Overseas Mails

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23333, 27 October 1937, Page 8

Overseas Mails

The Awatea, which reached Auckland on Monday from Sydney, brought 75 bags of Australian mail for Dunedin, also the London air mail of October 6 and 9. The air mails reached here yesterday afternoon, and the balance of the mails is due this evening. The Ruahine, due at Wellington to-day from London, has 10 bags of English mail and 150 parcel receptacles for New Zealand. The Dunedin portion should be to hand to-morrow evening. Christmas Pictures

The City Council last night granted Amalgamated Theatres, Ltd., permission to screen pictures at the Grand and State Theatres on Christmas Day. At a previous meeting a similar course was adopted with respect to an application from the local Fuller-Hayward theatres. Infectious Diseases

At noon yesterday there were 10 infantile paralysis cases in the Dunedin Hospital. One patient was discharged during the preceding eight days. There is one case of erysipelas and one of scarlet fever in the institution, and one case of ophthalmia neonatorum was discharged during the period, one remaining. There are three scarlet fever patients in the Logan Park. Hospital. Relief of Distress

The Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) ha." received a cheque for £306 from the '•' Money from Home " art union. This money will be distributed through the Mayor's Relisf Committee.

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

Kawarau Gorge Road Advice has been received by the Automobile Association (Otago) that Mr P. Keller, district engineer of public works, has arranged for a gang of men to commence work almost immediately on the section of the Kawarau Gorge road, near Pigeon Rock, where the fatal motor accident occurred on Saturday last. The road is to be widened at this spot and generally made safer for traffic, and it is expected that the work will be completed before Christmas.

Motor Car Converted Between 9 a.m. and 7.45 p.m. on Monday, Messrs Cooke, Howlison's workshop in Ward street was broken into, and a 1935 .model Chevrolet sedan motor car removed. The car, which bears the registration number 132-624, was found yesterday morning abandoned, but undamaged, on the Anderson's Bay road, outside the Caledonian Ground, the speedometer indicating that the machine had travelled approximately 98 miles since its removal from the workshop.

Cow Down Well Unusual methods were used to extricate a cow that fell down a well in the vicinity of New Plymouth last week. The cow fell a distance of 10 to 13 feet, and after efforts to rescue her had failed, a breakdown wagon crane proved successful. The cow showed little ill-effect of its adventures and immediately walked about with only a slight limp.

Motor Car in Hayfield A Waikato dairy farmer has found a novel way of overcoming his difficulties with the labour shortage. He has decided that his wife, although hardly equal to driving two draught horses in a hay-sweep, could help him in a much less energetic way, and he hap arranged to attach his hay-sweep, to his motor car and for her to drive it. Neighbours are expecting to see her in a few weeks driving the car about the hay paddock sweeping haycocks before her, while her husband'carries on at the stack.

Women's Hairdressing "In 1929 there were only about 15 women's hairdressing shops in Auckland city and suburbs, and the charge for a permanent wave was from £3 3s upward," said Mr W. E. Anderson (secretary of the Auckland Employers' Association) during the hearing of the hairdressers' dispute in the Arbitration Court in Auckland. "There are now 186 such establishments in the area, and the prices range from 10s upward," he added. "There must be a lot more permanent waves," remarked Mr Justice O'Regan.

Butter-boxes from Sweden That the board had ordered r 'oo,ooo butter-boxes from Sweden because of the decreasing supplies of white pine available and to guard against any hold-up was mentioned by the chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board (Mr A. J. Murdoch) at a conference in Wanganui recently, A quantity of the boxes was already on the water, and probably would be slightly cheaper than the -New Zealand dox. He thought that more could be done by the importation of English fibre boxes in which a quantity of produce had been shipped and opened up in very good condition. He considered these containers would prove satisfactory and that more of them could be used. The board did not wish to interfere with local industry, but every producer would agree that no stone should be left unturned to prevent a hold-up. Great Britain was New Zealand's only satisfactory market for primary produce, and it was the duty of the Dominion to support her industries to as trreat an extent as possible.

Automtaic False Alarm The City Fire Brigade was called out at 8.58 a.m. yesterday by an automatic false alarm from the electrical stores, Cumberland street.

State Houses at Wakari Dr D. G. M'Millan, M.P., advises us that tenders will be closed on November 17 for the erection of 35 singlehouse units and five two-house units at Helensburgh road, Lynn street, Chapman street, and Shetland street, Wakari. There will be 11 different contracts.

Angling Competition The Otago Anglers' Association's Labour Day competition held on the Shag River was won by Mr W. A. Raffills, who took 17 fish, weighing 91b 14oz. The winner's basket was not approached by that of any other competitor, second place beind taken by Mr S. H. Barnes and third by Mr L. Griffiths.

Banking System Praised " There is a tendency to-day to blame our banks for many of our recent troubles," said the chairman (Mr J. R. Fairbairn) at the annual meeting last night of the National Building Society. "People do not realise that monetary problems were not the cause ot but rather were the result of the depression, when complete lack of confidence infected everybody. We should be thankful that our great system of banking and credit has stood the test of the recent depression days so well. Our banks are well managed, and our credit system is, in my opinion, one of the most wonderful structures of the age. Indeed, the British system is the envy of all the other nations. I trust that the people will not premit the State to interfere unduly with the people's savings as represented by our efficient system of banking." Spending to Achieve Prosperity "We hear of advice freely given to the people to spend freely as the surest means of achieving prosperity," stated Mr J. R. Fairbairn at the annual meeting last night of the National Building Society. " People should be encouraged to spend wisely and save systematically. I believe that the thrift habit makes for independence, sturdy individualism, and enterprise, and without the spirit of enterprise the nation will surely decay. Our national greatness is based on the fact ihat our forefathers were men endowed with a spirit of adventure, a spirit of daring and enterprise, which alone make for national greatness and progressiveness."

Social Science Bureau "The Bureau of Social Science Research, which has just been established by the Government, has made a good beginning in its first important investigation—an inquiry into the standards of living of dairy farmers—and although the actual field work has not yet begun, preliminary plans have been drawn up and the technique and scope of the investigation decided upon," states the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research presented to the House of Representatives. "The inquiry is to be not merely a statistical analysis of the cost of living of a representative group of families, but a comprehensive economic and sociological survey of rural communities where dairying is predominant, including a detailed analysis of the living conditions of a representative group. Such important questions as nutrition, child and female labour, rural housing, educational and recreational facilities will also be closely studied. This standard of living survey will be extended to cover city workers, and it is felt that the results will be useful to the Government in arriving at decisions on policy measures relating, inter alia, to wages, cost of living, and price control." Sympathy for China "Japan, in adopting too aggressive a policy, has made a great mistake, which has damaged her prestige abroad," said Dr Maurice Reubens, an American scientist, who is spending a vacation in New Zealand. Dr Reubens arrived in Auckland on Monday after a tour of the North Island, and will leave for America on November 2. He was engaged in medical research work in North China when the trouble with Japan broke out. "After about two months' holiday in the United States. I intend to return to China to join the Chinese cause," he said. "China's chances in the present conflict seem very good, and the Japanese will probably be driven out of China altogether. The Japanese lack funds and realise they have made a mistake, but rather than lose face' they will fight to the bitter end." Dr Reubens said that his medical equipment, valued at £50,000, was destroyed by fire caused by the Japanese, and he had several ribs broken when struck with a rifle by a Japanese soldier. In the course of an eight-day hazardous trek from Peking to Hangchow he was arrested eight times by the Japanese. Smallness of the World The smallness of the world was strikingly demonstrated a day or two ago by an incident that happened to Mr W. A. Woodger, assistant district railway manager at Auckland. He was driving home in his car, and on arrival at his gate found it partially closed, and asked a passing pedestrian to push it open, which the man did. Mr Woodger drove in after thanking his benefactor, but the latter waited, and the motorist went back to emphasise his thanks. The man said, "I could not go away without stating the pleasure it was to push the gate open for you, for I was one of a big crowd at Dunedin 20 years ago which saw you win the 100 Yards Championship of New Zealand, and wanted to shake hands with you.' Mr Woodger was several times sprint champion, and also represented the Dominion in the Empire Games in Great Britain. He had never met his willing helper before. Ideals of Civilisation

" I often wonder whether the progress of modern civilisation has reduced the strain of life. A civilisation that does not do this does not benefit the human race," said Mr J. K. Archer, M.L.C., at the Labour picnic in Christchurch. He said the aim of the present Government was not merely bigger wages but a more restful life for the people. Reference was made by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. G. Sullivan), who also spoke, to that part which he said the working people would play in the future development of civilisation. He said that they had had a struggle in the past, bought and sold as slaves, tied to the land as serfs, and later sweated as wage-earners. But it was now being realised that they had intellects which required to be fed. Abattoir Improvement*

Discussing the proposal to make additions to the City Abattoirs at a cost of £SBOO, Cr A. H. Allen (chairman of the General Committee) told the City Council last, night that if proposed amending legislation were enacted by the Government a large volume of killings would be diverted to the Abattoirs. At present about 16,000 pigs were slaughtered on the farm annually in Otago, but Under pending regulations these would have to pass through the Abattoirs. The only problem at the moment was the financing of the additions, but the Finance .Committee was at work on that question now. Cr Cameron said the improvement of the Abattoirs was a good business proposition, and he was glad to hear that a move was to be made in that direction.