NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24347, 11 July 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

An interesting picture of early Dunedin is at present on view in Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs's window. This is a water colour painted by C. Aubrey in 1883, showing a view of the city from the hill-, just above Maitland street and at the left of the top of Stafford street. The painting shows the whole scene from Mount Cargill round to Anderson's Bay, and is notable for the amount of painstaking detail. At this time reclamation work had Dushed the tide, line back from its original locality to something more nearly that of to-day. The Rattray street basin is shown with a small steamer entering it, and farther up the harbour there is a ship under sail. The cement works and other large structures of the period can be distinguished, including a portion of St. Joseph's Cathedral, then under construction. It is interesting to note that something like a tidal lagoon lay between the steamer basin and the railway line.. The picture is the property of Mr James Hair, of Macandrew Bay. Automatic Alarm The City Fire Brigade was called out at 11.56 a.m. yesterday by an automatic alarm from Messrs Irvine and Stevenson's in Filleul. street. Students Aid Patriotic Funds A scheme by which voluntary contributions are made to patriotic funds has been started by the students of the Dunedin Training College. A stated deduction is made from individual pay cheques each month and for June the amount thus collected was £l3 ss. Aliens Naturalised Certificates of naturalisation have been granted to 23 aliens who sought British nationality. A Gazette notice shows that the applicants have complied with the legislative requirements, and that they have taken the oath of allegiance to Britain. The list includes 11 Jugoslavs, three Italians, two Poles, two Americans, a Dane, a Norwegian, and a Syrian. Police v. Air Force In a friendly Rugby football match ax Tahuna Park yesterday afternoon, the Police defeated the Air Force by 20 points to nil. The game was, however marred by an accident to a member 'of the Air Force team, George Martin, a rigger at the Hillside Ground . Training School, who was admitted to Hospital at 4.30 suffering from concussion. Depleted Postal Staffs Enlistments for overseas service totalling 1000 and men undergoing territorial training numbering about 700 have seriously depleted the number of officers in the Post and Telegraph Department. As a result (says our Wellington correspondent) the department has had to effect savings in staff by discontinuing the night clearances of street letter boxes and by closing evening mails earlier. Socks Issued to Troops An addition to the comforts supplied to members of the first echelon of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt is the monthly issue of a new pair of socks. Recording the procedure in a letter to Auckland relatives, a battery sergeant-major said that in the desert climate, where heat, sand and hobnails necessitated constant care and attention for the feet, g ,od socks were a boon above price. Steadfast Women A striking example of the steadfastness and confidence of the women in Britain during an hour of crisis is provided in a letter received in Auckland by the parents of a former New Zealander who is the wife of an electrical engineer iiving in a town in Essex Her brief account of local activities is typical of many reports which show that British civilian morale remains unshaken. " It seems ■ as though things really are humming now." the writer said. "We are expecting bombers over here hourly. It is very trying, of course, but we manage to keep calm and cheerful and feel full of confidence in the outcome of the war. I must say that I think anyone who talks of this war being capitalistic is really just plain ignorant. The trouble is that you in New Zea-lf-nd are just on the fringe of things; here in the centre of activities you cannot mistake what has caused the war." After explaining that her husband was local defence officer to protect the people of her town from parachutists, she added that she wished women were allowed to join the force. "We all keep well, and it will take more than any Hell the Nazis can send over to frighten me," she said. I don't mind being dead, but I do mind the idea of being a coward or of failing my country by cowardly thoughts.

City Police Court Three charges of drunkenness were admitted in the City Police Court, over which Mr J. R. Bartholomew. S.M., presided, yesterday. Donald Matheson was fined 20s. in default 48 hours' imprisonment, and two statutory first offenders, Archibald John Kirk and Lawrence Imrie, were each fined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. Overcrowding on Trams With a view to lessening the overcrowding Which takes place on the trams during the peak hours, the Wellington City Council is making representations to ihe authorities controlling school hours and the hours of civil servants with a view to spreading the peak period. Representations are being made to the Prime Minister, the" Minister of Education, and the Minister of Transport. Jugoslav Neutrality The wish of the Jugoslav people to avoid becoming entangled in war was emphasised by an officer of the Jugoslav steamer Kupa, which is in port at Auckland. Jugoslavia had been in too many wars and had fought the Turks, the Bulgarians, the Austrians, and the Italians, he said. The country would like to see present issues settled by agreement and not by force. Relations with Italy, however, could best be described as " diplomatic," and should any territorial claims be made on Jugoslavia it was sure that they would be met by stout, armed resistance, he said. Motor Vehicle Registration There are at present many rumours current in the city with regard to the registration of motor vehicles. One of thgse is to the effect that if registration is not effected by September 1 owners will not be permitted to register at all. Another is that no reduction of the amount payable is being made for those who have laid up their cars for. a month or two and that irrespective of when the car is registered the full year's fee ■will have to be paid. There is no truth whatever, in either of these rumours. Motor vehicle registration is being carried out precisely as it has been done in previous years. No new instructions have been issued to the local motor vehicle registration office and none are anticipated. . Pig. Production It is possible that, in the near future, a local effort will be made to stimulate pig production. In some northern centres schemes have been put in hand to implement the desire of the Government for greater production, and a proposal to establish a pig farm near this city has already been tentatively discussed. Naturally, there are many difficulties to be considered, and among these the leading points are the questions of a suitable site and of the approval of the Department of Health. It is understood, that the Otago Pig Council has interested itself in the idea, as part of the proposal is that this body should deal with the problem of feeding by organising the collection of household waste of a suitable nature. South Dunedin Sing Yesterday was " Scottish Day " at the South Dunedin Community Sing, and the novelty proved a highly successful one. There was a- large attendance, which greatly enjoyed the singing as well as the diversified programme which was provided. The effort resulted in the collection of £2O, with promises of more to come. Mr H. Bell, humorist, Mr J. W. Rogers and Mr N Power, soloists, a reel Darty consisting of Misses Maureen Bishop, Isobel Gray, Iris Dysart, Maureen Tobin, June Ryan, Shirley Smith, Norman Taylor, and June Gutsell, a piper and three young Green Island boys, all contributed to the programme, the items being mainly of a national character. Mr R. McKenzie again led the sing, with Mr E. Fish and Mrs E. D. Cameron assisting. Municipal Organ Recital The programme arranged by the city organist, Dr V. E.. Galway, for his next after-church recital in the Town Hall, includes two items which are being played for the first time at these recitals: "This England" (Thomas Wood) and "Arcadian Idyll" (Lemare). Other items of interest are "Trumpet Tune and Air " (Purcell), "To Music " (Schubert),-Fantasia on "Now Thank We" and "Tune from the Peasant Cantata" (Bach), Scherzo in C minor (Guilmant), march, "Pomp and Circumstance," No. 4 (Elgar). Dr Galway will be assisted by Miss Nellie Pickett, who will play the last movement' of a concert piece for piano and orchestra by Weber, the orchestral accompaniment being played on the organ. There will be no charge for admission. :: Southland Troops A Welcome Club for Southland men at the Burnham Military Camp has been established in Christchurch. Advice to this effect has been received by the Deputy Mayor of Invercargill (Mr J. R. Martin) from Mr W. Grieve, chairman of the Invercargill Metropolitan Patriotic Committee, who is at present in Wellington. When in Christchurch on his way north, Mr Grieve conferred with Mr J. J. W. Pollard, formerly of Invercargill. and prepared a list of names of former Southland residents now living in Christchurch, Who will be asked to form a committee to look after Southland troops in hospital and to help in entertaining at the Welcome Club. Saturday next has been allotted as Southland night, and instructions have been sent to Bluff to send to Christchurch 500 dozen oysters and 250 mutton birds.

What Soldiers Think The attitude of soldiers of the Expeditionary Force now serving in Egypt toward industrial stoppages in New Zealand during the war was indicated by an Auckland non-commis-sioned officer in a letter to relatives. Writing from the base camp on June 3. he referred to the " go-slow " tactics of Auckland tramway workers several months ago. " The story of the tramway stoppage had a mixed reception in Egypt," he said. " I wonder what would become of us if we conspired to go slow at our jobs for an increase in pay, and Heaven knows what we draw seems little enough. Most of the lads are broke for half of every week. There is probably much to be said on both sides, but surely a service which claims to be essential at a time such as this could utilise more intelligent methods of settling a grievance," he added. " I shall not record the pithy comments of the rank and file, most of whom sacrificed a great deal materially to sweat on these burning sands of Egypt." Fossil Remains at Cobden Though no accurate statement on the fossil remains found at Cobden, Greymouth, can be made before they are scientifically examined, it is considered that they are the remains of any other highly improbable that they are the remains of any other mammal than a whale, and it has been recalled that fossil,, remains of similar dimensions identified as a whale skeleton were found in the Cobden limestone more than 50 years ago. Commenting on the discovery, Dr R. S Allan, lecturer in geology at Canterbury University College, said that discoveries of whale fossils in New Zealand had been fairly rare. The previous discovery at Cobden in 1887 was also made after a blast .in a limestone quarry, the fossil remains being presented to the School of Mines at Greymouth. They were examined by Professor F. W. Hutton, then professor of zoology at Canterbury College, who considered them to be the remains of a ziphioid whale—a type still ex-* tant. It was not likely, he said, that the recent find would throw much fresh light on the limestone formation. Cobden limestone was known to be roughly speaking, between 30,000,000 and 40,000,000 years old. It contained a number of fossil remains, though it was not as rich in fossils as some other New Zealand limestones, such as those of Oamaru and Canterbury. It was almost certain that the fossil skeleton found last week was that of some marine, not terrestrial, mammal. Tenders are invited by the Public Works Department for the supply of motor-driven sump pumps. 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.