Good Friday

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24253, 21 March 1940, Page 8

Good Friday

As to-morrow will be Good Friday, there will be no publication of the Otago Daily Times. False Alarm An automatic false alarm called the City Fire Brigade to the Roslyn Mills at 8.8 a.m. yesterday. A similar call had been received ' at 11.59 p.m. the previous day. Examination of. Boxers * The necessity for boxers to be medically examined before entering the ring was emphasised at a tournament in Hamilton, when the police refused to allow the bouts to continue till a doctor had certified the fitness of the contestants. The arrival of the doctor had been delayed as a result of his having to attend an urgent case, but, after a brief delay, he reached the hall. The programme then continued without interruption. School Holidays A request from the district council of the National Council of Primary Production that the school summer holidays should be so changed that farmers’ sons and senior boys might be made available for shearing, harvesting and other seasonal work was rejected at yesterday’s meeting of the Otago Education Board. The chairman (Mr J. Wallace) said that the holidays already fitted in with seasonal work, and in this he was supported by country members of the board. Arbitration Court Judge At the last meeting of the council of the Otago District Law Society it was resolved that the council of the New Zealand Law Society should be asked to make strong representations against the recent appointment of Mr A. W. Tyndall as judge of the Court of Arbitration. It was considered that the appointment was wrong in principle and that in the interests of all parties appearing in that court it was essential that the president should be an experienced lawyer. Dominion’s Population The population of New Zealand, including Maoris, was 1,641,616 at December 31, 1939, an increase of 23,303 over the total of 1,618,313 a year earlier, according to figures compiled by the Government Statistician. The totals do not include the population of Cook and other Pacific Islands. Births, both European and Maori, in New Zealand during the year numbered 28,833. There were 14,158 deaths, the natural increase in population thus being 14,675. The increase in population due to immigration was 8628. Electrification of Lino The installation of electric equipment on the Wellington-Paekakariki section of the main trunk line will be completed in May (says a Press Association telegram), and when all the tests are satisfactory the change-over to electric traction may be anticipated. Heavy Tourist Bookings A record Easter is being experienced by the Dunedin Tourist Bureau and bookings to holiday resorts continue to pour in even with the holidays such a short time away. The Centennial Exhibition is attracting large crowds to Wellington, but other northern centres are not being well supported. Probably influenced to some extent by the earliness of Easter and the belatedness of the summer, Dunedin holi-day-makers are visiting such resorts as Queenstown, Stewart Island and War. aka in large numbers and heavy bookings have been received for Mount Cook. Despite the petrol restrictions and the war, Dunedin people obviously intend spending an enjoyable Easter holiday this year, Canterbury-Westland Roads For about three weeks it will be impossible for motor traffic to proceed from Canterbury to Westland via the Lewis Pass route as the Hope river cannot be crossed. Traffic can proceed up to the Hope river (19J miles from Hanmer road and 24 J miles from Maruia Springs Hostel), but this river cannot be forded. The replacement of the Hope river bridge will take about three weeks. The road between Kuraara and Otira is in good condition, but traffic will not be able to travel over the road between Otira and Arthur’s Pass for about four weeks. Between Arthur’s Pass and the Bealey the road is rather rough but passable. Good conditions prevail between the Bealey and Christchurch. Motorists travelling between Canterbury and Westland who do not wish to travel via Blenheim and Tophouse will have to truck their cars between either Springfield and Otira or Arthur’s Pass and Otira.

Australian Conditions After having just spent five weeks in Australia, Mr G. P. Aldridge, secretary of the New Zealand Boxing Council, has returned to Wellington firmly convinced that the Dominion is still the best country in the world. Moreover, he found that many Australians held the same opinion. While he was in Australia, said Mr Aldridge, he had heard many complimentary references to New Zealand, and, in particular, eulogies of the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage), who was held in very high regard in the Commonwealth. Mr Aldridge said that he had not been impressed one bit with Australian politics, which seemed to him to be in a terrible state. Referring to conditions generally in Australia, Mr Aldridge said that Australia had started on the road upon which New Zealand had embarked when the policy to conserve sterling funds by the restriction of imports was introduced at the end of 1938. Australia had taken steps to control imports and to impose restrictions against sending money out of the country. Another point that had struck him forcibly was that there was not the same realisation in Australia that a war was in progress as there was in this country.

Municipal Conferenco Disagreement with the opinion of the Mayor of Oamaru (Mr L. J. K. Familton) that the recent Municipal Conference was “more like a glorified bylaws committee meeting” was expressed by the Mayor of Sumner (Mr J. E, Tait). He said that he wanted to disabuse the minds of councillors on this point and he thought that the association had done useful and magnificent work. The Government had thought sufficiently well of the conference to send a highly placed official along. It was difficult to get a remit through, and those that were passed were hardly ever turned down by the Government. The Deputy Mayor (Mr F. T. Eldi idge) congratulated the Mayor on his appointment to the executive. He thought that nothing but good could come from a meeting of mayors and town clerks of the many local bodies. Battle Practice at Sea The sound of heavy explosions, accompanied by earth tremors noticed in districts bordering the east coast of North Auckand towards the end of last week, are considered to have been caused by battle piactice off the coast. In order that the concussion from the firing of guns with full charges might not be dangerous to windows of houses, the practice took place some distance at sea. The sound of the action was heard as far north as Whangarei, and residents of the Waitakere ranges above Henderson also noticed earth tremors. Autumn Equinox The autumn equinox occurs to-day. At the time of the equinox the sun in all parts of the world spends approximately 12 hours above the horizon and 12 below. As far as the southern hemisphere is concerned, and therefore New Zealand, from now on until the shortest day in June, the sun will be spending more and more time below the horizon than above it and the days will be getting shorter and shorter, which they have already been doing since the longest day in December. Any strong winds experienced about now will be inevitably called equinoctial gales, although meteorological records do not bear out the popular idea that it is more windy at the time of the equinoxes than it is at other times of the year. Bottle Drive in Schools “It makes me angry when firms think they can secure our co-operation in a matter like this,” said the chairman (Mr James Wallace) at the Otago Education Beard’s meeting yesterday when a request was received from a firm of aerated water manufacturers to hold a “bottle O” drive throughout the whole of the schools of Otago. The firm advised that the whole of the proceeds would be handed over to the various schools to be used for the benefit of the pupils as a body. Freight would be paid on all bottles and the firm would undertake all the arrangements. The request was refused. Soldier’s Appreciation An indication that the efforts which have been made locally to entertain the soldiers now on leave are appreciated was given by a non-commissioned officer who made a hurried visit to the Daily Times office yesterday morning before catching the express for the north; A former Dunedin resident, he had enlisted in Wellington and had spent part of his leave from Trentham camp in Dunedin. Though his train was due to leave in only a few minutes, he stated that he felt that he could not leave the city without making a request that the Daily Times should express to the civic authorities and to citizens generally his appreciation of the hospitality that he had enjoyed during his stay. Tenders fife invited by the Public Works Department for the supply of 50 kv switchgear and steelwork, hardwood poles and tallowwood, fencing wire and staples, and mild steel plates. Coffee for breakfast! Order from your grocer a tin of “ Bourbon,” the coffee of quality! Instructions in every tin. Prepared by.Durie’s, coffee specialists. 32 Octagon. Dunedin.—Advt For rings, watches, and jewellery, try Peter Dick, jewellers. 59 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt.