Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 19770, 19 February 1923, Page 4

Dunedin will receive its portion of the Niagara’s mail this evening. The Invercarwill portion will not reach here till tomorrow.

“Through the continued rain causing blight, I have lost two acres of tomatoes, which would have produced 25 tons. The loss amounts to £400,” said an agriculturist in the Manawatu district recently.

An old resident of Wallacetown, named Angus Wallace, was yesterday at 1 p.m. found dead in his bed. From what can be gathered he had complained on Saturday evening of not feeling too well, and went to bed early.

The Invercargill Hibernian Band left by the second express on Saturday to take part in the demonstrations to be held at Dunedin this week. Quite 200 admirers and wellwishers assembled on the platform to see them safely away and wish them good luck.

“I suppose I can swear as good as you or anybody else,” said a witness in the Magistrate’s Court at Dannevirke to a cross-ex-amining solicitor who (states the Napier Telegraph) was interrogating him concerning the lurid nature of the language he allegedly used in his ordinary conversation. The Methodist Conference, comprising about 270 delegates from all over the dominion, commences its meetings in Dunedin on Wednesday, evening next with a young people’s demonstration to inaugurate children’s year. This function will be held in Trinity Church, and will be addressed by three speakers who take a very prominent part in the young people’s department in connection with the Methodist Church. A large children’s choir will lead the singing under the direction of Mr P. Young. The opening session of the conference will take place on Thursday evening in Trinity Church, when the president (Rev. C. H. Laws, D.D.) will preside, and the incoming president (Rev. B. F. Rothwell) will be inducted into office and give the presidential address. The election of officers will also take place. The opening of the conference is always an interesting function, and is open to the general public.

The Labour Party is going to make a big bid to capture the Wellington mayoral chair at the coming election (says the Wellington correspondent of the Christchurch Press). This they may perhaps to able to do on account of the vote-splitting which seems likely on the other side. Three other candidates are already in the field, including the present Mayor, Mr R. A. Wright, M.P. Possibly with a view to the prevention of vote-splitting, a city councillor has given notice of the following motion: — “That whereas at present town boards, county councils, harbour boards, hospital boards, and education boards, elect their own chairman, and as the Municipal Council is the only local authority that does not possess this power, it be a remit to the next Municipal Conference that the mayor of every borough be elected by the council, and that the cornel’s delegates be, and are hereby instructed »o vote in favour of any resolution to this effect put forward at the conference.”

It was stated at a meeting of the Wanganui River Trust that a settler at the houseboat (Ohura Falls) recently lost 251 out of 4000 sheep, which he was taking across a swollen stream.

The Royal Cruising Club’s prize for the best cruise in any waters was awarded to Lieutenant Mulhauser, whose 36-ton yawl Amaryllis, visited Australia in 1921, was later at Auckland and is expected to return to England in April after a world cruise. Thieves entered St. Mary’s Hall, next to the Cathedral, Parnell, Auckland, some time last Sunday, it is thought, and (states the Herald) stole a number of articles, valued at about £9, including a large Morris chair "nd other chairs. Discovery of the theft ’•as made on Monday morning. One cf the brge panes of plate-glass in ? .v i c v of Mr William A. Brown, jewelr, at t: o corner o: Dee and Don streets, -.a-, on S. tvr'iay night, or early on Sunday morn’ng, lucken and a quantity of jewellery, ’nnluding some v.’’.liable brooches, stolen. Little care seems to have been taken to avoid noise, as the glass is literally shattered as though some heavy blunt instrument had been used. The models and plans of the memorials of the New Zealand war memorials at Le Que-noy and Longueval, presented to the Government by Mr S. Hurst Seagcr have arrived in Wellington, and will be set up in I’arliament Buildings, so that members, and ’.ater the public, may see them. Watercolour drawings, photographs, and plans have also been forwarded, as well as three plans of the old fortified town of Le Quesnoy presented by M. Monneret.

During the past two years the general depression has been reflected in the amount of the investments on racecourse totalisators (says the Poverty Bay Herald) . A brighter outlook bore its fruit at the Gisborne Racing Club’s meeting last week, when the “tote” investments increased by over £l7OO as compared with the first day of last year’s summer meeting. The increase was not- due to a wider choice of horses in most of the races; as a matter of fact, fify-seven starters faced the barrier on the first day of the 1922 summer meeting, as against fifty-six last week.

Public indignation has been decidedly aroused by the nightly travesty of management displayed at the Auckland railway station as the passengers for the Main Trunk express and their friends assemble (states the Herald). The accentuation of inconvenience and discomfort produced by the holiday rush has added many thousands of victims to the roll of suffers. Other directions in which the service ignores the interests of the travelling public art also the subject of increasingly unfavourable comment. The growth of this feeling is shown by letters from various people who have been moved to amplify the protests already made by the Herald.

The cooking demonstration promoted by the Southland Power Board commenced very successfully at Gore on Friday, and was continued at Edendale on Saturday. A considerable amount of interest is being taken in the displays, and on Saturday night at Edendale the accommodation of the public hall was over-taxed. The demonstration, which was conducted by Miss Trent, of Christchurch, proved most interesting and instructive; The chairman and members of the Board were present, and were called upon to answer innumerable inquiries regarding the various aspects of the scheme. Several of the consumers signified their intention of putting in a full electrical cooking equipment.

Little splashes of humour often illuminate the proasic proceedings at the Supreme Court (says the Auckland Herald) . In a case between husband and wife which came before Mr Justice Stringer the other day, reference was made to a fur coat purchased by the husband for the wife, and the latter’s counsel, Mr Luxford, suggested that this had been given to prevent the proceedings. At once the husband interjected: “Oh, You Honour, that’s Mr Luxford’s little joke.” Mr Luxford remarked, “I think Your Honour knows that I never have to make jokes.” This disclaimer was not permitted to go unchallenged, for His Honour replied: “I don’t know, Mr Luxford; I heard you make a joke in the upstairs Court last week, and,” he added with a smile, “you were reprimanded for it.”

Notwithstanding the recent shipping holdup and its immediate effect upon tourist traffic, New Zealand bids fair to have a record tourist season, which generally ends in April (states the Auckland Star). This is the opinion of the Auckland office of the Tourist Department. Every steamer lately has brought many visitors from Australia and abroad. The Marama last week was responsible for the introduction of quite a big number of tourists. Upon the vessel’s arrival and for three days thereafter about six hundred visitors attended the Auckland tourist office, which was kept extremely busy supplying information and arranging the booking of various tours. Some of the newcomers have taken on Do-minion-wide trips, including the thermal district, down the Wanganui River, Picton, tlie Buller Gorge, Mount Cook and the Cold Lakes. As the visitors have had only six weeks at their disposal there was not time to cover the Milford Track. Other tourists are taking the short trips, arranged at different tourist offices as they proceed.

A slight clue, which may assist in unravelling the mystery which surrounds the origin of the three skeletons which were discovered by Mr A. C. Upson on Mount Egmont, was furnished to a Taranaki News reporter by Mr Upson. He stated that in discussing the discovery with Mr J. Haldane, the well-known guide at the mountain, Mr Haldane informed him that he had on several occasions heard a report that a good many years ago a party of three men, believed to have been surveyors, were lost on the mountain, and that their remains were never found. The party was supposed to have comprised four men, who left Hawera for the summit, which they gained, one man leaving his cap there as a mark. Only one man of the party returned to Hawera. Search parties were sent out and the cap on the mountain was found, but no trace was found of the missing men. Mr Haldane was unable to supply any information regarding dates or names of any other definite information, except that the story was indelibly stamped on his mind by reason of having heard it on a good many occasions.

J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have completed arrangements with Dame Nellie Melba for a season of grand opera in Australia, commencing in about twelve months. Melba is shortly proceeding to the Continent with the object of hearing famous artists in Paris, Milan, and Vienna. The directors intend to produce operas upon a scale hitherto unattempted in Australasia. The repertoire includes “La Boheme,” “La Tosco,” “Madame Butterfly,” “La Traviata,” “Aida,” “Rigoletto,” “Otello,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “Faust,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Carmen,” “Andrea Chenier,” “Louise,” “Figaro,” “The Magic Flute,” “Cosi Fan Tutti,” “Tales of Hoffman,” “Tannhauser,” “Lohengrin,” and the “Valkyrie.” Sir George Tallis said the other day to an Argus representative that negotiations had been proceeding for the last twelve months between J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and Dame Melba relative to the formation of a grand opera cojnpany to tour Australia. One of the main objects of Dame Nellie’s present visit to England was to complete ments regarding the matter. Already* several important engagements had been made for the casts, in all of which Melba would appear; but it was too early yet to make any announcement concerning them. He confirmed the advice in the cable message that Melba would leave soon for a tour of Europe, and said that she would be accompanied by Mr Heniy Russell, a leading British entrepreneur. Visits would be made to Rome, Paris, Brussels, Vienna, and other musical centres to engage artists for the company, and each one would be selected by Melba personally. It was hoped that the opera company would be organised within six months, and that it would arrive in the Commonwealth within a year.

“Eight people living in a piano case in Manuka street.” This was the burden of a complaint made to the Castlecliff Town Board the other evening by an advocate of proper hygenic conditions (states an exchange) . The district health inspector duly made investigation, with the result that the piar.o case materialised into a motor shed, which apparently was used for week-end habitation and bathing purposes. As the building was not used as a seaside villa, the board decided that no immediate action could be taken.

Trooper Clutha Mackenzie, ex-M.P., formerly of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, mounted on the black mare Bess (presented by Masterton in 1914 and used by Colonel Powles in Egypt, Palestine, France, Belgium, and Eng’and, and one of the three main body horses brought back to New Zealand in 1920) will serve as the New Zealand moved for a monument to be erected at the point where Suez Canal enters the Mediterranean, to the Australian and New Zealand mounted men who saw service in Egypt and Palestine (says an exchangel. A magnificent site has been given by the Port Said authorities, and the central figures are to be two troopers, one of the Australian Light Horse and the other of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, looking eastwards over the canal and the Sinai desert.

“I think the military authorities should deal with this war wreck. It is not fair that I should be in the position that I must let him loose on the community or send him to gaol.” This remark was made by Mr Justice Stringer at the Auckland Supreme Court when a returned soldier came up for sentence for a sexual offence. His Honour stated that the medical evidence showed the man was an epileptic and had periods of unconsciousness, when one of the results of his condition was the excitement of sexual instincts. His condition was attributable to war injuries. The accused was not fit for a mental hospital. His Honour postponed sentence for three months to see if arrangements could be made for the man to enter the Hanmer military hospital.—Press Association.

In passing sentence in an illegal instrument case, Mr Justice Stringer, at the Auckland Supreme Court, said: “It is my experience, as I think it is of other judges, that in cases of this kind juries, actuated probably by misplaced sympathy, constantly disregard their duty to themselves and their country by acquitting accused persons in face of the clearest and most convincing evidence of guilt. The result is that the administration of the law is brought into contempt and instead of deterring persons from committing this crime, it actually encourages them. It is, therefore, I think a matter for congratulation that the jury in this case has not allowed itself to be deflected from the path of duty by irrelevant considerations, but has found (as in my opinion it did) a true verdict, according to the evidence.”—Press Association.

About October last a news item, taken from a London paper, appeared in New Zealand, to the effect the body of an old time viking had been found frozen in ice in Greenland. A young lady in the Swannanoa district wrote to the Danish National Museum on the subject and has just received the following reply from the Museum authorities:—“On the occasion of your enquiry the Danish National Museum takes the opportunity of disclaiming as thoroughly as possible, the fantastical report of an old viking having been found inside an iceberg near Greenland. In the summer of 1921 an archaeological exploration was made of a mediaeval churchyard on the south-western coast of Greenland, and we found a number of dresses from the 14th and 15th centuries. The dresses are at present preserved in this Museum. Rumours of the result of the exploration referred to must be supposed to have taken the shape of the statement quoted.” Watch Smith’s advertisements, something special in the way of bargains for Wednes-day.-—(advt). SOUTHLAND’S LIVE WIRES. One often hears this simile used to convey more than one meaning. In the present instance, we wish our readers to apply it to the growing firm of Parkinson (New Zealand) Ltd., of Tay and Dee Streets, Invercargill. Certainly they live up to the full meaning this pungent phrase transmits. All of the Electrical installations we have inspected whilst under completion, prove conclusively that it is a fallacy to go elsewhere, when the senices Messrs Parkinson are giving are at Southland’s disposal. If a firm is being rushed off its feet, now, prior to the Monowai Power, what is going to be the position when power from this source is available. If the Southland Public must have a Parkinson installation, then the wisest move would be to instal the system in readiness for the Power and so beat the inevitable announcement “Orders accepted in strict Rotation.” You have heard of the Parkinson Motor: this firm makes them.— (advt)

Owing to the Invercargill Drapers picnic day falling on the day advertised as the last of Thomson and Beattie’s End of Season Sale, Monday, 19th February will now be the last day of the Sale. Do not miss this final chance of securing high class goods at extra low prices.— (advt).

Fishing enthusiasts and anglers generally will be pleased to note that there are some splendid catches to be made just now at Hyndman’s Fishing Tackle Dispersal Sale. Hyndman’s clean up their stock annually, so that each season’s tackle is quite new and thoroughly dependable. Latest advices from England show no drop in prices, so that the buying is particularly good. First-comers get “the best water.” Buy wisely and well and save money, by purchasing your groceries from Baxter’s — small profits—quick returns. — (Advt.). SEE SMITH’S SLICK SILK SHIRTS. But to see the offerings our Clothing Department now' has, will make everyone wonder why the Progressive Stores can give these big values. Just read down and compare these prices. Strong working shirts, in Grandrill, drill, cotton, tweed, etc., all with lined backs, sale price 6/11, 7/6, 8/6, to 10/6. All wool shirts in dark and light shades, sale price 13/6 to 15/6. Union shirts and wincey in all colours from 7/6, 10/6 to 14/6. Tobralco shirts, all stripes, from 10/6 to 14/6.*Riverina in stripes and plain from 8/6 to 9/6. Special line of men’s negligee shirts guaranteed colours, to clear at 5/6 each. Men’s tussore silk, ponga, fugi silk shirts, 22/6, 25/-, 27/6. Silk fitted shirts 10/6, 12/6. Men’s flannel unders 7/6, 8/11, 9/6 to 10/6. Men’s pyjamas from 10/6, 15/6, 19/6 to 27/6. Gents all wool sweaters, 25 only, to clear at 12/6. 15 all wool sweater coats 12/6. All wool pants, and singlets, in Roslyn, Mosgiel, and Kaiapoi makes, from 8/6, 9/6, 10/6 to 14/6. Worsteds from 12/6 to 19/6. All wool sox 1/6, 1/11, 2/6, 2/11. Cashmere sox 1/6, 1/11, 2/6 to 4/6. Also special value in men’s suits, sports coats, coats, trousers, hats, ties, etc., at H. and J. SMITH, Ltd., Tay Street, Invercargill and Main Street, Gore. — (advt.)

We point with pride to the exceptional values at the “Economic,” Ladies’ Outfitters. Quality and low prices keep them busy.— (Advt.). Our Busy Boys’ Department.—3o dozen Boys’ School Hose, Sale price 3/6 pair; Boys’ Strong Shirts, Sale price 2/11, 3/6, and 4/3; Strong Tweed Suits, well made, with 4 pockets in coat, Sale price 27/6, 29/6, 33/6, 46/6. These are less than manufacturers’ prices to-day. See our Sale Bargains in Boys’ Overcoats. McNEIL & CLARK, Dee street. — (Advt.) “Let’s hail sun-kissed Spring.”—Thomas. However, a sunny morning is often followed by a stormy afternoon. Be prepared for the vagaries of Spring weather.. Keep Baxter’s Lung Preserver always on hand.—(advt.) “Baxter’s” is a well-tned remedy of Spring chills. Possesses remarkable penetrative properties, which root out colds and coughs in quick time. Also a beneficial tonic. 2s 6d a large bottle at chemists and stores. —(advt).

A very successful function took place t Tuatapere on Friday evening when the new hall, built to replace the building recently destroyed by fire, was officially opened. Residents of Tuatapere and districts surrounding the town, were pres, nt in strong force and visitors were in attendance from all parts of the province, wth ’he result that the proceeds from the concert and ball held to celebrate the event amounted to £BO 7/-. The primary purpose of all laws is to control the evil element in the community, and judges are appointed to see that the laws effect their purpose. Judges too often allow the individual to stand above the law (says the Feilding Star). When Mr Herdman was Minister of Justice, during the critical war period, he stood/ four square against the enemy in the midst. We have had occasion since he forsook the Cabinet for the Bench to commend him for hie equally strong attitude towards those who wilfully disobey the laws. Wc rejoice again that he has set his fellow-judges another example by sending an Auckland “bookie” to gaol for two months. Gaol is the only cure for the persistent, and blatant lawbreakers.