Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3868, 1 May 1928, Page 3

“I must compliment counsel and the medical witnesses on the way these cases have been settled. I am satisfied that in cases .where there are discrepancies in the medical evidence it is much better for medical men and counsel to settle the matter among.themselves. A law court Is always at a disadvantage in trying to decide between the differing opinions of professional men. I wish other people would follow the example you have set.” There remarks were made in the Arbi tratron Court in Auckland on Friday by Mr Justice Frazer (says our special correspondent) after he had entered judgment by consent in three compensation claims set. down for hearing. Counsel for the plaintiff in each case had stated that settlements had been reached with counsel for the defendants.

A poll of electors was taken in Mosgiel on Friday on the proposal that the area within the jurisdiction of the council should be. constituted a fire district within the meaning of “ The Fire Brigades’ Act, 1926. The result of the polling was that the proposal was lost by 47 votes. Authority has been granted by the Elec trie Power and Lighting Committee of the City Council to invite tenders for the supply of cement for the Mahinerangi dam construction. Ihe cartage of cement to the Mahinerangi Dam, and ths manufacture and supply of a 7ft diameter steel pipe line for connecting the new No. 1 power station to the existing 43ft dam.

The \\ orks Committee will recommend to the City Council on Wednesday night that the offer of Mr H. Barron to sell°!-o the council an area of 2 acres 11.8 poles, adjoining the Stone street quarry, be accepted.. The land carries good stone, and is needed for the economical working of the quarry. The committee will also recommend that the'offer of Mrs Bevan to sell to the council portion of her land being part of allotment 4, subdivision of allotments 62 and 63, township of Anderston, to permit of the widening of Chapman street to 40ft, be accepted ; and, further that the offer of Messrs N. and E. S. Paterson on behalf of the owner; to sell to the council portion of his land, being part of allotments 1.11 of subdivision of sections part 1, lower Kaikorai district, and part section 10, block IV, Upper Kaikorai district, to permit of the widen ing of Brockville road 33ft from its centre line be accepted. A special train will travel from the West Coast to Dunedin during Show Week for the purpose of conveying a party of farmers, and the A. and P. Society has asked for assistance in the visitors. The Tramways Department of the City Council has agreed to help by providing free motor bus transport for the visitors for one day only, the number of buses so provided not to exceed four. Similar assistance was given by the department Iqst year on the occasion of the visit of Canterbury farmers. Ono of the recommendations by the General Committee to come before the next meeting of the City Council is that the application of the Dunedin City Cor poration’s Tramways Department for a license to establish a motor omnibus service from the Stock Exchange to Logan Park on Sundays only, the buses to run via Lower High street and Anzac avenue, leaving the Stock Exchange at 2.10 p.m., 2.35 p.m. and 3 p.m., returning to the Stock Exchange as required, be granted The fares are to be 3d single for the whole distance and 2d single from the corner of Frederick street and Anzac avenue.

The city engineer has been instructed by the Works Committee of the City Council to record the undernoted matters for consideration with the allocations:—Construe, tion of 15 chains of kerbing and channelling in Rcckside road at an estimated cost of £223; construction of kerbing and channelling and tar macadam footway ;n Tyne street, between Taieri road and Wright street, at an estimated cost of* £26; construction of tar macadam surfaces in Stafford street, between Princes street aad four chains west of Hope street, at an estimated cost of £1234, or alternatively for tar spraying only at an estimated cost of £190.; construction of kerbing and channelling in Serpentine avenue between Hili and William streets; construction of kerbing and channelling and tar macadam footway on the south side of Rainton road at an estimated cost of £llO.

The secretary of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association has supplied the answer to ah inquiry by “ Old Identity ” as to the occasion of the roasting of a bullock whole in. the Octagon. The occasion was the celebration on July 1, 1863, .f the marriage of King Edward VII (then Prince of Wales) to Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

Mr A. E. Ansell, who has Been requested: by the United New Zealand Political’ Organisation to. allow himself to be nomine ated as a candidate for a city seat at the next elections, has definitely declined the request. . Mr Ansel] states that he has no political ambitions. The General Committee of the CityCouncil has granted authority for the erection of a bell on the St. Clair esplanade to serve as an alarm for summoning aid in the case of bathers getting into difficulties in the surf. The bell, which 13 corporation property, and is at present at the Ward street yard, will be erected on * single pole, and' the total cost, including pole, bracket, and suitable operating rods and handles, is estimated at £lB. The annual stocktaking at the Free Publio Library has been completed, and the librarian reports the losses for the year • at a total of 29 volumes, which is the same as for last year. The losses comprise throe volumes from the reference library, 23 from the a lending library, and three from the juvenile department. Included in the volumes missing from the lending library is volume 12 of Fronde’s “History of England,” thereby breaking a useful and valuable set

Authority has been granted by the General Committee of the City Council ’o invite quotations for the Renewal in lin pipe of the existing jin water service to the St. Clair baths, and also the replacement with Monel piping of the hot and cold salt water piping from the taps over baths to the showers, the piping connection on hot water circulator and valves, and the cold salt water supply from pool The latest and what will probablv prove to be the final phase of the strange case of George Thomas M'Quay, the unknown soldier inmate of Callan Park Hospital, Sydney (the establishment of whose identity is reported) was announced bv rhe Attorney-general and Minister of Defence (Mr F. J. Rolleston) in Wellington on Fridaj' (reports a telegram). “ The Government,” said the Minister, “has considered the case of M'Quay, and as there appears to be no doubt as to the identification it has agreed to accept him for treatment as a war service patient Accordingly it has arranged with the Commonwealth authorities for his return io New Zealand at an early date.” As previously stated, M'Quay, a son of Mrs Robert M’Quay, of Orlando street, Stratford, was a member of the New Zealand expeditionary force and for 11 years he has been a patient in Callan. Park hospital under the name of George Brown.” The Works Committee will recommend to the City Council at the next meeting that the under mentioned tenders for the supply of horses, carts and drivers be accepted:—Anderson’s Bay division, Mr J. Henderson; Maori Hill "division, Mr D." Anderson; Roslyn Division, Mr A. Ramsay; Moniington Division, Messrs’ Simpson and Frame; Woodhaugh Quarry, Messrs W. Casey and Son. The committee will also recommend that the tender of Mr D. Anderson for the cartage of metal from the Roslyn quarry be accepted, to pump in boiler house. Authority has also been granted for the renewal of 98ft of handrail around the pool at a cost of £7 10s. The last mentioned work .will ba done by the council’s own employees. A telegram from Wellington states that the Marine Department has received the following telegram from Captain Bellons, of the Tutanekai, which is on her way from Auckland to Samoa:—“Passed Falcon Island on Friday afternoon. Island in violent eruption; lava flowing down both sides into the sea. Island now two miles long, N.N.E. and S.S.W. direction, and 550 ft in height.”

A clause in the report of the Gas Committee to come before the next meeting of the City Council states that authority “has been granted for the disposal of certain plant at the Gasworks, which has been replaced by new plant. The plant in question includes the station meter and purifiers, and it is expected that the sale of these will shortly be effected at a satisfactory price. A preliminary acceptance hasf _ already been received from the inquirer.

Respecting the term “Australasia,” Mr H. P. West, secretary of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, has written to the New Zealand representatives of Thomss Cook and Son calling attention to the employment of the word in one of their sailing lists, and has received a reply in which the fe-sn k #ints out that some years ago when the Government. Publicity Department suggested to it the discontinuance of the word “ Australasia ” in the title of its monthly gazette and general printed matter the request was noted, and the title was altered to read “ The Australian and New Zealand Travellers’ Gazette.” The inclusion of ths in the small sailing list folder ssfevred to was entirely an oversight. They were writing to their Melbourne office drawing attention to this, and the correction would probably be made m the next issue of the list.

" The War Pensions Board, consisting of Sir Walter Stringer (chairman), Dr Roland H. Fulton and! Dr W. J. Porteous eom menced a sitting in Dunedin on Monday of last week. There are about 25 cases to consider, comprising claims on the grounds that the assessment pensions are not correct and that present disabilities are due to or are aggravated by war service. The board will return to' Christchurch on Friday, May 4. Mr Justice Sim has granted probate of the will of the late John Tennant, of Ratanuij labourer (Mr Collier}; ; Wool traffic ,over the middle and lnvercargill railway districts was exceptionally heavy during the year ended on March 31. . Over the lines in the middle district (which extends from Hinds to Milton) no fewer than 72,262 bales of wool—an - increase of 2845 bales over the 1926-1927 season—were transported, and the Invercargill district, with a tally of 53,723 bales' , .shows an increase of 2330 bales over the:, previous season. ,General ;goods traffic ?m. both districts has also been - heavy, qud in tonnage and revenue shows .an able, increase when compared • with (lie previous- year’s operations.

The erection of the new Town Haji «s being steadily carried On‘: and .- .wfieq.' viewed from an-.cleyation thegeneral struo ture of they jtage,; auditorium; and' .dressing rooms/'tan now - easily •be :.flisefirhe(ii At . present? Theworkmen are: in laying down: < the flooring of> the > stage; and the gallery, cf steel for the main hall is now in place. The outer walls are also growing, and the whole structure is teg in ning to assume" definite shape. We have been requested to state thgt -ihe musical box recently presented 2 to Uid'Gtgji? Esrly Settlers’ Association was the gift of Mr David Strain, of East Taieri. ' ' Appreciation cf the activities of the Main Highways Board in having repairs carried .but On the road through the Pig root, is t' expressed by Mr , ; A. J-E. Ansell, president of the Otago Motor Club, who returned; from a trip- to "Central; early iii the week. “ Early,the year the clufj complained of the' “condition. 1 of this sedition of the- road, andf-.thb' board - promised to take action,” he said. ‘‘.l. api pleased j; to be able to &ay thrf considerable improvement has now.. been made, particularly on the Waihcjno' -side , of the Shag River. This section is now in seally first-class order.**

There was an interesting pioneer touch about the old identities’ meeting last week at Port Chalmers. The stage of the Town Hall was arranged to represent the poop of a sailing - ship, even to details such as a ship’s wheel manipulated by an erstwhile old time sailor in appropriate seafaring attire. The immigrants embarked and sails were set in good style, the singing of old sea chanties by Mrs jJ. Morgan's party being very realistic. Old plantation songs also figured on the ’evening’s very enjoyable programme. The 'President (Mr J. Farquharson) acknowledged the association’s indebtedness to all who had assisted m making the evening so successful.

“ Too much leniency toward the offender is responsible for some of the difficulties facing society,” said ■ Mr 'E. C. Cutten, S.M., in an address _ at;.the annual meeting of: the Society for. The Protection of Women > and Children f-Jin Auckland last week (reports our special correspondent), The speaker said that -‘t agony day ” in the Auckland courts brought the innumerable of the community Under his notice. :No other court in-,, the."-Dominion handled: the same amount of - litigation. The impression which r it all- gave was that the remedy lay far back' in the education of the child. “ Although it is my duty to administer the law . as I find it, I believe thai;' to-day we -are?-inclined to treat all weaknesses as diseases rather than as ‘ sins;’-’ sa"id Mr Cutten. • "We are inclined •to be very : easy on ? the ' offender and to -smooth over ' matters. I. think we may go too far sometimes. Nature’s way is that when you go too far you suffer pain. We find in domestic problems that the way is made easy -with Cseparation and then . divorce. Our modem system is inclined :to create a good many of the difficulties which this society has to fight.” A telegram from Whangarei states that' at an enthusiastic public meeting it was. decided, to form an aeroplane club. Thirty-five members expressed their willingness to qualify as private pilots. The total membership of the club is 50.

At the monthly meeting of the Otago area-United .Temperance Council, held on Tuesday evening,, the following resolution was carried unanimously:'—"That this council reaffirms its determination to use every endeavour to secure the return to. Parliament of candidates who will support, the platform of the New Zealand Alliance.**- ' ' - '"■■■

Our London correspondent, writing on March 21, says that Messrs Gillett and Johnston, the Croydon bell founders, are at work on the carillon for the Wellington War Memorial. There are to be 49 bells in all, and already 14 of these have been completed, and the inscriptions engraved. The largest- of the bells is to weigh 10 tons. The contract time is 18 months, so that it will probably be another year before the carillon is ready for shipment to the Dominion.

After an absence of 44 years, Stepnen Margrett, of Melbourne, formerly of Dunedin, returned by the Marama on a visit to the Dominion (says our Auckland correspondent). Mr Margrett does a big trade in the shipment of army • remounts from Australia to India.' In the ’eighties he was associated with the late Mr -Twentyman Hodgson, of Christchurch, who did the largest business in horse-dealing in the Dominion. He left Dunedin in 1884 in the ship Night Hawk, which wa s chartered to convey the first large shipment of horses from Otago to Calcutta. “ The breeding of horses for army purposes is growing in Australia,” said Mr Margrett, “ and the exports to India now average 4000 animals a year. The purchase price at Calcutta at present approximates £52 10s.”

A daring robbery was effected at the Working Men’s Club in Kitchener street, Auckland, on Tuesday morning, the sum of £156 being taken from the safe. Shortly after 9 a.m., the manager, Mr Robinson, made up the takings from the bar and. placed- the money- in a bag in the safe ready to deposit it at the bank. Some time afterwards (says our special correspondent) he found that the money had vanished.

Some of the Union Company’s technical experts have had an unenviable job in collecting the requisite data for the specification for repairs to the damaged whaler C. A. Larsen. In an atmosphere of unpleasant odour, and with everything freely lubricated with semi-congealed whale oil, the collectors of details of fractured plates, twisted frames, and bulging bulkheads, worked at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, the preparation of the specifications is nearing completion, and when Lloyd’s approval is endorsed, tenders will be called in due course. A general impression amongst the crew is that if the vessel goes to Norway for permanent repairs, the vessel will miss next season’s whaling. Evidently thinking that Anzar n.? T we* a fitting occasion for the distribution of propaganda against war. the U>..u.>uiiw. Party scattered broadcast about the city on Wednesday a typewritten and mimeographed circular urging the people of New Zealand to join the Communist Party and thereby overturn “ the system which makes war a glorious thing for. bankers and profiteers, but hell for the workers.” The copy which was brought to the Otago Witness office was one taken from several piles which were found on the steps of the soldiers’ memorial on a previous morning. It is headed in large type, “Don’t be a Soldier of Capitalism,” and proceeds to state that with the World War of 191418 there opened for the toilers of all countries a period of cruel wars of extermination, of unbridled and ruthless plunder of colonial countries, and violent outrages xgainst the working class. 'lt describes the war as a “ raging capitalist offensive I against the working class,” and claims to disclose the truth about Anzac. “ The capitalists make profits out of wars,” it states, “ and that is why they try to glorify war by means of Anzac Day parades, etc.” The document alleges that well-known British firms, just before the war, built the fortresses at the Dardanelles and supplied the Turks with guns and ammunition. “So long as the armament firms made profits on the business it mattered nothing to the directors that these weapons smashed into bloody pulp the youth of New Zealand and Australia,” the circular states. “In view of their increased preparation for ’war, the talk 'of the, capitalist governments about disarmament is the acme of hypocrisy and mockery. The only ’ country which has really reduced its army to a minimum is Soviet Russia. . . . the capitalists -aiie working overtime preparing for a new war —particularly against Soviet Russia. . Their talk of peace is.. designed only .to delude the workers.” At. the foot of the circular is a gruesome sketch of a skeleton hanging from barbed-wire entanglements, and the tirade concludes, with the advice : “. Don’t let the bosses use you for cannonfodder in the next war.” -’• j

A meeting of the tiominion Executive of the New Zealand . Licensing Reform Association, together with the presidents of provincial branches, was held on Thursday. the Rev. P. "T. Williams (president of the Auckland bianch) presiding. ft was decided to convey a resolution to the Government asking for’ the protection of M,he franchise on the I ’’middle issue, and urging the maintenance of he right- to vote for some system £( -.of public cmiuoJ of the liquor traffic. . The association affirmed its intention of continuing to advocate corporate control, and isked for provision tor its submission to the electors.

Forty thousand acre s and th e title “ Sovereign Chief of New Zealand ” were purchased f"r 3ft axes when Hongi thn Mnoti chief, visited England early in the last century. At least Baron de Thierry, a Frenchman educated at Cambridge, thought he had purchased them, but Hongi apparently got very much the best of the bargain When the baron later came to claim the land he was laughed at by the Colonial Office, the Governor, and the chiefs. and he had to be content, instead, vith the fees received for music. teaching in Auckland. Mr W. D. Armit, commissioner of Crown lands, for Taranaki, told this story to New Plymouth Rotarians last week.

The chairman of the Vincent County Council informs us that the successful tenderers for the Clutha, Hawea, and Lindis River bridges in the Vincent County are the Road Constructors, Ltd., of Dunedin. After a tour of a year abroad, Mr H. W. Lever, formerly head of the Bank of New South Wales in Wellington, returned to Auckland by the Niagara, accompanied by Mrs Lever. The former retired from active service a year ago after being for over 50 years with his bank. He and his wife‘'have spent a considerable time in Great Britain, and they have visited several countries in Europe. They also travelled as far afield ag Turkey, and spent some time in Egypt and the Holy Land. Speaking of the conditions in Germany, Mr Lever said (reports our special correspondent) that the people evinced a’ extraordinary desire to be friendly with the British. When Germans were asked if they really thought the two peoples should become friendly they replied in the affirmative and advanced as a reason that the war ha.d been over for some years, and in their opinion it should be forgotten. As for signs of militarism, Mr Lever said they saw less of it in Germany than in Turkey. In the latter country it was surprising tc see how many men wore uniforms. Asked if he considered that the New Zealand Sounds,- Milford Sound and others in "the south, would ever offer to tourists the same attraction as a fishing ground as those of Norway, the chief. inspector of fisheries (Mr A. E. Hefford) said to an Evening Post reporter that he did not think it likely in the case of quinnat salmon. The majority of quinnat returned to the same river in which they were spawned," and the rivers running into the sounds, or in that vicinity, were not the best for spawning purposes. Salmon would spawn with success in ’■stronger waters than 'trout, but for both shingle bottoms were necessary. In the Norwegian fiords, though there were many falls and strong rapids in the rivers running into them, yet the upper reaches of the rivers there had the necessary shingle beds, while' those in New Zealand sounds had not. The past season had been an excellent one for both quinnat and Atlantic salmon,. said <Mr Hefford. So many Atlantic salmon had been caught- in and round Lake Te Anau that some people were doubtful of the quantity of spawn the remainder would produce this season. He did not think there was any likelihood of a falling off in the number of eggs secured, however, and looked to the possibility of a record year in stripping both quinnat and Atlantic salmon.