The Otago Witness

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 3

The Otago Witness

(The Otago Witness is registered at the General Post Office, London, as transmissible through the post in the United Kingdom at the newspaper rate of postage.)

No. 3912— Estab. 1851.

DUNEDIN, N.Z.: TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1929.

[PRICE NINEPENCE.

According to advice received from Mr H. Turner, of the Otago Provincial Fruitgrowers’ Council, the steamer Westmoreland, which was to have loaded the first shipment of Otago apples for London at Port Chalmers on March 25, has been delayed, and will not commence loading until April 2. She will sail direct for

London on April 5, one week later than was ■ originally intended. It is expected i that the shipment will comprise about 12,000 cases of Cox’s Orange Pippins, Jonathans, and Dunn’s Favourites.,

Auckland will be visited next spring by the Malolo, the new liner of the Matson Navigation Company, which is to make a “ round the Pacific cruise.” Eleven countries will be visited, and a total distance of more than 23,000 miles will be covered. The tour is being sponsored by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and will be managed by the American Express Company’s travel department. The Malolo will leave San Francisco on September 21. Although such a cruise usually requires four months, including stop-overs at the various ports of call of from one to five days, the Malolo will make the voyage in 90 days. She will be in Yokohama five days, Kobe three, Chinwantao three, Shanghai two, Hongkong two, Manila two, Saigon one, Bangkok one, Singapore two, Batavia two, Sydney three, Melbourne three, Auckland two, Suva one, Pago Pago one and a-half, and in Honolulu one and a-half days. -

A young man who resides at Northcote recently left his invalid father to visit his fiancee on the city side of Waitemata Harbour. Time flew, as it does on such occasions, and he missed the last boat. Nothing daunted, he stripped and swam across the harbour, reaching the other side exhausted and shivering. He is now' suffering from quinsy.

Bell birds are to be released in the Waipona Forest, North Auckland. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle), who recently visited the forest, is arranging with the Director of the Dominion Museum to have a number of bell birds secured and liberated there.

“I am a thorough believer in employing surplus labour on reproductive w’orks, and I don’t remove from the category of reproductive works the completion of our lines of railway that should be finished,” said the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph 'Ward) at the annual luncheon of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation. “ But,” continued Sir Joseph Ward, “I am against the making of political railways—(“Hear, hear”) —or the •- making of railways for the benefit of syndicates or private individuals who hope to profit by creating an excess of value in land they have purchased.. It is no good to the country.” In. regard to the Government’s proposals, the Prime Minister asked one and all them fairly and accurately upon tneir merits. The Government, he added, would not fail to carry-out the works- for want of courage or determination. It did not intend to be deterred by pin-pricks.

To Mr H. E. L. Porter, the well-known English alpinist, and party, has fallen the achievement of scaling Mount Teichelmaun (10,450 feet), which was the last mountain over 10,000 feet in altitude in the main divide of the Southern Alps to remain unclimbed. Mr Porter stated to a representative of the Christchurch Press that the party which scaled the peak comprised Guide Williams, Miss Kate Gardiner, and himself. They left the Haast hut at. 3 o’clock in the morning, and reached the top of Mount Silberhorn (10,750 feet) at 9 o’clock. “From Mount Silberhorn,” continued Mr Porter, “to the south-west was a fairly level snow ridge for about three-quarters of a mile, ending in two rocky points at which the main divide pivots to the south and towards Mount Dampier. The views of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman from the peak of Mount Teichelmaun really took ones breath away,” remarked Mr Porter. lhey were simply marvellous.” Mystery surrounds the disappearance o f Nurse Dorothy Hamilton M'Haffie, who left Christchurch by the West Coast express on February 16 bound for Kumara and has so far failed to arrive at her destination. It has been definitely established that the missing nurse arrived at Arthur’s Pass and left the train. She had a good deal of luggage, which she left at the Arthur’s Pass station in the Itwgage room immediately after the departure of the train at 1.55 p.m. The nurse has not appeared, nor has her luggage been claimed. The drivers of the service cars affirm that nobody answering to Miss M’Haffie’s description was carried between Ai thur s Pass and Hokitika on the day of the disappearance or during the time which has since gone by.

What is reported to be the largest property deal ever brought off in Australia "as effected by Mr E. A. Maas, estate agent, of Sydney, who arrived at Auckland on Tuesday by the Maunganui for a month’s sport with rod and gun (states the Auckland correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). The firm of E. J. Coles, Sydney, leased a property with a 40ft frontage at £4OO a foot. Rates and taxes amounted to £BO a foot. The total rent for 21- years will be £500,000. Despite this tremendous obligation, the.firm spent £37,000 immediately on remodelling and up-to-the-minute improvements. It has been estimated that the firm will be paying £lO an hour for rent throughout the term of 21 years. “Values of residential in Sydney are soaring,” remarked Mr Maas in an interview. “ People who wish to live within reasonable distance of the city have to pay from £3O to £5O a foot for a building site. Many people imagine that Sydney land values are fictitious, that there is a boom, and that a slump is bound to come. Take my word for it, such is "not the case. There are buyers in plenty. They have money, and the prices are solid.” A conference was held at Wellington on Tuesday between representatives of the bacon curing . industry and the chemistry officers of ; the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to discuss the matter of chemical curing.

One of the whale chasers from the Antarctic arrived back at Paterson’s Inlet on Tuesday.

In conjunction with the Red Cross Committee, the Patriotic Association, and the Hospital Board in Dunedin, the local branch of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association is making an endeavour to obtain reliable information concerning ex-service men who, through war disability or otherwise, are not in economic employment. This move is being made in consequence of a decision made by the last Dominion Conference. It is desired that the fullest possible details should be obtained, so that it may be possible later to make an accurate list of the number of men who are capable of undertaking employment in factories or farm colonies. Such men would be placed in more independent positions, and at the same time the Government would be relieved of a portion of the great burden it now carries in paying economic pensions from which no return is received.

With the idea of condensing as much as possible the telephone directory for Dunedin, considerably less space is now being given to each subscriber than has been the case in the past. A specimen copy of the new directory which is to be issued shortly is at present in the hands of the district telegraph engineer (Mr Macey), and several departures from the original style are noticeable. Names of subscribers are in black type, the addresses and descriptions in clearer type and the numbers are printed very distinctly. The telephone numbers are now printed after the names, as it has been found that mistakes have occurred through the numbers being placed first as j n P issues. Each subscriber is limited to one line, which, however, is sufficient to provide means of identification. A number of listings in the present foirn would, on account of unnecessary wording, occupy two lines, and the department has, in its circular, suggested to such subscribers that the entry should be condensed, although left sufficiently descriptive to enable identity to be established without likelihood of error. If more than one line is used in the new directory, a charge will be made, as the department contends that an extra line each for large numbers of subscribers would materially increase the size of the directory and add considerably to the cost of pi inting the 13,000 copies distributed in Dunedin and the district twice yearly. “ The growth of Auckland is phenomenal; it has staggered me,” said Mr H. F. Butcher, town planning officer for the city of Wellington, who visited Auckland for the first time in 15 years. “ After inspecting the developed ahd undeveloped areas, I consider that Auckland has facilities for extending its population to 1,000,000 people. Such a number is quite possible in the future. On the other hand, development on this scale cannot be expected in Wellington, where there are natural barriers. With its present boundaries Wellington could hold a population of a little over 250,000.” Commenting on his visit to Palmerston North, Mr Butcher said that that town and Wellington were more closely associated than most people imagined, and he considered that with the advent of first-class roads they would become linked even more closely. An interesting announcement was made by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) last week concerning the supply of tobacco to mental hospitals and prisons Sii Joseph Ward stated that the tenders which were now being called for -this supply had been altered and extended, and Cabinet had revised the conditions in order to allow the New Zealand tobacco manufacturers to compete. Four cases of scarlet fever -were admitted to and three were discharged from the Dunedin and Fever Hospitals during the week ended at noon on February 25, and 16 cases remain. In addition, one case of diphtheria was admitted to the Fever Hospital, and the patient still remains in the institution.

Mary Jane Clark was charged at the Police Court on February 25 with, on September 10, at Dunedin, having unlawfully used an instrument on a female with intent to procure a miscarriage. Chief Detective Cameron asked for a remand until Wednesday, March 6. Mr Hanlon, who was acting for the accused, had agreed to the remand. The chief detective said he had no objection to bail being granted. The magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle) granted a remand, and fixed bail at £2OO in the accused’s own recognisance, with sureties of £2OO.

Following on a visit of inspection by the general manager of the New Zealand Railways (Mr H. H. Sterling), additions and alterations to the new marshalling yards at Middleton have been decided upon, the cost of which, it is estimated, will be over £lO,OOO. In addition to a good deal of alteration work, three extra roads, each capable of accommodating 90 wagons, will be constructed to relieve the congestion of goods traffic which frequently occurs.

The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) announced last week that Cabinet had decided to call in Wellington at an early date a conference of the representatives of the Apprenticeship Committee for ths purpose of considering amendments to the 1923 Act.

A telegram from Thames states that at Mercury Bay on Sunday week Captain Mitchell, of the Zane Grey party, landed a 6601 b black marlin, a New' Zealand record, and also a 5301 b tiger shark. The skin of. the former is being sent to the Natural History Museum at New York. The party’s total bag is 89 game fish.

Some amusement was provided during the luncheon interval at the Otago-Can-terbury cricket match on February 25, when Mr E. S. "Wilson was presented with his Otago representative cap. Mr Wilson, who is secretary of the Otago Cricket Association, was manager of the Otago team which toured the north last season. When Eastman was injured, Otago was a man short, and Mr Wilson batted against Wellington. The presentation was made by Mr C. Todd (president of the association), who described the recipient as one of New Zealand’s finest sportsmen. Mr Wilson replied in happy vein, stating that he owed his inclusion to the fact that he had been appointed one of the selectors for the period of the tour.

Questions have arisen (says our special Questions have arisen whether the new Transport Department intends to repeal the reguations concerning the carrying of red reflectors on motor cars. When approached on the subject last week the Minister of Transport (Mr. W. A. Veitch) stated that nothing definite had been decided upon. The matter, however, was at present receiving his attention, and he hoped to be able to make an announcement shortly.

The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) announced last week that the necessary financial provision had been made for the replacement of accommodation urgently required to meet the necessities of tourist traffic at Lake Te Anau arising out of the destruction by fire of Glade House during, the Christmas holidays. A bombshell was thrown into the camps of the licensing parties in the Temuka licensing district last week when the northern area of the district nominated Mr W. G. Gallagher, of Ealing, chairman of the Ashburton County Council. It was understood that in order to save the cost of an election, the “ wets ” and the “ drys ” had agreed to the nomination of the old committee, viz., Messrs W. I. Evans, T. E. Gunnion, George Hancox, G. B. ' Cartwright, and Mr John Kennedy (Geraldine) in lieu of Mr George Murray, who was rendered ineligible by the change of boundary. This move was countered by the “ wets ” nominating Mr Michael Maze, of Pleasant Point. As there are now seven candidates - for five seats an election will take place.

A close study of industrial conditions in Britain was made by Mr E. Horton, of Messrs Wilson and Horton, Auckland, who returned by the Ruahine last week after spending 12 months abroad, much of which time he spent in England. Mr Horton said that the industrial depression at Home was very bad indeed, but there were signs of a revival. Uncertain safeguarded industries, which were now having to fight for their existence against the foreign competitors, who were underselling British goods, were drastically reorganising their methods. The application of the safeguarding duties merely brought, the loss on foreign goods up to the price at which similar British goods could be manufactured. .

A wireless enthusiast is Mr Walter Taine, of Karitane, and there is no doubt that he obtains some wonderful results from his short wave apparatus. While listening-in to KDKA, Pittsburg, on Sunday week, he had the opportunity of hearing some 50 messages despatched to the Byrd Expedition from the parents and friends of members of the party. He also heard Commander Byrd send back replies to KDKA, but these were in code. On Tuesday night Mr Taine listened-in to messages from DHC, Nauen, Germany, to ME, Sydney. These messages were by the duplex telephony system and were in English. It was rather remarkable, said Mr Taine, that the messages from both Pittsburg and Nauen began to fade as the evening advanced. The cause of fading has not so far been definitely ascertained, but it is thought that in due time it will be discovered and a remedy will be found. Mr Taine has a very fine wireless set, as he states that he is able to get in touch with all parts of the world.

In last month’s number of the Education Gazette, Mr E. Douglas Tayler, supervisor' of Musical Education, tells a story of a backblocks school in which there were seven children (complete roll) who were all apparently tone-deaf, save one, who could sing one musical note. A teacher was appointed to sole charge, who had been successful with music as assistant in a larger school. He was anxious to do something for his new pupils, but had neither piano nor gramophone in the school. Inquiry showed that the children had no sort of music in their homes. He rightly judged that their musical defects were due to lack of stimulus; and, being himself able to play the cornet, he took his instrument to the school and used to play to them regularly. At the same time he encouraged them in every possible way to try to sing, hum, whistle, and play combs-and-paper and kazoos. In. a few months he found that the. boy who could previously sing only one note could now sing the whole scale correctly, while others had progressed in varying degrees. “By now they have a small repertoire, of songs,” writes Mr Tayler. “ Recently I received another letter from this same teacher, enclosing an examination paper in theory of music most creditably worked by his pupils, and—best of all—a charming little song which they had composed. The words of the song were brought to him one day by one of the least promising of . his pupils, with the request that he would show them how to compose a tune for them. Accordingly they set to work,, on the lines laid down in the ‘ Scheme of School music.’ The children were most particular and insisted on several, revisions of the tune until it was polished up to their satisfaction. The result is one of the most charming little tunes that have so far come to hand, and the work-of our friend at this school should prove a great encoura’gement to others' who are faced with similar difficulties.” <. «.: ;

—-The six hundred thousandth telephone has been- installed in London,