Air Mail Reaches London

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22545, 12 April 1935, Page 8

Air Mail Reaches London

The air mail despatched from New Zealand on March 22. via Australia, reached London on Monday.

Otago Land Board The monthly meeting of the Otago Land Board was concluded yesterday, Air N. C. Kensington in tlie chair. All the business transacted was discussed in committee.

The Southland Hospital The Southland Hospital Board at its meeting yesterday decided to adopt the open or honorary system of medical staffing, which is generally adopted in the major hospitals of the Dominion, having the advantages of consultation.

Te Anau-Milford Road The advance workers on the Te AnauMilford road have now reached the 58mile peg, which is approximately within five miles of the eastern entrance to the tunnel. These five miles will present much easier work than the heavy and difficult ground which has been completed.

Poppy Day Appeal The annual Poppy Day appeal on behalf of the unemployed returned soldiers will be held to-day by the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association. Poppies will be on sale in the streets from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m., and every effort is being made to secure a larger total than ever. While the city streets will be catered for by stalls at almost every corner, those suburban residents unable to visit town will be given an opportunity to contribute when a thorough house-to-house canvass will be conducted by a large band of helpers.

Meetings of Cabinet Cabinet held two long meetings yesterday (says a Press Association telegram), and did not conclude its comprehensive agenda paper till about 7 p.m. The Acting Prime Minister (Mr J. tf. Coates) said 'that although several decisions were made regarding the personnel of the Mortgage Corporation and the Court of Review, he was not in a position to make an announcement. Probably the selection of a judge to preside over the court would be finalised and announced the following day before he left in the evening for London.

Dearer Meals in Auckland Dearer meals at over 20 restaurants are announced by the Auckland Restaurant Proprietors’ Association. The increases (says a Press Association telegram) will be commenced next Monday. The secretary of the association (Mr Page) said some of the quick-lunch establishments in the city would also raise prices. Two and three-course meals will now cost Is 3d and one-course meals Is at restaurants controlled by the association. At present the prices vary from 9d to Is, there being no rate fixed by the association. “ The increase in prices has been made necessary by the higher cost of such commodities as meat, vegetables, and milk,” Mr Page said. Rotarians’ Joke

Stopping to a sharp command of “ Hands up,” Mr Paul Harris, of Chicago, founder of Rotary International, found his way by motor car blocked by a group of men armed with revolvers and shotguns near Bridgewater, Tasmania, recently. Mr Harris was being driven from Hobart to Launceston by Mr H. H. Cummins, and he was accompanied by his wife and Mr and Mrs Angus Mitchell, of Melbourne. Mr Harris was forced to surrender his Rotary badge, but the “ bandits” —who were members of the Hobart Rotary Club —were not seeking loot. Instead, they gave Mr and Mrs Harris a small gift on behalf of the Hobart Rotary Club. The practical joke was inspired by a statement by Mr Harris that during the 40 years he had lived in Chicago he had never seen a hold-up. Depth of Tasman Glacier That solid ice nearly a quarter of a mile deep forms the main floor of the Tasman Glacier in the Mount Cook region has been proved by novel scientific measurements just completed by Dr E. Marsden, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The measurement was taken with a siesmograph used by the Byrd Antarctic expedition, and, apart from the work done in Antarctica, it was only the second time in the world that the depth of a glacier has been tneasured in this way. The method (says the Christchurch Press) is entirely new for Hew Zealand. The measurement was made opposite the Ball Hut, where thl- - is between three and four miles wide. Gardener Disillusioned

Discoveries in domestic gardens of insects which were comparatively unnoticed before have led to every likely specimen being regarded with suspicion, and hundreds have this season been forwarded to the research authorities for examination. Recently, a Palmerston North gardener was amazed to find crawling about his vegetable plot something about six inches long with a shelliike back. Imagining he had found something quite new and ferocious, he submitted it for identification to the plant research station at Palmerston North. However, disillusionment came with the discovery that the enormous in sect was only a pet tortoise which had, strayed from its home.

Exhibition of Paintings The attendances are being well main tained at the exhibition of the paintings of the late James F. Scott at the Pioneer Hall. Yesterday parties of visitors were present from the Kensington and Maori Hill Schools. The range of the artist’s work is unusual, and he achieves good effects in both water colours and oils, the exhibition as a whole being of a standard of technical excellence such as must impress even the most casual and uninitiated observer. The paintings have been executed with a close attention to detail and a fine understanding ot colour blending, while no use has been made of striking colours merely for the sake of catching the eye. The exhibition, which has been arranged by the artist’s brother, Mr D. A. Scott, will be concluded to-morrow evening.

Maintaining Telegraph Communication

One of the important factors in maintaining telephone and telegraph communication so thoroughly in New Zealand is the lineman, and a very good story showing devotion to duty was told to a farewell gathering at the General Post Office in Wellington recently by Mr C. S. Plank, the retiring chief engineer. It was on record, he said, that on one occasion many years ago, a lineman in the ordinary course of his duties had left Wellington on foot to go north through the Wairarapa. Three years afterwards the man reached Tauranga; he had walked the whole distance and had carried the same ladder all the way. He was still alive and living at Tauranga, although now somewhat impaired in health. Mr Plank added that during the time lie was stationed at Christchurch he remembered another lineman starting from Christchurch in a brake and finishing up in Westland, repairing lines all the way. There is a more modem instance of a persevering and plucky lineman who, immediately after the jfapier earthquake, commenced to walk from Wairoa with a ladder, repairing one lino to restore communication. The roads were in inanv places impassable, but he tramped the whole SO miles to Napier, carrying a ladder and effectively doing ins work.

Otago Hospital Board At a special meeting of the Otago Hospital Board yesterday afternoon the statutory resolution confirming the estimates of receipts and expenditure for the year was adopted. The levy on local authorities this will amount to £42,144 14s 2d, as against £42,438 4s lOd last year.

The Missing Chinese The Chinese member of the crew of the British tanker Oilreliance, who left the vessel on Tuesday night at Dunedin, has not yet been located. As the Oilreliance had already been detained for about 30 hours, the agents deposited a bond of £IOO in accordance with the law, and the tanker sailed at 1 p.m. yesterday for San Pedro. Members of the police force are still searching the city for the missing Chinese.

Disrespect for Parliament “ One of the duties which I impose upon myself from time to time is the reading of Hansard, and it is a very painful duty sometimes,” said Mr \V. Machin, addressing the Economic Society in Christchurch on Wednesday evening. “ The whole of this number ol Hansard bristles with inaccuracies,'” went -on Mr Machin, bolding up the offending publication, “ inaccuracies not corrected by subsequent speeches nor by their authors. It shows that those who were responsible for the speeches ha»? only a very hazy idea of the premises of the arguments which led up to the eventual legislation. This is responsible for the growing contempt for Parliament. You have noticed lately how Governments and politicians generally are spoken of with disrespect. It is a bad day when such things are heard.” Shoplifting Losses. An amount of £500,000 a .year is lost by shoplifting in New Zealand, according to an estimate by the official organ of the Drapers, Clothiers and Boot Retailers' Federation. It is stated that “ rightly or wrongly the draper of the Dominion can no longer disguise the fact that losses due to this pernicious and increasing practice are assuming such proportions that protection of a highly scientific nature must be evoked. Shoplifting losses when capitalised at bank rates constitute prodigious figures. The need is for a permanent organisation in the Dominion which would and could give shopkeepers some alleviation from this menace. Of necessity, the staff of such a concern would have to be highly and scientifically trained, and above all, have the supervision of an almost superman.” Tribute to Meat Board ,

“The Graziers’ Association o t New South Wales, which represents the owners of 30,000,000 sheep, has been much impressed by the value of your Meat Export Board,” said Mr James H. Ashton, a member of the Executive Committee of the association, in an inter view in Christchurch. Mr Ashton is in New Zealand on holiday. Asked if there was any likelihood of a board being established in Australia, Mr Ashton said New South Wales was keen to have a board, but some of the other States were not. While talking of meat export, Mr Ashton mentioned that Australia might be a more serious competitor with New Zealand in the fat lamb market in the future. With low prices for wool and fairly good prices for lambs, it wa> natural that more lambs would be produced. It was possible, however, that this season would not be among the best for lambs in Australia. Work of League of Nations Union A novel method of bringing before the public the work of the League of Nations’ Union has been adopted by the Dunedin branch. It will take the form of a demonstration by the pupils of Archerfield, M‘Glashan, Christian Brothers’ and the Otago Boys’ High Schools in the Burt Hall to-night. The demonstration will take the form of short, concise speeches on the various activities of the League of Nations. Each speaker will deal with a separate subject. The orchestra ot the King Edward Technical College will supply incidental music. Parents and friends of the young people will assist greatly by their presence, and should be agreeably surprised at the elocutionary ability and the knowledge displayed. Last year’s performance was exceptionally good.

New Services Appreciated An encouraging example of how the public appreciates new services, especl ally when brought to its notice by newspaper advertising, is shown by the experience of the Postal Department’s telephone branch. In January it inaugurated the additional facilities of “ Collect ” calls, where the charge is made payable “ forward,” “Appointment ” calls, where two parties are brought: into touch at a definite time ' mutually arranged, and “Fixed time” calls, generally used by business houses requiring to get into regular touch with the same party day by day. The “ collect ” calls in the first month totalled 462, but in February they showed an increase of 150 per cent, to 1154. “Appointment” calls which numbered 137 in January, increased to 194 in February, and ethe “ fixed time ” calls exactly doubled in the same period, the February total being 106.

A Colourful Send-off Nearly 1000 people gathered on the Queen’s wharf, Wellington, on Tuesdayevening to bid farewell to the Wanganella when she sailed for Sydney. It was one of the largest crowds seen on the wharf (says the Post), and the farewell was a colourful and stirring one. With a record passenger list of 397, the Wangaclla was fully booked, temporary quarters having been arranged to accommodate a few of the travellers who were unable to book cabins. Gay music from the ship’s band, fluttering streamers, and a great crowd at the ship side in the glow of electric lights made the scene somewhat theatrical. It was one of the most vivid farewells that has been given a ship and her passengers for a long time. It is seldom that the Wellington public has an opportunity to bid goodbye to an intercolonial liner at night; departures usually occur in the afternoon. The Wanganella’s hurried departure after arrival here on Monday night was made in order that she may proceed from Sydney and Melbourne to Lord Howe Island on an Easter cruise. The Wanganella drew away from the wharf at 8.15 to the accompaniment of farewell uois-s that could be heard a mile or more away.

Missing Sheep Mystery Three weeks ,of widespread inquiry have failed to reveal any trace of 170 wethers, which have disappeared mysteriously from Mr R. H. Lowry's station at Ohinewairu, near Taihape. It is thought that the stock might have been stolen, and so seriously does Mr Lowry regard his loss that he lias offered £IOO reward for information leading to the recovery of the animals. The loss wis not discovered until the leeent mustering operatio.ns were commenced. When the shortage in the stock became apparent a large area was covered in the search for the animals. There is no indication of the animals having become hidden in some deep gully. The wethers were put out on the back country about December 15, after shearing, and they were left grazing on what is known as Fisher’s Hope paddock, about 20 miles from the station. It was the intention to leave them there until mutsering. Although the country is rugged, experienced hands are well acquainted with its characteristics, and no possibility of the wethers having become isolated beyond the point of access is now entertained. Fisher’s Hope paddock at one point comes within a mile and a-half of a clay road, and it would have been possible for the sheep to have been removed from this place. Assuming that a theft was committed, it could have occupied a considerable period, with comparatively little risk to the offenders. Stock disappeared from the property about two years ago, but the latest loss is the most severe.