Overseas Mail.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 8

Overseas Mail.

The mails which left Dunedin on February 17 by tbe Maungauui, via San Francisco, reached Loudon on Mairch 18.

Heavy Goods Traffic Not for some years has goods traffic in the Dunedin railways district been so heavy as has been the case during the past few weeks, and, particularly for stock transport on the northern line, the local traffic department is finding it difficult to meet the demand for wagons. There has recently been an unprecedented flow of stock northward from Otago, and this, combined with the despatch of wool and produce for shipment has made it necessary to call every available unit of rolling stock into service.

Mosgiel’s Requirements The member of Parliament for Chalmers (Mr A. Campbell) visited Mosgiel yesterday, and conferred with the Borough Council on matters concerning the welfare of the borough. The Mayor (Mr A. F. Quelch) met him on arrival at the railway station, and one of the principal items discussed was railway fares.

Orphans’ Outing The Automobile Association (Otago) has arranged a run for orphans to-mor-row. The children will be taken to Brighton, and although there has been a fairly good response to the appeal for cars, the secretary of the association (Mr W. F. Sutton) said last evening that a few more were needed 1 .

Swimming Baths for Mosgiel The delegates from the clubs and societies interested met in the Mosgiel Council Chambers last evening to discuss ways and means of raising money to construct swimming baths for the town and district. It was decided to raise funds by means of a public subscription list. All present were elected a general committee, and three sub-committees were formed —Collecting, Finance, and Baths Construction. Exhibition of Lithographs

Many lovers of art in Dunedin took their last opportunity of viewing the exhibition of lithographs at the Art Gallery, Logan Park, yesterday. The exhibition, which included a collection of works by some of the best-known artists, lasted for'several weeks, and considering that this branch of art is not widely known in New Zealand, the support accorded the exhibition in Dunedin was very satisfactory.

Dunedin’s Roof Gardens Although it is a fairly common thing to see clumps of grass growing on the roofs and copings of buildings, only the observant are aware that in the heart of the city there are also growths of other plants which might almost be taken for the beginnings of natural roof gardens. One building had for a time a flourishing briar bush which bloomed in season, but at least two others still possess unexpected growths of bracken ferns. One clump in Princes street is of such an extent, despite its unpromising environment, that a citizen was recently hoard indulging in some amusing speculations on the prospects of grouse shooting in the main street in a few years’ time. Technical School Classes Up till the end of last week 1110 students had registered for the various ■ night classes at the King Edward Technical College. This is the greatest number of individual entries ever received at the college at this time of the year.

Queenstown-Pembroke Road A promise that when the opportunity offered the possibility of joining Queenstown and Pembroke by a road via Matatapu would be investigated was made by the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) to a Lake County Council deputation, which waited on him at Queenstown yesterday. The Minister stated that the Public Works engineers were particularly busy at the moment, but as soon as there was an opportunity the department would inspect the district and gain an idea how much the work would cost.

Norway’s Gratitude In November last the Norwegian tanker Sisto was disabled by heavy seas, and the Mobiloil, tanker of the Vacuum Oil Company, went to her rescue. By dumping oil overboard for 30 hours and summoning other vessels to the rescue, the Mobiloil was instrumental in saving the lives of the 16 members of the Sisto’s crew. The Norwegian Government, in recognition of the services rendered by the Mobiloil, has presented to Captain George S. Girling a silver cup, the presentation being made in London by Mr G. Conradi, Norwegian Counsul-general. Methylated Spirits

In future methylated spirits sold in New Zealand (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) will bear the label “methylated spirit, poison, not to bo taken internally. If so taken may cause blindness or death, and it will induce general physical decay.” This is one of the provisions contained in Customs (methylated spirit) regulations, 1936, gazetted last night, which include the provisions for the sale and manufacture of the spirit.

Stingless Bees A nest of stinglcss bees which were consigned to the Royal Zoological Gardens, London, was recently carried from Africa to England by Imperial Airways. They wore sent by the entomological branch of the Rhodesian Department of Agriculture and travelled under the care of Major F. M. C. Stokes, who had been making a tour of Southern Rhodesia in connection with publicity work. The bees were collected by an official of the entomological department in the Hartley district, about 00 miles from Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. They were slightly larger than house flies. The section of flie tree in which (hey had made a hole was cut down, and they were packed in this, the hole being plugged over. The bees are not expected to be of any practical value in England, and will be used for exhibition at the zoq. Great interest in Rhodesian stingless bees was aroused in England recently by a report that American scientists were endeavouring to evolve a variety of boo without a sting. The Rhodesian stingless bee is a natural' variety.

The Maori Soul “Those weird cries that yon hear, the glistening eye and the protruding tongue, the stamping of feet and the swaying bodies are the outpourings of the Maori soul,” said Sir Apirana Ngata at Otaki on Saturday night at the conclusion of a programme of Maori dances and action songs. The pakeha could not understand them, just as the Maori failed to understand why the Scotchman thrilled to the skirl of the bagpipes. Every word, every gesture, and every facial expression of the Maori when he performed the haka had a meaning of its own. It was not meant to entertain or to create amusement for the onlookers. It was the means of expressing the hopes and aspirations of the race, and of living again the glories of the past. The Maori soul was steeped in tradition, and the expression of his racial emotion was his very life. The pakeha should try to understand this and not think that he was merely watching an entertainment.

Lessons of History “We New' Zealanders as a body ar* not, I think, strong in historical knowledge,” said Mr Justice Ostler, addressing a social gathering of the Wellington Justice,? of the Peace Association on Wednesday night. "It is a subject which is not given the importance it deserves in our schools; which is a pity, because if studied properly we can leaim many useful lessons from the past. Human nature has changed but little over the last six or seven hundred years. A knowledge of history is therefore useful, if only to enable us to escape from the mistakes made by our ancestors.” Nautical Assessors

Captain L. C. H, Worrall, who will be an assessor at the rehearing of the Rangatira inquiry, to be presided over by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), retired from the sea in 1926, after 40 years* service with the Union Steam Ship Company. In the course of his career he commanded about 30 different vessels. In 1911 he brought the.Maunganui from Glasgow on s her maiden voyage, and after that he was engaged in ships in the San Francisco mail service. Captain Worrall was an assessor at the inquiry into the sinking of the liner Tahiti in 1931. The other assessor, Captain F. W. Baron, was for many years a master in the employ of the Union Steam Ship Company. He sat as an assessor in 1927 at the inquiry into the mishap to the liner Northumberland; which was damaged through striking a reef off the east coast. Duel with Giant Marlin

A woman deep-sea angler enjoyed a thrilling battle with a giant swordfish off Mayor Island last Sunday afternoon, when a black marlin made a sensational strike in a heavy sea. The fish leaped out of the water and landed right on top of the bait, taking it in its mouth and racing away for TOO yards. It then commenced leaping, and danced its way along the surface. The angler, Miss Trolove, held the fish for over a quarter of an hour. In strenuous efforts to get free the swordfish wound a new steel wire trace round its bill and tail. The trace finally snapped and the fish got away. Mr Chadban, master of the launch, states that he has baits for the last 15 years on deep’-sea fishing grounds, but has never seen anything so spectacular as this black marlin s strike and its subsequent fight. He said It was easily the biggest swordfish he had ever seen on rod and line. The strength it exerted when it broke the trace must have been tremendous, as the trace was a stout one and was being used for tbe first time.

Future of Rhode# Scholars' An answer to the question: " Why don’t our Rhodes scholars return to New Zealand after their traning in the Old Country?” was given at a Napier Rotary Club luncheon, on Tuesday by Dr Wilton Henley. Dr Henley, who was a Rhodes scholar from Otago University, said that any of them who did return to their country in an attempt to aid in public life were given no opportunity to do so, and could find no position in New Zealand. Most Rhodes scholars went to Oxford with the feeling that they had a moral obligation to return and render any possible assistance to their country for which their training abroad had fitted them. In his opinion they were not in any way bound to consider that obligation. To Dr Henley’s knowledge, three Rhodes scholars had returned to New Zealand in the last few years and sought positions in public life in which they could be of benefit because of the training they had received. To their surprise they found there were no such positions available, the Government apparently being unable to realise that these men were of the kind that were needed in the country. They were compelled to return to England, where the British Government accepted their services, and aftfsr an extra year at the university, in which they received special training, they were placed in the Colonial Service. ....... ...

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, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (neSt Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359,—Advt. Those who are requiring an Engagement Ring will do well to inspect our stock. Peter Dick, Jewellers and Opticians. 488 Moray place. Dunedin. —Advt.