IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21849, 28 October 1932, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Independence of Czechoslovakia. To-day the Republic of Czechoslovakia is commemorating the 14th anniversary of the declaration of her independence. * * * * Five Shillings a Day. “We had bad times 34 years ago when carpenters were glad to get 5/a day, but we seemed to hear very little of unemployment,” remarked Mr E. B. Pilcher at the annual meeting of the Permanent Investment Association last evening. Flower Thieves At Bluff. Flower cultivating householders at Bluff are feeling anxious just now owing to the nocturnal activities of an expert garden thief (or thieves). Several plots have been raided and prized plants removed with a neatness that shows a practised hand; tulips, pansies, stocks and rarer flowers vanishing in a night, with only trimly cut holes to show where the blooms formerly gpew. The horticultural burglar is evidently a discriminating operator and must know the gardens well; as no sound of blundering feet has disturbed the slumbers of the plant losers.— Bluff correspondent. * * » * Tramways Dispute Settled. After a long sitting extending to within a few minutes of midnight, a settlement of the Invercargill tramways dispute was reached in the Con-x. ciliation Council last evening. Although, the various demands were strenuously contested, a good feeling existed between the representatives of the employers and the men. Both parties realized that at the present time an adjustment of the existing conditions were necessary and these were arrived at with a minimum of delay. Mr S. Ritchie (Conciliation Commissioner) presided at both the preliminary and adjourned hearings. Starr Bowkett Societies. At the annual meeting of the Permanent Investment and Loan Association last evening the secretary (Mr E. B. Pilcher) mentioned that it was 36 years since the first Starr Bowkett Society had been formed in Southland. Five original directors of the society, Messrs R. A. Anderson, J. S. Baxter, A. F. Hawke, W. N. Stirling and himself were now directors of the Permanent Investment Association which in 1914 had bought out the interests of the Starr Bowkett societies when, these could no longer carry on in the face of heavy withdrawals owing to bad times. During their existence the Starr Bowkett societies had advanced £250,000 in Southland. * * * * The New Tug Awarua. Notification has been received by the Bluff Harbour Board that its new tug Awarua left Albany last Saturday and is due at Port Chalmers on November 5. At its monthly meeting yesterday it was decided by the board that the chairman (Mr M. N. Hyndman), secretary (Mr H. C. Gimblett). engineer (Mr D. E. S. Mason) and harbourmaster (Captain G. N. Lindsay) visit Port Chalmers to inspect the vessel whilst she is in dock. In response to the board’s invitation three tenders were received from shipwrights for cleaning of the hull and painting while the tug is in dock, that of the Port Chalmers Shipwright Company in the sum of £32 being accepted. Upon the arrival of the vessel at Bluff the board will make the necessary arrangements _ for manning and put the Awarua into operation immediately.

Comic Operas Broadcast. i Lovers of grand opera and comic opera have been well catered for recently in radio broadcasts by the Australian Broadcasting Commission which has adopted a very progressive policy in providing its listeners with highclass' musical entertainment including recitals by world-famous artists. Owing to the royalty restrictions Gilbert and Sullivan operas have not hitherto been officially broadcast in Australasia, but the commission has now completed arrangements to permit of broadcasts of these operas which are being played at the Melbourne Theatre Royal by the company which visited Invercargill some months ago. On Wednesday night “Pirates of Penzance” and “Trial by Jury” were relayed from the national stations. To-morrow evening "The Mikado” will be relayed and next Wednesday “H.M.S. Pinafore.” The immortal series will be broadcast during the season.

School Building Criticized. Criticism of the condition of the rooms and desks in the Forth street building was voiced at the monthly meeting last evening of the Southland Technical College Board of Managers by Mr W. McChesney, who yesterday afternoon as a member of the visiting committee made his first tour of inspection of the college and grounds. Mr McChesney said that in the old High School building the ravages of borer were very much in evidence. As for the furnishings he said that he had seen better in backblocks schools or seaside cribs. In the health interests of the scholars he maintained that such conditions should not be allowed to exist. He concluded by saying he had been told by the principal that when Government finances improved this state of affairs would be altered. The other member of the visiting committee, Mr W. Carswell, said that previous inspecting committees had been impressed with the danger to teachers and scholars in one part of the building. He was glad to learn that authority had now been given to have this matter remedied. Mr W. G. Tait remarked that the board had been glad some years before to secure the old High School building, so taxed had been the accommodation at the college. Mr A. J. Ball said that the building had deteriorated so much that it was not worth while renewing it.

Very Successful Year. “The Bluff Harbour Board, notwithstanding the times which we are passing through, has experienced a. very successful year,” stated a clause in the report of the secretary (Mr H. C. Gimblett) presented to the board at its monthly meeting yesterday. “Revenue has exceeded the estimate by £537 6/7 and our expenditure has been £69,906 10/11, of .which sum £33,879 has been incurred or^ capital expenditure on tliLnew tug Awarua and works of a capital nature. Qur cash credit at the commencement of the year was £15,993 3/7 and expenditure has exceeded receipts by £18,017 4/4, leaving the board with a debit balance of £2024 0/7. During the year 1932-33 the sum of £7450 will be required to complete the purchase of tug Awarua and this sum will be found from revenue the same as the previous payments without the board having recourse to borrowing by way of loan to acquire the vessel.” At the meeting the estimates for the year 1932-33 wera submitted by the secretary and wera adopted. The estimated receipts wera based on £36,085 from ordinary sources and it was estimated that the total expenditure, including final payment on the board’s new tug. would reach a grand total of £39,977. Included in this amount for expenditure are items totalling £13,613 for works of a purely capital nature.