Overseas Mail

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22750, 10 December 1935, Page 8

Overseas Mail

The Niagara left Sydney on Saturday for Auckland with five bags of Australian mail and two parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail should reach the local office on Friday next. Public Health Returns During the week ended at noon yesterday, a case of ophthalmia neonatorum was admitted to Dunedin Hospital and still remains in the institution. There are two patients suffering from scarlet fever in the Logan Park Hospital. City Council Adjourns It was decided at the meeting of the City Council last night to adjourn till January 20, 1936. The Navy League A Press Association telegram from New Plymouth states that a lecture tour of New Zealand in the interests of the Navy League was opened there last night by Vice-admiral J. E. T. Harper, who spoke to the local branch of the league on the value of a strong navy to the future of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Grants for Schools The St. Kilcla Borough Council decided last night to make provision under next year’s estimates for grants of three guineas each to the St. Clair and Musselburgh Schools as diamond jubilee gifts, providing sufficient money was available after all other jubilee expenses had been paid. French Competition The annual competition in French recitation, reading, and conversation conducted by the Dunedin French Club, under the auspices of the Alliance Francaise of Paris, and open to secondary schools of Otago and Southland, was held on Saturday morning last. The judges were the following officials of the French dub: —Professor Thompson (president), Monsieur Saldaigne, Madame Saldaigne, Madame Bellugue (vice-presidents). The results of the competition were as follows:—D. D. de Montalk and D. I. Wimpenny (Otago Girls’ High School), equal, 1; D. M. Gregg (St. Hilda’s Collegiate School), 3. New Zealand Produce at Home A resident of Dunedin received by the latest mail a tribute to the quality of New Zealand dairy produce from a correspondent at Hedingley, Leeds. “We enjoy New Zealand butter very much,” the correspondent wrote. “ and it comes over in very good condition. It has been very cheap all the summer, and is now only Is 3d a pound. I also get some very nice New Zealand cheese, which is much cheaper than any of our English ones.” Old Man Rock The publication in the Otago Daily Times yesterday of the photograph of Old Man Rock, sometimes referred to as Leaning Rock, has revived interest in the promising landmark above Fruitlands. It is established beyond question that the rock has been climbed more than once. When Mr Val Mitchell, of Mosgiel, successfully essayed the task some years ago he found evidence that the early surveyors had used it as a trig, there being a pipe driven in the centre of the pile. He was accompanied by Mr A. H. Tarnblyn, of Roxburgh, who took several photographs, including one showing Mr Mitchell halfway up the rock and the rope suspended over the top. On reaching the top of the rock, which Mr Mitchell estimates to be 54ft high, he took a photograph of the surrounding country and before beginning the difficult descent he placed a half-crown under a ledge. He suggests that future climbers should each add another coin to the collection. The number of coins would certainly serve as a record of the feat successfully accomplished. A Court Problem *

An unusual problem in taking evidence arose in the Magistrate’s Court at Hastings last Thursday morning, when a deaf and dumb husband was called as the defendant in maintenance proceedings. The magistrate, Mr J. Miller, discussed with counsel concerned the most satisfactory method of ensuring that the purport of the wife’s evidence would be understood by the defendant, and of giving counsel an opportunity of cross-examining the defendant. The decision of the court was that the defendant should prepare a written statement in answer to his wife’s allegations, and that his wife’s evidence should be typewritten, when the hearing of the case is resumed.

Water Pressure in Heriot Row Reference to the pressure of water in Heriot row was made at last night’s meeting of the City Council by Cr Begg. He said that following a recent fire in that street some concern had been expressed by the principal of St. Hilda’s College on the subject of the pressure, but she could rest assured that there was sufficient pressure at the college. Nevertheless, he suggested that provision should be made in the estimates for the replacement of the three-inch main in that neighbourhood by a five-inch main. Parental Influence "Experience in Dunedin,” states the principal of the King Edward Technical College (Mr W. G. Aldridge) in his annual report, “ uncovers real differences between school life here and elsewhere. Here the strength of parental influence is an unspeakable boon to the head of a school. But all personal relationships, singly and in the mass, seem to be tinged with the powerful individualism of the Scot —a trait not so easily recognised by a weary administrator as a blessing. Yet when, as now, a genuine, purposeful unity appears of itself in such a school as the Technical College, it brings with it an unshakable assurance of living, growing strength, and that is an overflowing reward for nine years of effort.” St. Kilda Beach Patrol The question of the appointment of a patrolman for the St. Kilda Beach was raised by Cr W. J. Lovell at last night’s meeting of the council. He mentioned that only recently there was a narrow escape from a drowning fatality, and this emphasised the necessity for the immediate patrolling of the beach. The Beach Improvement Society and the Surf Club were prepared to support the proposal to appoint a patrolman for the beach, and he thought the council should follow suit. More people were now patronising the beach, and still more would be present during the next month or two. He suggested that the council contribute £5 towards the cost of appoint-, ing a patrolman. The Deputy Mayor (Cr G. Glue) and the majority of. the councillors said they were in sympathy with Cr Lovell’s suggestion, but contended that other local bodies should also contribute to the cost. Cr A. D. Edgar said it was the Domain Board’s duty to provide a patrolman. The beach was in the board’s territory, and it seemed that the board was trying to evade its responsibility, but it should not be allowed to do so. Mr T. D. B. Roy moved as an amendent that the council contribute £5 on condition that similar amounts be given by the City Council and Domain Board. The amendment was not carried, and The council decided to contribute £5 towards the appointment of a permanent beach patrolman. Indiscriminate Shooting Complaints by settlers in the Silverpeaks district that persons were shooting at their stock were referred to at the meeting of the City Council last night by Cr W. Begg. He stated that the Water Committee had taken up the matter with the Waikouaiti County Council, the controlling body in the district, which had suggested that application should be made to have the roads in the affected neigh-, bourhood closed. They were by no means important roads. If the council gave its consent all that was required was the sanction of the Public Works Department. ' The suggestion was approved by the council. A Plucky Rescue A very plucky rescue was effected by Mr W. R. M'Cormack, of Port Chalmers, when Mr T. W. Johnson lost his life in the Lower Harbour on November 3 through the capsizing of a yacht in a sudden squall. When the occupants of the yacht, consisting of Mr Johnson, Mr M'Cormack, and two boys, aged 11 and 12 years respectively were thrown into the water Mr M'Cormack held the lads with their heads above water until rescued. It was , a trying ordeal for the. rescuer and the rescued, as all three were exhausted and their bodies numbed as the result of their long immersion in the cold water. At the inquest held last Friday morning on the body of Mr Johnson, the coroner (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) commented on Mr M'Cormack’s plucky effort, and said that equal praise was due to P, Ward, 17 years of age, who, in spite of a heavy sea, rowed out in a small boat to the rescue of Mr M'Cormack and the boys. Dunedin Drainage Board The monthly meeting of the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board, which was held' last night, was presided over by the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Mr J. W. Munro, who moved the adoption of the Works Committee’s report, sakl_ it was recommended that in addition to the employees on constructions works, the mechanics at the pumping station should receive five days’ holiday on full pay between Christmas and New Year, apart from any statutory holidays to which they might be entitled. Moving the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report Mr M. Silvex-stone said it was proposed to reinstitute the annual employees' picnic, for which employees would be granted a half-day’s holiday with full pay. The reports were approved. The tender of the Iron and Steel Company of New Zealand, Ltd., was accepted for the supply and delivery of 40 tons of mild steel reinforcing rods at schedule rales for that quantity, the total amount involved being £513 12s 3d. The Christchurch Mayoralty

On his return to Christchurch from Wellington on Saturday the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan) indicated that it was highly likely that he would resign the mayoralty because of his appointment to the Cabinet. Mr Sullivan, in any case, will retain the mayoralty until February or March, so that the by-elections which will be necessary for the council and the mayoralty will not be held until well on in March. “At the moment it looks to me that it will be impossible to carry on the position of a Minister of the Crown with important portfolios and discharge the duties of the mayoralty,” Mr Sullivan said in an interview, “It looks to me as if my position here will be have to be filled. Of course, it will be understood that I have just been sworn in, and while I have taken the opportunity to have an interview with all the available heads of the departments under my charge, obviously I have had no opportunity yet to make myself acquainted with the working of the departments. It will be necessai’y for me, however, to discuss the position of the mayoralty with the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee. lam not anticipating that it will raise any objection in the circumstances to my release from these duties. But I must discuss it with the committee. I think, however, that in any case we will carry on until February or early in March, and it is natural to assume that we will try to arrange that all the byelections for the mayoralty and the council will take place at the same time.

“ Interchange ” Naval Ratings It is announced in a fleet order (The London Times says) that ratings of the New Zealand Division serving in the Royal Navy on an exchange basis are in future to be referred to in official documents and correspondence as “ interchange ” ratings. This also applies to R.N. ratings lent to the New Zealand Division on this basis. New Zealand interchange ratings serving in the R.N. are assessable to United Kingdom income tax on the R.N. equivalent of their naval taxable emoluments, the balance of their pay (which is defrayed from New Zealand funds) being regarded as exempt. Pay in the New Zealand Naval Forces is .higher in all grades than in the R.N. An ordinary seaman gets 4s 6d a day instead of 2s, an A.B. on promotion 6s 4d instead of 3s, a leading seaman 7s 3d instead of 4s 4d, and a petty officer 8s 2d instead of 6s. A chief petty officer starts at 9s 6d a day, compared with 7s 6d a day in the R.N. Most of the allowances are the same as in the Royal Navy, and the issue of marriage allowance is not subject to any age qualification.

Anniversary of Horace’s Birth Two thousand years ago on Sunday, Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known as Horace, was born near Venusi* in southern Italy. As a young man, he attended the university at Athens, where he was a student when the murder of Julius Caesar again plunged Rome into civil war. He was given a commission in the army of the republicans, but was a poor soldier and was among those who fled to Philippi, an adventure which he , recalled in a well-known ode. Some time after his return to Rome, he was introduced to Maecenas, the patron of his great contemporary, Virgil, and thenceforth his life was that of a leisured patrician. Horace’s poetry, while it lacks the high imaginative qualities of Virgil and the “ lyric cry ” of Catullus, excels in what he himself called “golden mediocrity,” in irreproachable polish, a curious felicity of expression, and a friendly philosophy. In his odea and his epistles especially, he showed conversational ability that is still felt, and a shrewd worldly wisdom expressed in phrases which have been household words for many centuries. There are few to-day. 2000 years after bis birth, who would deny the truth of the proud claim which he made on the completion of the third book of his odes —" I have reared a monument more enduring than brass and taller than the pyramids’ royal structure.”

Sheep-shearing Contest It does not appear likely, since the parties are said to be unable to agree on the conditions, that the sheep-shearing contest arranged last season between a Poverty Bay shearer and a Taranaki man, for a wager of £IOO, will take place. Last December, “ Sonny ” White, of Poverty Bay, claimed to have established a world’s record when he put through 433 Romney breeding ewes in ar nine-hour day. Shortly after the claim was made, a Taranaki shearer, P. de Malmanche, issued a challenge, which White accepted, on the condition that the day should consist of five runs—two hours before breakfast and four runs of one hour and three-quarters each —and that the contest should be held in Poverty Bay any time after December 1. It was also stipulated that both contestants’ sheep should be drawn from one pen.

Election Sweepstakes In a sporting community such as that of Auckland (skys the Star) no public event like the general election could be allowed to pass without the customary “little bit on the result.” There were numerous sweepstakes organised on the election, and despite the fact that Labour’s sweeping victory was generally looked upon as surprising, the evidence provided by one of these unofficial lotteries indicates that the “ landslide ” was by no means unexpected. There were 42 subscribers to the competition in question, and the winner actually forecast correctly the victories of 61 of the 76 European candidates returned at the head of the poll. The runner-up nominated accurately the winners of 59 electorates, just beating an elector who named 58 of the successful candidates. A number of the oracles named 57 of the election wins correctly. The worst picker of the 42 in the competition got 49 of the results right.