Mails from Australia

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 12

Mails from Australia

The Niagara, which is due at Auckland on Monday from Sydney, is bringing 13 bags of Australian mail and 23 parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail should read; the local Post Office on Wednesday afternoon.

Nelson’s Record Sunshine From extensive inquiries Mr P. G Gibbs has drawn up a table (says a Press Association telegram from Nelson) revealing the mean sunshine record of places in temperate regions taken over a long period of years. Nelson heads- the list with a yearly average of something over 2900 hours, Sydney being next, 'Napier third, New Plymouth fourth, and Melbourne fifth. The only places with a higher l sunshine record than Nelson were desert regions with very little rainfall.

Probate Granted - ;>? . Mr Justice Kennedy has granted probate in the following estates:—Susan Black, of Dunedin; Walter Blackie, jun., of Glenomaru, farmer; and Richard Young, of Waitaki Hydro, Public Works employee. Gold Reserve in Central Bank Replying to a question asked at I meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Economics Society whether the Government should export £4,500,000 of the gold reserve held by the Central Reserve Bank, Professor Tocker stated (says a Press Association telegram) that there could be no possible need for gold within New Zealand, whereas if it were exported it could be sold at a useful profit. The funds realised in this way could be ■ held in London, and added to our reserves there. The gold would be changed into sterling form in which we needed it, and would be available in London for overseas payments. Overseas Radio Telephone Service The hope that the Government will be able to reduce charges for calls in the overseas radio telephone service as the use of the service increases is expressed in the annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department presented to the House of Representatives yesterday. The report says that the increased patronage extended to the service during the past year indicates that it is beginning to take its place as a popular means of overseas communication. It was anticipated that with a return of normal economic conditions the number of calls would increase materially. ‘The problem of establishing communication direct with the United Kingdom instead of via Sydney would also be considered if business expanded. Pictures at Auction In the “ London Letter ” contributed to the September issue of the quarterly Art in New Zealand appears an interesting reference to two pictures which have recently come into the possession of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. After commenting upon the improved tone of the picture market the writer goes on to observe, “At an auction sale of the picture collection of the late Lord Faringdon prices were really encouraging. Even BurneJones paintings were in demand. ‘Six Angels of the Creation ’ fetched £B6O, and a water-colour drawing, ‘ Spes ’ was quitted at £230. ‘Sir Galahad’ (G. F. Watts) was sold for £B2O, and the same usually unwanted.painter’s ‘The Eve of Peace’ for £260.”

New Zealand Society of Artists Of the New Zealand Society of Artiata, which was founded in Christchurch rather more than a year ago, a branch has been recently formed in Dunedin,' and the society is about to hold its first exhibition in this city. This will be shown in the Pioneer Hall, where the work of hanging the large collection of pictures available from outside, and local sources has now been completed. ' Special care has been taken over the individual arrangement of the works. , This,' along with the uniform high level of attainment shown and the decided flair for originality in treatment and conception of many of the pictures promises to make this exhibition a very interesting ohe. The exhibition opens this evening" .with a private view. Professor' Shelley, who is president of the society, is coining down specially for the occasion#

Community Singing v At the community singing gathering in the Strand Theatre yesterday, the large attendance was afforded an opportunity of hearing Senia Chostiakoff, the famous Russian tenor, sing two of his best-known numbers- —“Tell Me To-night” and “The Volga Boatmen.” Both were loudly applauded. A similar reception greeted an item of an entirely different nature, a duet, “ Larboard Watch,” by two elderly men, Messrs Jackson and C. Moss, aged 76 and 74 respectively. Proof that listeners appreciated the veterans’ effort was provided by the number of donations received by telephone at the conclusion of the number.‘ The Maori footballers, who were ’ present, , also appeared ■on the stage and sang with characteristic enthusiasm, and at the conclusion entertained the audienqe with a haka. The community singing, under the leadership of Mr H. P. Desmoulins, went with Hie usual swing, modern and older songs being sung with a will. The accompanist was Mr A. Pettitt, whose representation of a musical bos accompaniment to one •of the choruses was loudly applauded. ■ Dreams of Wealth'

The saying that “ example is better than precept” is at present being exemplified in Dunedin in a manner that was probably' not contemplated by its originator. In recent months New Zealanders have reaped a fairly rich reward as a result of their “investments” in a Hobart consultation, and only this week two Dunedin residents secured a first prize. Their good fortune has greatly stimulated the local sale of tickets in this particular consultation, arid casual inquiries made by a reporter yesterday suggest that something in the nature of a mild rush has set in by those - who entertain. visions of a sudden accession of wealth. ,

Injury to Hair While Waving The task of assessing the amount of compensation for an injury received by a domestic, Katharine Marino, aged 23, whose head had been burned during the permanent waving of her hair, was set Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Hamilton a few days ago. Mr Fraer acted for the plaintiff, but the case was not contested by the defendant, a hairdresser. Miss I. Pollock. After the plaintiff had exhibited to the magistrate a small bald patch on the, side of . her head, counsel said such an injury might seriously affect hey beauty and prejudice her chances of marriage. She had suffered severe pain for several days and had been absent from work for four weeks. In the assessment of general damages in three recent cases ip Australia, the courts had awarded amouuts of £59, £77, and £114., The magistrate said he found it difficult to fix the amount of damage, as it would depend to a large extent on changes of fashion in the future. Special damages claimed, including the cost of medical attendance and the loss of wages, totalled £lO 3s fid, and he would allow the full amount. General damages claimed totalled £25, but he would allow £lO in consideration of the small bald patch on plaintiff’s head, and £lO for her suffering. She would also be allowed* costs. - / ' • ;;' :

Windscreen Wipers The necessity for having two windscreen wipers fitted to all cars was jcmphasised by Mr F. W. Johnston, president of the . South. Island Motor Union, at a meeting of the union in Christchurch Pn Thursday night. Mr Johnston said that motorists should be compelled by law to have a wiper on the, left as well as the right -side, of .the.windscreen. “ If they cannot afford- them, they .can - give up motoring and . push wheelbarrows,” 3 he added. It: was stated that in Australia wipers were compulsory by law, but that , in New. Zealand there was no law on the subject. Mr Johnstone said he intended to advocate two wipers at the annual meeting of the union, and members agreed that on wet nights especially two wipers were essential.

A Vice-Regal “ Bagman ” To celebrate Association Day and also the twenty-first anniversary .of the forming of. the United Travellers and Warehousemen’s Association, the.. Wellington association last night held a smoke concert. Among the visitors (says a Pres* Association telegram) .were the GovernorGeneral (Lord B!edisloe),and the Minister of Finance (Mr Coates). The former, accepting the gold badge of the association, remarked that he was going, to Australia and later to England as a “ bagman,”:and the commodity for which he would be travelling was New Zealand’s scenery. He would become an Unpaid " bagman ” for the tourist industry. ■

jl Rapier. Thrust Friendly repartee, not, however, without. point and thrust, was indulged in m the Wellington Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon by counsel engaged in the dispute between the Palmerston North City Council and the Manawatu-Oroua Electric Power Board. Mr J. B. Callan, K.C., who appeared for the council, referred the court to records of the Power Board meetings, citing therefrom at considerable length. In reply to an observation by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), he said he thought that the supporters of the ■ city’s interests at the meetings, had, spoken excellent sense. At the moment, however, he was speaking of his friends, the enemy. “ The muddleheaded'ones,” suggested Mr H. P. Richmond,. counsel for the board, seizing upon an expression used by Mr Callan earlier in his Mr Callan’s reply was keen-edged, though gently delivered. “ I was trying 'to be charitable,” he said.

Godwit—-A Shilling a Sack The depredations by Chinese bird catchers on the flights of godwit as they passed .along the coast of China was suggested by Mr H. C. Savage to the meeting of the council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society on Tuesday evening as the cause of the decrease in the numbers of. these birds in New Zealand. Mr Savage said that he had been informed by a retired sea captain that when the, birds stopped to rest on parts of the coast of China on their long migratory flights ,to, and .from Siberia they were killed off in tens of thousands by the Chinese and sold for the equivalent of a shilling a sackful. ' If that was the case, nothing done ,to preserve them in New Zealand would .be of any avail. Dr T. W. J. Johnson pointed out that the. Chinese had probably carried out this practice for thousands of years, and it would hardly explain the recent decrease of godwit .in New Zealand. The council decided to obtain detailed evidence cf the depredations in China.

Tram car* in Collision . A spectacular collision between two tramcafs occurred in Wellington late yesterday afternoon opposite the Government Buildings. Both trams were fairly badly damaged, but although one was full of passengers, .no, one was injured. The collision was caused (says a Press Association telegram) by a fault in the automatic point-changing system. A tram bound for Karori was turning up Molesworth street when the points slipped back before the rear bogey had passed. The back of the tram slewed round in the direction of Lambton station, and while it-wag still moving was struck by another tram coming from the station. ■

Unusual Weapon Found What ig thought to be a.Maori' weapon has been found by a resident of Ostend in the hills of Waiheke Island. Although its purpose was probably similar to that of the well-known striking weapon, the. mere, the object (says the New Zealand Herald) possesses extremely unsual features. The weapon is fashioried from hard, blue stone, and it is 18in long. The “grip” is rounded and smooth, but the eiid is raised to ensure a surer clasp .and has a hole through which, no doubt, a wrist cord was once passed. The blade is a foot long, rather narrowband having a wedge-shaped point. The surfaces of the blade are not flat, but taper down to the keen edges. The finder is keeping the place of discovery a secret, as he proposes to return in the hope of finding other articles. •

Arrival of Godwit* Godwits commenced to arrive at the end of last week (states the Dargaville correspondent of the New Zealand Herald). Late on Saturday afternoon large contingents made their appearance, the first birds flying over the town at „3.30. Further flights flew over the town at regular intervals, and well after dark the, cries of the birds could be heard. It , was a great sight to see the godwits .coining up from a south-westerly direction iii’"spear-head .formation, and. pushing steadily, oh towards the north without a break. , It was, also peculiar to, watch how intervals were kept between the different detachments, not unlike battalions of soldiers marching. A few birds, which turned back from, Dargaville, appeared to go in the direction of middle-east obast beaches. The main body of godwits does not seem to have arrived, , but. it is a little early yet. . > ,

The programme for the monthly concert and dance of the Dunedin Burns Club, to be held in the Early Settlers’ Hall du Wednesday evening, will, be provided by the Leech Lyric Club.

The morality play, “ Everyman,” which of recent years has been revived in many places, will be performed by a group of local-church people in St. Peter’s Church, C'aversham, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The term for which the present members of the Taieri Mouth Domain Board were elected hag expired, and a meeting of residents to arrange for nominations to fill the vacancies will be held at Taieri Mouth next Saturday. The sale is advertised of' the Pareora Friesian herd, the property of Mr A. S. Bhvorthy, Horae Station, Timaru. Akaroa—Well endowed with Scenery and Climate—An ideal Holiday Resort. Make reservations with Booking Bureau, I’.O. Box'9, Akaroa.—rAdvt. A. Frank Anderson, Dental Surgeon, Princes street, Dunedin, .will visit Wai'piata and Patearoa on September 20 and Kanfurly on September 21.—Adit. / Made and finished on our premises our rings come to you at prices which it will, pay. you to heed. Sparkling gems and strong mounts at lower prices.—Williamsons, 31 Princes street. —Advt. C. W. Sundstrum, Dentist, Dunedin, will visit Waipiata, Naseby, Ran fur ly on Monday, September 17, Oturehua and Palmerston ' Tuesday, September 18, 1934.—Advt. The most costly, of all commodities is human labour. . Property owners can economise by employing first-class men.— Donald Stuart. Ltd,, slate merchants and roofing contractors. —Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E Hagley, dentists. Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Tele graph Office). Telephone 12-359 Advt Don’t delay with eye troubles. , To give complete satisfaction is the Ideal of W V. Sturmer, Optician, 2 Octagon, Dunedin.—Advt. ■