Landing by Flares

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23858, 12 July 1939, Page 10

Landing by Flares

Officials at the Taieri airport are authorised to use landing flares only In cases of emergency. Night flying is not encouraged. Flares were used, however, late on Monday afternoon, when Flight-lieutenant Dix arrived from Wigram. in thick dusk. His trip was a hurried one, and, although the light was not entirely gone, conditions were not good. Flight-lieutenant Dix made an excellent landing. He returned to Wigram yesterday morning.

Mails Reach London

The Empire mails despatched from Dunedin on June 17 reached London on July 6.

Fire Brigade Cal! A chimney fire in the Main South road was attended to by the City Fire Brigade at 1.55 p.m. yesterday.

Standing of Farmers’ Union “It is pleasing to note that the standing of the Farmers’ Union in the country is on a very high level,” slated the Dominion president (Mr W. W. Mulholland) in his address to the Farmers’ Union conference in Wellington yesterday. “A very great deal of respect is being paid to statements of the union, and it is generally accepted as a body which speaks with a due sense of responsibility, but with directness, and the weight of well-considered opinion.” A Fair Return

An appeal to workers to give a fair return for the improved conditions that they now enjoy was embodied in a letter of congratulation from the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) which was read at the function held last night to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Dunedin Tailoresses’ Union. “ There is no stopping place to improvement if the workers themselves prove worthy of advancement,” Mr Savage wrote. “The greatest service any worker can render to the cause of Labour is to give the highest standard of work as a matter of fairness, in return for better pay and conditions.”

New Hangar at Taieri Airport For the past two months, about 20 men have been engaged on the construction of a double-unit hangar at the Taieri airport for the use of the territorial air force. Fine weather encouraged good progress, and, despite the wintriness of the past week or so, visitors to the airport within the past few days have found a good deal to interest them. It is expected that the hangar will be completed in another seven or eight weeks. The structure and the manner of erecting it are impressive. The external measurements are 265 feet by 143 feet, and a workshop occupies about 20 feet down the full length of one side. The interior width, from doorway to doorway, is 125 feet, and the height 20 feet 6 inches. It appears that the Taieri airport will be the scene of building activity for some time yet. Included in the tenders notified in the Gazette as having been passed by the Public Works Department is a contract for £11,457 for the erection of a temporary wooden hangar and annexe to afford hangar space additional to that available in the building already under construction. Then there is staff accommodation, which it is understood is to be built on a site adjoining the hangars. At present, however, there is no advice of when this further work will be started.

Alterations to Special School Advice has been received from Dr D. G. McMillan that the Minister of Education (Mr P. Fraser) has approved of a grant to cover the cost of improving and renovating the rooms in the special school in the old education building in Moray place. The work, which will be carried out by the Education Board’s workmen, has been commenced, and on its completion the children attending the school and their teachers will have the benefit of very much better accommodation than that they have hitherto enjoyed.

Tourist Traffic Reservations have already been received by the Tourist Department from Americans who intend to visit New Zealand during the next tourist season. Naturally, tourist traffic is reduced at the present season of the year, but more people are expected to be travelling within a few weeks when the winter sports season is under Vay. No Comment

Asked yesterday if he had any comment to make on the St. Kilda Borough Council’s discussion regarding the Order-in-Council under which the tram services within the borough boundaries are Operated, the chairman of the Tramway Committee of the City Council (Cr H. L. Gibson) replied that he had nothing to say at present except that he agreed with the Mayor (Mr J. J. Marlow) in his remark that the council should not cross its bridges until it came to them. Middlemarch Road

The secretary of the Automobile Association (Otago)), Mr P. F. Harre, reports that the Outram-Middlemarch road is now open for traffic. Motorists should use chains, as only a narrow lane has been cleared and there is a strong probability of frost. The work of clearing away more of the drifts will be continued.

Paper Still Burning Although it is nearly five months since the fire commenced, the ashes of the baled paper in the Whakatane paper mills store are still smouldering. There were about 400 tons of paper in the store when the fire began, and so tightly packed was the paper that it was impossible to extinguish the blaze. Water was poured on to the flames for days, but the heart of the fire could not be reached and all that could be done was to allow the fire to burn itself out, a process which is proving very slow. The concrete walls of the store are still standing.

Bluff Defended

Regret that statements had been made publicly about the incidence of tubei'culosis in Bluff before the true position had been ascertained was expressed by the Mayor (Mr John Cameron) at a meeting of the Bluff Borough Council. The remarks, he said, had caused considerable alarm in the town, which was now receiving a reputation for being unhealthy. Statements such as had been made were detrimental to the progress of the town. During the past few weeks there had been a great deal of talk about the incidence of tuberculosis in Bluff, said the Mayor. The result of these statements was that a panic had been created among the people. The town was receiving a bad name and this he considered unfair. "The medical officer of health for Otago and Southland, Dr T. McKibbin, and the health inspector at Invercargill, Mr E. Sinclair, visited Bluff last week,” stated another member, “ and the council will receive a report in due course. It is a pity that those persons who made the statements had not awaited a report."

Genuine Wrestling “This is genuine wrestling,” said Dr W. H. Unwin, of Timaru, when Describing wrestling in the Cumberland style which he saw at a sports meeting at Grassmere, England, during his recent tour abroad. He described the exhibition as the finest and cleanest wrestling in the Cumberland style that It was possible to see anywhere. “There are none of the meretricious elements which play such a prominent part in the modern professional exhibitions; no rabbit punches, hair and beard pulling, slapping, ear twisting, elbow jolts and wrist bandage tactics,” he added. “It is a genuine pleasure to watch it.”

Traffic Inspectors and Cameras “ The Automobile Association (Southland) agrees that in the majority of cases photographs taken by cameras used by traffic inspectors would give a true indication of what actually took place, but there would be occasions when the photographs would convey a false impression.” This motion was carried at a meeting of the executive of the association after a letter had been read from the secretary of the South Island Motor Union (Mr P. Harvey), asking for the association’s opinion.

The History of a Horn® . V' Buildings, like persons, have histones, and for two or three years now the framework of a home has been challenging the attention of passers-by on the stretch of the Main South road just beyond Green Island. No doubt its gaunt ribs have made many people wonder. But speculation has no place in its affairs now. It was noticed yesterday that the house was coming to life again. A painter was on the job, and—who knows?—it may not be long until it is a modern bungalow after all, flaunting its newness in the eyes of those who travel on the South road. At any rate, it has been well seasoned. Ice Skating Championship

It is hoped to hold the New Zealand ice skating championship at Alexandra on July 22, or any suitable time subsequent to that date. Advice was received last night that there was a thin coating of ice on the dam, but that the weather was overcast and did not promise well for the formation of more ice in the meantime.

Comet Now Waning The Pons-Winnecke comet, which has recently been out of the news owing to the brightness of the moon preventing observation on the few occasions recently when the night sky has been clear, was observed again on Saturday night from the Carter Observatory, Wellington. It is still quite bright, of about the seventh magnitude, but it is not as bright as it was, and there is now no chance of its becoming a naked-eye object, although it should remain a telescopic object for the rest of the month. It is in the tail of Scorpio, and is moving rapidly southward.

Waipiata Sanatorium Statistics of patients’ fees for treatment at the Waipiata Sanatorium during the last three years, presented to the Ashburton Hospital Board at its meeting on Monday morning, show that Southland contributes a large number of the cases for the’sanatorium. Payments of fees by hospital boards in the districts from which patients were sent to the institution include the following sums for the three-year period; Southland, £22.733; Timaru, £7000; Oamaru. £3900; Ashburton, £3793,

Tahuna Motor Camp A decision to spend up to £3OO on Improvements to the Tahuna Motor Camp was reached at last night’s meeting of the Automobile Association (Otago), the expenditure to be shared equally between the association and the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society. The chief improvements will be the erection of another shelter shed and the extension of the sanitary conveniences for both sexes. The chairman of the committee (Mr G. T. Thorn) stated that the camp was returning a very handsome profit on a small capital expenditure by the association. The association had received over £SOO in revenue since. its inception and there would be a further payment before the end of the financial year.

Costly Sheep Worrying To lose 59 ewes out of a flock of approximately 300 has been the misfortune of a Taieri farmer this week. Attacked by dogs and driven into a fence, a majority of the sheep met their death by being smothered. Many of the survivors bear witness of the savage attacks made on them by the dogs. It is doubly -unfortunate that such worrying should occur at this season of the year, when ewes are in lamb. “ Pin-pricking Action* " j

“ The pin-pricking actions of the City Council’s inspectors in connection with the new parking regulations have been dealt with by the association,” skid the president (Mr P. W. Breen) at last night’s meeting of the Automobile Association (Otago). “Motorists who have broken the new parking regulations have found tickets in their cars ordering them to call at the Town Hall. This seems an unnecessary waste of time, both for the motorists and the traffic inspectors, and I am glad to say we have got this matter adjusted. Offending motorists will now have the breach of the regulations entered on a card filed at the Town Hall, and prosecutions will be made when the offences become too numerous.”

Waikouaiti Centennial Proposal A Centennial monument and improvements to the motor camp are to be Waikouaiti’s Centennial memorial. A report to this effect was furnished by Mr G. T. Thom when reporting on behalf of the Camp Committee at last night’s meeting of the Automobile Association (Otago). The Waikouaiti Centennial Committee had written stating that part of the Centennial memorial funds were to be expended on improvements to the motor camp on the domain land which would include a large shelter shed and adequate conveniences. The money allocated was insufficient to carry out the work adequately, and the committee asked the association for assistance, * either by grant or loan to complete the camp. Mr Thom said that he had inspected the proposed camp and was of the opinion that the lay-out was excellent, and that a camp, with all the usual facilities, would be a distinct benefit and prove profitable.—lt was decided that a free loan of £25 be made on condition that a charge be made for admission and subject to repayment at not less than £5 per annum.

New Air Force Station Ohakea, near Feilding, the first operational station of the Royal New Zealand Air Force under the present great expansion scheme, is , moving towards readiness for the reception of the first flights of Vickers Wellington long-range bombers which are to arrive, commanded by New Zealand pilots, by air from England later this year. Ohakea will be paralleled later by Whenuapai, a few miles out of Auckland, and at these two bases the greater number of regular Air Force flying personnel and ground staff will be stationed. Wigram, Canterbury, will become, with the new station in hand at Woodbourne, Marlborough, the flying training schools of the Air Force; and Hobsonville, Auckland, a general purpose base and main stores depot. Most of the main constructional work at Ohakea is completed. No. 1 hangar is being fitted with workshop and stores equipment, and the pouring of the concrete for the arched roof of No. 2 hangar has been commenced. The administrative block, officers’ and airmen’s quarters, with accommodation for about 300 (which is about double —on one station—the total strength of the Air Force before expansion), and a number of associated offices, workshops, and stores are erected and are being made ready for occupation. There will be 31 separate cottages and bungalows for married men, but the main blocks for the accommodation of officers and airmen are on the same scale as the huge arched hangars.