NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26719, 13 March 1948, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Memory of Early Dunedin When returning thanks for the welcome extended to him as an old Dunedin boy, Mr E. M. Jarvis, representing the Presbyterian Church -of South Africa, told those who attended the civic function in the City Council Chambers yesterday that he was very pleased to be present because nis sister and he were both born in the Octagon in the years 1862 and 1863 respectively. The Mayor stated that Mr Jarvis had been born in a tent on the site where the Robert Burns monument now stands, and he had come back home. Mr Jarvis mentioned that he had gone to South Africa before the Boer War. His sister, he added, was still aliyc. Display of Wildfire

Brilliant flashes of wildfire or sheet lightning lit up the north-eastern sky over Dunedin last night. The flashes were particularly vivid about 9 o’clock when for a split second at a time the whole sky was illuminated by blue zig-zag streaks of light. Wildfire is usually indicative of an approaching storm, but such as event was not predicted in the weather forecast. Sugar for Porridge

"I have found only one sign of decadence in New Zealand,” the Very Rev. Dr John Baillie, representing the Church of Scotland, remarked humorously at the public welcome yesterday in honour of himself and other overseas visitors to Dunedin fpr the Presbyterian Synod celebrations. “ I have eaten three breakfasts since arriving in New Zealand, and on two occasions I have been offered sugar for my porridge! ” Aid for Deserters

Deserting seamen who have undergone a term of imprisonment have received assistance during the past year from the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society. The secretary’s annual report states that there appears to be no other organisation which can help these men, and although they do net come within the scope of its work, the society has taken it upon itself, after they have served their sentences, to find them employment, equipment, and board. Suffragette Movement

An unusually interesting bequest has been made to the Otago University Übrary by the late Lady Stout, who was the wife of Sir Robert Stout, one of the original law lecturers at Otago University and later Chief Justice. It consists of a collection of material on the suffragette movement, including a number of books, some of which are very rare, together with letters, reports, lantern slides and newspaper cuttings. One of the old photographs shows Lady Stout leading the New Zealand contingent *in a London suffragette demonstration in 1911.

Prison a Fresh Start The comment of a London journal that prison should be “ a fresh beginning, not an end, a place not of despair, but of hope,” is supported in the annual report of the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society. “ We endeavour to point out to the man being discharged,” the report states, “that the future is full of possibilities for the one who is prepared to go straight and that the employer of labour has only admiration for the employee who may have made a failure of his past but -is determined to rise above his guilt and make amends by a life of honest toil.” Link with Presbyterianism Admitting that he was not a member of the. Presbyterian Church in spite of his name, the Mayor, Mr Cameron, told a large gathering at the civic function in the Council Chambers yesterday that he, nevertheless, had a link with the Presbyterian Church which he honoured. “At my home I have a book presented by the Rev. Dr Thomas Burns to a young lady. Janet Brown, who was evidently a Sunday school teacher in First Church at the time,” the Mayor said. “It bears the date, November, 1850. A year later Janet was married in First Church and became my grandmother.”

Municipal Organ Recital The city organist, Dr V. E. Gaiway, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall to-morrow night, when a programme consisting of works by Bach and Handel will be presented. The compositions by Bach are Chorale Prelude, “ Farewell I Give Thee,” Adagio from the Trio Sonata in G minor, Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, Chorale Prelude, “ I Come Before Thy Throne,” and Toccata in D minor. The Occasional Overture by Handel—introduction, allegro, adagio, and marchwill be performed. Dr Galway and Mr Ritchie Hanna (violinist) will play the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major. There will be no charge for admission.

Drinking Quality Impaired Many Port Chalmers people have not had a drink of water this week. The colour of the fluid which now issues from the tap is a darkish brown, and the odour anything but pleasant. Even when the water is boiled the tainted odour persists. Some residents declare that their first objective on reaching Dunedin these days is a tap where they may enjoy a drink of clean water. People who have tanks are in a better position because of the recent rain, and some have been generous to their less fortunate friends in supplying them with water. Although everyone hopes for fine weather for the re-enactment of the landing on Anniversary Day, there is a general desire for a good fall of rain before then.