Australian Mail

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22629, 22 July 1935, Page 8

Australian Mail

The Marama, which is duo at Wellington to-morrow from Sydney, is bringing eight bags of Australian mail and 100 parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail is expected to reach the local office on Wednesday afternoon. The Waitaki, which is due at Bluff this evening from Melbourne, is bringing 30 bags of mail for Dunedin. This mail should come to hand to-morrow evening;.

Stolen Motor Cycle A 1935 model Matchless motor cycle, the property of Mr G. A. Terry, of Carnegie street, North-East Valley, was stolen from the owner's home some time between Friday night and Saturday morning. The machine, which is painted black, with the tank outlined in gold, has the registered number 8138.

City Police Court A statutory first offender. James Iloonev, pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness before Mr -L R. Bartholomew, S.M., in the City Police Court on Saturday, and was fined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment.

Motor Car Stolen Advice was received at the Dunedin Central Police Station yesterday that an Austin Seven motor car, owned by Mr T. W. Grimsdale, had been stolen from in front of Leith House, Edina street, between 2 and 3 p.m. The registered number of the car is 36,708. _____

Imported Sheep Dogs An interesting consignment of live stock accompanied Dr A. S. Moody on the Tamaroa, in which he made the return journey from Great Britain last week. This was a trio of specially-bred English sheep dogs, which are destined for use on his Central Otago station. One of the importations was bred from an international dog trial winner, and another distinguished itself by winning an important event in Wales a week prior to shipment. Special precautions were taken against distemper on the voyage, the dogs being vaccinated on shipboard to ensure that the potency of the special vaccine used would last the full period of the journey. The animals arrived in excellent condition, and their advent is keenly anticipated on the station.

Fire Callr At 11.20 a.m. on Saturday the City Brigade received a call to a dwelling, No. 520 George street, where a receptacle containing fat in an oven caught tire. No damage was done. At 12.33 p.m. the South Dunedin Brigade was summoned to the railway embankment at Caversham to extinguish two grass fires. Yesterday morning the. brigade answered calls to two minor outbreaks of fire. At 9.13 a call was received from 412 George street, where some petrol had ignited. The damage was only slight. At 10.9 an alarm was received from Wix's shop at the Strand corner, where it was discovered that a cigarette butt had caused a small fire which damaged the Hoor and a wall. In the afternoon two calls to chimney fires were received, one at 3.40 and the other at 6.55. At 7.10 a call was received from 6 Vievy street, where hot ashes' Caused damage to a fence and a coal box. ■ •

New Motor Speed Records According to cabled advice which has been received in the Dominion the team of three London motorists who have shattered the international class record, the world's unlimited record, and the American' motoring record in. a 24 hours' test at Bonneville salt flats, Utah, owe their success substantially to the fact that they experienced a minimum of tyre trouble. The official average speed for the 24 hours was 134.85 miles an hour. The Dunlop Company of London states that Dunlop tyres and Dunlopillo cushioning were used by the new record holder, Mr John Cobb. :

The Wheelbarrow Craze An Auckland resident,'' aged 57, wheeled a fellow-employee from the gasworks in Freeman's Bay to the Suffolk Hotel, halfway up College Hill, for a stake of fl 10s. Hundreds followed the comical event (reports our special correspondent), and trams and motor traffic were held up as the procession moved on its way. The contract was easily completed. Positions Reversed

A remark at a recent meeting of the Palmcrston North Rotary Club brought a burst of laughter. The speaker (Mr J. Linklater, M.P., had stated that he was addressing those present with a certain amount of diffidence, well knowing there were accomplished speakers in his audience. He could see even the minister of his church seated in comfort, the positions thus being Reversed, the spetaker being before an audience and the preacher in a pew. "Has he gone to sleep yet?" came in a quick remark from a club member, and the resulting laughter drowned any reply.

Marauding Kangaroos Settlers in the Bulga district of New South Wales have lately been perturbed by the depredations of kangaroos. On some properties the animals have stripped orange trees as high as they can reach. Where plots are not fenced the kangaroos are also eating the vegetables. The mountainous nature of the country makes it difficult to estimate the number of kangaroos, but they are often seen in mobs of a dozen or so.

Sleeping Driver* Menace Discussing the question of,, the hours worked by drivers of trucks operating goods services between Auckland and Dargaville, also a between Auckland and Whangarei, the chairman of No. 1 Transport Authority (Mr W. Jones) said that the authority was concerned at the hours which men driving these trucks were asked to work (reports the Auckland Star). It was not humanly possible tor men to work 15 hours of out 24. Leaving the city at night, they got no sleep until they returned again. Evidence had been given before the authority that drivers were known to go to sleep when driving along, consequently they were a menace to other traffic using the main highways. The question was one which would have to be looked into. Mr J. Winters, who operates the Auckland-Dargaville service, said he was making arrangements so that his employees could sleep at Dargaville. After their arrival they would be relieved from their trucks while they were unloaded uritil they were reloaded before the return journey. He said his drivers who left the city about 10 arrived back again next day between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to the driver and the conditions of the trip. Scientific Research

"It is useless telling people of the value of research, but the introduction of wool substitutes will do more than anything else to make New Zealand farmers realise the value of science, in improving the natural product," said Dr H. N. Parton, in an address, " The Frustration of Science," which he gave in Christchurch last week. The realisation also that the present policy of the British Government was unlikely to expand the market for products in England would soon make tthe New Zealand farmer realise that he should devote his energies and enlist the help of research in devising ways of producing export goods which would sell in other markets. The value of science would not be realised by all the force of rational argument but by the direct coercion of the force of circumstances. Methods of Playing Hockey

The widely different styles of hockey adopted by the Indian and New Zealand players was emphasised by Mr Behram Doctor, manager of the All-India team, a,t a dinner given at Warkworth. after the conclusion of the match between the visitors and Rodney. " I must admit,"' said Mr Doctor, " that where the Indians adopt scientific methods of play, New Zealandcrs, for the most part, use brute force"

Children and Motors

The latest plan in Sydney to protect school children from motorists has caused some perturbation. Drivers say that it may lead to tragedies for them and for others. The traffic police seek to correct this impression, but the president of the National Roads and Motorists' Association (Mr J. C. Watson) and others continue to express scepticism. The plan involves the use of timber across the road opposite a school. The timber will be in position only temporarily while the children are passing over the road, but the head-shaking is caused by the fear that it may be forgotten and that motorists may run into it. The barrier is constructed of two uprights on each side of the road. A pole issues from each of these uprights and thus makes a laneway. Trusted boys will be in charge after instruction by teachers and traffic' police. When the school closes for the day the poles will be removed and only the uprights will remain. These will be on the footpaths, and, consequently, vill not affect road traffic.

Cable Steamer Returns

The cable 6teamer Recorder returned to Auckland last Wednesday, after repairing a fault in the Pacific cable Dear Norfolk Island and then loading a quantity of spare cable at Suva. The vessel left Auckland on June 26, and on the run to Norfolk Island, which was reached oa June 29, experienced boisterous weather. It was found necessary.to shelter at Cascade Bay for two days, but after that the weather improved and the fault was located about 17 miles south of Norfolk Island and in about 50 fathoms o,r water. The damaged portion of the cable was removed, and about two ; miles of new cablo was spliced in the gap made. This operation was begun on July 1, and was completed the next evening. The Recorder then proceeded to Suva, which was reached on July 6. A stay of a week was made at Suva, where the vessel took On board 80 miles of cable. This will be taken to Melbourne for transfer to the cable steamer Faraday, which is to lay a telephone cable across Bass Strait from Melbourne to Tasmania. Suva was left behind on July 13, and good time was made in the run to. Auckland, which was made under perfect conditions. The auxiliary crew of the Recorder was paid off last Thursday, and the. steamer will remain, at Auckland until she leaves for Melbourne, unless her services for repair work are again required in the meantime.

Game Birds for Canterbury ■ Plans for restocking the bird pens at the Greenpark reserve of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society were discussed briefly at a meeting of the council of the society last week. It wag decided to apply to the Interna] Affaivs Department for permission to import 12 brace of Hungarian; partridges, and to communicate with Lord Bledisloe for the exchange of cock pheasants. The council also approved a scheme to procure up to 50 brace of Californian quail and to pay Is a head to trappers. The chairman of the Game Committeee (Mr C. .E. Wheeler) reported that the staff had had considerable difficulty in rearing satisfactorily to liberation stage the chukor at Greenpark. Excellent results had been obtained where birds had been liberated, but those* at the hatcheries were going back in breeding and in constitution, It would be to the advantage of the chukor still in hand to give them their opportunity as wild birds. The committee recommended that the chukor should be liberated near ■ Castle Hillj and this course was agreed to. ; ' Distinguished Brothers, .;

Family tradition very often determines the selection of a career, with the result that brothers frequently, achieve dieting tion in similar walks of life. Probably the most singular example of Success in the same profession is to be found in the dairy industry of New Zealand and Canada —the two greatest cheese-producing countries in the British Empire. Mr W. M. Singleton occupies the position of director of the dairy division in New Zealand and his brother (Mr J. F. Singleton) holds "an identical Government post in Canada, that of dairy and cold storage commissioner. .

Old-time Duel Recalled The recent fighting of a duel in Auckland recalls (says, the Star) s.that it was not the first of its kind, one being fought on the Auckland waterfront in 1846. The scene . was nearly opposite the present railway station, where the tide used to come up to the foot of the cliff, which had at that time some fine pohutukawa Ireee growing on it. The duellists were a barrister and a surveyor, they used pistols, and when they fired nobody was hurt. Th« seconds then called the duel off. •' ■ . -, Busy City of Geneva

"Geneva is the real centre of the world to-day, and the most prosperous city in. Switzerland," remarked Mrs E. Moffat Clow, addressing the Auckland branch of the League of Nations Union at a luncheon last week (says the Star). Mrs Clow said that over 100,0 members of the League secretariat, many of them accompanied by their wive 3 and families, had gone to live permanently in Geneva sine* the establishment of the League there, and the housing problem had been acute. In addition, the city was filled with tourists, journalists, and members of the staffs of delegates to the League when the sessions were in . progress. Although America was not a member of the League, there was an American office in Geneva to assist American tourists, who formed a large proportion of the number of visitors, who daily. assembled in crowds round the building where the League eat to watch the delegates arrive. It was & pity, Mrs ,Ckw said, that the building that was now being constructed for the accommodation of the League was situated well away from the city, as it would make the League's activities appear more •remote from the public interest.

A Meeting of Humorists At the time of Mark Twain's visit to New Zealand many yeais ago, one of the best-known residents of Taranaki was Mr Charlie Ahier. A native of Jersey, he was a big man in every way whom everyone' liked because of his jovial good humour and pleasant moods. Two of his former employees at Broun and Ahier's sawmill at lnglewood, now retired and living at Auckland, were sitting on a waterfront seat in the brilliant sunshine at the week-end (says the Auckland Star), and recalled with much interest an amusing incident in Mr Ahier's life at a time when Tie was living at the old Coffee Palace at New Plymouth. He had made for himself a big wooden chaii in which he used to sit in the sunshine at the front door of his boarding house, reading one of his favourite books and pausing occasionally to have a yarn with any of his many friends who saluted him as they passed. Mark Twain was looking around the easy-going town, and trying to get information as he wandered about as to the state of trade and the mode of living in New Plymouth. Spying Mr Ahier's corpulent figure in the big easy chair, he went up to him and asked if he was the proprietor of the place. No one knew better than Mr Ahier that the questioner of necessity must be a stranger to the place to ask such a question about so wellknown a citizen, and knowing also that the stranger was of a certainty Mark Twain, because of his nasal twang, be immediately, with twipkling eyes and expressive gesture, replied: "No, I'm the advertisement! " It was just the witty rind sparkling answer which Mark Twain loved.

J. V. Hanna advertises that he is conducting his physical culture combined class for married and single ladies on Tuesday evenings. > The Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association will hold a meeting of unemployed ex-servicemen in the social hall to-night, when Brigadier-general A. E. Stewart, Mr E. J. Anderson, and members of the executive of the association will give addresses. The half-yearly purple lecture and past officers' degree meeting of the Otago District, M.U.1.0.0.F.. will be held in the Loyal Albion Lodge, Stuart street, on Thursday next at 8 p.m. Miss Jessie M'Lennan will make her final appearance in Dunedin this evening as Clytemnestra in the " Agamemnon " of The strong cast of readers should ensure a memorable performance, to which the Classical Association invites members of the public. Unfortunately, there are good and bad diamonds Williamsons, the Ringmakers, offer you the former kind at fair prices and guarantee their workmanship.—Advt. To be well. See well. See Sturmer.— W. V. Sturmer, Optician, 2 Octagon, Dunedin. Consulting Opticians: W. V. Sturmer, F. 1.0., N.Z.; A. R. Watson, F. 1.0., 5.D.0., N.Z.—Advt.

A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Tel> graph Office). Telephone 12-359.—Advt. Who is Peter Dick? The leading firfli for optical and jewellery service. Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians, 490 Morajr place, Dunedin.—Advt.