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Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 3

Another old-time steamer which did useful service in the intercolonial and also the San Francisco and Vancouver mail services in the early part of the present century has come to the end of her career. This is the Union Company’s passenger steamer Moana. The vessel, showing every sign of her long period of neglect and idleness, will be brought alongside the Union Company’s wharf at Port Chalmers within a day or two and stripped of all her internal fittings. Hammers, chisels, and other implements will be wielded by men t.j whom the ship will be assigned. Care will be taken, however, to remove everything of a valuable nature without damage. The fittings, such as bunks, mattresses, brass and woodwork will subsequently be disposed of by auction or otherwise. The dismantling work may take a month or two to complete, but in time ortly the shell of the Moana will be left. What the ultimate fate of the old hull will be remains to be seen. Perhaps it will share the fate of the Monow r ai, Pateena, Te Anau, Takapuna, and other old-time Red Funnel steamers —namely, scuttling. The Moana was withdrawn from the intercolonial .service some years ago, and occupied a lay-up berth at the Bowen pier. Port Chalmers, until towards the end of the year 1925, when she was removed to permanent moorings, together with the Mokoia, Paloona, Atua, Navua, and Tarawera, in the blind channel of the lower harbour. The Moana, when she was engaged in the San Francisco and also the Vancouver-Brisbane-Sydney service over 18 years ago, was recognised as a very comfortable and well-appointed ship. When engaged in the intercolonial trade in her palmy days her conspicuous hull .and attractive lines were much admired each time she steamed out of Auckland Harbour, bound for Sydney. This was away back in the early part of the century. The Moana is a product of the famous shipbuilding firm, Messrs W. Denny and Bros., Dumbarton. She is a steel single screw vessel of 5915 tons gross, and was built in 1897 for the Union Steam Ship Company.

It will be remembered that the British Government exacted from the Egyptian Government a substantial indemnity for the fanatical murder of Sir Lee Stack. The manner in which that money is being applied for the welfare of the people of the

—nrtb’ of the best traditions of British beneficence to backward races, r.’ispcnnaries have been opened up all over the Sudan with money supplied from this indemnity, and now the Government is oroposinq to encourage mission schools as being the best means of combatting the grave menace of Mohammedanism among the pagan tribes. Agents of the Sudan United Mission in this part anticipate that the Government will offer to subsidise mission teachers with funds from the Egyptian indemnity. „

The construction of the railway to Roxburgh, for which the people of the district have been patiently waiting for more than 20 years, is now within measurable distance of completion. The final section—from Miller’s Flat to Roxburgh—is about nin# miles and a-half, and the laving of the rail} is practically completed for about seven miles. This brings the line to Dumbarton Rock, which means that the heaviest piece of work on the section has been done. The removal of a huge block of stone has to be undertaken, and the completion of this work may take from six weeks to two months. Otherwise the construction work is almost complete, and the line ready for putting down th<"irails. It is fairly safe to assume that trains will be running to tha terminus within six months. The Roxburgh people will then have a railway within about a mile and a-half from the township. Extensive improvements are now'being made on the road on the eastern side of the river between Roxburgh and the site of the railway station. About 140 men are now employed on the construction work, but the number is being gradually decreased as the work approaches completion.

The health of the 'Maoris of New Zealand during the past year has been very good (reports our special correspondent in Auckland), the Native people having experienced no serious epidemics in that time, according to Dr P. H. Buck, director of Maori hygiene. ’ Most of Dr .Buck s Work is in the North Island, as in the South Island the Maoris, who number only Rbout 2000, live under conditions practically identical with those of the Europeans. "There has been a steady improvement of the living conditions of the Maoris in the ■various villages,” said Dr Buck, ‘and the health problems have been solving themselves to some degree by the individualisation of tho lands, the breaking up of the communal system, and the aggregation of the people all together in villages. The Maori Health Councils throughout the country have been doing a good deal of work, and in many districts, notably Taurarga, Arawa, and the Eing Country, these bodies have been instituting water supplies. The improvement in the Natives’ health in many villages have been due largely to the practical work of the district nurses. Over 20 nurses have been employed in the more populated districts. Working under the Department of Health they go round the villages and lecture to the mothers and others, instructing them in infant feeding, invalid choking, care of the sick, etc. By exercising a careful watch over the villages as regards sickness, these nurses have also been able to nip in the bud epidemics in the nature of typhoid.” -After the severe hailstorm which occurred 5n Hastings a few weeks ago it was estimated that the damage to the orchards in the district would amount to at least £30,000. Tn the opinion of the Hastings orchard instructor, Mr N. Adamson, however, this estimate was rather on the high side and he stated last week that the damage would probably run to something between £16.000 and £20,000. However, one of the growers who was among those affected by the storm reaffirmed the opinion that the damage would run to at least £30,000. ‘‘ln my orchard,” he said, “the position is really worse than what I thought it was. After the storm I had a pretty good thinning out, but I left on the trees a lot of fruit which I thought was not hit, or at least only very slightly marked. Now that the fruit ‘has grown those slight marks have enlarged and entirely spoilt the fruit. This season will be an easy one for me, for I have practically no frtiit to attend to. I do not think the estimate of £30,000 damage will be far out.”

Negotiations recently concluded between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and Taranaki Oilfields (Ltd.) are expected to have an interesting bearing on the oil potentialities of New Zealand (states the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). Two of the former company’s leading geologists, to be joined by a third at an early date, have arrived from England and are proceeding forthwith to examine certain territories over which the Anglo-Persian Company has an option. The principal shareholder in the AngloPersian Oil Company is the British Government, which in 191'2 secured a controlling interest, with the object of safeguard-, ing its future oil supplies. Some two years ago the company entered into an agreement with the Commonwealth Government on an equal share basis to refine and market petroleum products in Australia, and the year’s operations are reported to have resulted in a substantial profit being made.

A staff is at present engaged in the Town Hall compiling the district electors’ list for use at the local elections to be held in April next. It should be noted that all names received for enrolment after January 31 will have to be placed on the supplementary list. Those electors therefore who wish their names to appear on the main list should make application for enrolment before January 31.

In a recent address in Christchurch Bishop West-Watson referred to the possible influence of the broadcasting of highclass music on the standards of musical taste in parish churches. “Wireless broadcasting of the best music,’’ said the bishop, “is likely to raise the general standard of musical appreciation, and this will certainly lead to a demand for the best music in church services." In England thousands of people, he said, were able to listenin. nightly to the best of music from the great concert halls, and ultimately the effect of this education of their taste will bo to make church-goers more critical of what is offered in church. There was a strong movement in England among church musicians toward raising the standard of devotional music, and the bias of that movement was toward - simplicity and intelligibility.

For the first time in seven years the January temperature dropped below freezing point in Christchurch on January 9 (reports our special correspondent), 51.9 degrees being the minimutn recorded. An overcast sky prevented a more severe frost and consquent serious effects to vegetables and fruit trees.

Wireless statistics recently published in Australia show that ‘in proportion to population Victoria hopelessly beats New South Wales in number of license-holders, but England beats Victoria. Says a 'ictorian paper. “There are twice as many licenses in Victoria as in New South Wales. In this State more than five persons out of every 100 are wireless listeners, whereas in New South Wales there are only two out of every 100. Are Victorians more progressive, or, not having to pay for the results of Labour misrule, have they more money to spend in enlightenment and amusement? It is said that many of the wireless listeners in New South Wales are avoiding the payment of the fee. If that be true to any great extent, there is a rich harvest awaiting the Federal Government from the successful prosecution of the defaulters. It might be expected that wireless would be most availed of in isolated, places, yet it is rather curious that Victoria, the most densely populated of the States, should have such a pronounced lead in the number of listeners. Still, Victoria is far behind Great Britain in the percentage of license-holders to the population. Comparisons apart, however, the statistics show that the progress of wireless in Australia as a whole has been amazingly ripid.”

In an address to the Queensland Constitutional Club recently, the Federal Minister of Markets and Migration (Mr Paterson,

author of the Patersori plan) said that the Commonwealth Ministry did not believe in interfering with business affairs. The less Governments had to do with those things the better. The Commonwealth Ministry, however, realised that it had a duty to help exporting industries to help themselves. That was as far as the Government proposed to go. Industries which exported deserved special consideration because they had to cope with all kinds of competition in the open markets of the world, and their position was not so advantageous as that of the manufacturing industries, which could dispose of their output in Australia under the shelter of the tariff. The

appointment of export control boards in the dairy and dried fruits industries had been of enormous advantage.

The ever-upward trend of building costs in Sydney is reflected in figures which show an increase in the average cost of a new home, or more than 88 per cent, comparing the expenditure on buildings in 1926 with that of 1914. What is the cost of a home in Sydney likely to be in, say, another 10 years (writes our correspondent) if the ■outlay to-day is 88 per cent, more than it was 12 years ago ? It is no doubt the heavy outlay which explains the fact that fewer buildings were erected, in Sydney and its suburbs in 1926 than in the preceding year. The expenditure last year, however, compared with 1925, showed an increase of considerably more than £1,500,000. In the city itself new buildings involved an outlay of well on to £3,000,000 last year. The lease of the section of land in Lambton quay, owned by the Wellington City Council (reports our special correspondent) and occupied by Mr J. A. Doherty, tailor, and the Le Grove Typewriter Company (Ltd.) was sold by auction on Wednesday. The lease is for 21 years with the perpetual right of renewal and revaluation, and the owners’ upset price was £758. The bidding reached £l3lO when the section was knocked down to the firm of Messrs Thompson and East. This works out at a value of £650 per foot. The council stipulated that a building of the value of £24,000 must be erected on the land.

“It’s all nonsense to say that the day of the amateur is gone,” said Mr L. A. Adamson, head master of Wesley College, Melbourne, speaking in the light of a recent trip to Europe. “The day of the amateur has not gone,’’ he declared, “but the day has come when international players upon whose time the public makes such a demand will have to make their living out of the game that they. are best at.” Of the amateur lawn tennis player, he continued, it was demanded that he should go all over the place. This was impossible if he had a business to attend to, or was in employment. . The speaker recognised that international sport was being overdone, but if the public Was going to demand that men should give up their time to international sport, then there wasnothing else for those men to do but to making their living out of the sport.

Included in the presentations to Mr-J. J. Woods (clerk of the Tuapeka County Council) on Wednesday night was a cheque for £5O, and he was authorised to do what he liked with it. It did not take Mr Woods long to decide the question, for shortly after the presentation was made he intimated that he would like the money to be divided amongst the three hospitals in the county—Roxburgh, Tapanui, and. Lawrence. The money would carry a Government subsidy of £ for £, so that £lOO would be available. “That is my wish,” said Mr Woods, amidst hearty appiausej and he added that he gave the money on condition that the local committees of the hospitals mentioned used the money at their discretion. Speaking on behalf of the ratepayers, the chairman (Cr Leary) said he wished to thank Mr Woods very much for his handsome dona-' tion to the hospitals in the county. He was sure that all the people would appreciate such a handsome donation, and he thought that as a compliment to Mr Woods the assembly should sing a verse of the New Zealand National Anthem, the . music for which was composed by the gentleman named. The chairman’s request was complied with, Mr Woods acting as conductor and his daughter playing the accompaniment. ?' A remarkably plucky action was performed by Mr Don. Fletcher, of Balclutha, at Kaka Point on Wednesday morning. A new Reo 30cwt motor truck, which had been driven from Dunedin for delivery at the Point, caught fire when the driver, a mere boy, restarted the engine' after having stopped - at a shop at the Point to inquire the way. Mr Fletcher, who was standing near by, saw the danger, and, jumping into the truck, took the wheel and steered the burning vehicle down the slope and into the sea, where the waves soon quenched

the flames. It took some nerve to drive a blazing truck into the ocean with a rough sea running, and the plucky act was highly praised by the crowd who had gathered. A long rope was later secured, and several dozen men attached themselves to it, and, aided by the waves,- managed to haul the truck ashore, comparatively little damaged. It was afterwards towed by a motor car to Balclutha. It is safe to say that had the accident occurred at any other point on the road the truck would have been destroyed.

A procession of five motor lorries, stacked with 13 big cases, through the streets of Wellington on Thursday (reports our special correspondent) attracted a good deal of attention. The contents of the cases form the big Wurlitzer orchestral organ that is now being installed at the De Luxe Theatre. This organ, which is the latest design of such instruments, which are fairly common in first-class American and Australian picture theatres, will not displace the orchestra as now constituted. One will be complementary to the other, and will be associated in the playing of overtures and entr'acte music.

Nauru Island, which is a mandated territory under an Anglo-Australia-New Zealand commission of three, is represented in Australia just now by a delegation of 12 Nauruan chiefs and tjiree police, officials, who, according to the Australian press, will spend a month in seeing and being seen. It is announced that “in order that Nauruans may become acquainted with civilisation and life in Australia, the administrator of Nauru (Brigadier-general T. Griffiths) has arranged for the visit, which should prove of great educational value to the Nauruans. The island of Nauru has an approximate area of nine square miles, and a native population of 1200, and is divided into 14 districts, each district being under a chief. The Governments of New Zealand and Japan, which also hold mandates in respect of islands in the Pacific, have accorded opportunities for natives in mandated territories under their control to visit those countries.”

The name of “Bloody Bridge.” in Norfolk Island, has a significant and fearful meaning, as was related by the islanders to Mr W. J. Osborne-White, chief officer of the New Zealand Government steamer Hinemoa. In the bad old days, when Norfolk Island was a penal settlement, the convicts engaged in constructing this bridge murdered six warders in charge of them and buried their bodies beneath it. The authorities took a terrible vengeance. The whole 20 convicts concerned were rounded upon on the scene of the crime and shot, first being compelled to dig their.own graves. Each man was forced to stand on the brink of his own grave and tumbled into it as he was shot. Seventeen were despatched' in one lot, and the three men remaining were compelled to fill in the graves. Then two more were shot, the remaining convict being required to cover them. Then he, too, was executed in the same manner. It is hard to imagine so shuddersome a scene to-day when viewing the peaceful beauty of Norfolk Island, occupied by the pleasant and law-abiding descendants of the mutineers of the “Bounty.”

In connection with the statement made concerning the berthing of tire Norwegian whaling ship N. T. Nilsen Alonso at Robert when di awing 34ft Sin aft, it is worthy of note that vessels drawing well over 30ft have entered Otago Harbour. It is quite possible that a vessel drawing 32fi could negotiate the channel from the harbour entrance to Port Chalmers on high water with safety. On several occasions steamers drawing from 27ft to 29ft have entered and left the port. On December 22, 1920, lhe Commonwealth and Dominion Line steamer Port Caroline left Port Chalmers, bound for London, drawing 29ft.

There is great perturbation among the business men of Wanganui owing to Katana's “makutu.” It appears (reports our correspondent) that he was so incensed at his treatment recently that he decided to close his gates against Wanganui tradespeople, and supplies are now being obtained from outside districts. This means a tremendous loss to Wanganui. The gates of the pa are guarded by two Maori policemen. '. ■" ■' ■

■’All the damage done by insects in New Zealand is practically due to insects introduced accidentally,” is the statement affixed to a small glass case amongst fresh exhibits in Canterbury Museum (states the Lyttelton Times). “It is not possible to estimate the damage, but it must run into a very high figure,” it is further explained The earwig, the cockroach, the hopper, the woolly-ftphis, the cottony cushion-scale, the botfly, the grain weevil, the seed moth, the potato moth, the diamond cabbage moth, and the bluebottle are shown in the case to answer the indictment. Another case, dealing with a different aspect of insect life, has been prepared. It contains insects that provide food for trout. These include caddie flies, dragon flies, alder flies, may flies, and stone flies. A large collection of pieces of timber, showing the methods and development of the ghost moth, in its stages before it becomes a perfect insect, are displayed in a case upstairs. Arrangements have been made to place New Zealand insects in the museum in cabinets, in order that they may be readily available, but .this will not be completed until speci-

mens are received from the Cawthron Institute to fill in gaps. “More rain! Of course there’s more rain, and there’ll be a jolly sight more until our thick-headed Government stops these radio cranks upsetting the atmosphere.” The peppery old gentleman volunteered no further information on the subject, and not a few of the faces of his fellow passengers in the crowded bus lit up with a smile (reports the Auckland Star). But, regarding his theory. Never, before at this time of the year has Auckland experienced the consistently inclement weather that has prevailed during the past five weeks. Can this unusual and decidedly unpleasant state of affairs be attributed to the abnormal increase in radio activity? If so, “something will have to be done.” Listening to IYA on a crystal or picking up Australia on a powerful valve set may be all very well in its way, but if this means that the whole of the population' is going to bo under an incessant drizzle for the rest of their lives then, in the opinion of the weather-disgruntled, all radio sets should be confiscated to make a bonfire that will put Vesuvius in the shade. A mushroom, measuring lljiri across the top, was on view in a Palmerston shop last week. It was grown in the town.

An Auckland man has taken his couragein both hands and set about initiating dress reform in this city (states the Auckland Star). The ether day he paraded Karangahape road, picturesquely and suitably attired for the muggy heat of the afternoon. He was short of figure, broad,' and of weather-beaten aspect, and he wore, neat fitting shorts, cricket blazer, and a shirt open at the front. His- head was bare. This sensibly-attired individual attracted much attention, whereas; “if we were all sensibly attired in keeping with the climate, the wearing of what is now ordinary attire would be the subject, of much curiosity,” as a bystander remarked. How many men now sweltering in the clothes of convention will follow the fashion, set by the man in Karangahape road? Now, if the Duke of York were to 1 A prominent member of the .Ratana rrovement, when asked what effect the prosecution of Ratana would have upon the followers of the movement, replied that they would not take the slightest notice of ,ii (states the Wanganui Chronicle). The Maori had a different way of viewing incidents of this sort from that of the pakeha. He was not so prone to scandalise his neighbour. At far as Ratana was concerned, his followers looked upon him in the same light that the loyal pakeha would _ look upon his King, and the King could do nq wrong. - Neither could Ratana. He would still be held in warm affection by those in the movement.

Victoria, like New South Wales, is this year lamenting the almost complete wreckage of her fruit crop (says a Melbourne paper). Normally the southern State produces : anything between 2,000,000 'and 3,000,000 cases of apples. Thia year’s crop, it is estimated, will sink to about 450,000 cases, which means that the popular Jonathan will be about worth its weight in gold on the market. The pear crop also will be much reduced, and the berry fruits the lightest for years. The ravage has been caused by thrip, which seemingly has made a Commonwealth invasion this dry year. A Victorian orchardist. at a conference to talk matters over, dropped the remark that, “if he killed a million pasts with spraying, seven millions more attended the funeral.” A final remand to January 20 wae granted at Gisborne on Thursday morning; in the murder charge against John Sullivan in connection' with the death o| Jeremiah Williams at Torere> near Opotikj.