Wagon Derailment Inquiry

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22293, 20 June 1934, Page 6

Wagon Derailment Inquiry

Mr G. J. Bertinshaw. the chief engineer of railways, and Mr P. R. Angus, chief locomotive superintendent of railways, who constituted the board set up to inquire into the cause of the wagon derailment at Kensington on June S, have now completed their investigations, and their findings have been forwarded to the general manager of railways (Mr G. 11. Mackley). "

City Police Court There was no business to occupy the attention of the City Police Court yesterday morning.

Drawing in Schools Drawing is not a strong subject (state th Otago school inspectors, in their annual report). The progress school children do not make in drawing, as compared with what they do make in such subjects as reading and arithmetic, must give one pause and leads to no conclusion other than that drawing does not get its due. We hope to see a marked uplift in this subject; and would stress the point that illustrative work is the correct starting point for formal practice, An object is worth drawing only in so fur as it bears relation.to a setting. Children should have much more opportunity of using drawing as a language. No matter how crude an effort may be, it is, from the point of view of art, worth something if it has motive and expresses thought and feeling.

Success at Hollywood Since Mr Colin Taplcy, a member of the well-known Dunedin family, won the '‘Search for Beauty ”, competition organised by the Paramount Filin Corporation last year, local motion picture em Uiusiasts .and others have followed his career with keen interest, and his pictures have been anxiously awaited. It is of. interest, therefore, to know that the picture “ Search Tor Beauty” has arrived in New Zealand. Mr S. Pitt, manager of llie Empire Theatre, received advice that, ir. consideration of the fine performance given by Mr Tapley in this film, it would he given its New Zealand premiere at the Empire Theatre, Dunedin, on July 20.: Badcock in Form >

A brilliant opening of his engagement by the Werneth Club, in the Central Lancashire Cricket League, was made by F. T. Badcock, Wellington, Otago, and New Zealand cricket representative. Werneth’s first match of the season was against Castleton Moor. Going in second wicket down, Badcock contributed 105 runs, including four sixes and 11 fours, to a score of 223 for five wickets, declared. Then he took eight wickets for 31 runs, six of them being qlean-bowled. and Castleton Moor was out for 74.

Training of Teachers For the first time in 57 years Otago and Southland students were compelled to pass by their own University centre in order to complete their training as teachers.: The board is glad to know that training is to be discontinued altogether in 1934. The way is now open to reconstruct the system of training* when it is resumed in 1935. The gradual development of four selfcontained training colleges independent of the universities was never intended when Parliament approved of teachertraining in each university centre in 1903. The recommendation of the Education Committee of the House of that year is worth recalling in that the principle enunciated—that of full utilisation of the resources of the university colleges—is as applicable to-day as it was then ■ and as it has been during all the years-of its neglect;—“That, in order to avoid the expense of duplicating instruction in subjects which are taught at the university colleges and to secure for teachers a greater breadth of view, the training of teachers in literary and scientific work should, as far as possible, be provided by the university colleges.” Added significance now attaches to this recommendation by’ reason of the fact that the Education Committee of the House of last session, 1 after hearing evidence, gave expression to similar views, which were endorsed by the House for the favourable consideration of the Government. The board trusts that the question will be approached with an open mind. There must of necessity be compromise, but with co-operation on the part of the Education Department, the four university colleges, and the four major education: board, a scheme should be evolved combining efficiency with economy—one, too, which will raise the status of teachers by making their training an integral part of the functions of the university. Port Chalmers Fire Service

It is the intention of the Port Chalmers Fire Board to purchase a modern fire-fighting machine for the local brigade, to replace the old and out-of-date motor which has served the borough for many years. The board has decided that the machine to be purchased must be equipped with pumping gear, and a machine of this type will be tried out on the Port Chalmers waterfront and in" several streets of the borough on Saturday morning. A practical demonstration in pumping water from the harbour and the mains will be given in the presence of members of the board, officers of the Port Chalmers Brigade, and Superintendent J. J. Salmon, of the Dunedin City Brigade.

Californian Broadcast The recent change in wave-lengths of the New Zealand radio stations is the subject of comment by a Californian correspondent. Writing on May 30, he says: “ At a meeting of one of the organisations in Los Angeles the other night. Miss Lola Luxford, a charming New Zealander w’ho iives in Los Ange es, gave an interesting address on the subject of international broadcast. Many New Zealanders have heard programmes, which Miss Luxford has conducted over radio station KIT. Her broadcasts were particularly prominent during the Olympic Games. She spoke of the number of pleasing letters received from New Zealand, and emphasised the benefits to be derived through friendly international broadcasts. The radio station KFI in Los Angeles had planned other broadcasts, especially in hondur of the people of New Zealand and the islands of the Pacific. But news comes that a local station in Ngw Zealand lias been placed so close to the KFI wavelength that it is now difficult to hear the Los Angeles station. In the interests of friendly relations, it is to be hoped that' it will be possible to make a change, so that the powerful 50,000-watt KFI can again be heard in New Zealand.”

Importation of Stock That the Government be asked to make more satisfactory arrangements for the importation of stock from Great Britain was the text of a Masterton remit carried after some discussion at the annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand in Wellington yesterday. Although still strongly against the embargo being lifted, several members (says a Press Association telegram) supported tbe remit because, unless there was a movement to stop imports altogether, they, considered it was bettor that shipments should be under good control rather than come into the country by roundabout ways.

Safest Place in a Thunderstorm While be quoted figures to show that the New Zealander rah little xnsk of being killed by lightning, Dr W. A. Macky, in the course of a lecture at the University last night, stated that five out of every; 14100,000 people in the United States were killed in thunderstorms each year. It was probably this statement that prompted a member of the audience to ask him to state what tiie safest place in a thunderstorm would be. The lecturer gave the surprising reply that the safest refuge was the inside of a complete metal .vessel —a water tank, for instance. This was.a complete conductor of electricity, which would not enter it. During a storm a person was safer in a valley than on a mountain top, which was a point from which electricity would be discharged, and the best course to adopt was to lie flat on the ground, or, even better, to get into a ditch. Professor Wilson, of Cambridge University, had related how, during an electrical storm in the hills of Scotland, the lightning had been so strong that bis hair had actually stood on end. The professor had made off as fast as he could run for lower country.

School Attendance The annual report of the Otago Education Board states that the average roll in the schools in Otago for the year 1933 was 18.538, a decrease of 1435, compared with the previous year. The average attendance was 17,356, a decrease of 1379. The percentage of attendance was 93.62,' a decrease of .76. The decrease in the average roll of 1435 is an indication that the full effect of the raising of the school age is now making itself felt in the schools. A comparison of the figures of the preparatory schools with those of the previous year furnishes very definite evidence of this. Last year the preparatory roll at June 30 was 4793 (24.44 per cent, of the total roll); this year it was 3464 1 19.21 per cent.), a decrease of 1329 pupils.

Wireless and the Weather If there were, among the audience which heard a lecture by Dr W. A. Macky at the University last night, any theorists who claimed that wireless has an effect pon the weather, they must have hastily discarded that view before the lecture closed. Dr Macky stated, that at any given moment 100 flashes of lightning, per second were occurring somewhere in the world,, so that 13.000.000 horse-power of electricity Was continually going to waste. At the conclusion of the lecture, Dr R. Jack referred to' the figures quoted, and stated that for anyone, in the face of them, to suggest that the comparatively small amount of electricity involved in the use of wireless could have any effect upon the weather was ridiculous. 1

Meaning of Rent , The Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), in holding that the provisions of the National Expenditure Adjustment Act, 1032, relating to reduction of rent applied to the rental charged to railwaymen for the occupancy of houses owned by the department, made some interesting comments on the tenure of these houses. The Act was one intended to affect the majority of workers in the ’community, he said, and he thought that the word “rent” must be construed as having its popular rather than a technical meaning. He had already said that he thought it must be construed as meaning a payment in money, all d in the ease of railway employees the payment was a payment in money. The. amount of the payment had nothing whatever to do with the amount of the man’s wages. His wages were fixed without reference to what he had to pay for the house; the payment for the house was fixed without reference to the amount of his wages. His Honor added that he felt satisfied that any ordinary person, if asked what the payment was that the railway employee made in respect of the dwelling he occupied would unhesitatingly say that it was rent. Indeed, that was what the. Executive Council and the railway authorities themselves called it in regulation 162, where it was said that the employee in occupation of one of these dwellings would be charged “ rental.” The language of the Statute must be read as a whole, and he thought that the clearly expressed scheme of the Act required the word “rent” in the definition of “contract ” in section 29 to be construed in its popular sense. Riviera of Southern Sea* The Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe),interviewed at Tauranga, expressed the delight the visit had given both himself and Lady Bledisloe. “You have a most delightful spot, you know,” he said, “ and this place must become the Riviera of the southern seas. You must let people know what you have to offer—not only your cwn people here in New Zealand but overseas.” On being assured that much was now being done to advertise the district, his Excellency again expressed the opinion that more should be done to make the attractions as widely known as possible. During their stay in Tauranga their. Excellencies visited the historical property “The Elms,” on the northern portion of the town peninsula, where they spent an interesting hour or two/looking over the grounds and inspecting the many valuable records housed in the old- mission ■house. Masters at Arms

For the first time in her career the Matson . liner Monterey, which was at Auckland on Friday last, carried special officers whose duty was to assist in the maintenance of order and good conduct on the ship. These men—three in number —were the equivalent of the masters at arms carried on many of the largest British passenger liners, and were in effect the ship’s policemen. The mail liners Aorangi and Niagara each carry one master at arms. The appointment of the three masters at arms on the Monterey was made in view of the disturbance to the ship’s ordinary routine caused by the strike at the ports on the Pacific Coast of the United States (which, has now been settled). A very large section of the crew of the vessel was recruited during her stay in Los Angeles Harbour to replace the stewards and deck hands who joined the strikers. On the voyage across the 'Pacific the masters, at arms were on duty, and while the vessel was in Auckland on Friday they kept a constant watch on the gangway, allowing only those with special passses to board the ship. It is not known whether these appointments will he for the duration of the strike or whether the new officers will be permanent.

Feeding the Animals at the Zoo The lady was a frequent visitor to the Auckland Zoo, and, following the invariable custom of child and adult alike, she took dainties with which to feed the animals —peanuts for the monkeys, apples for the bears, and buns and apples for Jamuna.’ The peanuts went to the monkeys all right (says the Auckland Star), the bears even received their due portion; but to Jamuna went more than the friendly, but ever-hungry, elephant bargained for. The lady was standing inside Jamuna’s stall with her paper bag full of fruit in her hand. Her attention was distracted for a moment, and in that moment the ever-questing trunk still quested. The bag was flicked from her hand, and it disappeared into Jamuna s mouth. The lady screamed, rushed outside, and. called for the keeper. He came in slowly, not very worried, because he knew how much he could do; but his manner was changed to one of extreme haste when he was told that the lady was not concerned with the disappearance of her fruit but with the fact that in the bag was a sharp table knife. The two of them—the lady and the keeper, watched breathlessly the unconcerned chewing of the elephant; saw the paper spat out, saw further chewing, still unconcerned —and then out came the knife, with great haste and a certain precision. Of them all, Jamuna was the least perturbed.

Important! Last Four Days of the Tudor Book Co., Ltd., Sale. Books, Stationary, Fancy Goods at tremendous re-ductions.--Advt. ■ You should take advantage of the special discounts at Williamsons, the jewellers. Clean, up-to-date goods to select from.—3l Princes street.—Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets, next Telegraph Otiice). Telephone 12-359.—Advt. Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V. Stunner, optician (2 Octagon) thus conserving good vision for old ace.— Advt

Those who are requiring an engagement ring will do well to inspect onr tings.— Peter Dick, ring specialist, 490 Moray place, Dunedin. —Advt.