Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3713, 12 May 1925, Page 3

For the first time in New Zealand wireless transmitting equipments are to be instaled at two lighthouses, those at Stevens Island (Cook Strait), and Puysegur Point (Foveaux Strait), in the near future. The Marine Department (says the Dominion) is making arrangement with the Post and Telegraph Department for the installation of two half-kilowatt spark transmitting plants at the lighthouses mentioned. At present Stevens Island is connected with the main and with a cable which is not satisfactory. The Puysegur Point lighthouse is connected with the nearest telegraph office by a telephone wire that runs througfT 40 miles of bush, and breakdowns are not infrequent. The electrical plant at each station will receive power from oil engines. The Marine Department have in the lighthouse service men qualified to operate the wireless stations. The function of the radio stations will be to report parsing ships and for cases of emergency. A small party, consisting of Mr Frank Milne, as guide, and Mr V. Williams and Mr J. Sinclair Ross, of Auckland, recently made a successful ascent of Mount Cook. The party had made a previous attempt earlier in the month, but had been driven back by bad weather. On the second attempt skis were carried to the Haast Hut at an elevation of about 7000 ft, and then over Glacier Dome to the foot of the well-known Linda Glacier. The snow covering the glacier was very deep and made travelling on skis a matter of great difficulty. Some distance up the glacier the skis were abandoned; from this point numerous deep crevasses had to be crossed, necessitating arduous step cutting. When the rock ridge below the summit was gained, the party had an exciting time avoiding the fragments of ice that kept falling from the rocks above. After a brief rest on the summit the party returned by the same route and reached the Haast hut late the same evening. This is the twenty-seventh ascent of Mount Cook. In pursuance of sub-section 6 of section 4 of the Dairy Produce Export Control Act, 1923, two producers’ representatives for the North Island and one for the South Island automatically retire from the Control board on June 30 next. In last week’s Gazette appear regulations prescribing the manner of taking the votes of producers for the purpose of filling the vacancies thus created on the board. May 20 ig fixed as the last day, and noon as the hour, for receiving nominations, and the election, which will close at noon on Jun-' 15, is to be carried out by a system of postal voting. Messrs W. Grounds and W. C. Motion (North Island) and Mr J. R. Hamilton (South Island) are the retiring members. Each one is eligible for nomination and reelection. “The Banker,” official organ of the New Zealand Bank Officers’ Guild, reports that the directors of the Bank of New Zealand “have this year been good enough to recognise again in a practical manner that the high cost of living continues to eat enormous holes in our pockets, and it has afforded us tangible relief by granting a bonus as follows: To all married men, £275 to £395, 12£ per cent, for the year; to all single men, £275 and upwards. 10 per cent.; to all married men, £4OO and over, 10 per cont.: to each woman clerk, £lO. We take this opportunity of returning our best thanks to the board for its generosity.” A number of local sportsmen have made duck-shooting expeditions into the country and some fair bags have been secured. Tho season for Paradise duck has closed, but pukeko may be taken up to Wednesday next, with a limit of 12 per day. The season for grey ducks will extend to July 31, the limit being 25 per day, and the quuil season lasts two months from May 1 to June 30, with a limit of 20 per day. The new regulations specify that shooting must not commence earlier than half an hour before sunset and must cease an hour after sunset. The North Otago Times reports that the oracking of guns could be heard all along the Waitaki River on Friday and Saturday. Some of the Oamaru sportsmen are reported to have secured good bags of ducks.

The election of chairman of the Otago Harbour Board will take place at a special meeting of tho board to be held on the afternoon of May 22. It is understood that at tlie present time there are two aspirants for this important position.

The catering at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition will be undertaken on a comprehensive scale, and the provision to bo made for the numerous visitors will, it is expected, prove adequate for requirements. Accommodation will be provided for 700 people in the restaurants, which will adjoin No. 6 Building, in which the New Zealand secondary industries Court will be situated, and 150 more will bo catered for in a tea room in the dome of the festival hall overlooking the Grand Court. The kitchen equipment will be thoroughly up-to-date, and all the cooking will be done electrically. A committee and the general manager of the Exhibition (Mr Hainsworth) are at present going into the question of the supply of the necessary plant. A Press Association message from Wellington states that the bankruptcies for 1924 numbered 670, a decrease of four compared with 1923, and 24 compared with 1922. The debts proved were £705,995 and the assets realised £118,640. Among the bankrupts were 175 farmers, 81 labourers, 21 agents, 22 builders, 22 storekeepers, 17 contractors, 6 hotelkeepers, and 18 butchers. It is improbable that there will be a reduction in the price of bread in Dunedin following upon the Christchurch reductions, as bread is already cheaper here than in the northern city. Over the counter the 41b loaf is sold at ll£d or la at the most, and it is Is o>jd or Is Id delivered. Does the drapery trade exist mainly for the sale of luxuries to women? The New Zealand Draper says no, and adds: ' me least knowledge of modern drapery stores will show that thousands of articles of necessity to men, women, and children ar.e on sale. Women are the largest buyers simply because that is their position in life. Man has his work to do, and as a rule has not the knowledge to even buy for himself. If women folk admire pretty clothes it is no new trait in their character, nor is it unusual for their men folk to be gratified, when they look their best. As pointed out in a recent issue of The Draper, ail writers to men. stress the importance of being well dressed, and if it is true in regard to the nominal head of the house, surely the real head goes under the same category.” A gathering of Bay of Islands Natives at Waimate North resolved that Ripi Wihongi contest the Northern seat at the General Election as a Labour candidate (states the New Zealand Herald). The resolutions dealing with Native affairs carried at the annual conference of the Labour Party were read and approved. There was hesitation on the part of some of the Natives to identify themselves with the Labour Party, as they claimed that the Ngapuhi followed great chiefs only, and that the great political chiefs were either in the Liberal or Reform Parties. This objection was over-ruled by other speakers, who contended that iustice has not been meted out to Maoris by either the Reform or Liberal Parties, and that the Labour Party would see the ancient wrongs of their race righted. Ripi Wihongi is of high rank, being a descendant of the great Ngapuhi chief, Hongi Ika, the Napoleon of New Zealand.

Mr H. L. Tapley, Mayor of the City, has received numerous requests that he should offer himself as a candidate for Dunedin North at the general election this year, and he has now decided to comply with these requests. He will stand as an Independent Reform candidate, his view being that there should be a consolidation of the moderate political elements in the country in opposition to the extreme Labour Party.

At a meeting of the Christchurch Executive of the Returned Soldiers’ Association (says a Press Association message) a letter was read from the general secretary of the association advising that headquarters had decided to request Sir Andrew Russell, who is at present in London, to represent the Now Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association at the British Empire Service League Conference, to be held in Ottawa* Canada, on July 20. After some discussion it was resolved that headquarters be asked to send two representatives from New Zealand, us at all previous conferences this dominion had had two representatives. It was also decided to urge that Mr M. W Cummins, of Christchurch, be the second representative. A Wellington message says that Cabinet has approved the nomination of Sir Androw Russell as dominion delegate to the Conference of the British Empire Servico League. Sir Andrew Russell is at present in England, and will accept nomination. A largo number of Dunedin motorists have neglected to register their cars and receive the new number plates. It was reported last week that sow* 3000 motorists have failed to make application. The dilatory ones have been warned that the police intend to take action this week in respect of all those who have not regie* tered and obtained the plates.