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Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 48

On his return from a short holiday Mr F. W. Clayton, our chess contributor, wrote a letter to Dr Church. It contained the following extract, which Dr Church has asked us to reprint, adding that “we cannot too often read descriptions of our glorious scenery”:— “I returned -last night from a trip to Cecil Peak (Lake Wakatipu), where I enjoyed a long-looked-forward-to trampup the Lachie River that flows into the lake at Halfway Bay. It was a party of seven, including two ladies, and the experience was a most enjoyable one. The walk was close to the river for the seven miles, both sides of the deep, winding ravine being richly clothed with the beautiful mountain beech (Fagus cliff artioides), the wavy appearances of which suggests; youth, vigour, and beauty, and is seen prospering at almost every stage, except perhaps the ‘ very old.’ I have brought several small seedlings, and hope you will accept a couple of them. The river is a lovely one, and carries a great volume of water, displaying its beauty in every variety of falls, cascades, turbulent tributaries, and rushing rapids, foaming and splashing with great force over and against rocks of every size and shape, hurrying -with most unquiet speed to replenish the great and splendid lake. The path was an undulating one —now close beside the lake, now 300 ft above its level, each bend bringing new and pleasing surprises that beckoned us on in a most enticing way, far beyond the limit of our intentions, until the tyrant Time compelled us to return in the dusk of a beautiful evening, well satisfied with the day’s tramp amongst the mountains —approached by a lovely valley and presided over by the towering Cecil Peak (6700 ft with a staff of officers only a little less magnificent.” Whether borrowing should be restricted to New Zealand or whether a more favour, able offer from an Australian firm should be accepted was a question which arose at the meeting of the Taranaki County Council last week (reports the Taranaki Herald). For seven small road loans totalling £3020 two sources were open—the Public Trust Office, which would charge 6 per cent, interest, and a firm in Australia, which offered terms that would show a saving of about £2OO as compared with the other. Some division of opinion among the councillors was shown, one member raising the point that the council should not borrow outside New Zealand. It was eventually agreed, however, that the Australian offer should be investigated, to see if the terms were actually as favourable as appeared. The Chairman (Mr J. S. Connett) remarked that the essential point was whether the firm would agree to the loans being granted separately, requiring seven different procedures. Information on this point had been asked for, and the council decided to leave the matter in the hands of the chairman and the clerk.

The delegates to the Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ Conference last week (says the Evening Post) were thrown into uproarious laughter by a solemn announcement of the secretary at the conclusion of the address. In announcing the annual dinner, the secretary said: “On your notices it states: ‘Wives included.’ This should be, ‘Wives excluded.’ ’’ The general laughter which followed this dramatic announcement was just dying down, when a small voice from within the crowd of delegates, asked feebly: “How are we to get out?” A little later delegates were being invited to a motor trip, when it was stated that the excursion was being conducted on the “one man, one wife” system.

During the- Christmas holidays a Dunedin resident essayed the task of walking from Roxburgh to Alexandra, and although he did not succeed in completing the whole walk he covered a fair distance, and incidentally made an interesting discovery. In exploring an old, unoccupied Chinaman’s hut he discovered a packet of slips of paper, inscribed with Chinese characters, and tied with a small piece of flax. Of course the markings on the papers were literally Chinese to the Dunedin tourist, and also Chinese to everyone from whom he sought information as to their significance. The common explanation was that they, were pak-a-poo tickets. . While at Ophir the Dunedin resident remarked on the pleasant surroundings of a residence there, and on inquiring who lived in the house was informed. it was the Rev. A. Don, the well-known Chinese missionary, who is living in retirement from the madding crowd, so to speak. The information gave the holder -of the tickets an inspiration, and he was quickly introducing himself to Mr Don and requesting his assistance. It then turned out that each ticket carried a Chinaman’s name, and that they were visiting curds to commemorate the Chinese New Year. Mr Don gave a short account of -the life of each of the Chinamen named, telling where they had come from, where they had worked, where they had died, and where, if they were still alive, they now resided. To show how small the world is Mr Don remarked that when on a visit to China he had called on the' sister of one of the Chinamen named, who was living in Central Otago, giving her information regarding her brother.

It is announced by the Post Office that as the result of ’ the fire on the Remuera on the voyage from London (reports our special corJespondent in Wellington) -52 bags of mails are not accounted for, 19 being for Wellington, 1+ for Auckland, 13 for Christchurch, and six for Dunedin. As part of the mail was rebagged on board after the suppression of the outbreak some of the matter in the 52 bags may be included in the portion so dealt with. The total number of bags on board was originally 1112.

A disguised female voice was heard by a young bride the other afternoon when she answered the telephone (says the Auckland Star). She might expect a “surprise” party that evening. The husband was promptly rung up at his office, and told to cancel a theatre engagement, make certain liquid purchases before 6 o’clock, and to see that he was early for dinner. The bride spent a frenzied hour among suburban shops, making special preparations for the expected guests. Dinner over, the couple waited long arid patiently for the merrymakers, and at 11 o’clock went to bed more than a little peeved. Last night they dined in town, and went to call on friends. When they returned home half an hour before midnight they found their abode occupied by jazzing friends, the whole place filled with music and laughter, and the spirit of carnival. To their amazement, their ultra-modern friends regarded the late home-coming as of the slightest consequence, explaining that they were quite capable of entertaining themselves I With a mountain of dirty dishes before her in the morning, the bride made a fervent New Year resolve to shut all fanlights whenever she went out in future.:

In his review to be presented at the conference of executive officers of power boards at Palmertson North on February 3, Mr Charles Campbell (chairman of the Secretaries’ Committee of the Electric Power Board Association of New Zealand) makes some interesting statements concerning the electric power boards operating in New Zealand (states the Southland News). He says: “Before beginning the work of the conference I i desire to draw attention to the magnitude of the Electric Power Board utilities which we represent here to-day and in the administration of which we have the honour to hold such an important place. Up to March 31 last no less a sum than £8,745,755 had been raised for the construction of power board schemes. The annual interest bill amounts to £503,999 and the annual sinking fund to £116,843. The ad-, ministrative staffs number 302 persons and the salaries paid for a year amount to £73,465. Other employees number 544, and the wages bill for a year is £138,631. During last year the sum of £309,825 was expended on temporary and casual labour, the number of such employees actually in the employ of the boards at March 31, being 1357. The revenue from the sale of power during the last financial year reached £869,774, and from other sources £j 23,057; the grand total being £922,831. A review of the expenditure side shows that on operating expenses £336,917, was spent, on other working expenses £105,635, and on capital charges, etc., £382,273; a total of £824,825 ”

« *. T ! ley shou,d cal l >t “Wait-a-month” not “Wait-a-mo,” declared an Australian business man now touring New Zealand when speaking to a Taranaki Herald reporter of his visit to the Waitomo Caves. The accommodation was so uncomfortable that he telegraphed the agency which had arranged his tour that :f it were all going to be like this ho would not bothe'r to see the rest of New Zealand. The agency sent a soothing reply, and, after coming on to New Plymouth, staying at one of the leading hotels there, and seeing some of the sights of North Taranaki, the Australian came to the conclusion that, after all, his money and his time were not illspent in seeing New Zealand. It should be explained. that the accomrnodation at Waitomo which caused the dissatisfaction is of a temporary nature, and is being used only while the Government is thinking about enlarging the hostel, which for some years has been much too small to meet the needs of the tourist traffic. The complaint of the Australian was that he had not been told what to expect and, in any case, wag paying for first-class accommodation for his wife and himself. He said that what they were given proved to be very second-class; in fact, he called, it a stable.

The railway engine “Josephine,” which drew the first train from Port Chalmers to Dunedin and ■ which attracted so much attention at the Exhibition* ' has been presented to the Otego Early Settlers’ Association by the Otago Iron Rolling Milla Co. (Ltd.)- of Green Island. The “Josephine arrived at Port Chalmers with a sister-engine, the “Rose,” in August, 1872, under the charge of Mr John Thomas, haying been ordered by Messrs Proudfoot, Oliver, and Ulph, the proprietors of the Dunedin-Port Chalmers The “Josephine” was erected at Port Chalmers, and drew the first train, a “goods,” from Port Chalmers to Dunedin on September 18, 1872, arriving at a point hear the Queen’s Gardens, with Mr Thomas as driver. The “Rose” was then prepared, and the line was officially opened on January 1, 1873. The Otago Iron Rolling Mills Company bought the “Josephine” from the Public Works Department, which was using it between Cromwell and Clyde about 10 years ago. The company let it to the Railway Department for display during tlio Exhibition. The engine is now being placed in the strip of garden, between the Early Settlers’ Hall and the railway station. If “straphanging” in trams and buses continues, abnoimal arms and a race of Tarzans may be evolved (remarks the Auckland Star). Men of science declare that a creature cannot survive unless it adapts itself to changing conditions. Travelling during rush hours compels those who are lucky enough to obtain seats to arrange their feet in Charlie Chaplin style. The effort, though painful, is better than having them trodden upon. The greatest change in modern life is forcing upon people the increased capacity for taking sudden jumps. Motor traffic in Queen street, particularly, compels flying leaps for safety. It is a case of jump—or hospital Soon it will be a case of the best jumper surviving—be quick or be dead. One way out of the prevailing rush-hour difficulty is to live across the harbour, where, on the ferryboats, an abundance of seats are provided, and no straps dangle from the roof. Messrs T. F. Hall (secretary of the South Island Bands’ Association) and A. M. Payne (Begg and Co., Christchurch) visited Temuka on Thursday, at the invitation of the Temuka Business Men’s Association, and, after inspecting the domain, expressed th? opinion that the B Grade Band contest, to be held at Temuka froiri December 27 to December 30 of this year was going to be a great success. They were very much surprised with the domain and its beautiful surroundings, which, they said, would be an ideal place for the contest, especially the quick step contest. In giving details of the management of a contest to the organisers, Mr Hall stated that the permit had been granted in good spirit because it was not often a town the size of Temuka had sufficient enterprise to go in for a contest. It spoke wonders for the energy put forth already ,-by the promoters that the amount guaranteed was one-sixth more than the total expenditure required. . The syllabus and prize money are practically on a par with those of the B Grade contests at the Exhibition and Wellington contests, the prize money being as follows: First prize-first test £2O, second test £2O, winner of aggregate £100; second prize—first test £lO, second test £lO winner of aggregate £5O; third prize—first test £5, second test £5, winner of aggregate £25; fourth prize—first test .£2 10s, second test £2 10s, winner of aggregate £10; quick step contest—first £3O, second £l5 third and , f , ourth £5 > making a total of L. 20 in addition to which are 15 gold and 15 silver medals for the solo and quartet competitions. Several gold and silver medals, have already been presented, and it is anticipated that no difficulty will bo iJinnn enC v d ,' n bringing the guarantee up to *11)00, which would mean a good advertisement for running a £5OO contest.. In connection with the regulations laid 4°rio« £ olice Offences Amendment w n Commissioner of Police, Mr W. B. M Ilveney, explains the provisions IS/l S /° U o7 S: r AU that the Police Offences , l. 192 f 6 ’ d ° es 'f to rG ' enact the provisions of the former Acts. There is one addL tion, that a person arrested under the provisions of the new Act, and having money which .!s expected to have been dishonestlly obtained, may be called upon to establish to the satisfaction of the court that he came by that money honestly. The amendment is intended to meet the case of pickpockets. The law authorising the police to arrest in cases of suspected vagrancy, etc., without a warrant has been in existence for at least 43 years.” Can a “non-poisonous” weed-killer kill ' stock as well as weeds? The death of over 50 sheep and cattle in a certain dis< trict caused the Victorian Department of Agriculture to suspect a weed-killing spray, .wo sacks of plants which had been poisoned by the weed-killer were forwarded to the stock branch for investigation. The direc(ri, R Of TT V a e j I J na 7 research at Glenfield V . K - H ’ Seddon) reported that an attempt haa been made to get a sheep to take the weeds after they had been chaffed, X* 14 bad refused A yearling calf had then been fed on the plant, but in three i’* a m e i •° n i y ab ° ut three-quarters of a pound. Tins however, had been sufficient of k eath ’ t he anima! showing lesions of acute haemorrhagic gastro-enteritis. Dr Seddon added that as he understood the for 18 °i th e weed-killer was arsenic he had Ihem ar f u the ? tomach of calf to the analysis* 1311 department for

At a meeting of the Whangaroa Dairy S? Pany A °, Ur special correspond h 1 u ‘; k,an^) ’ ‘be manager protested that he had ordered from an Auckland nrm a set of moisture scales which had been needed immediately. No question of price was raised. When the scales were received it was found they had been made in Germany Hb i/trongly objected to being supplied with a German instrument when their produce was being marketed in England. The probest wks unanimously endorsed, and the secretary was instructed to specify British when, ordering future Biijppjiea.