Air Mail to London

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22608, 27 June 1935, Page 8

Air Mail to London

The air mail which left Dunedin on June 5, via Australia and Singapore, reached London on Monday last.

Stock for Royal Show . The council of the Royal Agricultural Society decided yesterday (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) to pay all railage in excess of 200 miles on purebred stock travelling to this year's Royal Show, which will be held at Hastings. ' : :•■■■:'■ '•■'■'" ' ' '' • ■ •''■■ b -- ; - ■' .-

Quetta Earthquake Disaster After the Quetta earthquake disaster Mr Harbail Singh, a member of the Indian hockey team, endeavoured to communicate with relatives in the striken district, but till last Friday (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) had received no reply, so the Red Cross Society was approached. It cabled on Saturday to the Indian Red Cross at Simla, and on. Tuesday morning a reply was received by-the New Zealand headquarters that the two "people inquired for were safe. This was immediately telegraphed to Harbail Singh at Greymouth.

British Drama League Festival Arrangements for the holding of the second festival under the auspices of the British Drama League in Otago are well forward, and the announcements regarding the season which begins at the Town Hall Concert Chamber on July 10, will have excited . pleasurable anticipation among the many who recall the remarkable success of the initial festival of last year. These dramatic. performances by various groups from town' and country will not only be particularly interesting from a comparative standpoint, but san be depended on, in the merits of the plays selected and in the work of the performers, to afford instruction, stimulus, and entertainment in full measure. For the season tickets there should be a large demand. The box plan opens at the D.I.C. to-morrow, and country patrons may book by post. '

Bqrnside Stock Sale There was a large entry of fat cattle at yesterday's Burneide sale, numbering 315 head. Included in the offering were several consignments of prime heavy bullocks and a large proportion of cows and heifers. The quality of the yarding generally was only fair. Prices showed very little variation on recent markets, although over the final races ithe sale had a firming tendency. There was * very small entry of store cattle. No good steers were forward. The supply of vealers being in short supply, there was a keen sale for this class. Prices, for graziers' and boner cows were unchanged. A small entry of 20 dairy cows was submitted to auction; Good, close to profit sorts met.with ,a.firm market and sold,up to £5 6s. Aged cows and late calvers were difficult to sell. In the fat sheep section there was an entry of 1282. This comprised a few consignments of heavy ewes and only a sprinkling of heavy wethers, the bulk of. the yarding consisting of medium quality ewes. At, the commencement of the sale there was keen competition for all heavy grades, and values appreciated fully 2s per head on recent markets. Towards the middle;of the sale prices were easier, and over the final races values were only equivalent to those which ruled at the previous sale. All lighter grades suitable for export maintained late rates throughout. The entry of fat lambs numbered 224, consisting mostly of medium and light quality. Freezing buyers operated at full schedule rates, and butchers competed for the heavier lines. An entry of 115 fat pigs comprised about an equal proportion of baconers and porkers. There was a good demand, values for heavy baconers and good quality porkers appreciating 5s per head. The former sold up to £3 ss, and the latter from £2 to £2 10s, according to size and quality. There was a small entry in the store pig section, numbering 43. Good stores sold from 12s to 16s. ," '"

Australian Fish inOtego Water* While fishing off Otago Heads on Monday Mr E. Moore, a fisherman of the Kaik, hooked an unusual fish which at first sight appeared to be a cross between a moki and a warehou. On sending the fish to Mr David H. Graham for identification, he states that the specimen is an Australian trumpeter, known in some parts of Australia as the bastard trumpeter. Several differences, such as the absence of the greenish bronze colouring, the three lighter coloured longitudinal bands, the bright yellow fins, as in the New Zealand trumpeter, and the presence of thick, fleshy lips like that of the moki were puzzling to the layman. By the look of the stomach centents the fish had been feeding solely on seaweed. The bastard trumpeter is principally a South Australian fish found in deep water and caught by hooking. This appears to be the first record of one in New Zealand waters. It is now on view in a Princes street fishmonger's window. r >

Voting in Hospitals A reply to a letter in regard, to~_ the provision of voting facilities in hospitals was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Sir Alexander Young) at the annual meeting of the United Burgesses Association in Christchurch .on Tuesday night. The letter .had pointed out that hospital patients were disfranchised at the recent municipal elections, through no fault of their own, because there was no provision for voting. The Minister stated that the law did not appear to provide for voting in hospitals. That being so. the matter became one entirely within the discretion of the returning officer, in appointing deputy returning officers and providing polling places, as required by the Local Election and Polls Act, 1925. The Minister also said that provision for absentee voting would be considered when an amendment to the Act was being discussed. The association's suggestion that the Act governing municipal elections be amended and brought into line with that governing general elections, including compulsory registration, was acknowledged by the Minister. .-

Both Reinstated Mr Max Riske, of Wellington, who was the centre of a storm of controversy last year when the Wellington Education Board refused him leave of absence., to visit the Russian Soviet Union, told an interviewer in Hamilton a few days ago that when refused permission to travel h« resigned his position as a teacher at tht Karori School, and his companion in thi delegation, Mr P. E. Warner, resigned from his position with the Railways Department at Hutt. They left New-Zea-land in October and returned in April; Mr Riske said he would be resuming teaching activities at the Petone West School in July, and Mr Warner had been; reinstated in his former position; ■:■*. ~#\

More Tourists The increasing publicity abroad about New Zealand's scenic attractions is having a very marked effect in England, said Mr Roland Hill, of. Messrs Butter worth and Co., London, who is at present in Chnst,church. Mr Hill said that there is scarcely a ship leaving England for New Zealand which does not carry a number of tourists. . The present exchange rates, which were unfavourable for English visitors to the Continent and favourable for those coming to New Zealand, assisted the effect of the increased publicity in inducing tourists to come here. Beekeeper's Quandary ' A Lyttelton beekepeer is in a dilemma. He has just received "On his Majesty's service " a demand that he should register his bees on pain of a fine not exceeding £2O. Difficulty has arisen for the owner because he has been.called on to specify among other things what breed of bee he keeps. Although the bees have had their headquarters in a comfortable hive in the man's garden for. some time, they have so far resented his attempts to secure their honey. " Once bitten twice shy," and a deadlock is likely to develop unless he can snare one of the bees for identification. ".'.

Crippled Children's Fund Mainly through the efforts of the Gore Rotary Club and the enthusiasm 'of a number of citizens a sub-branch of the Southland branch of the New Zealand Society for the Assistance of Crippled Children has been formed at Gore. A committee has been appointed consisting of representatives of Rotary, Returned Soldiers' Association, the Ministers' Association, the Plunket Society, the Women's Division.of the Farmers' Union, Women's Institutes, the medical profession, and citizens. Mr T. Brown has been appointed secretary, and Mr W. B. Johnston treasurer. The sum already given (reports our Gore correspondent) amounts to £4l 17s 6d, and a number of donations, including 15 guineas from one citizen, has been promised. The success of the treatment has been emphasised in the case of a Gore girl, who was born a cripple having twisted legs, but who has now been completely cured as a result of the Returned Soldiers' Association interesting itself in her case.

An Exciting Bus Journey . The experiences of some travellers who essayed to get through the flood from Milton to Lawrence last week give a very, vivid picture of the difficulties encountered. They found themselves stranded in the.dark in a bus in a lake at Manuka Creek, with the water within four inches of. the seats, upon which they had to dispose themselves. There they had to stay until, in response to a telephonic communication, the train stopped and took them aboard. Af ter a * on S wait to see if the train could proceed, word was received for ■it to return to Milton, .which it. reached, about 11 p.m., otily with, considerable difficulty. At 1 a.m. .the travellers found themselves settling down for the night in the Milton station, revived with hot refreshments supplied by the station master and his wife, and comforted with blankets and rugs kindly brought along by a local clergyman. The next day at 1.30 p.m. they made another attempt to proceed by bus to Lawrence, but no sooner had they left Milton than they ran into " a mass of running water," the engine stopped, and they were again stranded. This in daylight- seemed an even more disturbing experience than that which had gone -before, but horses and motors were brought to their assistance and" towed the bus out, and the journey was continued, not without, considerable negotiation and dis«omfort> for landslides, too, were encountered. But the driver was equal to all emergencies, and the travelwere finally landed at their destination none the worse for an experience which they might well describe as harrowing.'.-;; •_;. :.- ; '

Stone's Directory A compendium of useful and in many cases indispensable information is Stone's 193$ Directory for Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, and Westand, a copy of "which* has been' received by us. In addition to. the complete list of names and addresses which it contains, there are also' sections ' relating to all kinds of public institutions'. All of these have, of course, been brought carefully up to date, so that ■ the volume is especially valuable, not only to business firms, but also to others who, in the course of their work, might wish to consult any of the exceedingly varied lists of information which' appear in the directory. Plunket Nurse for Japan Through the efforts of Dr Toyohiko Kagawa, it is possible that a New Zealand nurse trained in the Truby King system of infant feeding and management may shortly be sent to Japan to give instruction in the methodp which have done much to preserve infant life in the Dominion. Dr Kagawa stated at Auckland on Sunday that he had heard much of. ftew Zealand infant welfare before be left Japan, .and he had taken the opportunity of visiting Karitane hospitals andi the. Plunket Society's infant food manufactory at Wellington. The further knowledge of the. system which he had cairied had- impressed him very much. As an outcome, he had sent two cablegrams to the Osaka Asahi Shimbun, one of the largest Japanese newspapers, which conducted an infant welfare bureau, and had suggested that it should bring a New Zealand nurse to Japan for a year to demonstrate the Truby King system and •give instruction in it. He hoped that it would: be possible to carry out the plan.; . '

-The Live Stock Embargo The opinion that there was every likelihood that British live stock owners misht soon be exporting again to New Zealand was expressed by Viscount Bledislne to a representative of the Farmer and Stock Breeder, within a few hours of his arrival in London. He thought that restrictions on imports to the Dominion would soon be very considerably eased; if not removed altogether. "1 have 'done ■ ray utmost," Lord Bledisi<p said, "to emphasise the fact that, although the average standard of live stock of the Dominion is distinctly higher than the" average in this country, there is a definite and progressive decadence of quality, particularly among cattle of til breeds, owing to in-breeding and the want of infusion of the best of pedigree blood. I have taken every opportunity of pointing out in public that the. best possihle blood of almost' every breed of farm animal, with the exception of merino sheep and Clydesdale, horses, must in the national interest be secured from the Old Country during the next few years, or New Zealand stock owners will find themselves heavily handicapped in the markets of the world. The Government has long appeared to have been convinced that tlnj embargo upon the direct importation of pedigree stock cannot longer be justified," Lord Bledisloe continued, "but the dread of the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease among so many of the leading farmers in nearly every area of the Dominion has stood in the way of any definite action being taken until recently to lift this embargo."

The Public Works Department is inviting tenders for the supply of 50kv potential transformers. Details are advertised. The annual meeting of the School Committees' Association will be held in the Education Board room this evening. An invitation is extended to all school committees, and the secretary of the Education, Board (Mr G. W. Carrington) will be present. Donald Stuart, Limited, Slate Aler chants, Experts in Asphaltic and Bituminous- Applications. including Hock Asphalteu. Sheet Asphaites, Bituminous Felts, Bituminß, Bitumen Paint, Bitumen Compounds, Cork Insulation. 82 Bond street.—Advt. ■ ' Let Your Eye Troubles be Stunner ft Troubles.—W. V. Sturmer, Optician. 2 Oe-aeon, Dunedin. Consulting Opticians: \\ V Sturmer. F. 1.0., X.Z.; A. K. Wat sen F. 1.0.. 5.D.0., N.Z.—Advt. A E. J. Blakeley and VV E. Bagley. dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streetß (next . Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359.— Advt.