Fire Brigade Calls

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23832, 12 June 1939, Page 8

Fire Brigade Calls

The City Fire Brigade was called out at 11.23 a.m. on Saturday to attend to a chimney fire at the Wakari Hospital. At 9.13 p.m., the brigade was called out by a malicious false alarm from the corner of King and St. David streets. At 3.29 a.m. yesterday an automatic false alarm from Thomson and Co.’s premises in Police street was answered and at 3.14 p.m. a chimney fire in City road was attended. A defective hearth was the cause of an outbreak at 8.53 p.m. in a five-roomed wooden house occupied by Mr C. T. Gifford at 22 Jordon street. There was slight damage to the floor

A Busy Department Saturday was the last day for the lodging of returns with the Land and Income Tax Department. Despite the engagement of an extra staff of 200 since Christmas, this department is “ snowed up,” and the situation is not likely to ease for some days.

Air-minded Schoolboy The frequently-made statement that New, Zealanders are extremely airminded is borne out by the following letter sent to the secretary of the Wellington Aero Club, Mr E. W. Annand: “ I have been set the task of doing an essay on New Zealand’s coastal, defence. and I would be much obliged if I could get a little information on air raid defence, as well as a sketch of your planes. I always wish to join the Air Force when my time comes to take wings and disapline, as well as to thumb the Leurs gun tregger and listen to the rattat tat, but I suppose airfighting’s not all fun.” The letter terminates with “happy landings, pals,” and the signature.

City Organ Recital In spite of the unfavourable weather last night there was a lair attendance at the recital given by the city organist (Dr V. E. Galway) in the Town Hall. Popular interest centred on the well-known “ Peer Gynt ” suite by Grieg, which was played by special request. The four numbers, “ Morning,” “ Death of Ase,” “Anitra’s Dance,” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” were vigorously treated, the contrasting moods being well emphasised. Widor’s “Toccata in F” and the Bach chorale “Now Thank We All Our God ” are both solid compositions and impressed by their dignity. Another interesting item was the Concerto by the eighteenth century composer Avison, “Adagio and Allegro. Air with variations, and Molto Allegro.” This is also a soundly constructed piece of work. The assisting artists were Miss Marion Jeffery and Mr Roy Kerr and their rendering of Handel’s Sonata in D for piano and violin was thoroughly ertjoyed.

City Police Court In the City Police Court on Saturday morning, before Mi J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., John O’Neill, aged 56 years, a statutory first offender charged with drunkenness, was fined 20s. in default 48 hours’ imprisonment.

Lorry Strikes Mob of Sheep Fourteen sheep and a dog were killed and several sheep were injured at the foot of Youngs Hill near Wyndham one evening last week when a lorry carrying sheep to the Mataura freezing works crashed into a big mob which was being driven from Mokoreta to Jefferies Brothers’ farm at Morton Mains. The lorry was coming down the hill and the driver evidently failed to see the sheep in time, as he crashed into the mob, causing the sheep to plunge in all directions. It is understood tnat some of the injured sheep .have since died. Little damage was done to the lorry. Publicity for New Zealand

“ New Zealanders don't know how well they are being advertised in parts of the United States,” said Mr Matthew Cowley, head of the Mormon Church Mission in New Zealand, in an address to the Auckland Junior Chamber of Commerce. He remarked that films of New Zealand life and scenery were being sent regularly to his home State of Utah and to other places, and that a New Zealand society with several hundred members was in active existence in Utah. Although he had been in the Dominion only a few years, he said he knew much more about New Zealand than about Utah, and he could describe all the wonders of Rotorua, but none of those of iTelluwstone Park, which contained the most famous thermal area in the world.

Sheen Judging at Show A suggestion that rams in one or more sections at the Centennial Royal Show at Invercargill in December should be led out for judging was referred to the Grounds Committee at a meeting of directors of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association/ Mr W. Falconer said that sheep were led out for judging at important shows in England, and he thought it could be tried in one section in Invercargill. He did not think it would make much difference to exhibitors as rams were usually haltered. Mr A. S. Holms said sheep were led for judging at the Sydney shows, and this made the judging more interesting to the spectators who had no opportunity to watch when the work was done in the pens. He hesitated to raise the question at a time when exhibitors were in difficulties because of the shortage of labour, but he thought it was quite practicable. It was decided to refer the question to the Grounds Committee for favourable consideration if there was enough space near the pens.

A Voluntary Appearance Luke Cody, farmer, of Riversdale, one of the bankrupts in the Cody brothers’ estate, for whom a warrant was issued after his failure to appear at a recent meeting of creditors of the Cody brothers, has surrendered voluntarily and submitted himself for examination by the official assignee. At a brief sitting of the Supreme Court in ■ Invercargill he appeared before the registrar of the court (Mr A. E. Dobbie) and was released on a bond of two seurties in the sum of £750, and on giving a signed undertaking to appear for examination by his creditors when given notice to do so by the official assignee, to await on the official assignee when required, and, if de-, sired by the creditors, to attend a meeting for public examination. The amount owing by Cody to unsecured creditors, as shown at a meeting of creditors of John Cody, Luke Cody, Michael Cody, and Lawrence Cody were: State Advances Corporation £lßll 17s Id, Commissioner of Taxes £340 10s 3d, Southland County Council £258 Is Bd. The amount owing to secured creditors was £3560, to the State Advances Corporation. A Strange Invasion

Lagoons near the mouth of the Wairau River covering a large lowlying area affected by tides are at present invaded by innumerable kahamai, which (says a message from Blenheim) have transformed the usually placid waters into a broken jobble as though a heavy wind was sweeping over the surface. All channels leading from the lagoons to the river are blocked, and in one channel about a quarter of a mile long and some 30 feet wide the fish frequently become entangled in masses of raupo which lie over the water. Visitors to the scene have no difficulty whatever in simply picking up as many of the fish as they desire. On the eastern side of the lagoons the fish have completely blackened the water and often leap on to the banks, where they are left stranded. The cause of this strange invasion from the open sea is a mystery. It appears that there is little chance that the fish will ever find their way back to the open water. An Old Savings Bank

Only seven years younger than the city itself, the Auckland Savings Bank has just celebrated the ninety-second anniversary of its foundation. The first occasion on which the establishment of a savings bank was considered was a meeting in Auckland on December 3, 1846, the temporary secretary being Sir John Logan Campbell. The managers spent £36 in buying a small iron safe from Sydney, and with a set of four account books the bank opened for business on June 5, 1847, in the brick store of Mr J. J. Monteflore in Queen street. From these humble beginnings the bank has become one of the foremost financial institutions in New Zealand. The annual report presented last April showed that total funds were only £37,000 short of £10,000,000. The number of depositors had increased to 189.889.

Large Air Fleet With the addition of two Tiger Moth aeroplanes which have been ordered, the Wellington Aero Club will have the largest fleet of machines in New Zealand. When the new machines arrive (says the Dominion) the club will have 11 aeroplanes. The club already has a wider range of aircraft available for tuition than any other New Zealand club. The increasing demand for tuition has kept the club extremely busy, but the extra two machines are expected to cope with the demand. The club’s fleet will consist of the following machines when the new aeroplanes arrive:—Gipsy Moth, Gipsy Major, four Tiger Moths, Miles Hawk, Miles Magister, Whitney Straight, Vega Gull and Waco.

Storm Damage in Wanganui Rough weather was experienced in Wanganui at the week-end, causing minor damage in the city and suburbs. A Press Association telegram states that flooding occurred in the lowlying areas. Heavy rain squalls, accompanied by thunder and lightning, were frequent on Saturday night and again yesterday.

Trees as Memorials 4 Farmers present at the annual South Taranaki conference of the Farmers’ Union at Hawera were urged by the Mayor of Hawera (Mr J E. Campbell), in welcoming the delegates, to plant trees on suitable areas on Taranaki farm lands as a centennial memorial. Mr Campbell said that each person could erect his own memorial, and h« felt that farmers could erect a memorial that would be adequate and lasting by the planting of trees in suitable areas on their farms. There were vast areas of gorse along the railway line, and he thought they should be planted with trees. “If everyone planted an appropriate tree it would make Taranaki a paradisb,” Mr Campbell said. Not only would the province be made more beautiful, but also the planting of trees would be beneficial to the district.

Notable Anniversaries Several notable anniversaries occurred 'on Saturday. Mr Richard John Seddon, who was Premier of New Zealand from 1893 until the time of his death, died at sea on June 10. 1906, while returning to New Zealand on the steamer Oswestry Grange after a visit to Australia. Thirty-eight years ago King George V and Queen Mary, then the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, arrived at Auckland on the Royal yacht Ophir. Poignant memories were revived by the anniversary, also on Saturday of the Tarawera eruption in 1886, when over 100 lives were lost.

Bequests to Church Two bequests totalling £IOOO for the benefit of the Presbyterian Church are provided for in the will of James McLachlan, of Mount Albert, Auckland, whose death occurred on May 10. The will provides that after the expiry of a life interest the trustees are to pay £BOO to the home mission fund of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and £2OO to the Mount Albert Presbyterian. Church. For purposes of probate the estate has been valued at under £3200. Sleepers Satisfactory

Complimentary comment on the new sleeping cars which are attached to the Christchurch-Dunedin night trains was made in a report of the Transport Committee to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last week. “These have been favourably mentioned by travellers.” said the report, ‘and the Railways Department should be congratulated upon the improvement.” Historic Gown Stolen

A valuable moire satin crinoline gown about 80 years old, an Indian band-embroidered silk gauze shawl more than 100 years old, and a number of real lace antimacassars were stolen one evening last week from a car parked in a parking place in Mercer street, Wellington. Their owner, a Wellington woman, left them in a suitcase in her car while she attended s play in the Town Hall Concert Chamber. When she returned to the car after the performance she was distnayed to find that the suitcase and its contents had disappeared. The articles were absolutely irreplaceable, said' the owner. The gown, trimmed with real lace, had been worn by her grandmother at a Government House ball in the 'fifties, and the shawl ' was also an heirloom. The loss of the antimacassars was made worse because one of them had been borrowed.: The articles were of no value to anybody else, but the loss to her family was severe. The gown had been offered for use during the centennial celebrations.

For rings, watches and jewellery, try Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians. 59 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt.