IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21198, 26 September 1930, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY. Appointment Of Pilot. There were 25 applications for the position of third pilot at the port of Bluff. At the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday, this number was reduced to three applicants, who are being asked to wait on the board at an early date. * » ' * * An Insult With Injury. When, in the 11. and 11. garage yesterday morning, a Times reporter was shown the safe ransacked by burglars during the night, an employee drew attention to the tools lying around which had been borrowed by the intruders from the conveniently accessible work benches for the purpose of sawing off the hinges and of prizing open the safe itself. “We don’t object so much to the burglars using the tools as we do to their not putting them back where they found them,” he commented with a smile.

Whalers On Their Way. The Norwegian whaling ship Sir James Clark Ross is at present on her way to the whaling base for this season’s operations. She will not call at Port Chalmers this year, but will put in at Wellington for fuel oil. She will leave there for Stewart Island, where she will load supplies and take on board 20 men from Ne.w Zealand on about October 10. Most of the whale chasers are now at Stewart Island. As far as is known the factory ship Southern Princess will not touch New Zealand on the voyage south. * -ifr W * Linton Coal Mine. The manager of the Linton Coal Company, when approached by a Times reporter asking what reply he had to the letter inserted by Mr Edmonds, president of the Miners’ Union, stated that the company had no wish at this stage to enter into any controversy with Mr Edmonds. The plain facts showed, according to the Linton pay sheets, which were open for inspection, that the solid workers were now averaging three tons gross coal per shift, this being the miners’ etfort under the Government regulation now in force and being essential for the safety of the men and mine generally. * ■» * * Channel Rocks Beacon. After the monthly meeting of the Bluff Harbour Board yesterday the members inspected the new channel rocks beacon which has been erected as a. warning to navigation. The members were taken on board the tug Theresa Ward, which cruised down the channel to the new beacon and then back to the wharf. The beacon has been constructed of four piles 48ft long having a spread at their base of 32ft. Each leg has been weighted to the extent of three tons, and it is not expected that even heavy seas will carry it away. It is illuminated with a blinking acetylene lamp flashing every three seconds.

Dominion Day. Although Dominion Day was observed last Monday, to-day marks the anniversary of the raising of New Zealand to Dominion status. On the return of the late Sir Joseph Ward from England, when he was Prime Minister, the first time he brought back, as his “surprise packet,” the news that New Zealand was henceforth to be officially styled a Dominion. The Order-in-Council issued by the King was dated September 9, 1907, and took effect from September 26 of the same year. The observance of Dominion Day is now on the nearest Monday to the 26th, hence its observance last Monday.

Railway Lines On Bluff Wharf. A request made by the Bluff Harbour Board that the Railway Department should contribute to the cost of alterations to the railway track on the ferry wharf was not regarded favourably according to a letter received from the Minister at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday. The letter stated: “While recognizing that the Department shared the cost of providing the railway lines on the wharf, 1 wish to emphasize that the wharves and facilities theron are harbour facilities, and in view of this I feel bound to conclude that the responsibility of financing any improvements or alterations in connection therewith should rest solely upon the harbour authority.”

Does It Pay? Those who believe that “it pays to send Home” for wearing apparel and household goods should read the experiences of an Invercargill man as related to a Times reporter yesterday. Having read of amazing bargains in the advertising pages of English periodicals this man’s wife decided to send Home for a dinner set at £l, a carpet as supplied to the Shah of Persia at 10/and a wonderful Mayfair coat, and skirt at £5. The coat and skirt arrived first and when the devoted husband went to collect it from the Customs he was asked for the paltry sum of £2 12/6 as duty. Then came the carpet. The duty on this was very small. So was the carpet. Furthermore it was nothing but coloured sacking. The other day the dinner set arrived. Although it had cost only £1 the duty and freight charges amounted to £1 19/5. There is at least one woman in Invercargill who will in future shop in her own town.

Stewart Island Service. “The Government is hopeful of a satisfactory mail and passenger service being maintained with Stewart Island and with the object of assisting in that direction it has been decided to grant a subsidy of £6OO per annum for a larger and more suitable vessel than the Tamatea,” stated a letter received at yesterday's meeting of the Bluff Harbour Board from the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle. “Tenders are now being invited for such a service to commence as from January 1 next. In the meantime, the Post and Telegraph Department has agreed to your board agreeing with Captain Hamilton for the carriage of mail twice weekly between Bluff and Stewart Island up to the end of December next at the same annual rate of subsidy as is now paid to the board.” A letter from the Chief Postmaster at Invercargill stated that alternative tenders were being invited for the performance under contract for periods (a) December 31, 1931, and (b) December 31. 1934, of a weekly service between Bluff and Halfmoon Bay. Tenders would close at the General Post Office, Wellington, on October 11.