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Otago Witness, Issue 3769, 8 June 1926, Page 3

The decision that the Moa Flat Seed Farm would be abandoned and ban led over to the Lands Department to be dealt with in the most suitable manner was made public bv the Hon. O. J. Haw ken ■ Minister of Agriculture) last week. Mr Hawken remarked that although the seed grown had been of good quality and a considerable amount of it (particularly parsnip seed) had been sold, the farm had not proved a success, and it was therefore found expedient to close it down. His Honor Mr Justice Sim has granted probate in the wills of the following deceased persona Charles Thomas, Dunedin; Francos Hodgman Brocklebank, Dunedin; Thomas Edwards, North-East liarbo ir; and Alexander Blair, Lawrence. Letters of administration were granted by his Honor in the estate of Florence Letitia Bridgman, of Dunedin.

The following is a summary of the notifications of infectious diseases in Otago and Southland during the month ol May: Scarlet fever—Otago 15, Southland 5; pulmonary tuberculosis—Otago 17, Southland 15 ; puerperal fever—Southland 1; hdatids— Otago 3: diphtheria—Otago 19, Southland 2; erysipelas—Otago 2, Southland 1; acuta primary pneumonia—Otago 3. Southland 1; eerebro-spinal meningitis—Otago 1, Southland 1. Total, 86. The following death* have been recorded :—Pulmonary tuberculosis—Otago 5, Southland 4; acuta primary pneumonia—Otago 2; puerperal fever—Southland 1. Total, 12. Tenders are to be called shortly for replacing the wireless mast on Tinakori Hill* which was blown down during the heavy northerly gale recently (reports o-r Wellington correspondent). American as well as British, and other firms, will havp the right of tendering, but the British tendereis will have whatever i dvantage? are to be bad £rom the preferential tariff. The cost of the American mast blown down wa< about £2OOO. This was £3OO to £4CO cheaper than the lowest British tender. At the last meeting of the Lake County Council a letter was received from the Engineer-in-Chief and Under-secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington, advising that it would be necessary to constitute at an early date.the special board referred to in the Kawarau Falls dam license issued nder the Mining Act, to Alfred Charles Hanlon, Dunedin. on January 18, 1924. The chief function of the board would be to determine when the gates of the dam should bp opened and clo c ed in accordance with the provisions of the license. The council was asked to advise the department of the name of its renre-entaiive in order that steps might bo taken to constitute the board. Cr Lea Leo was unanimously appointed the council’s representative It is understood that Mr H. L. Taploy, M.P. for Dunedin North, will move the Ajidress-in-Reply to the Governor-Genera Speech at the opening of Parliament in the ensuing session. The coldness of winter and the gradual shortening of daylight are being acutely reflected in the station of the Teviot Power Board, where the machines are running during the peak period up to the full capacity of their overload. This :s particularly noticeable 'writes our correspondent) in the local loading which, :n marked contrasts to the Central Otago load, is anything but steady. Pending the arrival of the new generator, it has been deemed necessary, by reason of the increased demand, to request local consumers to economise as far as possible in heir use of power Tor lighting and heating between the hours of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily, and it i« honed that a due observance of this during hour? will ia\e a steadying effect ori the demand being made at present on the generators. 0 "The word ‘memorial’ should not bo omitted from the title of the Seddon Memorial Technical College,” remarked Mr C. A. Watts at a meeting'of the Board of Managers at Auckland on Thursday last (says the Star). “The college was founded a? a memorial to the late Richard .John Seddon, and it would be a distinct breach of faith to those who contributed money towards it to allow the word ‘memorial’ to lie deleted.” This view was shared by the other members of the board, and it was decided that the correct name should be used in all letterheads and stationery published and i sued bv the college. It was thought this would help the public to remember how the college had originated. Calling the City Council’s attention to the desirability of establishing a botanic garden n Auckland, the New ZeJand Institute of Horticulture (reports the Star), in a letter, said that at the summer conference of the institute, held in Dunedin, in January, the question of botanic gardens and their location was fully -sidered. The exact location and extent, of such a garden were matters requiring careful an 1 expert attention, and the executive of the institute asked the council to allocate £lO9 for the purpose of investigation, in which the institute would co-operate. The letter pointed out that the institute cou!l probably arrange for a supply of native plants sufficient to keep the Domain as r native plant and tree arboretum, and mentioned that the growing needs of the University College, with special reference to the chairs of biology and forestry, call for the assistance of a botanic garden. Following a recommendation from the Parks Committee, it was decided to reply that the allocations for the ensuing year had been made, but that the matter would he kept in vi->w when next year's allocations were being decided. A complete settlement has now been effected in connection with the Otago Rugby Football League’s property in South Dunedin. The whole of the purchase money has been paid over, and t’.e Education Board took possession yesterday of six acres, for which t has paid £4OOO. Within the next two months some 50 sections for building purposes will be put up for auction.

The actions of a dog which appears in "he.morning at the railway crossing warning sign opposite the po6t office at Palmerston North, and which remains there until late in the afternoon ha aroused the interest of quite a number of people who frequently pass that way (states the Manawatu Times). The animal, m intelli gent looking sheep dog, lies perfectly quiet at the foot of the warning sign until a train appears in sight from the terra end or is seen drawing out of the station. At once the self-appointed crossing keeper becomee extremely agitated, barking, and running down the line a chain >r so towards the train. When the engine is about a couple of chains off the pc?t offi 3 corner he rushes ahead along the trac! and up and down it over the crossing barking furiously at the traffic. Usually the dog only gets out of the path of the engine just in time. Once the forepart of the train has covered the width of the crossing he lies down again quietly, taking no farther notice f anything until the next engine approaches. It appears to those who have interested themselves in the matter that this is not an instance of an animal which barks at passing traffic for the sake of it, but that the do_, has in his canine mind some conception of clearing the way. Once that is done to his satisfaction he takes no further interest in the passing of trucks or carriages. “The Wembley Exhibition did wonderful work in putting New Zealand butter in English homes,” said Mr R. S. Black, who has just returned from a trip round the world, to our representative last week. "Surprise is epressed at its excellence,” ho addd. ‘lt is considered that New Zealand butter, under similar comtioris, excels that of Denmark ” Dr Fenwick recounted the, other day some amusing reminiscences of tho Christchurch Hospital staff as it wae when ho joined it as assistant house surgeon in 3395. and he tells the story oi the elderly night watchman who, when censured for leaving the morgue door unlocked, respondH in an awed whisper: “Tho folk what's inside can’t get out and no folk what’s outside wants to get in I” The old custodian had a fear beyond his pride and us ' to persuade a night nurse to accompany him when he had to pass tho morgue in the •dark. Those who chose the nursi profession in the early veers of the institution bad much to be thankful for. For instance, they received as part of their rations a pint of ale daily- The regulations prescribed that “Nurses must be able to read and write. They must treat the ck with tmidnesa, see that all the patients are in Tmhl after the doors are locked, and put the gas down on retiring to rest.’*

Religious >ects have been added to by one. according to the last New Zealand Gazette. Poople authorised to «*olemnise marriages have been gazetted. Apparently any sect can marry its folk according to its own ideas, and even the Ruaites nave seen the names of their matrimonial highpriests duly recorded in the Gazette. In the latest Gazette there is an announcement that a certain man is authorised to solemnise marriages for the sects known as “Latter Rain.” Apparently the church is not a very numerous one, as there is only a single minister, and inquiries failed to elicit any information about it. T.e name is not very enlightening, but it may have something to do with the Biblical terms for the two rainy periods n the Holy Land. One, known as “the former rain,” falls just before Christmas; and the other, known as "the latter rain,” falls about March. 0..- is, course, nearer the harvest than the other, and there may be some such recondite meaning in this strange name of the new sect. It is indeed pleasing to note that the City Corporation, if its printed noticeboards is to be relied on implicitly, is showing enterprise of such a bold nature that the bus warfare is being carried into completely alien territory. According to a board on a bus standing in th< Octagon on Thursday, the vehicle was bound for Waikari, and as that excellent little township is situated in North Canterbury, the passengers) had certainly selected a '•hilly day for the journey. It must be suspected, however, that the person who painted the signboard had a fondness for the letter 1 “i” thqt was not shared by those responsible for the name of the well-known Kaikorai bus terminus. I At a meeting of the South Island Dairy Association on_ Wednesday afternoon the chairman (Mr U. J. Middleton) presented! verbal report regarding the deputation which waited on the Hon. 0. J. Hawken (Minister of Agriculture) on Tuesday with reference to establishing a laboratory in the South Island in the interest of the dairy industry. * The Minister had sug gosted that the only means of getting a laboratory was for those interested to establish onq themselves. Mr Hawken was pretty non-committal, but the indicated that a subsidy might he granted. Tho &3 ociation intended to take steps to get all the information available from the South Taranaki associated factories as to oosts, etc., and the matter would be brought before delegates at a later date. Tho Opunake railway will be handed over by the Public Works Department to the Railway Department at the end of June (stotod an offieial to an Eitham Argus reporter).

“We like our boys to receive a good education, but my experience goes to show th.it in many instances too much education for a boy who is to become a farmer is a mistake.” Such wae the opinion of a Taranaki farmer, as expressed to a Daily News reporter recently). The farmer went on to say that if country children stopped their schooling tfter having passed through the standards at the country schools they were much more satisfied to ta up life on the land.- If, on the other hand the boys and girls were sent to high schools or colleges they came in contact with a good deal of town and social life, with tho result that when they had finished their schooling and returned to their homes they becamo dissatisfied with homo life. It was not long before many of them rebelled against the dullness and uninteresting features of life on the farms, and sought positions in the towns. Sir John Findla'y made a number of subtle points in his examination of witnesses during the hearing of the Ambassadors’ Hotel case beforo the Auckland Licensing Committee (reports our corresp rdent). An architect was questioned closely by Mr A. H. Johnstone (for the objectors) regarding the proposed winter garden that is to grace the roof of the hotel. Witness asserted quite definitely in reply to a suggestion by counsel that the smoke from an adjoining flourmill would not interfere with this garden. Mr Johnstone was c omewhat satirical about the matter Sir John rose to re-examine the witness, and said: “You have been questioned very diligently about the matter of smoke from this mill Can you tell me how much smoke comes from a mill that is driven entirely by electricity and hae no chimney ?”—(Laughter.) The same witness was asked by Mr Johnstone whether or not there would not be more room for guests if there were no bar in the hotel. Witness said that was obvious. Sir John’s question in rebuttal vas to the effect that there would be less space for guests if the whole place was made into a bar. At the last meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery, the Moderator (the Rev. E. J. Tipler) presented a report on behalf of a Public Questions Committee. He drew attention to the great publicity being given in the press and in the streets in various ways to art unions and raffles. It was time, he said, that they expressed themselves on this matter. He moved—“ That Presbytery records its emphatic disapproval of the flood of raffles let locse upon the country apparently unchecked- by the department concerned, and deplores t .e continuance of this evil with all its baleful consequences.” He referred to the fact that a deputation from the Assembly had waited some time ago on the Hon. Mr Bollard about this matter. They were given to understand that certain interests had been granted permits some time previously, but that when these expired there would be a great reduction. But still there seemed to be no diminution of these art unions. In spite also of magisterial decisions up north he noticed that *’ie “roll downs” had been started again a' the Winter Show.” The Rev R. Scott Allan seconded tho motion, which was carried unanimously.