Air Mail Reaches London

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23082, 7 January 1937, Page 8

Air Mail Reaches London

The Singapore air mail despatched from Dunedin on December 14 reached London on Monday last. Anniversary of Flight The sixth anniversary of the first solo flight across the Tasman Sea, by Guy Menzies, of Sydney, in an Avro Avian Sports, on January 7, 1931, occurs to-day. His machine was the Southern Cross Junior, previously flown from England to Australia by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. His departure from Australia was kept secret. He told his family that his objective was to make a record flight to Perth. Nothing else was divulged about his plans, and when, late on the evening of January 5, the aeroplane was wheeled out at Mascot, and the pilot placed on board food supplies for two days and water for five days, with petrol sufficient for 18 hours’ flying, it struck no one as unusual. He left at 1 a.m., Sydney time, on January 6, and landed in a swamp at Hari Hari, South Westland, at- 3.12 p.m. on January 7—12 hours 12 minutes from coast to coast, a distance of 1066 miles. His feat has since been repeated by L. E. Clark, Christchurch, who flew a Percival Gull; Jean Batten, Auckland, who had a Percival Vega Gull; and the late W. M. O’Hara, a New Zealander living in Java, who flew a Klemm Eagle. F. C. Chichester, Wellington, flew solo from New Zealand to Australia in a Moth equipped with floats, by way of Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.

Malicious False Alarm As the result of a malicious false alarm the City Fire Brigade was called . to Moana crescent, Anderson’s Bay, at ! 9.26 p.m. yesterday.

Burnside Stock Sale Beef was slightly easier at the first Burnside stock sale of the year, which was held yesterday. The yarding totalled 306. Extra prime steers made to £l4 12s 6d, prime £ll 2s 6d to £l3 7s 6d, medium £9 12s 6d to £lO 17s 6d, and light and unfinished £7 2s 6d to £8 17s 6d. Extra prime heifers brought £lO 2s 6d, prime £7 12s 6d to £9 7s 6d, medium £6 7s 6d to £7 2s 6d, and light down to £4 7s 6d. There were 115 stores forward, and all well-bred young sorts sold freely, while older, cows and boners maintained late rates. Only 25 dairy cows came forward, good yttung sorts selling well, though there was no demand for older cows. The yarding of fat lambs was nearly seven times as large as that for the first sale of last year, 782 being submitted. Extra prime lambs brought to £1 11s 6d, prime £1 7s 6d to £1 8s 6d, medium and light £1 4s 3d to £1 7s, and unfinished 19s to £1 2s 6d. There were 111 fat pigs and 108 stores forward. The demand for baconers was slack, and there was an easing of about 10s per head. Porkers maintained late rates, and at the end of the sale ther# was still a demand for this class.

Municipal Organ Recital An organ recital will be given by th* city organist (Dr V. E. Galway) in the Town Hall on Sunday evening at 8.15. A special attraction will be the appearance of Miss Sybil Phillips, who is touring New Zealand under the auspices of the National Broadcasting Service. Miss Phillips will be heard in four numbers, three of which are old English songs and the fourth will be Mendelssohn’s ever-popular “On Wings of Song.” The organ items include Epilogue (Willan), Prelude to Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck), Nocturne in G Major (Chopin), Tuba Tune (Cocker), an aria from Bach’s Matthew Passion, some Irish airs, and the brilliant Rakockzy March by Berlioz. There will be no charge for admission.

Scenes on Highway Twenty-five patrolmen make daily written reports of their operations to the Automobile Association (Auckland). These often contain - information beyond that of comment on the condition of roads and signs and the conduct of motorists. One piece of information submitted by a patrol was- “ Saw a one-wheel trailer and also a baby car with a . still more baby-ish trailer—a soap box on wheels! ” The same patrol in his next report stated that he had suggested to a party in a car that the driver should be changed, as the course he was; pursuing was very erratic. The occupants complied with the request with alacrity, apparently being of the same opinion as the patrol, that a change was desirable.

Rescued from the Sea A pretence of being drowned which nearly became a reality and a lifesaving demonstration which became a genuine rescue were witnessed on Waihi Beach, Auckland, by a large crowd. A “ dummy ” had swum out to sea, and was awaiting the arrival of the rescue party, composed of members of the local life-saving club, when the latter’s attention was directed to a man on an inflated mattress, which had been carried out beyond the safely limit. This man, was in difficulties, although he was in no immediate danger, and the life-saving squad brought him safely to the beach. In the meantime the "dummy” had become exhausted by his. long wait, and was in danger of being drowned wjhen his plight was observed. He was brought to the shore and revived...

Mascots on Motor Cars - Projecting mascots or ornaments on the radiators of motor cars ipust bt removed, and anyone failing to do so lays himself open' to prosecution. Although the Traffic Regulations', 1936, which came into force on December 21, made the removal of such projections mandatory, few owners of the many cars bearing such mascots have obeyed the law. The regulations state: “No person shall operate a motor vehicle having affixed thereto any ornament, decoration, or ornamental fitting in a position where it is likely to strike any person with whom the vehicle may collide unless the ornament, decoration, or fitting is such that it is not liable to cause injury by reason of any projection thereon.” Just where the line will be drawn between dangerous and| innocuous mascots is not yet clear, but it seems certain that most of the mascots, especially those on modern cars, will have to, be taken v off.

Mako Sharks at Kaikoura The possibilities of making Kaikoura a base for big-game fishing have been strengthened by the success which attended the expedition of a party of three fishermen on Sunday. The party comprised Mr B. S. Trolove, of Marlborough, a well-known deep-sea angler; Mr George Francis, of Christchurch; and Mr R. R. Laidlaw, of Oaro, Kaikoura. They were successful in landing three mako sharks with standard deep-sea tackle. The first was hooked by Mr Laidlaw when the launch was about two miles out from Kaikoura, and was brought* aboard after an exciting struggle. The shark fought for and hour and a-half. and when landed was found to measure about 7ft 6in in length. The launch then set out for a reef about seven or eight miles to the north, where several mako were seen. Here Mr Francis and Mr Trolove each landed a fish, the measurements being 6ft and sft 6in. Each mako was hooked on a floated line. Several other fish were seen, one being of exceptional size. The expedition was unable to obtain kahawai, which is the best bait for mako, and used pieces of barracoota instead.' The local fishermen are positive that swordfish are also present in- Kaikoura waters. Tenders are invited by the Public Works Department for the following:— Cable and boxes and maintainer blades. Details are advertised in this issue. Suggestions tor the holidays; Fishing Tackle. Torches. Electrical Gifts suitable for Christmas. Wedding Presents. Rogers Radio Sets.—Barth Electric, Ltd.. 36 George street, Dunedin.—Advt. Eye Strain. -For eye comtort or oetter 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