Overseas Mails

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22964, 20 August 1936, Page 10

Overseas Mails

The English mails despatched by the Mataroa on July 10 reached London on Sunday last. The Singapore air mail despatched from Dunedin on July 23 • reached London on Monday last The Mariposa left Sydney on Wednesday for Auckland with 23 bags of Australian mail and four parcel receptacles; also the London air mail of August 5 The latter should be to hand on Sunday afternoon, and the remainder of the mail on Tuesday afternoon Debtor Adjudicated Bankrupt

An application was made in the Supreme Court yesterday before Mr Justice Kennedy for an order declaring John Stenhouse. coal merchant, a bankrupt. The Wairaki Coal Company. Ltd. (Mr F C. Dawson) was the creditor making application. Mr B. H. B Pinfold, for the debtor, consented to an order. Evidence was given by Frank Young, accountant, also a shareholder and director of the Wairaki Company, that Stenhouse owed the company £742 4s Id, judgment having been obtained against him for that amount for coal supplied and costs. The company had no security for the debt. His Honor made an order adjudicating the debtor a bankrupt.

Returned Soldiers' Membership The figures in the membership contest held by the Dunedin and Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Associations show that Dunedin had a lead of 251 on August 15. Dunedin's total was 1912 and that of the Christchurch body 1661

A Toss of the Coin The Otago Education Board was required at its meeting yesterday to appoint a representative on the Waitaki High Schools' Board, and Mr G. Livingstone and Mr N. Colquhoun were nominated. The voting was equal with four votes to each nominee. "I'll toss as to how I give my vote." said Mr James Wallace, chairman of the boards " Heads for Livingstone tails for Colquhoun." The head showed up, and Mr Livingstone was duly declared appointed.

Approval of Pension Provisions The Dominion Executive Committee of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has passed a resolution of appreciation of the action of the Government in increasing and improving the conditions of pensions. Favourable comment is made on the various pensions provisions of the Budget. many of which are stated to be in accordance with representations made by the executive to the Minister of Defence (Mr F Jones). The Govern ment is urged, however, to restore fully the cut in economic pensions as soon as this is warranted by the economic position of the country.

Burnside Stock Sale

The entry of 250 fat cattle at the Burnside stock sale yesterday was made up principally of medium quality bullocks with a large percentage of cows and heifers, and only a few consignments of prime heavy bullocks. The feature of the offering was a truck of prime heavy bullocks from Southland which attracted a great deal of attention and topped the market at £l9 17s 6d. The sale opetfed easier than last week, all classes barely maintaining late rates and selling at par to 10s easier throughout. There was an entry of 120 in the store cattie pens, which were poorly supported. The offering included only a few steers and consisted largely of cull cows with a small percentage of vealers. Wellbred three to four-year steers met with a good demand and realised to £8 15s. The balance of the offering was quitted at satisfactory rates. There was a large entry of dairy cows, the bulk of which constituted a nondescript assortment, including backward sorts and late calvers. Buyers sought good, young, close-to-profit cows, the remainder of the yarding failing to meet the same demand. There was a yarding of approximately 1500 fat sheep, including a larger percentage of wethers than is usually .the case. The ewes forward comprised mostly medium quality descriptions with a few consignments of heavier grades. From the outset, the market had an easier tone and wethers were down from Is to Is 6d per head, while ewes suffered a similar decline. The sale continued on this basis till the final race, when there was a distinct improvement, the earlier drop being fully recovered. There were very few hoggets forward, and this class met with a keen demand and improved values ruled. Porkers predominated in the large yarding of 180 fat pigs. The sale opened with values in favour of purchasers, and there was no Prices depreciated by 5s to 7s per head for both porkers and baconers. Values for store pigs, of which there were 110 forward, were firm at late rates, the best stores realising to £ 1 4s. Protection from Flooding

Cabinet has approved of a grant to cover the Otago University Council's contribution towards the cost of work proposed by the Dunedin City/Council for the protection of the University buildings from flooding from the Leith. An announcement to this effect (says our Parliamentary reporter) was made yesterday by the Minister of Education (Mr P. Fraser).

Sunday Night Concerts Strong exception was taken by the Deacons' Court of Knox Church last night to the attitude adopted by the Dunedin City Council towards the holding of Sunday night concerts. The meeting adopted the following resolution:—"This meeting of the Deacons' Court of Knox Church desires to dissociate itself from the action of the Dunedin City Council in granting in increasing numbers the permits for Sunday night concerts. The sacredness of the Sabbath is our national heritage and the bulwark of our strength of character. It is to be regretted that here in Dunedin, the stronghold of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, the civic leaders should countenance practices which make for its secularisation."

Maintenance Defaulters The need for some place to which could be sent men who failed to keep up maintenance payments in favour of wives and children, and there made to work for wages that could go to their dependants, was stressed by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston North on Monday. The magistrate had before him a husband who was £37 in arrears with maintenance due to his wife, and the evidence disclosed that he had recently had six months' constant employment. Mr Stout sentenced him to six months' gaol, the warrant to be suspended so long as he keeps current maintenance of 12s 6d a week paid and reduces the arrears by 7s 6d a week. "You have not tried," the magistrate told the defendant, "and you must understand that unless you do, you will go to gaol." A Bond of Service

Provided that the agreement is binding on both the student and the Education Department, the Auckland Education Board considers that every candidate for training as a school teacher should be required to sign a bond guaranteeing service for a certain term after the completion of training. When this statement of policy was made by the board at its meeting yesterday (telegraphs our special correspondent) , it was said that the department had been put to unreasonable expense in the last few years through students abandoning teaching very shortly after they had finished training. It was stated that marriage had been one of the main causes for young teachers abandoning the profession.

Car Registration Formalities A protest against the formalities necessary before a visiting motorist could drive his car in New Zealand was made by Mr T. W. Mitchell, the noted Australia skier, who arrived at Auckland by the Aorangi. On his last visit to New Zealand, Mr Mitchell said, he had wasted at least half a day getting his car ashore, registering it and obtaining a licence. Reciprocal arrangements for registration had been reached in most overseas countries, and New Zealand and Australia should arrange for their number plates to be mutually acceptable. At the very least motorists should be allowed to carry out all the formalities at their place of departure, instead of having to walk helplessly round a strange town.

Escapes from Gaol There were 13 escapes from New Zealand gaols last year, states the Prisons Department in its annual report. With one exception all the prisoners were recaptured. This number, it is noted, is not higher than the average. " The extensive liberty allowed as a matter of reclamative policy at the camps and farms actually affords greater facilities for escapes.' says Mr B. L. Dallard, Controllergeneral of Prisons, "and, as many prisoners are creatures of impulse, it is recognised that in odd cases advantage will be taken of the freedom permitted, but, on the other hand, a measure of trust engenders selfrespect, and experience shows that the taking of a certain amount of risk is justified."

Haile Sellassie's Court The barbaric splendour of the Court of Haile Sellassie, when he was Emperor of Abyssinia, was described by the Rev. J. J. Strahle, Seventh Day Advenlist pastor, at Wellington. " Mussolini would have been a wisei man had he left the country to the Emperor's enlightened rule," said Mr Strahle. "As it is he has stored up endless trouble for Italy." Travelling in Abyssinia two years ago for hospitals at" Dessye and Addis Ababa, which the Emperor had presented to the Seventh Day Adventists, Mr Strahle on several occasions had audience with the Ethiopian potentate. On entering the palace, he said, he and his party were confronted by hundreds of white-robed retainers, whose long beards lent them an aspect of great dignity. When they came face to face with the Emperor, they halted at the sight of several tawny lions roving uncontrolled. The Emperor beckoned them forward, and, seeing them hesitate, spoke to the lions, which slunk away at his word of command But later, said Mr Strahle, he heard that these palace pets killed two men not long after his party waited on the Emperor.

Accidents at Homer Saddltt

Lack of medical attention is one «rf the risks that must be run by men working at the Homer Saddle camp, near the head of Milford Sound, and when the Government steamer Matai reached Westport on Tuesday she had on board two men, from the Homer Saddle road works, who required hospital treatment. About a week ago, C. E. Currie was felling a tree for firewood when it split up and fell across his foot, breaking a bone and bruising the foot. Currie received first-aid treatment from a nurse stationed at the Milford Sound Hostel, and has been brought to Westport to have the foot X-rayed. Having strained himself when lifting a heavy bridge stringer, G. Bragg, of Stewart Island, is also receiving medical attention at Westport.

Control of School Children An interesting point concerning the responsibility of teachers in the control of school children outside the playground and outside the school hours was mentioned by Mr J. Garcia (North Taranaki) at yesterday's proceedings of the Conference of the Dominion Federation of School Committees. The matter of the insurance of pupils was being discussed, the proposal including the insuring of children on their way to and from school. One delegate remarked that the authorities could hardly be held to be responsible for an accident which occurred as the result of children "sky-larking" on the road, and Mr Garcia, in reply, stated that there was a definite legal liability. The matter, he said, had been the subject of a test case in Taranaki some years ago when proceedings for damages were taken against a teacher who had punished children for bathing in some forbidden spot. As the offence had been committed outside of school hours, it was contended that the punishment was illegal as the matter was outside the teacher's jurisdiction. The finding of the Supreme Court, however, v had been that the children were under the control of the teacher from the time they left home until they returned again after school.

Tenders are invited by the Public Works Department for the supply of the following:—Rock drill hose, beltdriven alternating current generator, machine tools, bottle jacks, nmcrows and blocks, insulators and copper cable and ironbark poles and tallowwood crossarms. s Details are 'advertised in this issue. ~ , ~•. _. Just landed, fine display latest electric light fittings, new seasons fishing tackle also just arriving. Inspection invited.—Barth Electric, Ltd., 36 George street. Dunedin.—Advt. Eye Strain.-For Eye Comfort, or Better vision, consult Sturmer 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 (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359. Advt.