Summer Time

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23594, 2 September 1938, Page 8

Summer Time

Summer time will be officially coriimenced on September 25, when clocks throughout New Zealand will be advanced half an hour, and will remain in force for approximately seven months.

Mail Plane Delayed The Union Airways mail plane from the north arrived at the Taieri airport at 3.30 p.m. yesterday, three-quarters of an hour later than hpr scheduled time. The plane left Christchurch at 1,30 p.m. instead of 1.5, and was further delayed by heaa winds and thick weather on the trip down the coast. The Value of Irrigation

Reference to the value of irrigation, especialiy in seasons of drought, was made by the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) in his annual, statement, which was tabled in the House of Representatives last night:—“ During the past, season,” the Minister said, “ the central and eastern portions of the South Island experienced a drought of exceptional sevei’ily, and the sales of water exceeded previous records. In Central Otrgo the existing irrigation schemes undoubtedly saved the district from extreme hardship and loss of production, even though rationing of the water supply had to be resorted to for a short period bn some small areas dependent on stream-flow. The revenue for the year on the Otago Central scheme was £27,190, and the working expenses £27,054, which includes £6725 for the replacement .of pipe lines on the Teviot scheme.. The only new work authorised in Central Otago is a small extension of the Ida’Valley scheme at German Hill.”'

School Physical Fitness Campaign An innovation, in the form of a physical fitness programme, has been in force in the Onehunga School for some time. The scheme, introduced by the headmaster, Mr H. Binsted, provides (says the Auckland Star) that the 500 children from Standards I to VI may participate in some form of physical activity. Among the boys there are eight Rugby teams and two “Soccer” teams, and the supplementary games provided for the lads are aimed at developing them for football. The 250 girls have 23 basketball teams, the girls taking turns in team play, the remainder of their games training them for basketball play. The programme is carried out every Wednesday afternoon.

Fire Brigade Call* , , i'-*' ivf'";'An accidental automatic alarm from Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser’s warehouse in Stafford street was answered by the City Fire Brigade at 8.17 a.m. yesterday, A malicious, false alarm from the comer of Bond'and Liverpool streets was responsible for the brigade being called out at 9.36 p.ml S Engine Drivers’ Dispute ; ,

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that conciliation proceedings in the Dominion ■ ,ehgihe drivers’ dispute have been adjourned to September 20.

Waterfront Work Delayed The seven vessels in port yesterday suffered some delay as a result of .the wet .weather, which prevented the working of cargo."' Very little work was done at any of the wharves, and the vessels affected were the Swedish motor ship Malaren, discharging Seychelles Island guano at the Victoria wharf, the Bank Line motor ship Olivebank discharging phosphate from Nauru Island at Ravensbpurne, , Union Company's intercolonial traders Kakapo and Karetu, - and the coastal vessels Poolta, Holmglen, and Wai.narino. Wills Proved

Mr Justice Kennedy has granted probate of the estates of Margaret Jane Scott, spinster* Waikouaiti; Martin Fallon. farmer. Enfield; Edward McLaughlin, farmer, Pukeawa; Elizabeth Farrant, widow, Oamaru: Robert Keriot Edie, sheepfarmsr. j Edievale; Deane Clifton Shame, Port Chalmers. Letters of administration have been granted in the estates of Margaret Morrsci, widow, Dunedin: Hector McKschnie. shipwright, St. Leonards; Margaret Scott Carson, widow, Waikouaiti: and James Strain Finch, labourer, Milton. Fireplace Without Chimney A house in Auckland in which there was a fireplace unconnected tp a chimney was mentioned by Mr W. L. Wilson, superintendent of the Auckland Metropolitan Fire-Board, in a luncheon address to members of the Auckland district branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects recently. Mr Wilson said that whether or not the fireplace was intender, as a “ dummy ” he did not know, but when the occupants of the house lit a fire, and smoke filled the room, the brigade was called, and it was found • that there was no chimney. Cost of Electric Home / .. For the information of the Director of Housing Construction, the Auckland Electric Power Board has' compiled some interesting Information relating to the cost of operating an electric home. Actual figures collected at random from the Orakei bousing block, including electricity for lighting, 'codiking, radio, appliances and water heating, showed the average cost to be £1 0s 3d per month.

Increased Road Traffic In the course of -his annual Statement,' which .was presented in the House of ’Representatives last night, the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple)' stated that the annual- report of the Transport Department showed the tremendous increase in traffic on main highways that had taken ..place in the last three years. The average increase on State highways' for that period was approximately 52 per .cent. The general increase for .all - roads would appear to be about 46 per cent. It would be seen, therefore/ that . increase in expenditure on main highways was quite justified by; jthe increasing volume of traffic using the highways. Increasing power’and speed in modern motor vehicles also called for as much expenditure on , improvement of the highways' as increasing traffic] “We may deplore the .desire for speed power, but: we 'cannot prevent it, and if we are to progress we must meet its demands," the Minister added.

Fewer Primary School Children . Last year thepe were. 1300 fewer -children in Taranaki primary schools than in 1936, stated Dr Doris Gordon, Stratford, in an address to,, a conference at New Plymouth last week. Dr Gordon, in referring to the anxiety about New Zealand’s birth rate, sires-ed the necessity for encourgirig parenthood. ..She agreed that there had been an increase in the number of babies last year, ‘ but most of them were first babies, and the steady birth rate had not increased. " Dustless Ronds

According to the annual Statement of the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple), which was, tabled ,in_ the House of Representatives last night, 300 miles of initial dustless road surfacing was completed last year. The length of paved highways-in the Dominion is now some .2400 out of a total of approximately 12,100 miles. Local Acrobatic Troupe

A group of six local acrobats, who will give performances in a city, picture theatre diking the coming week under the title of the Six Silvers, have prepared an entertainment ot the type that is always popular with audiences. A final rehearsal of their act was held last night, and the performers, who are headed by Mr J, P. Northey. the organiser of several successful stage presentations of a: similar character in earlier years, carried out their work with professional skill, their repertoire of tumbling,' balancing, and tableaux, which occupies about ten minutes, providing spectacular entertainment. Skeleton Discovered

Early in the week the of a man was discovered at a place locally known as Dead Man’s Beach, on the Molyneux River near Beaumont. It is thought that the remains are those of a man who disappeared near the upper reaches of the river in January, 1936. The finders notified Constable Parkhill, ,of Lawrence, and an inquest Is to be held. ' •

Electric Power in Home# . ■ “There rre still some 20,000 or more homes in which it has not yet been possible to make a supply, of plectricily available,” said the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) ,in his annual Statement in the House of Representatives last night. “ I have given considerable thought to the problem of making it available to these people wherever it can, be done in a reasonably economical way, but have not yet been able to evolve any completely satisfactory method. There are other problems connected with the distribution of electricity with which this particular one is allied, and the whole question is one which needs special attention at an early date." Bottles and Bonds

An amusing story, which he said-he had been informed was authentic, was told by Professor B. PI. Murphy during a public address on inflation and deflation at Napier,, (reports the Daily Telegraph). .In 1913 in Vienna a rich merchant died leaving his entire fortune to his two sons. -One of the sons Invested the money in Government bonds and was feted, as a good example to his fellow-countrymen. The second son went through his fortune like wildfire, and the only thing he had left when war broke out in 1914 was a cellarful of champagne bottles and corks and some rather vague memories. With the outbreak of hostilities the mark began to gallop away, and the man’s bonds were worth practically nothing. The second son became a millionaire because bottles and corks were so hard to get that big prices were paid for them.

Back to Work Students of the University of Otago will be the first to return to their studies after the second term holidays, which were commenced early in August The final term will start on Monday, when either classes or examinations will be held for all faculties. The primary schools will follow suit on the following day, but the High Schools will not return for another week, the opening day being Tuesday, September 13. Americans’ Knowledge of New Zealand “Americans have the impression that New Zealand and Australia have the most radical Governments in the world, 1 ’ said Mr Johp B. Stetson, of the American hat manufacturing firm, who arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday. “ Whether or not this is through lack of knowledge I don’t know,” he added, “but; this lack of knowledge does not add to your reputation. I am afraid we are fairly insular in America, and, just as all you hear of America is about gangsters, Hollywood and cheap magazines, so all we hear of New Zealand is about her radical Government.”

Vicar as Boxer Probably no contest at the Pungarehu boxing tournament on Saturday night delighted the crowd more than did the no-decision one between the Rev. E. L. B. Gribble, vicar of Okato. who is instructor for the Coastal Boxing Club, which he established, and B. Maddern, Hawera, former New Zealand fly-weight champion. Failure of one-boxer to pass the doctor caused the vicar to step into the breach, merely divesting himself of his coat and donning the gloves. The pair gave a delightful exhibition of clever boxing. The vicar, who towered over his small opponent, did not attempt to take advantage of his extra weight and size, and his speed and cleverness clearly demonstrated to the spectators his ability. The bout/was not without its humorous side, notably when the fly-weight slipped between his opponent’s legs to avoid danger, and again at the close of the bout, when he picked up his heavy-weight opponent and gracefully carried him to his corner. The vicar’s performance i:d the ring must have made the only interrupter in the audience feel pleased that,#he had not accepted an invitation earlier in the evening to come into'the ring. The Wellington Emu , The 'Wellington cock emu is still sitting steadily at Newtown Park Zoo, and the zoo authorities have high hopes of. his vigil reaching a successful Outcome. It is now some three weeks since he began to sit, which means that he has approximately six more weeks to go. Last year he was rather earlier, and the hatching’took place in mid-September. Food is placed within the emu’s reach, so that it is not necessafy for him to leave the eggs to seek nourishment, and he is relieved of responsibility through his mate and last year’s chicken remaining in a separate pen. Having sat with commendable- determination' through rain and hail In the earlier weeks of his session, he has had a comparatively easy lime in the last 10 days. The main risk of failure is in wet weather, when cold rain water trickles into the nest and may easily chill the eggs. In the bird’s natural haunts in the arid interior of Australia this danger does not occur.

Scuffle in Dock The customary calm of the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court was disturbed when a man who had been remanded broke into a torrent of abuse. The accused was charged with the theft of articles from a car. The magistrate (Mr H. P. Lawry) raised the question of bail, and Senior Sergeant Mclntyre said that he was opposed to bail as the accused was already under the supervision of the probation officer for a term of three years for theft. Asked if he had any comment to make the accused replied with a flow of obscene and abusive language. The- efforts of ft constable to restrain him led to a scuffle in the dock. Sergeant Ferguson lent a hand and the accused continued his lurid exclamations as the two policemen ejected him from the dock, which swayed alarmingly under the strain. Sounds of a struggle could still be heard in the courtroom as the accused was led down the adjoining corridor.

** Intricate Sy*tem , The complexity of the motor transport regulations was commented on in the Fell ding Magistrate’s Court by Mr R. M. Watson, S.M.. when dealing with prosecutions for a breach' of that particular regulation which requires that •those engaged in the motor transport industry shall not work more than 11 hours without a rest. Nowadays the regulations were so wide that it was impossible, said the magistrate, for any man to carry them all in his head. To carry them all in detail would put a strain on anyone engaged in the industry. On the other hand, said the magistrate, such a strain was a necessary accompaniment to an existing intricate system. In the old days the same degree of care was not cast upon those taking part in the industry. If the defendant was engaged in this class of business, then he must carry out the regulations. The duty of the court was to see that the regulations were carried out reasonably and not 1 to harass the defendants.

Attention is drawn to an announcement in this issue showing the list of prize-winners in the “My Opportunity ” Art Union, which was drawn In Wellington on August . 29. Eye Strain.—For eye comfort or bet ter vision consult Sturmer and Watson Ltd., optician. 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. 59 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt.