Mail from Australia

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22719, 4 November 1935, Page 8

Mail from Australia

The postal authorities advise that the Waitaki, from Melbourne, is bringing 24, bags of mail for Dunedin. The mail is expected to arrive at the local Post Office to-morrow. Chimney Fire The City Fire Brigade attended a chimney fire at a house in Howe street at 6.44 p.m. yesterday. No damage was done. ' . Bluff-Melbourne Service The Union Steam Ship Company’s transtasnian steamer Marama, which will be' - engaged on the Bluff-Melbourne service during the present tourist season, will leave Melbourne for Bluff on her first trip on Thursday. If conditions are favourable, the vessel will make a call at Milford*Sound and will arrive at Bluff nearly next Monday afternoon. The ship will have Wirth’s Circus on board. Altogether, the Marama will make seven trips, and, both going and coming, subject to weather and other circumstances permitting, a call will be made at Milford Sound on each voyage. The vessel will leave Melbourne 'on her last trip on March 11, and will arrive at Bluff four days later. Powder Magazine Extensions “The work has been made necessary by the normal growth of the demand for storage,” said the district engineer of the Public Works Department (Mr T. M. Ball), when asked for an explanation of the provision in the re-employment plan of the Minister of Finance for the expenditure of £I4OO on powder magazine extensions at Wiugatui. Mr Ball stated that an additional magazine would be provided at the depot, and the land surrounding it would he cleared of noxious weeds. These at present constituted a lire danger, which would be permanently removed. Another “ Dodo ” Act! “ Let us hope that this will uot be another ‘dodo ’ Act, like the Town Planning Act,” exclaimed Mr Hobbs Jones at the Devonport Borough Council meeting last week, when there came under discussion a communication from Mr Coates explaining an outline of policy for housing in New Zealand. This somewhat twisted metaphor referring to an embryo proposal was interpreted by the Mayor (Dir H. F. W. Meikle) as merely a comment on the inherent difficulties of remedying and preventing slum areas in the cities of the Dominion. Mr Aldridge, however, pleaded for consideration of any proposals that might seriously attempt to unify building by-laws and housing conditions throughout the Dominion, and the lengthy communication from the Minister of Finance is to have close consideration in a future committee meeting of the council. Wide Effect of Strike The wide effect of a strike on industry was exemplified by the hold-up of the Niagara. Business interests throughout New Zealand suffered —and in one Auckland factory 200 hands lost several days’ work. The factory, which manufactures women’s underclothing, was awaiting material by the Niagara, and as it did not arrive in time the factory was eventually forced to stop work. The consignment arrived on Monday last, and on Tuesday night the waterside workers and others worked overtime in order to get this and other goods but in time for the factory to begin work again on Wednesday. There were many examples of this type, one affecting the motion picture exhibitors, who could not get new newsreel releases for their changes of programme.

The Victoria Channel Those whose wilful pessimism concerning the future of the Upper Harbour too often finds expression might have had an object-lessson, had they been on the Victoria wharf on Saturday afternoon, in the ease and confidence with which the Canadian Cruiser was despatched on her way down the Victoria channel practically at dead low water, and against a strong north-easter.. The tug Dunedin lent a tow-line, and as .she took her course sedately down the channel the big liner made a striking picture, and one of a kind that should be still more common than it is on our city waterfront. Sunday Excursion Although the weather was dull yesterday, the Railways Department’s excursion to Invercargill was well patronised. Outdoor conditions, however, were not unpleasant in the southern city, and, with the exception of a slight shower at midday, there was no rain. Two trains were despatched from Dunedin. The first was a through express which carried 250 passengers, and the second train, which stopped at intermediate stations, carried 150 passengers on leaving Dunedin. This total was increased by a number of others who boarded the train at Milton, Balclutha, and Gore. TheLtrip Was a very pleasant one, ds, following the long spell of weather, the refreshing effect of the recent rains was very noticeable. At Invercargill the gardens were one of the chief attraclious for visitors. The early train ran up to schedule time throughout the excursion, but the second train was a few minutes late on the return journey. Caught! About 7.30 on Friday evening two members of the crew of the Canadian Cruiser felt greatly in need of some' refreshment, and their ideas turned to one of Dunedin’s leading hotels. There was no trouble in getting past the front door, and everything might have gone well had not thq lift, in which they were proceeding to the second floor, refused to function. Caught between two floors, there was nothing left to do but to call for help. It came, in the form of a constable, and, consequently, two unhappy seamen appeared in the Police Court on Saturday to answer a charge of being on licensed premises after hours. A penalty of 10s and costs was imposed on each man. , .- Probates Granted Mr Justice Kennedy has granted probate of the following estates; —John Ed--ward Davis, of Ranfurly, retired farmer; Elizabeth Perrow Harris, of Dunedin, widow; Norman M'Cormack, of Tapanui, farmer;, Richard Ross, of Dunedin, retired artilleryman; . William Samuel Ward, of Oamaru, retired merchant; Walter M'Ewan, of Port Chalmers, retired merchant; James Wright, of Dunedin, retired carter; James Robert Blues, of Dunedin, retired accountant. Letters of administration have* been granted in the. estate ,of Arthur Abercrombie Fraser, of Owaka, butcher. Licensing Bookmakers During an address in the Parnell Library hall on Wednesday evening Sir Alexander Herdman, Independent candidate for the Parnell seat,, who recently retired from the Supreme Court Bench, was asked whether, he favoured the licensing of bookmakers to appear, •on racecourses. Sir Alexander said he Was in favour of such a course. His reasons were that bookmakers were thriving under the present system, and, because they did so, the undesirable condition of flouting the law was created. Such a condition would be better changed. , Japanese Competition The extent to which Japanese goods were winning markets, in British, possessions overseas was commented on by Mr Gerald Morrison, on his return to Christchurch from a tour of eight mouths in England, on the Continent, and in America. Mr Morrison said that, on the return journey he had. tried .at Colombo, Aden; Suez, and Port Said to buy Britishmade silk and cotton : goods, but duly Japanese goods were : available, and it seemed impossible to buy anything British in these lines. The lack of British-made goods was most noticeable, and the Japanese appeared to have won the whole of the trade in these goods at the ports he had visited. Church Army Column The majority of the members of th» Church Army column, under the'leaded ship of Captain E. E. Beck, which hag been touring New Zealand for the last two years, left Wellington on . Thursday for Sydney. Nearly, all the Anglican parishes throughout the -Dominion have been visited, and services to the number of between 8000 and 9000 have been conducted in approximately 1000 centres. The column is leaving a permanent headquarters in Auckland, and several v workers are remaining in; .the Dominion. These will be reinforced later on. Satie-, faction was expressed by the departing missioners at the work which had been already accomplished in New Zealand. Early Wreck Revealed Constant north-easterly winds have lowered the beaches on the west coast of the North Island, and have uncovered portions of the French frigate Alcmeue, which was wrecked off Bay ley’s Gorge,, near Dargaville, in January, 1851. A portion of the hull has been exposed for 40 feet. The timbers of oak and teak, although blackened with age, are still in an excellent state of preservation. The heavy , iron stanchions, however; are heavily corroded, but still intact. Further down the beach lies the forepart of the vessel. When the ship went ashore some members of the crew were drowned, but, the remainder lived for some time in the deckhouse, .which was: washed ashore, hear the scene of the wreck. The frigate afterwards broke, up, portions being scattered along the coast. Some interesting relics of . the ship are in the possession, of residents of the district. Others have been sent to the French Naval Museum in Paris from time to time. Dangers of Waikato River A boat, the gift of a Rotorua resident, arrived in Hamilton a few days ago, and will be made available to the Hamilton police and Life Saving Club for assisting those in distress in. the fiver. Reference to the gift was made by Inspector C. W. Lopdell, when presenting Mrs W. Williams, mother of Constable C. H. Williams, who lost his life when trying to rescue a young woman from drowning in. the Waikato River at Hamilton on. August 13, with the Royal Humane Society s silver medal . and ■“ln ~ Memoriam ” certificate. Mr. Lopdell- said that when the fatality occurred a practicalminded Rotorua woman wrote to him, and he interviewed her. She then offered, to provide the boat and to pay for the erection of cabinets for lifelines along the riverbank. The offer had been accepted with gratitude. Mr Lopdell referred to the formation of the Life Saving Club in Hamilton, and appealed to the public to support .the club with funds so that its members could secure the equipment they required.