City Police Court

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23224, 23 June 1937, Page 8

City Police Court

There were no cases for hearing at the City Police Court yesterday.

Overseas Mail

The Wanganella, which left Sydney on Sunday morning for Auckland, has 11 bags of Australian mail for Dunedin. This should be to hand on Saturday afternoon.

A Chimney Fire The City Fire Brigade turned out at 1.25 p.m. yesterday to a chimney fire at Kew. Missing Lad Located

The 13-year-old lad who was missing from his home at Caversham on Monday morning was located at Baklutha that .night. The boy left home to go to school, and as he had not returned home late in the afternoon inquiries were instituted.

Art Society's Display Paintings in oil and water colour, black and white drawings, and examples of the crafts are on display at the Otago Ar Society's exhibition in the Pioneers' Hall. Scenes of local and provincial interest comprise the bulk of the pictures, but there are a few overseas subjects. All were executed by members of the society. " The Old Barn," a small water colour by R. Reid, was sold yesterday. The display will be open each day and evening for the next two weeks.

Launch Thetis Sold Mr C. W. Sundstrum's handsome cruising launch Thetis, which for the past eight years has been an outstanding unit of the fleet of pleasure craft on Otago Harbour, has been sold to Sir Bruce Stewart, of Pigeon Bay, Akaroa. The Thetis, which was built at Dunedin in 1929 by Mr James M'Pherson, , was designed by the famous naval architect, Mr William H. Hand, jun., of New Bedford, and although she is now eight years old, she is still one of the most up?to-date of her class in New Zealand waters. The cruiser left for Banks Peninsula on Monday in charge of her new owner, who had with him Mr W. Fraser.

Halo Around the Moon A remarkable halo was observed ground the moon last night, and aroused much comment regarding its cause. The halo was a perfect one, the circle being at a considerable distance from the moon, and showing coloured effects on the inner edge. The halo is ascribed to a refraction of light passing through minute ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. These crystals are formed by the freezing of very small droplets of water.

Grim Warning The modern highways of America were described by Dr E. N. Merrington in the course of a lecture last night on his recent world tour, and he remarked on the high rate of speed maintained by the traffic in that country. One was unfortunate, he said, if one got behind a slow-moving vehicle on the road, as it was frequently difficult to get past. He had had such an experience, and had been amused to see chalked on the back of the lumbering lorry which barred his speedier progress the words, " Speed on, brother, Hell isn't half full yet."

Dominion Physique Brigadier-general H. W. Lloyd, M.L.A., who returned from New Zealand to Sydney recently, found that the physique of New Zealand youth was, generally speaking, ahead of 'that of the Australians. " I think that this is accounted for by the fact that they have no big industrial areas, such .as we have in our Australian cities, and is also due to the fact that we have no organised physical training in Australia," he added. New Zealanders were feeling the necessity for the training of youth, and this had been carried on by independent bodies. The New Zealand Government was beginning to take an interest in the matter, and it seemed likely that something would be done.

National Council of Sport Some valuable reports and well-thought-out suggestions relating to his proposal for the establishment of a national sports council were received from sports bodies during the weekend by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry). He considered they would help a great deal towards bringing into effect the scheme which he had proposed. Mr Parry expressed pleasure at the amount of consideration southern and northern sports bodies had given to the formation of the association. Recommendations and suggestions already received or to be received before the end of the month would be collated and arrangements would then be made for a second conference to be held in Wellington at which there would be much very useful and helpful material. " I am hopeful of seeing achieved the desired end," added the Minister, " which is the formation of a sound national organisation to inspire and encourage the true aims of sport and physical culture of Ihe people."

First Steamer to New Zealand When steamers began to supersede sail, they were not the reliable means of transport they are now. A paragraph in a recent issue of the Evening Post drawing attention to the arrival of the first steamer to reach New Zealand —the Atrato —recalls an instance of this to Mr John Aston, of Wellington. His parents and himself were booked to sail from the Old Country by the Atrato, but were transferred to the sailing ship Ballochmyle. The Ballochmyle arrived at Lyttelton on June 1 and the Atrato at Port Chalmers on June 18. both in the year 1874. 'As a very young boy," said Mr Aston, "I can well remember the day we passed the Atrato, returning, from far on her way, for repairs. It was an event for both ships, which passed within speaking distance, and was the subject of conversation and conjecture amongst the immigrants for days. When leaving the Old Country we were told that New Zealand was a land full of promise, and that it would be a case of ' eight hours' work, eight hours' play, eight hours' sleep, and eight bob a day,' but years of pioneering proved that the only part true to label wa.s the eight bob a day. Those pioneering days called for pluck and grit, with no 40-hour week, spoon-feeding, or grandmotherly legislation. Reward came only from long hours and hard work, and the determination to succeed."

Increase in Water Charges Representatives from the boroughs of St. Kilda, Green Island, and West Harbour waited on the Water Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon, at the request of the committee, to discuss the proposal of the City Council to increase the water charge to these boroughs from 6d to Is 6d per thousand gallons. No finality was reached, and the proposals of the committee v/ill be discussed further at another conference to be held later.

Majority Jury Verdict* A suggestion that the Scottish system of accepting a 75 per cent, jury verdict should be given a trial in criminal abortion cases was supported by Dr Doris Gordon in a public address at Masterton on Monday night. In reply to a question, Dr Gordon said she did not believe that women jurors would overcome the evil because there were women in New Zealand to-day with very strong Russian and Communistic views, who said that abortion should be legalised. It had been mentioned to her that in these cases men jurors were "bought," and if that were true of men, women also might not be immune from the temptation.

An Impressive Record In its eight matches in New Zealand to date the touring English amateur Association football team has scored 73 goals, and only five have been recorded against it. Two members of the team— R. J. Mathews, centre-forward, and S. Eastham, inside right—have played in every match, Mathews having scored 17 and Eastham nine goals. L. C. Finch (left-wing) and L. C. Thornton (inside left) have also proved prolific scorers, each being credited' with 11 goals. The final match of the tour, the third test, is to be played at Athletic Park, Wellington, on Saturday.

Soldiers' Leather Factory According to the annual report of the Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment, League, the leather factory in Dunedin continues to show excellent results, and it has been found possible to increase the wages of all the disabled men employed, two of them having now been completely taken off the economic pension. All the men employed are keen on their work, and the quality of their products has steadily improved until it now reaches a very high standard. The woodwork factory, although still in its infancy, has made satisfactory progress and the men employed are keen and working well.

Compulsory Unionism " One volunteer is worth ten pressed men," said a member of the South Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, when consideration was being given to a remit from the Temuka branch opposing compulsory unionism. Mr L. V. Talbot said the. time would come when Britons would not put up with such a position. " We are gradually- being drawn along lines of thought that will rob us of our liberties, and we are selling our birthright for a mess of pottage," he added. The remit was withdrawn on the understanding that the whole question would be discussed at the next Dominion Conference.

Pills by the Ton Discussing the' effects of the panel system of medical attention in operation under the national health insurance scheme in Britain, Mr C. A. Watts, proposing the toast of the Legislature at a dinner of the Ancient Order of Foresters in Auckland on Saturday night, said that statisticians had been able to devote their attention to the number of tons Df pills prescribed for the people and the effect on the digestion of the nation. In 1935 the number of prescriptions issued to panel patients was 60,000,000. These prescriptions represented the almost incredible quantities of eight'tons"and a-half of pills, 386 tons of extract of malt and malt and oil, 217 tons of powders, 301 tons of ointments, and 1,830,000 gallons of mixture.

Spiritual Influence of Coronation

The view that the Coronation was not a mere pageant or historic display, but a real spiritual service, the influence of which was felt in, as well as beyond, the Empire, was expressed by Archdeacon G. Mac Murray, vicargeneral of the Auckland diocese, at a service in St. Mary's Cathedral, Auckland, on Sunday. "Before God, and in the presence of His holiest disciples, the King sought strength and power from God to carry out his duties to his subjects, the children of the King of Kings," Archdeacon Mac Murray added.

Gaol Changes Hands The control of the Greymouth Gaol has been changed from the Prisons Department to the Police Department. For many years, this gaol has had a status not possessed by other gaols in towns the size of Greymouth. It was used mostly for remands, for very short terms of imprisonment for minor crimes, and for civil imprisonment, but most of the longer terms of imprisonment imposed in the West Coast have been served in Paparua. The Greymouth Gaol, which is part of the police station block of wooden buildings, will continue in future to serve for the very short terms of imprisonment, but its staffing will be from the Police Department. It is stated that in recent years the amount of work at the gaol—which depends on the number of prisoners in residence—has become increasingly smaller, until it is felt that the number of prisoners to be accommodated does not warrant the keeping of the gaol under the active control of the Prisons Department.

Employment of Disabled Soldiers "The improvement in the economic position has made it possible to place a large number of disabled soldiejrs in employment (states the annual report of the Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment League), and it is pleasing to report that very few skilled men who are willing and able to work are now out of employment. The most difficult problem is still the placing of those unskilled disabled men who are not fit to do heavy work, but the new pensions legislation has relieved the financial position greatly in many of Ihese cases. The shops in Wellington. Auckland, and Christchurch have all shown improved returns during the year, due partly to the better times, and also to the fact that the quality and variety of the handicrafts produced by the disabled men are constantly improving, and this fact being recognised by visitors to the shops results in a greater turnover. It will be gratifying to the local committees and employment officers to know that very favourable comments have frequently been made by overseas visitors and .others on the very fine displays in the disabled soldiers' shops.