the services of women' in this department, and many countries haye established special schools for their training. Wherever they have been employed their services have been appreciated, by the authorities. When only those women enter this field who arc trained for the task and who are animated by the desire to serve the public good, with neither personal nor political ambitions, a great deal of the opposition will disappear, and their usefulness will become apparent.

Signals of Distress An interesting contest between representatives of two honourable and highly skilled professions took place in the Civil Court in Melbourne recently, when Mr Justice Duffy was hearing evidence in a will case. Counsel for the pnoppunders of the will called two Collins street doctors, both recognised authorities on mental and nervous disorders, to’ prove that the testator When he made the last of his four wills was of reasonably sound mind. The opposing counsel subjected these two witnesses to long and searching cross-exami-nation —possibly to the enlightenment of the judge, but certainly to the bewilderment of most people in the court. The official shorthand writer had to keep his head down to his work to record the details of the duel between law and medicine. He appeared to be doing very well until counsel asked one of the doctors what seemed to be a simple question about the condition of the testator after he had been smitten by a paralytic stroke. The doctor replied that the condition was one of cerebral arteriosclerosis, of which there were various types, namely, arteriosclerotic brain atrophy, sub-cortical encephalitis, perivascular gliosis, senile cortical devastation, and At this stage signals of distress were hoisted by the panting official . shorthand writer, who. was compelled to acknowledge himself beaten —beaten, but not disgraced. No shorthand system ever invented could cope with this torrent of unintelligible jargon. Even learned counsel was somewhat staggered. His Honor only smiled understandingly.

Maori** Turbines Defective During an overhaul of the express steamer Maori at Wellington last March prior to her intended resumption of service in Wellington-Lyttelton passenger run, it was discovered, that there were serious defects in her turbine mechanism. The turbine was shipped to Sydney and its overhaul has only now been completed, the trouble, it is understood, being largely in connection with the blading. It will be brought back to Wellington by the Monowai, which is due on Monday from Sydney, and will be immediately installed in the Maori, which should begin running in the express steamer service early next month. The Maori was to have replaced the Wahine in April, the intention being for the latter ship to be laid up at Wellington for the winter months while the Maori and the Rangatira ran between Lyttelton and Wellington. The Rangatira was to have undergone her annual overhaul last month, but as she was required to continue her running indefinitely, this project had to b e abandoned, the ship being merely cleaned and painted and not being withdrawn from the service.

Endowment Policy Taxation The attention of payers of income tax is drawn in this year’s return forms to a piece of legislation which very largely passed unnoticed when it was enacted in the dying stages of the lest session of Parliament. Under “ Claims for Special Exemption ” in Part D of the form the clause relating to insurance premiums “ on my own life, for my own benefit or for the benefit of my wife and children ” is followed by the following in parentheses;—“No allowance given for premiums paid on the lives of either wife or children, nor on any- pure endowment policy effected after the 22/12/33/ In other words, exemption will no longer be allowed for premiums paid on policies of the “investment” or “speculative” class under which, if death occurs before the expiration of the . ,<licy>'the estate of the assured receives only the actual premiums paid, or perhaps interest on the premiums if an agreement has been made to: that effect. The New Zealand legislation follows a similar enactment at Home in 1916. The amendment aims at preventing persons escaping from the payment of income tax by taking out shortterm pure endowment policies which afford them incon/e tax exemption up to 15 per cent, of their assessable income. Such a practice was not uncommon among elderly people of means who were uninsnrable. but an official of a large insurance company told a reporter that not a great deal of business had been done under that heading.

! New Australian Cruller ■ Pending receipt of certain information from the Admiralty, the Commonwealth Minister of Defence is withholding any official announcement as to the Government’s policy in connection with the new , cruiser which, when it is obtained, will j constitute a much-needed addition to the | Royal Australian Navy. It is understood I (the Melbourne Age says) that tne re- ! quest which the Commonwealth Government has made to the British Government is to-the effect that one of the Leander class of cruisers which had been, laid down to the order of the British Government should be transferred to the order of the Commonwealth Government. If that request he granted, the new cruiser will be commissioned for service with the Australian squadron a year .earlier than otherwise would be possible. If it be not granted, about two years must elapse before the new cruiser can join the station. The Iron Duke

In the possession of Mr H. H. Hardinge, of Ponsonby, Auckland, is a letter which was written by. the Duke of Wellington in 1838. The letter was in reply to one from Mr Hardinge’s father, who at that time was a major in the 14th Regiment of Lancers. The duke stated that lie wa s not at that time Gommander-in-Chief of the British Army, and that he did not bold any political position. A feature of the letter is the bold, well-formed writing, which was characteristic of. 'the writer. •• ■?)- ■ '

Greymouth Harbour Subsidy . The Greymouth Harbour Board, whose subsidy was last year £2625 less than the £10,500 promised, has .received advice from the Marine Department that; £3OOO on account of This year’s subsidy .is. beingpaid, blit Cabinet has not fixed any total for the year. Originally, the. board .received £15,000 yearly, but after being " docked ” all subsidy for one year, t the amount has gradually been lowered until it was £7875 last year;. The matter was brought before Mr Coates during his visit to Greymouth, when it wag stated that with an estimated revenue of £17,000 to £20,000, there was £13,000 needed for interest and sinking fund on the board debt to the Government. Mr G’oates said the Government would endeavour to meet the board as far as possible.

The Right-hand’Habit Out of every 100 people, 17 are born strongly right-handed, three strongly lefthanded, and the.reraaining 80 have equal capacity for either (states a writer in a Sydney journal). In the adult, however, out of the 80, only two, as a riile, are ambidextrous, tl)e remainder having acquired the right-hand habit Many theories have been advanced -as to the reason for the predominance in the .skill of the right hand over-the left. They may be tabulated ,as follows: —(1) Nursing and infantile treatment; . (2) result of practice in writing arid drawing; (3) acquired habit; (4) the. outcome,iof, war, education and heredity; (5) the result :p£ internal organic structure; (6) instinct: (7) result of visceral, distribution;; (8) due. to arrangement of blood vessels; 1(9) result of brain one-sidedness. ■ Lefthanded people or people who have their left side well trained (thus training the right gide of the brain) .hardly ever. Buffer from aphasia. Thus,’ ambidexterity i* well worth, cultivating for that reason alone, so, although left-handed people should cultivate the use of. the right hand as well, right-handed people should cultivate the left hand.

Self-satisfied New Zealanders

New Zealand suffered badly from smugness, said Mr J. R. Cuningham' in the course of iv travel talk in ‘ Christchurch on Monday, Compared'with other countries it wag badly behind in a number of things. For instance, New Zealand business men found it: impossible to arrange for proper holidays for themselves, and holidays were essential- for business men. The blending of.foods to ensur* proper diet: was- not: understood, at all. There were too many baggy . knees among business men. “We are victims of our own virtue,” said Mr Ciraingham/. “We are simply too good,. ,We have not enough gin aihong us. Amongst the peoples of the world we are Without doubt known, as the good little boy, ' We sit with our clean, pink face among all the other boy* with their black, dirty faces, but they have done something—we haven’t. _ If would do us good to have a few.-, political scandals in this' country, because we would; then begin to take some interest in poll- / tics. If Mr Coates' were to take all the money from the Treasury and bolt, it would do u s good from some points of view. • New Zealanders are .too smug, and complacent. They suffer from their aloofness.”. . ...

The Separatist Circular The Christchurch Times states that 1 local members of Paliaraent.to whom the Blenheim telegram relating to a separatist movement in the South Island was referred had not 'heard of. the party. They were inclined to doubt its, existence. Mr H. Holland said he had heard nothing of the movement, and Mr H. ,'S. S. Kyle accepted the title with, mirth, " I wonder what their slogan is,” he remarked. A business man, interested in politics, suggested humorously that a<former Christchurch M.P. was behind the movement. "Someone in either having a colossal ‘legpull ’ or it is a new political party,” he said. The clerks of the various , local bodies near Christchurch had heard nothing of the organisation. .

Life in the Antarctic * It'was impossible to catch a cold in the southern polar regions, said Mr E.AFalla, ornithologist at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.‘in an address in Auckland. Mr Falla, who was associated with the Mawson Expedition to the Antarctic, said that there was no disease in those regions, and every morning one woke feeling absolutely fit. Modem expeditions were much better equipped, than those o! Scott, for instance. Though Scott’s men had had food prepared for them; in accordance with the latest ■ information available, it had been deficient. Mawson’s expedition, on the other hand, had been given food which lacked; nothing in nutritive elements; It had been found that a greater quantity of fats and sugars was absorbed than would have been possible in civilisation. In fact, the amount of sugar which was taken would have meant acute diabetes in normal lif«.

The Railways Department announces in this issue particulars of special week-end excursion fa-res between stations Dunedin to Oamaru and vice versa, and between stations from Dunedin to Balclutha and vice versa, issuable each weekend from Saturday May 26. It is the beauty in design, Workmanship, and finish that induces the young lady to select our rings—Williamsons, diamond setters, 31 Princes street. — A< A. t ’E. J. Blakeley and W. jE. 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. Sturmer, optician (2 Octagon), thus conserving good vision for old age.— Advt . Those who are requiring an engagement ring will do well to inspect our lings.— Peter Dick, ring specialist, 490 Moray place, Dunedin. —Advt.