Murder Charge

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22832, 17 March 1936, Page 8

Murder Charge

A start will be made on Thursday next with the hearing of the charge of murder against Hugh Urquhart Neil Gunn arising out of the death at Waitepeka on February 22 of William Beatty The case will be heard by Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M. Gunn appeared before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday, and on the application of Chief Detective J. B. Young, was again remanded. The chief detective staled that a start would be made with the hearing on Thursday morning. Gunn was represented by Mr C. J. L. White.

Public Health Returns One case of ophthalmia neonatorum, one of erysipelas, and one of scarlet fever remained in the Dunedin Public Ho<?pital at the close of the week ended at noon yesterday. At the Logan Park Hospital two patients suffering from scarlet fever were admitted during the week and five cases remained in the institution yesterday.

Strathnaver’s Tourist Cruise Three hundred of the Stratbnaver’s passengers arrived at Wellington from Auckland overland yesterday afternoon to rejoin the liner, which arrived at Wellington early in the morning on her last tourist cruise this season from Australia. The vessel left last evening for Sydney. Exhibition of Lithographs

Students and lovers of art have only a more days on which to inspect the exhibition of lithographs, secured on loan from the Senefelder Club; which will be on view in the Art Gallery, Logan Park, until Thursday. The collection consists of 72 prints and embodies a wide range of work in both colour and black and white. This branch of art is comparatively little known in New Zealand, and the display, in which many notable artists are represented, is therefore, of particular interest. Protection of Native Birds

A supplementary Gazette issued last night draws the attention of sportsmen and others (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) to the provisions of the Animals Protection and Game Act, 1921-22, and of the regulations thereunder; also to section 4 (1) Stock Amendment Act, 1927. The Gazette earnestly requests the public to assist in preserving for posterity the native birds of New Zealand. The Gazette also declares open seasons for imported game and/or native game of certain kinds in acclimatisation districts specified in the Gazette.

The Final Voyage The final voyage between Australia and New Zealand for the present season of the Union Steam Ship Company intercolonial passenger steamer Marama. has now been almost completed, and the vessel is due at Dunedin this morning. The complement of passengers totals 85 first class, 86 cabin class, and 27 third class. The vessel should berth at Dunedin this morning about 8 o’clock, and is scheduled to sail later in the-day for Lyttelton and Wellington. On arrival at the latter port the Marama will be laid up.

Air Ministry Favoured A motion supporting the proposal that an Air Ministry should be formed to control all phases of aviation in New Zealand was passed at the meeting of the council of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce last night. The council had previously sought information on the subject and was informed by the Associated Chambers that the Government had the question under consideration. The indications were that the Government might be favourably disposed towards the proposal. The motion supporting the formation of an Air Ministry was carried after it had been stated that the appointment of a large number of civil servants would not be involved, and that work now done by several departments would be co-ordinated. A Family Matter

It is conceivable that when the census schedules arrive there may be in some households —particularly those where a widowSd mother and her son or sons are living—some discussion as to who is the head of the house. One of the questions in the'householder’s schedule deals with the relation of others in the dwelling to the head of the household. Those filling in the schedule are asked to state whether the persons enumerated in the first question arc the "head,” “wife,” “son,” “daughter,” “visitor,” “boarder,” “servant,” etc., as the case may be. In a household in which a mother and a son of 21 years of ago or over are living each may claim headship. Who is the head is no concern of the Census and Statistics Department; the issue is one for the individuals of the household to settle.

A Great Man’s Reading That even the most profound students may enjoy their lighter moments in the fields of literature was illustrated yesterday by Mr W. Downie Stewart during tlie course of his address at the memorial service to Sir Francis Dillon Bell. Mr Stewart told his hearers that when, in 1921, ho was Acting Prime Minister, he called on Sir Francis expecting to find him deep in political problems. Instead of that, however, lie was studying Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity.” “But,” added Air Stewart, “lest you may suppose that he was merely a high-brow superman* I might mention that when I called next week-end, ho was reading the novels of Wodchousc. and insisted on my taking some with me.”

Chief Steward’s Record Air Horace Eklred, the chief steward of the Union Company's steamer Marama, which is proceeding tq Wellington to be laid up for several months, has been associated with the company for many years, and is known to hundreds of transTasman and trans-Pacific travellers. He told a Southland Times reporter that before going to sea he was first footman to Air Montagu Norman, governor of the Bank of England, and later on was first footman to the Dowager Countess Beauchamp, of Belgrave square, London. When he commenced his career at sea he served in the P. and 0. vessels Arcadia and Arabia, which were in the IndiaChina mail service. Mr Eldred also served with the Orient Line and' the America Line. The latter company’s vessels ran from Southampton to New York. “It was in the year 1908 that I joined the Union Company,” he stated. “At that time I was second grade steward in the Maheno, which is now lying on Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland. Soon afterwards I was promoted to chief steward, and I have served in this capacity in the Moana, Manuka, Moeraki, Mararoa, Maunganui and Marama.”

Commercial Congress « . The arrangements for the fourteenth Congress of Federated Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, which is to be held in Wellington in October, provide for a visit by the delegates to Dunedin. It is expected that the main party will arrive in the city on October 14. This party will be limited to about 100, but it is expected that other parties will also arrive in Dunedin on the same day from Queenstown and Haumer Springs. The whole congress party is expected to be in Dunedin on October 15 and 16, and will depart on the morning of October 17.

Income Tax Yield Some idea of the manner in which income tax payments have been coming in is given by the level of Government deposits shown in the Reserve Bank returns gazetted in the past two weeks. The return which appeared on March 6 coincided with the, last date for payment of the tax without added penalty. The Government deposits then were £1,439,405 higher than in the last preceding return. The statement published last Friday records a' further increase of £1,393,179, making £2,832,584 for the two weeks, in which a large proportion of the income tax might be expected to have been paid. In the corresponding returns last year the increases in Government deposits were £864,154 and £1,215.185, a total of £2,079,339. Too much reliance (the New Zealand Herald says)’ must not be placed on these figures as showing the yield of income tax, for many other items may have helped to influence the level of the deposits; but there is at least an indication that the payments have come in freely and in greater volume than a year ago. “ These Virtuous Old Gentlemen ” Attention to the danger of slow-moving traffic on the roads was drawn by the executive of the Automobile Association (Hawke’s Bay) when a discussion arose over the recent declaration of war on “ road hogs ” by the Minister of Transport (Mr R. Semple). "These virtuous old gentlemen doing 20 miles an hour and patting themselves on the back because they are observing the speed rules of the road are creating a menftce to other users of the highways,” said Mr J. 11. Edmundson. “It often happens the drivers of these slow vehicles are as much to blame in an accident as the man who is probably doing 40 miles an hour. It is a more heinous offence for a man to do five miles an hour on the wrong side of the road than for. a man to travel at a decent pace on his correct side. While we as an association’'want to encourage safety first, the ideal on which that safety is based is what might be termed the prevailing idea of a safo speed,” he continued. "If that speed is 30 miles an hour or even 40, then the man who travels at 20 is probably a greater cause of accident.” Mr R. M. Chadwick: “The most dangerous factor, I think, 'is the failure to keep to the left when turning corners. The man who drives fast is not necessarily a ‘road hog.’ The driver who takes a corner at five miles an hour cannot get out of the way as quickly as a man doing an average speed.”

Invitation to Foreigners Quoting the statistics published last week, Father Phillip Murphy, a distinguished Franciscan monk who is on a visit to New Zealand, warned the congregation during a mission service in the Sacred Heart Church, Ponsonby, that the falling birth rate was an invitation to restive foreign nations to look with envious eyes upon'New Zealand. “Your newspapers tell you that there was a new record in the number of marriages last year, but concurrently the birth rate was the lowest on record,” he said. " This can only spell national disaster. The truth of that is exemplified in the pages of history. France is afraid—why? Her falling birth rate is the answer. Her* in New Zealand you must not be surprised if, a few years hence, a horde sweeps down from the north, to people the lands which you refuse to populate yourselves. The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small! ” Deer-Stalkers from Melbourne

A party of deerstalkers from Melbourne arrived by the Marama, which berthed at Bluff on Sunday. They will proceed to the country around Lake Manapouri, and expect to be in Southland for three weeks. Dr I. Mackintosh, the leader of the party, said that the attractions of the province’s deer country were well known to enthusiastic Australian sportsmen. He was looking forward to spending a very enjoyable and profitable period in Southland. Tho members of the party are Dr Mackintosh, Dr A. Tate, Dr F. Tate, and Mr G. K. Gregsqn.

Publicity in Shanghai A request for support for his proposal that a New Zealand office should be established in Shanghai was made in a letter, from Mr S. Hutchison, honorary agent there of the Department of Industries and Commerce, received at the meeting of the council of the Dunedm Chamber of Commerce last night. Mr Hutchison stated that for some time he had been advocating that a grant of £2OO a year should be’ made to cover the cost of an office with an attendant in charge in the central area of Shanghai, and be forwarded a copy of a letter which he had sent to the Minister (Mr D. G. Sullivan) on the subject. “We must preserve our individualism as distinct from Australia,” he said, “ and, as Australia now has in Shanghai a-trade commissioner and an assistant, no time must, be lost in establishing our own office to which inquiries can be made direct. We have suffered too long from the use of the word Australasia. Probably on 75 per cent, of the occasions on which I have met strangers I have had to explain that New Zealand is not part of Australia.” It was decided to ask the Minister to give sympathetic consideration to the request. Search for Historic Bottle

The search for a copy of the proclamation declaring British sovereignty, which is believed to have been buried at Port Pegasus, Stewart Island, at present being carried out by the ship’s company of H.M.S. Dunedin under the direction of Mr T. Lindsay Buick, C.M.G., E.R.Hist.S., is arousing interest on Stewart Island. Captain Nias, the commander of H.M.S. Herald, which visited Pegasus on June 5, 1840, for the purpose of taking possession of Stewart Island, read the proclamation and left a copy of it in a bottle which he buried in a spot described in the ship’s log. Mr Buick has extracts from (he log and he hopes from these directions to find the document. The following bearings were taken in the log to two islands, which indicate the position of the Herald’s anchorage: Hebe Island N.E.J.N.; Dryad Island N.f.E. Owing to the change of names in Pegasus some doubt existed as to the location of these two islands, but Mr Buick is reported to have foun'd an old chart which decides the matter. If H.M.S. Dunedin locates this anchorage, it is stated, the prospects of finding the bottle should be greatly increased, but some doubt still exists whether the bearings given are true or magnetic bearings. The arm in Pegasus where the Herald lay is narrow and it has been shown that her anchorage could have been on either side of it, according to whether or not true or magnetic bearings were used. Many attempts have been made to locate the bottle, the last being that of Mr Buick about 18 months ago.

We have received 10s from “ St. Clair ” for the Nurse Barclay Fund, Barth Electric, Ltd., 36 George street, specialists in everything Electrical. Don’t throw away that old radiator; we specialise in repairs.—Advt. Eye Strain—-For Eye Comfort, for better vision, consult Stunner and Watson, Ltd., Opticians. 2 Octagon, Dunedin.—Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley. dentists. Bank of Australasia, comer o f Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359, —Advt.