Stolen Motor Car

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23505, 20 May 1938, Page 8

Stolen Motor Car

.Stolen from Invercargill between the hours of 8.15 and 10 o’clock last night, a Reo Royal sedan motor car had not been traced by the police at a late hour last night. The car was a five-seater 1935 model painted a distinctive silvery grey with light blue mudguards. It carried two spare tyres with metal covers, one being placed on each fide of the car behind the front mudguards. The licence number is 122-842. Any persons seeing this car are asked to communicate with the nearest police station. Another car stolen from Invercargill earlier in the day was recovered last night.

Escape from Prison Charged with having escaped from Paparua Prison on May 2, Francis Henry Gordon Guilford, who was arrested at South Dunedin on Wednesday evening, appeared before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday morning. On the application of Chief Detective Young, he was remanded for a week. A Real Antique

A coin in the possession of Mr J. J. Harding, of Onehunga, can be called a real antique, for it dates back almost 1900 years to Roman days. The coin is a *• first brass ” issued during the reign of the Emperor Trajan, who held sway from 53 A.D. to 117 A.D. On the obverse is a likeness of the famous Roman ruler, and on the other side is a symbolic figure, with the inscription so well known to all who have any knowledge of Latin, “ Senatus Populusque Romanus.” The coin is in a remarkably good state of preservation, and was acquired by Mr Elarding 40 years ago when be was living in Bristol.

Dredging by Suction After a lapse of some time, the Otago Harbour Board’s dredge Otakou is to be put into action again as a suction dredge during the next few days. Although the Otakou is designed primarily as a bucket dredge, she has been converted into a suction dredge by the use of a steam-driven centrifugal pump, and this enables her to be used in much rougher water than the buckets would be able to operate in. The dredge has just come out of dock, where some attention was given to the steel doors through which the spoil from the hopper is deposited, and yesterday afternoon a test was being made to see whether the doors were watertight. It is expected that the dredge will operate at Deborah Bay to-day, and that on Monday she will be at work just outside the Heads, where the suction apparatus has previously been used with success.

World Trade or World War “ The choice before us is world trade or world war,” said the president of the Auckland provincial branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Mr H. O. Mellsop), in an address to delegates attending the provincial conference of the union, which opened in Auckland on Tuesday. “The day of economic nationalism must go,” he continued. “The British Empire should take the initiative in a strong and definite move towards world trade. In my opinion, it is the only movement large enough to save present civilisation.” Health and Pensions

The special Parliamentary Committee which has been investigating the Government’s social security proposals, embracing a full health service and superannuation, completed its deliberations yesterday. The report of the committee (says a Press Association telegram), will be referred to the Government, and, following the opening of the next session of Parliament, it will be presented in the House of Representatives. Legislation for submission to Parliament will be prepared on a basis of the report. Lewis Pass Road

Excellent progress has been made by the Public Works Department with the clearing of the Lewis Pass road between Reefton and Maruia, and on Friday last the first lorries to traverse the damaged section of the road were able to negotiate the slips and make the trip to Reefton. It was anticipated that cars would be able to make the trip early this week, so that direct road ■ communication between Reefton and Christchurch will be once more available. The portion of the road washed out by the heavy storm is very rough, but with men constantly at work the road will once again shortly be in good order.

Culture and Commerce “It is a truth confirmed by history that no city can rise to lasting greatness apart from God,” said the Rev. W r . Bower Black, preaching at St. David’s Church, Auckland, on the vision of the Holy City described in the Book of Revelation. “Culture and commerce are not enough upon which to build a city. They are both words with blood on them since the Groat War. Neither can you depend merely upon education. After all, it was education that was responsible for the making of poison gas. Education without God may be a very dreadful thing—which is the very thing we are trying to make the Government realise to-day.” Mr Black said that the only way to ensure that education and economic agencies were leading in the right direction was to allow the Spirit of Christ to dominate and direct them. “ Taking Nothing for Granted ”

The machine known as the "Mechanical informator" which stands in the vestibule of Dunedin Railway Station has, since its installation a few weeks ago, proved its value not only to travellers but to the officials. whom it has relieved from the responsibility of answering the questions which the majority of travellers by train ask almost unceasingly. The comprehensive budget of information regarding the railways system of the Dominion which it supplies at the mere touch of a button is considered by the department to be reliable and up to date, but early this week there was one woman who refused to accept the machine as infallible, and evidently considered it an innovation to be regarded with suspicion. Having pressed the required buttton and read what was on the card when it rose into view, she made for the inquiry office. Putting her question to the clerk, she was given the information she sought, and reminded that the “informator” would have answered her query just as efficiently and probably more quickly. “ Oh, yes.” she replied, as she turned to go, “I got that answer from the machine, but I just wanted to see if it was right,”

Fast Flight by Centaurus All records for commercial aircraft were broken by the Imperial Airways flying boat Centaurus when it flew 2160 miles in a day—from Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) to Karachi (India). The Centaurus left London for Singapore on the fast, new air mail schedule, which provides for the mails to reach Darwin seven days out from England. Over the Mediterranean the flying boat was delayed by head winds of 70 miles an hour. At Tiberias, the Centaurus was 12 hours behind schedule because of bad weather, but was lagging only an hour and three-quarters when she landed at Karachi at night. She was the first flying boat to make a night landing with the aid of flares. The Centaurus took off from the Sea of Galilee in moonlight, and was aided by a tailwind of 65 miles an hour sis she flew down the Persian Gulf at 211 miles an hour. Passengers thus landed in India the day after leaving Southampton.

New Customs Building Preparations for the erection of a new Customs building at the northern end of the cross wharf are now well under way, and in a short time it should be possible for the contractors to commence work. Two rows of heavilyreinforced concrete piles have been driven by the Harbour Board workmen, and when they have finished this part of the work they will hand over to the building contractors. The building, which will accommodate the Customs wharf staff, will be 70 feet long by 45 feet wide, and will be of brick. There will be a large room for the examination of passengers’ luggage, etc., as well as smaller rooms for the use of the staff, thus providing a great improvement on the present conditions, under which members of the Customs staff are housed in small rooms ill various sheds around the wharves.

Friendly Rival* Although the contest for the mayoralty of Auckland was fought out with determination last week between Sir Ernest Davis and Mr J. Sayegh,, the Labour candidate, the fight has left no bitter feelings, as was seen on Wednesday (says the New Zealand Herald)„ when the new City Council was being sworn in. As each member made the declaration he was welcomed by Sir Ernest, and when Mr Sayegh’s turn came Sir Ernest congratulated him on his return to the council, and said: “I offer you my hand in goodwill and friendship.” Smilingly returning the handclasp, Mr Sayegh thanked the Mayor for his greeting.

Herd-testing The figures of the South Canterbury Herd Testing Association for the production of milk and butter-fat for April show that the dairy season is slowing down. In the Temuka district there are 771 cows under test, and the average of milk produced was 6791 b per cow, and the butter-fat content averaged 301b—4.3 per cent. —whereas in March the milk average was 807 and the butter-fat 341 b. The same change is reported in the Ashburton group of herds. While in March 287 cows yielded an average of 7221 b of milk, 301 b of butter-fat, the average in April was 4861 b of milk and 221 b of butter-fat. The percentage of butterfat has risen in each case. Both groups yielded 4.2 per cent, in March and increased to 4.3 in the case of Temuka and 4.5 In Ashburton, the report states.

Training College Entrance Advice was received at the meeting of the Otago Education Board yesterday that the department had decided to abolish the Training College entrance examination and to accept as the minimum academic qualification a pass in either the University entrance examination or the school certificate examination. For the sake of anyone studying independently who had not passed either of these two examinations, the Training College entrance examination would be held again thin year, but not in subsequent years. Footballer with Wooden Leg The remarkable case or a man with a wooden leg who played football was recalled in the Supreme Court at Auckland on Wednesday by Mr Justice Callan, when the limitations in sport imposed on a man by a stiff leg werb under discussion. "As I remember it.” said his Honor, “ objection was taken by his opponents to this man because he had a big advantage in the scrum. I think that must be regarded as quite a freakish case.” Mr West, who was appearing in the case, remarked that for a one-legged man to play cricket was quite common.

A Hybrid Duck An exhibit of interest to game sportsmen, produced by a deputation on Wednesday to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry), was a dead duck—obviously a cross between a wild grey duck and a white Pekin or Aylesbury duck. It was pointed out that there were many sportsmen, of years of experience among game birds, who held fast to the opinion that the wild grey duck would not mate for breeding with the ordinary domestic duck, and the exhibit was submitted as an example to the contrary. The duck, a well-con-ditioned bird, was one of a number of like breeding shot on the wing by a sportsman at Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay, last week-end. It had yellow legs, a ring of white feathers round the neck, and the feathers on the whole of the back were grey, the long ones of both wings being white the smaller ones a bluey-green, and the feather® of the tail-end of the bird white.

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. Telephone 12-359 —Advt. For rings, watches, and jewellery, try Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians. 53 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt.