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Otago Witness, Issue 3775, 20 July 1926, Page 3

It may be interesting for Syrian and Lebanese who are naturalised in New Zealand to know that such naturalisation does not extend beyond the boundaries of the Dominion, although peieons so naturalised, travelling abroad, are entitled to the courtesy of the British governing authorities and British Consuls. Consequently, those Syrians or Lebanese who will not sign the declaration of option before August 31 next, at tho French Consulate in Auckland, -or the French Consular Agencies at Wellington, Christchurch, or Dunedin, will be considered as Turks and will have no right to French protection whenever they happen to settle outside this Dominion. A rather unusual kind of accident ooeurred at Belverdale Hospital (Wanganui) the other day. The father of one of the patients had called for his convalescent daughter, and left his car outside the hospital door with the engine running but the gears disengaged. On coming out of the hospital he was amazed to And that the car had disappeared. It had run on to the lawn, bounced over a couple of terraces, and finished its oareer through .the fence in the grounds of an adjoining residence.

An alarming experience befel a Wanganui girl on Saturday, July 10, the victim being almost suffocated by the fumes from a gasheated hot water geyser {reports the Chronicle). She was preparing for a bath and had heated the caliphont, which was without vent to the outer air. Consequently when the door and window were closed the girl was overcome and fainted. Her mother, noting a disquieting silence, tried the door and then looked through the window to see her daughter inert upon the floor. Neighbours were summoned, and the door battered in. Not for some time was the girl resuscitated, and then only after a doctor had been called. The eight-ton generator /which fell from a lorry into the Waipori Gor;.? whilst being taken from the power-house recently, has now been thoroughly reconditioned, and jvill shortly be shipped to Lake Waikaremoana, where it will be installed m the power station there.

“We have reduced the dues on fertilisers from 6s to 3s per ton, and cannot sanction any further reduction,” was the reply of the Otago Harbour Board to an inquiry from Mr J. M. Dickson, M.P., as to what had been done in this direction. it was decided at the special meeting of the board on -July 12 that Mr Dickson should represent the board at the conference called by the Prime Minister {the Right Hon. J. G. Coates) for July 13 to discuss the price of fertilisers to farmers. A bullock which was fceimr taken to tho Coates) for July 30 to discuss the price Palmerston slaughter-yard on July 10 decided that it would first see the world, and set off on a sightseeing tour of the borough. ~A butcher’s shop was his port of call, but, evidently not liking the look of two butchers busily engaged in cutting up meat, he wandered into a draper’s establishment, much to tho surprise and terror of two assistants. Their cries promptly brought assistance in the person of a butcher, who got rid of thj unwelcome visitant, which immediately paid a friendly call on the local saddler. There he was caught, and his wanderings ended ignominiously at his original destination—the slaughter-yard. Details of an exciting episode in Wellington are given by the owner of a stolen motor car (reports an exchange). It was removed at midnight recently, and immediately its loss was noted, the owner and two .friends reported the matter to the police, who learned that a car had been seen proceeding through the streets, and later was i-turning. The police commandeered another car, and drew it across the read in the hope of stopping (lie thief’s progress. The thief, however, managed to dodge the obstacle, I ui the owner made good use of the opportunity offered. Taking a flying leap, he was able to secure a foothold on the running board. He was unable to gain eiAry, however, as the door was securely locked. At this point, the owned declared that the thief deliberately attempted to brush him off by drawing near to the footpath, apparentl in the hope that the owner would be struck by a telegraph pole. Being unsuccessful, the thief changed his tactics. Slow in? down, he opened the door and jumped clear, but he opened the throttle at the same time, with the result that the car rushed on at increased speed. The owner also succeeded in jumping clear. Afterwards he’ had the pleasure of a personal interview with the thief.

A representative football team travelling from Hamilton to Tauranga on July 10 had an unenviable experience (says tho Auckland Star). They left at 6 o’clock ia the morning in five oars. Matamata was reached in good time—an hour and a-half—-but afterwards, at the foot of th Kaimai Hill the cars struck mud, and four hours were required to climb five miles. The frame of one car broke, and the car and its occupants bad to be abandoned. It was 3.30 in the afternoon when the other players reached their destination. “This is an example of Tauranga’s splendid isolation,” states a message from that town. 4 ‘lts only practicable outlet at present is really by the sea, and at the present moment a north-easterly gale is raging, making that outlet very unpleasant. Tho Hamilton cars, one at a time, had, to bo pulled through mud stretches a mile long. “The Government tourist service in New Zealand is far better than similar seivices I have seen anywhere else, but the reaeon why there are not more tourists coming here is that the Dominion * sold i heard of abroad. You have the finest scenery in the world. The best fishing 1 ever had in my life was at Lake Taupo, and if I had the money I would come here every year to fish.” These remarks were made to a representative of the Christchurch Press by Dr H. L. Russell, Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin, who is here on a search for brilliant science students. He added that the film dealing with Zane Grey and his swordfishing would be a very good advertisement for New Zealand.

In his statement in the annual report if the Canterbury College Board of Governors, the chairman (Mr H. D. Acland) says that the University Commission recommended that “a course of training for art teachers, and especially art teachers for technical schools, should be developed at the Canterbury College School of Art,” and the question arose whether some forward movement should not be made to raise the status ,of the School of Art to a University standard (states Pres*). In fact, its prestige was undoubted as the leading art school in the Domini n. “I hope the time is not far distant when the present buildings will be absorbed by the University, and more suitable buildings erected elsewhere for the school,” he concluded. The question of the change over in the running of the Mornington cable tram service wa& brought -up by Mr A. L. W. Wood at a recent meeting of the Otago Motor Club. Mr Wood said that he Understood that the City Council was willing to effect the change over, but it was slow in doing •o. There had recently been two rather serious accidents on that road, and be had no doubt that the fact that the trams were running on the wrong side had something to do with those accidents. Mr Ansell said that this matter hod had the consideration of the club for two years at least. They had been assured that the work would be done when the electrification was effected, and had since been told that the corporation had .had a good deal of other works on hand to attend to before ft could be done. In view if M Bundle's remarks in court the previous week he thought they should writs urging that this work should be expedited. A motion to this effect was carried.

A tipsy individual who mistook the Wellington Magistrate’s Courthouse for a hotel caused some commotion and merriment there a day or two ago (reports the Post). He was middle-aged, and apparently very thirsty. It was perhaps* unfortunate that there was a hotel so close to the Magistrate's Courthouse, because the unsteady stranger, well nigh oblivious to all things mundane, was confused as to localities and found himself in the court buildings. Gingerly he pursued a wobbly course upstairs, where the magistrate’s quarters are situated, paused at the top and inquired: “Where is smoking lounge T" “Downstairs outside,” was the custodian's reply The stranger retraced his uncertain steps. Wandering into the third clerk’s office he edged up to the counter, put his foot on an imaginary brass rail, stumbled, and produced half crown. “Beer,” he demanded, and forced the coin into the hand of one of the clerks. Standing by was the sub-inspector of police, and as the thirsty one tried again to put his foot on the non-existent rail he jostled against the officer. “Beer, beer, and where is the barmaid?” he said. Then, prompted by the sudden realisation of his tactical blunder, and hearing the stern voice of the police officer ordering him about his business, the man made a bolt for the exit with surprising agility and speed. He was allowed to depart. A sitting of the Court of Arbitration will be commenced in Dunedin on Friday, July 30. So far the business set down is light, and is not of a contentious nature.