Notes and Queries

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 48

Notes and Queries

Qutstioua for* reply in coming issue to be r»Mtved not later than SATURDAY night. Qseeticne win NOT be replied to through U« post. Questions must be accompanied by the name ■cd address of the writer, but a nom de plume may be adopted ior publication. “ Frost,” ’ Central Otago.—Will give further consideration to your question. “ Ignoramus,” Gore, asks : “ Could you state the address of the New Zealand agents of three foreign tobacco companies? ” Harold Lightband, Christchurch; Barlow Bros., Christchurch ; Bagrie Howie, Auckland. “ Puzzled,” Oamaru, wishes to know (1) whether the girl’s name “ Ailsa ” is pronounced as if the “ s ” were a “ z.” (2) If it is a Scotch or a Welsh name? (3) What it means? (1) Yes. (2) Scotch. (3) Can any reader oblige us with this information? “ Farmer,” Herbert, wishes to know the quantity of bluestone and water to be added to a bushel of wheat for pickling before sowing. “ Agricola ” replies : “A mixture of IMb bluestone to XOgal of water if the wheat is well pickled, but no stronger—indeed, this method has been largely displaced by the more effective copper carbonate treatment.” “ Digger,” Otautau, writes: “ Re photograph appearing in your paper of July 19 of M’Lay's pipe-laying plough, could you supply (1) cost of same; (2) agents; (3) the depth it can lay pipes; (4) the class of ground, clay, or gravel it works in ; (4) is there any way of regulating the fall?" If you will write to the inventor, Mr A. M. M’Lay, Pukerau, he will doubtless supply you with the information you require. “Dairymaid,” Queenstown, asks: “ (1) How is whey butter made? (2) Is the name separator butter applied to dairy butter or to whey butter? ” “ Agricola ” replies : “ The whey at cheese factories is separated, and the resulting cream made into butter in tho customary manner. (2) Separator butter is generally understood to be the product made from cream when the fresh milk has been separated.” “Engineer," Tokarahi, asks: “(1) Is there any opening for a boy, 161 years of age, who wishes to learn how to become an engineer in a steamship? (2) What are the qualifications necessary? (3) What are the wages? (4) Would one apply to the company? ” (1) Apply to the Marine Department, Dunedin, where you will be given all details requisite for a youth desirous of entering the engineering profession. It is usual to serve an apprenticeship on land, and secure a third certificate before tackling sea service. “Turnip," Wyndham, writes: “(1) I have a herd of 30 cows which are being fed on a break of turnips. Twelve of the cows become blown every day. Could you advise me as to what I should do with them? The cows have one hour and ahalf morning and night. (2) Would harrowing out the turnips with tine harrows a week before the cows get them to cat be of any use?” “Agricola" replies: “ (1) In the circumstances perhaps your best plan would be to take the affected cows off the break of turnips, and cart out to them the necessary roots, and provide also some dry foodstuff—hay or oaten straw —in the grass paddock. Some cows are more prone to this trouble than others. (2) It is difficult to answer this question offhand, but the possibilities are that it would help to lessen the trouble it in this manner you diminished the succulence of the roots. It is a mistake in any case to fill up cows with roots. They should always have other food of a different character before being fed roots.” “ Lucerne,” Fairlight, writes : “ I have a few acres of land, and it will not grow turnips. It is spongy and peaty, and if I dug down 3ft to 4ft I come on blue clay, which would boil up if I did not fill the hole in again. I have tried to grow turnips for three years, and they do not grow to any size. I put lime on for two years, and turnip manure every year, but one cannot pack it hard enough. The ground is clean. What grass could I put in for lasting to make hay? If there is no other lasting grasses what could I put in with cocksfoot? I do not care for cocksfoot for hay. (2) Would lucerne do in that kind of land? (3) What manure should I use?” “Agricola” replies: “Your best plan would be to prepare a good seed bed, and, as your purpose seems to be to secure hay, sow a thin sprinkling of oats with grasses, etc., say, oats 401 b, perennial ryegrass 141 b, Italian 61b, cocksfoot 61b, crested dogstail lib, red clover 41b, and white clover 21b. Sow this mixture when the ground is dry enough in the spring, about early October. (2) No, not until soil conditions have been improved. (3) Judging from the treatment meted out to this area in the past there does not seem any great need for manure, but if there is you might try, say, lewt to 2cwt of superphosphate per acre. This fertiliser would tend to give to seeding a good start off.” “ Plum Tree,” Lawrence, writes: “ I would be obliged if you can tell me how to treat plum trees. (1) Have they to be pruned? If so, how? (2) When should they be sprayed? (3) One or two of them have moss growing on them. Will this do them any harm? (4) How does one treat a peach tree? It had no fruit last year, but two years ago it had a good crop of beautiful freestone. It also has moss growing on its trunk. We have only a few trees, and they are full grown.” "Agricola” replies: “The questions involve considerable speculation as to the actual condition of the trees, and the answers entail more or less guesswork in consequence. Your best plan would be to write the orchard instructor. Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, who not infrequently visits the locality. He would, on examination of the affected trees, institute cleaning operations, etc. In the meantime I submit the following answers to the queries:—(1) Prune certainly, cutting out in the meantime all dead wood and wild growth, and generally thin the tree. (2) This depends upon the disease. Cut out dead spurs and mummied fruit, and burn same. (3) Yes, it militates against healthy growth. Wash with caustic soda and water of a strength, say, of 2 per cent., and take care of the hands. (4) It would be necessary to view the trees. Pruning may effect the desired result. The moss could be treated as indicated above.” “Separator,” Dunedin, writes: “(1) Who are the agents for the Excell separator? (2) I have a cow with ringworm. Please inform me if human beings are liable to catch this disease from the cow in any way. (3) If so, what is a cure for same?” (1) Messrs Mason, Struthers, and Co., Christchurch. (2) Yes. (3) If

only a slight affection brush and clean the ringworm, and touch it with tincture cf iodine, say, three times a week. There are various other remedies. Flour of sulphur mixed with a sufficient quantity of lard to form a stiff paste, applied twice a week, is a very safe and generally successful dressing for the destruction of ringworm in calves. A more certain ointment, but one requiring greater care in its application (says an English authority), is made by mixing together equal quantities by weight of ordinary mercurial ointment and lard. ’Two or three applications of this with a flat stick at intervals of four or five days is a certain cure. The ointment should be well rubbed on to the diseased spots, but care must be taken that a plaster be not left on, as a sufficient quantity may be taken into the system to be injurious. In slight cases ordinary treacle applied for a few days in succession will remove ringworms. The following has also been found to be a good cure:—Equal parts of flour of sulphur, spirits of turpentine, and linseed oil, all thoroughly mixed and applied to the parts affected every five or six days. J. M., Queenstown, writes: “(1) I am thinking of putting in a 3in syphon for gold-mining purposes. The syphon would be, roughly, one mile long, with a pressure of, say, 20ft to 30ft. What amount of water would it discharge in 24 hours? It is a driving claim, and at the outlet end of the syphon I intend putting a dam. I would require -a dam full only about once a week to sluice the dirt through the boxes. From the dam to the claim I would have 250 ft pressure—l3in pipes at intake, 9in at nozzle, with 3in tip. Would the Sin pipes supply enough of water with the pressure of 20ft or 30ft? (2) What would be the cost of Sin pipes per foot?” Mr H. M. Davey replies: “(1) Your syphon is a curious one. If you know all about the probable action of one you may do it, but you should send a rough sketch of it, marking as well as you can the difference in level between the inlet, the highest point, and the outlet. If, however, it is properly constructed you should get about 25gal per minute, if the first two places were not over 20ft difference in level. If 30ft you would never be likely to get it to act at all in your locality; so you will see why I want more particulars. (2) When you have the exact length any of the foundries, such as J. Sparrow and Son, or Cossens and Black, or others would give you the price of the whole.”

LAW QUERIES.

(An«w*r«d by ■ »olicitor ef ths Buprsms CousJ s! New Zealand. Letters and Telegrams must bo addressed to “LEX,” c/o Editor, Otago Witness Danodis.}

“ Inquirer," Invercargill.—Received too late for reply this week. “Inquirer” asks: "In the event of a school being burnt down is the School Committee liable? " No. “ Ignorant " asks to whom to apply for the family allowance. The Commissioner of Pensions, Wellington. “ Roadless ” .asks to whom to apply for authority to clear scrub off a surveyed Government road which has been partly formed, and upon which scrub has been allowed to grow up, both ends of the road being formed and held by the County Council, leaving a mile and a-half to clear, which road the settlers would clear for use as a bridle track? The County Council. E. B. asks: “A man made an offer, which was accepted, for a farm, but afterwards found it was not suitable. Has the agent any hold over him if no agreement was signed further than a wire with the offer? ” If the offeror withdraws the offer before its acceptance he is not bound. In your own interests you should immediately consult your solicitor on the matter and show him the correspondence. “Ignoramus” asks: “(1) A mortgagor pays interest due on a first mortgage, but fails to do so on a second mortgage. What is the position or the second mortgagee? (2) What proportion of the capital value will the Government advance on land? (3) To whom must a person apply for a Government loan?” (1) The second mortgagee can sell under the power of sale in his mortgage or take over the property subject to the first mortgage. (2) Three-fourths of the value of the land. (3) The State Advances superintendent, Wellington. “ Information ” asks : “ A and B have an agreement made to expire at a given time. Prior to the time being up A wants B to renew for another 12 months on the same terms as last agreement. Bis agreeable. (1) Has a new agreement to be mule, and, if so, what would be the cost of it? (2) If A signs the agreement to pay all costs of the making of such agreement, and fails to do so, is B liable? ” (1) If A and B sign a letter extending the agreement for a year this will bind both parties. (2) If B instructed the solicitor he is lable for the costs. “Justice” asks: “(1) If a youth over 15 years of age serves three months’ probation to a carpenter must he be bound it he proves satisfactory, or can his employer give him holidays if he is slack? (2) Is it compulsory for an apprentice to fie bound at all trades? ” (1) During the period of probation prescribed by any contract of apprenticeship the contract may be cancelled at any time by the employer or by the apprentice. The employer must find employment for the apprentice during the currency of the apprenticeship unless the apprentice has misconducted himself or is incapable or inefficient. (2) Yes, in all industries affected by an award.

“ I must thank counsel for the candid way in which they have argued this case,” said the Chief Justice (Sir Charles Skerrett) at the close of a Supreme Court action in Wellington a few days ago. “ Their arguments have been of great assistance to me. I may say that declamation is not always as effective as candid argument, in which an endeavour is made to arrive at the real legal truth of the matter. At any rate, this has been a most pleasant experience for me.’’

A public meeting was held in Timaru last Thursday night for the purpose of protesting against the action of the Hospital Board in requesting the resignation of the matron (Miss Finlayson). There was an attendance of between 500 and 600 persons. The following motion, which was moved by the Rev. Gladstone Hughes, was carried unanimously:—“That this public meeting of citizens of Timaru emphatically protests against the action of the South Canterbury Hospital Board in calling for the resignation of the matron of the Timaru Public Hospital without full inquiry, without any indication being given to her of the reasons which may have actuated the board in arriving at this decision and without even definitely formulating any cornplaints against her, and appeals to tho board (a) To consider the whole situation do novo, and if it does this that tho matron be notified three days beforehand, and bo given the right for someone to accompany her before the board; (b) to grant in future to the matron of th© public hospital, a status equivalent to that of the matrons of other public hospitals in tho Dominion. This meeting also appeals to the Department of Public Health to make it impossible for the administrative officers on the staffs of public hospitals to be dismissed without any right of appeal. Copies of this resolution are to be sent to the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Minister of Public Health. Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., Mr Bitchencr, M.P., and tho Hospital Board.” In view of the fact that the Minister of Justice (Mr F. J. Rolloston) proposes this session to bring in an amendment to the present law governing trespass, Mr L. B. James, of Timaru, wrote to him suggesting that, while ho fully appreciated the fact that when a man owned a farm or station, ho should have tho right to say who should go on the property, ho hoped that some consideration would be given to sporting men. With so many sanctuaries as now existed, sporting men had a very restricted area on which to shoot. In the past they had had the right to shoot on the river beds, but now that property owners were given a lease of tho particular river-bod fronting their respective properties, they had the right to keep men off these, as well as off their freeholds. This being so, he asked Mr Rolleston if it would bo possible in tho amended measure to provide that river beds should remain open to sporting men. Mr James pointed out that in tho Mackenzie Country leases, sportsmen had tho right under license to go on to tho runs in quest of deer.

There has been an epidemic of measles in a mild form throughout the Wellington provincial district, and generally throughout most parts of the Dominion for tho past two months. It is not a notifiable disease, but this information (says a Press Association message) is gleaned from medical men, who report that in general the cases arc mild. Last week, however, in a girls’ boarding school in the Wellington district, the disease showed a more virulent form. Full precautions have been taken and the school has been closed. From tho eight plantations of the Selwyn Plantations Board over which felling has been in progress, some 1015 cords of gum, 473 cords of pine, 4075 fencing stakes, and 25 posts were cut during last year. During tho past eight years tho exploitation of woods had been conducted over 26 district plantations from which the following timber had been taken: —3,526,947 super feet Pinus insignis, P. ponderosa, gums, and Oregon; 2448 electric and telegraph poles and bridge piles; 9165 fencing posts and mine-props; 129,340 gum fencing stakes; 4700 cords gum firewood; 7039 cords pine firewood; 45 cords wattle firewood.

With a view to encouraging excellence of design in architecture, the New Zealand Institute of Architects has decided to examine annually the buildings within New Zealand and to award the institute gold medal for the design of a building of exceptional merit. The architect of the selected building will receive a medal, presented by the New Zealand Institute, together with a diploma signed by a jury. A suitable tablet will be affixed to the chosen building with tho consent of the owner. The die for the medal, together with the first medal, was presented to the institute by the late Mr Alfred Atkins, a former president. The conditions provide that the building must front to a street, road, square, or court, to which which the public has access. A photograph or photographs of the building, together with a brief description of materials used, must be submitted with - the form of nomination, and the architect whose name is submitted must himself be tho designer of the building. Any member of the New Zealand Institute will be at liberty to nominate any building (not excluding his own work) for consideration by the jury, which will bo nominated by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The competition will close each year at the end of August. The Government’s desire to improve the shipping facilities betcen the South Island and Australian ports is contained in a motion which was tabled in the House of Representatives on Friday by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr A. D. M‘Lcod) for the appointment of a feelcct Committee to inquire into the question and report on the means of improving the existing conditions. Tho committee is to consist of Mr M‘Leod, Messrs E. J. Howard, E. P. Lee, J. A. Nash, T. EL. Sidey, and Sir Joseph Ward.

The Thames Borough Council passed unanimously a resolution “ That it heartily supports the Minister of Mines in his expressed views discouraging ‘wild-cat* mining speculations, and approves of his intention of supporting only legitimate mining ventures.” These sentiments were expressed- by Mr Anderson in a speech given at a supper tendered by the borough when he visited Thames for the jujbilee. We are informed that in terms of hers will Miss Christine Mackenzie, well known in the business circles of this city, after making provision for certain annuities to relatives, directs that a fund be established for the purpose of assisting ladies in poor circumstances in and around tho Dunedin district by annual grants, which are to bo decided upon by her trustees, the Perpetual Trustees Estate and Agency Co. of New Zealand (Limited) with biro advice and assistance of the Anglican Bishop of Dunedin for tho time being. It is provided that no beneficiary shall receive a greater sum in any one year than £25, and it is estimated that the number of beneficiaries will range between eight and

“ The scheme of finance proposed for 1 the expenditure of the £200,000 public works loan was that the expenditure should bo spread over five years, with a view to tho adjustment of tho progressive increase in the yearly charges on the loan in agreement with the increased income arising from the yearly accretions to the rateable valuation of the city,” states Mr Lewin in his annual report to the City Council. “That scheme connoted an expenditure of loan money of not more than £40.000 per year for the five years. In tho result wo shall have spent the full £200,000 in four years, because last year the expenditure was accelerated to help the unemployed position. The slight downward movement in tho rate revenue for 1923-24 was duo to the reductions in the basic rate by 2d in the £ when the cost of living bonus was removed by tho Arbitration Court, and since that date the diagram points the moral in quite clear and unmistakable terms, showing, as it does, that the increases in the rate income has not retained its relative position in comparison with tho demand for interest and sinking fund on borrowed money.”

Tho breach of promise case set down for hearing in the Supreme Court this week has been struck off tho list. This is tho caso in which the plaintiff, Arthur Edward Yeates Smith, of Invercargill, compositor, sought to obtain £5OO damages from Florence Claudine Victoria Provo, of Dunedin, spinster, for alleged failure on the girl’s part to marry him. The case was mentioned in the Supreme Court on Friday byMr C. J. L. White (instructed by Messrs Reed and Ott, of Invercargill), on behalf of tho plaintiff. Mr W. G. Hay, for the defendant, said he understood the plaintiff did not intend to proceed with tho matter, and he did not object. The caso was accordingly struck out. In the Supreme Court in chambers on Friday Mr Justice Sim granted probate in the undermentioned estates:—Julia Frances Georgina Nanney, late of Dunedin, spinster (Mr J. Wilkinson) ; Anton Anderson, late of Dunedin painter (Mr J. Wilkinson); Adam M'Lennan, lato of Dunedin, bank manager (Mr H. L. Cook); Martha Alicia Mackisack, lato of Dunedin, widow (Mr H. L. Cook); James Byoctor, lato of Dunedin, carpenter (Mr R. S. Brown); Georgo Gould, late of Hampden, farm overseer (Mr Borton); Mary Johnston, of Georgetown, widow (Mr Hamilton), and John Connell Cameron, late of Dunedin, retired salesman (Mr L. G. Cameron). Letters of administration were granted in the caso of Ethel Madge Dobson Finch, late of Oamaru, married woman (Mr A. J. Grave).

Three of the trailer cars used by (he Citv Corporation at the time of the Exhibition have now been converted into power cars, and are giving great satisfaction in service. Authority has now been given to tho tramway manager to convert the remaining three trailers by using the electrical equipment in three of the open cars, and using tho open cars as trailers. By this change the department will have the use of three additional efficient closed cars for 16 hours a day, while the open cars ould only be in use for a maximum of ono hour and ahalf a day. The estimated cost of converting the three cars is £5OO.

The district engineer of Public Works (Mr J. R. Marks) left for Central Otago on Saturday. Whilst there, he will consult with Mi- Lindup, tho resident engineer at Alexandra, with a view to having tho relief work on the Galloway to Moa Creek road put in hand as soon as possible. Tho names of 89 married and 198 single men now appear on the roll at the Government Labour Department’s bureau. Tho creditors of Mr Arthur Geddes, of Dunedin, have received 20s in tho £ in ono payment, and an application to tho Supremo Court for the annulment of the bankruptcy was filed on Friday morning. A well-known citizen, in conversation with a Marlborough Express reporter the other morning, complained of an act of larrikinism on the part of someone on the Market square taxi-stand. A young girl was walking along the footpath in front of the Government buildings when someone in a car on the stand turned a spotlight on her and kept her “covered,” to her obvious embarrassment, until she got out of range around the corner. The reporter’s informant said he did not know whether the offender was a taxi-driver or not, but, in his opinion, taxi-drivers, being licensed by the Borough Council, should see that their privilege of parking in the Square is not abused. Germany is not forgetful of 1914-18. The loss of her colonies is still a sore point with the Huns (states an exchange). Attached to tho back of a letter received in Auckland from Hamburg last week, was an old colonial stamp in the form of a sticker. It bore, in German, the additional inscription: “Do Not Forget Our Colonies!” Tho stamp was a replica of that formerly, used for tho Marianen Islands, now under Japanese mandated control. The colouring was identical with that under- the Imperial regime—red, black, and yellow.