NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26775, 19 May 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

New Telephone Directories A suggestion by the Dunedin ! Chamber of Commerce that if the next | telephone directory were not to be j issued for some time, a list of amendments might be provided and circulated to all subscribers, was stated to be impracticable by the Chief Postmaster. I Mr M. R. Aldridge, at the meeting of the chamber yesterday. He said that | amendments were made in the stand- | ing type by the Government Printer las they came to hand, and it would ! be a huge task to sort out all the alterations and print them separately. Mr Aldridge said that the new telephone directories were now in the hands of the printers. Tribute to Former Dean ! The north block of the new Medical j School will probably be named the | “Sir Lindo Ferguson Building” as a | tribute to the memory of the former dean of the school. At the meeting of the University Council yesterday I afternoon a recommendation from the j Professorial Board that Sir Lindo’s name be attached to this, block was ! unanimously approved. Successful Show ! The Dunedin Horticultural Society’s Chrysanthemum Show, which finished in the Concert Chamber last night, was a most successful event. Adverse weather kept many intending visitors away but. nevertheless, good crowds attended during the day and evening sessions to admire the magnificent blooms. An award of merit was made to Mrs R. F. Allan for her display of orchids. Valuable Cargo A large consignment of jute goods, mainly wool packs and corn sacks, will be brought to Dunedin by the Narbada, which is expected to arrive here from Calcutta, via Lyttelton, on Sunday. Otago requirements for the past season were reasonably satisfied, and this shipment is intended for next season, when no shortages are anticipated. The Narbada is also carrying a considerable quantity of tea. Election Enemy “I believe that the greatest enemy we will have at the next election will be apathy,” said Mr P. G. Connolly, M.P. for Dunedin Central, at a meeting of branches and supporters of the electorate of the Labour Party last evening. “We saw it here last municipal elections when 18,000 people did hot bother to- vote. If we have that apathy next election then we will definitely be on the opposition benches after it.” Scouring of Water Mains The scouring of the whole of the trunk water mains in the city will begin within the • next fortnight. The method of scouring, which is designed to keep the pipes clean, was explained to the Daily Times yesterday by the city engineei*, Mr S. G. Scoular. He said that small areas of each main were isolated from the others by the closing of outlet valves, and the full pressure of water from the reservoir was directed through the main for a period. He added that no chemicals were used in the process; the high pressure of water was sufficient to scour the pipes. The work is expected to occupy about two months. Anniversary of Gladstone’s Death To-day is the fiftieth anniversai’y of the death of W. E. Gladstone. Just a little over 102 years ago, on January 31, 1846, Gladstone wrote to Governor Grey; “The desire and purpose of his Majesty’s Government is that the colonials of New Zealand should undertake, as’ early and with as little exception as may be, the administration of their own affairs.” Grey’s tardiness in giving effect to these instructions caused considerable dissatisfaction in Otago and the other provinces. Autograph letters, portraits and other interesting Gladstone material are on view this month at th? Public Library. Profitable Venture The use of Studholme House as a boarding house during the peak of the centennial celebrations in January and February was not only a boon to the many visitors to the city who were accommodated there, but a profitable undertaking from the financial point of view. The profit from this enterprise was in excess of £350 and the building account of Studholme House will benefit by that amount. At yesterday’s meeting of the University Council the report of the Finance and Associated Committees expressed thanks to Dr Gregory, Miss Waddell, the staff and students for the generous gift of their time and labour. Tourist Refused Petrol “The Government wants American tourists to come to New Zealand, but will not make petrol available for tourists to see the country,” said Mr Raymond L. Collett, a former New Zealander who, since 1929, has been in business in the United States, in an interview in Christchurch; Mr Collett said he had been offered the use of. a private car on his arrival in New Zealand and had made application for a petrol allowance. Ten days after putting in his application he was informed that it had been refused. Had he brought his own car with him to New Zealand, petrol would have been made available, he said.

Teleprinters for Airways A reply has been received from Sir Leonard Isitt, chairman of the Nationa' Airways Corporation, to an inquiry by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce which asked when teleprinters would be installed in the offices of the corporation to expedite airways bookings. Sir Leonard stated that the Post and Telegraph Department had advised him that the instruments would not arrive in New Zealand before next January at the earliest. In the meantime, he added, the corporation had the use of the circuits which were allocated to the civil aviation branch, and messages about bookings and other communications sent over the air-radio system were passed on to the corporation as quickly as possible. Danger from Hot Ashes The fact that there was a danger both to refuse removal vehicles and to the personal safety of the driver and attendants from hot ashes being placed in ash tins was emphasised by the city engineer, Mr S. G. Scoular, to the Daily Times yesterday. Mr Scoular said that one day last week he noticed a refuse vehicle being hurriedly driven in the direction of the tip. Flames were coming from the tray. On investigation he was informed that hot ashes had caused a fire in the vehicle. He pointed out that accidents of this nature could be obviated if householders and business firms saw to it that hot ashes were not placed m refuse receptacles. He added that a danger also existed from the shifting of loads in vehicles owing to hot ashes beneath. Case for Lower Prices In England earlier this month the case for lower prices rather than higher wages was forcibly presented by Sir Stafford Cripps who told the annual conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions that it was absolutely vital for Britain's survival that the problems of inflation should be put under control now. Stating that Britain would be sunk if at this juncture she indulged in a general rise in wages or ' n P]f. icej ’’ Sir Staff added: “I realise that there are some people in this country who would gladly see our democracy destroyed in order to win power out of chaos and they naturally encourage every kind of demand for increased wages shorter hours, and all the rest, for the very purpose of throwing our economy into chaos. We understand their tactics and we have io meet them with sound reasons and common sense. Price reduction is the real solution of our problem and not the increase of personal incomes.