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Otago Witness, Issue 3802, 25 January 1927, Page 3

In connection with the despatch of mails for Great Britain, and the Continent of Europe, the Postmaster-general (the Hon. W. Nosworthy) announces (reports our special correspondent in Wellington) that arrangements have been made for the route via Australia to be utilised whenever it offers a better despatch than the next out ward Vancouver .or San Frincisco mail. For approximately eight months of the year, from October to May inclusive, a fortnightly service between Australia and Great Britain is maintained by steamers of the Orient line. Mail matter from New Zealand sent to Sydney on the ’’riday of the week that the San Francisco or Vancouver mail is despatched will connect with an Orient steamer, and will reach London about four days earlier than the next outward Vancouver or San Francisco mail from New- Zealand. Only correspondence marked via Australia will be sent by the Australian route The despatch of mails by the Australian route will, of course, be advertised in the usual way. Following on the conference held at Honolulu in the middle of last year and the visit to New Zealand of Mr J. Merle Davis, several well-attended meetings were held in Wellington and other centres, which have resulted in the formation of a New Zealand branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations. The object of the institute is to c >i sider contacts and conflicts and to promote understanding and co-operation amongst the people living round the Pacific by means of studv groups and a dispassionate presentation of their individual points of view on subjects affecting the whole of them. Sir James Allen has accepted the presidency of the branch in New Zealand, and the vice-presidents are Sir George Elliot (chairman of the Bank of New Zealand), Sir Maui Pomare (member of the Government representing the Native race), and the Hon. J. B. Gow, M.L.C. At a meeting held in Wellington before Christmas, the following council was elected: —Professor C. E. Ltercus, Dr H. E. Gibbs, Dr Guy H. Scholefield, Miss N. E. Coad, Messrs D. S. Smith, C. S. Falconer, W. H. Coker,. A. L. Cropp, Walter Nash.’ H. F. von H.aast, Dr Marsden, and J. D. Gray. Dr Scholefield was elected honorary secretary in place of' Professor Condliffe. who is leaving to take up the position of research director for the institute, and Mr V. N. Beasley was appointed hon. treasurer Steps were taken to enrol members and form study groups, of which for the present there will lie one at each of the four chief centres. The next international conference of the institute will be held in Honolulu from July 15 to July 28.

The public can look forward to the pleasure of viewing the city’s art collection in its new home at Logan Park at quite an early date. All that is immediately necessary has been done to make the spacious Exhibition Gallery ready for permanent occupation, and the operations attendant on the change over are in progress. The dismantling of the walls at the Cumberland street gallery is now proceeding, \nd Mr Neilson (secretary of the local Public Art Gallery Society) hopes to have the removal to Logan Park of the considerable collection of pictures and other works of art completed by the end of the present week. The rehanging of the pictures to the best advantage will take thought, but should not be a very lengthy business. “Eight bankruptcies were notified in the last issue of the New Zealand Gazette. Seven of the number were in the North Island.

The Arbitration Court will commence & sitting in Dunedin on Friday, February 4. An unexpected reunion between brother and sister who had not heard of each other fo: 16 years took place on board the Sydney boat at Wellington when she arrived last week (states our special, correspondent). Going aboard the boat to meet a lady friend the sister bumped into a tail, sunburnt gentleman who was about to disembark. Mutual apologies followed, and tiien recognition. The gentleman ’ was none other than a brother who had gone from England to South Africa just over 16 years ago. His only sister had left England about a year later for New Zealand, where <-he had married. No correspondence had passed between the two, and the brother, taking a well-earned holiday, had chosen New Zealand the best spot to which to go. without any idea that his sister was .in the country. A party of sightseers who visited White Island some days ago were astounded with the awe-inspiring scenes. The blow holes were very active although no steam could be seen from the mainland. The main blow hole was altered in appearance, and steam and gas now issues from three apertures.

Millionaires wear any old thing in the way of clothes, anyhow and they are merely “delightfully odd” (remarks the Auckland Star). In a tramcar, amid the conventional city folk, an unconventionallyattired individual (who isn’t also a millionaire) is “how feahfullv' odd.” Old man Tyson, the Australian sheepowner, whose wealth ran into millions, used to wander about the bush clad in anything handy, and he didn’t study the conventions on any of his rare visits to the city, either. H© was of the “delightful” variety’, crowded tramcar the other morning was one of the “ feakful ’’—judging by the way his fellow-passengers surveyed him, at any rate. He wore blue dungaree trousers, belted with string, his worn tan boots were untied, and he was sockless. His white shirt, however, was as the lily, he wore a hat above reproach, and the cigar he was smoking emitted a fragrance which does not. emanate from “fourpennies.” And, in any case, he “put it over” the rest of the becollared, heavy-suited male passengers in the matter of coolness. For aught one knows, he might have been a New 'Zealand Tyson, despite the supercilious glances directed at him, for he handed the conductor his fare with an air that seemed to indicate that money didn’t matter.

That many factors enter into the difficulties experienced in obtaining employment by workers who in previous years have had no trouble in getting work, at least in the summer, was suggested to a Wellington Evening Post reporter by one closely associated with labour problems. In the case of country work, farmers are doing as much as thev can themselves nowadays, and tractors, farmer driven, may be displacing teamsters in some cases. The transference of steamers from coal to oilburners must displace a number of manin the case of some ships from 60 to 80 —; and the resultant disuse of coal affects miners, transport workers, and ordinary labourers. There were many other cases of changed conditions were the effect was not quite so perceptible, but in the aggregate changed conditions undoubtedly had a good de-al to do with the number of men now seeking work in different parts of the country.

The tin dredging industry in the Kinta Valiev of Perak. Malay States, is paying and expanding. Mr F. Knewstubb, who is at present on holiday leave at Port Chalmers, after a term of nearly three yearsin charge of the Kinta Tin Dredging Company’s plant, told our representative that there were 20 dredges at work in the Kinta Valley, and about 12 more are on order. The tin is dredged from the river in the form of a black sand containing 25 to 40 per cent, of tin. After it is lifted by the dredges it is treated by dressers before being sent to the smelters, which prepare it for shipment. The Kinta Tin Dredging Company owns one dredge and has property for three more dredges. Mr Knewstubb, on returning, will assume control as general manager of the company. Despite the fact that it is a rainy climate motoring is very popular in the Malay States, for hundreds of miles of roads have been asphalted to withstand the effect of the weather conditions. English cars are largely used.

A Wellington telegram says that a valuable gut of between 500 and 600 volumes has been made to the Dominion Observatory through the good offices of Dr Com tie, an ex-Auckland student, and now deputy superintendent of the British. Almanac Office, London. The first women justices of the peace to be appointed in this city were duly sworn in the law courts on Wednesday morning. They were Mrs George Roberts, Mrs Denton, Leech, Miss Runcinran, and Sister Nora, of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children,