IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22731, 6 November 1935, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Brief Criminal Sitting. The criminal sitting of the Supreme Court yesterday was a particularly brief one, the one case for trial being concluded at 2.15 p.m. No fixtures were sought in respect of three of the cases appearing on the civil calendar. * » * * Extension of Thomson Street.

The City Council has recently been negotiating for the purchase of land to permit of the extension of Thomson street to Fox street. A decision to acquire the necessary land was reached at the meeting of the council last evening. « * * ♦

Express Delayed. The Christchurch express, due at 9.5 p.m., did not reach Invercargill until nearly 10 o’clock last evening. The delay occurred because of engine trouble on the mixed train which usually arrives in Invercargill at about 7.30 p.m. This train was held up at Brydone and the express had to wait at Mataura until the line was clear. Tulips on Council Table.

The City Council table was graced last evening with magnificent tulips from the main gardens. Their stems were on the average three feet long and were crowned with giant blooms of rich buds. By the time the meeting closed (11.45 p.m.) many of the tulips were hanging their heads, an affliction which was also noticeable among some of the councillors. ♦ * * *

Standard Pay Sought. At last night’s meeting of the Invercargill City Council, Councillor W. M. C. Denham referred to the case of the men working at Pleasure Bay mixing concrete and building a wall there. He considered that the work should not be regarded as an unemployment job, but that the men should be granted standard rates of pay. The matter was referred to the Reserves Committee for consideration. * * * * Five-day-a-week Job. General gratification was expressed by councillors when at last night’s meeting of the Invercargill City Council the Mayor (Mr John Miller) stated that he had just received a telegram from the Minister of Employment advising that the Unemployment Board had just completed an arrangement with the Public Works Department for the conversion of the Invercargill aerodrome work to a five-day a week undertaking at standard rates of pay. * * * ♦ Ice Cream. Included in the report of the City Inspector to the City Council was the following clause: “Special inspection of premises used for the manufacture of ice cream in the city has recently been completed. Conditions are quite good at all points, the two largest wholesale manufacturing plants being particularly well conducted. Ice cream is a matter of importance as being a substance of considerable potential danger under adverse conditions, but the product sold anywhere in Invercargill can be consumed with confidence by the younger generation.”

Pilfering of Clothes. It seems that shopkeepers have to put up with the pilfering of clothes on the way to then - shops as well as shoplifting, judging by instances given to a Times reporter by a retailer’ yesterday. He showed how deftly silk shirts and underwear were taken from their packing cases and the broken part of the case replaced so that at first glance the thefts would not be noticed. These clothes were shipped from Auckland to Bluff and railed from the port to Invercargill. “Dozens of shirts, singlets, and so on were taken,” he said. “Other shopkeepers have suffered as well. The losses from pilfering seem to go in rotation.”

South Australian Oranges. Yesterday 1700 cases of Berri oranges for the Southland fruit trade were landed by the Union Company’s Waitaki at Bluff. The bulk of the shipment consisted of Valencias, though most of the other South Australian varieties were also represented. Most of the consignment was taken over by wholesalers and retailers yesterday so that the new shipment will be on sale to-day. This is the last shipment of South Australian oranges for Southland this season. The future trade in Australian citrus fruits is still indefinite, although negotiations are taking place between the Governments of the two dominions. Thus there is no certainty that Berri oranges will be on sale in Invercargill again next season. * * $ * Roll Totals. A total of 14,402 names has been entered upon the roll for the Invercargill electorate. The supplementary roll, which closed on Monday evening, contained 1694 names, while the main roll, which closed on July 29, had 12,708 names entered upon it. In spite of the fact that the roll was purged for this election and the names of over 2000 former voters removed, there are exactly 100 additional persons registered since the 1931 figures were finalized. The totals for that election were as follows: Supplementary roll, 927; main roll, 13,375. When the supplementary roll for the Mataura electorate closed on Monday night 1511 names were added to the general roll, bringing the total number of eligible voters to 10,460. The total number on the roll for the 1931 election was 9725, the increase for this election being 735. * * * ♦ Price of Gas and Electricity. The price of gas charged at Invercargill has been under discussion at recent meetings of the City Council. Last evening Councillor J. H. Tattersfield read figures substantiating his remarks at earlier meetings regarding Invercargill’s favourable price compared with such northern towns as Hokitika, Ashburton and Temuka. He submitted that the long street frontages in Invercargill were a reason why the charges for gas could not be further reduced, and added that all things considered the Invercargill gasworks compared very favourably with other works in New Zealand. Councillor W. M. C. Denham asked why the electricity charges in Invercargill were higher than at any other place on the list before the council. The Mayor said that some of the other places bought in bulk. Councillor H. Ritchie said it would probably be found that Invercargill bought dearer than any other place in New Zealand. * * * * The New Post .Office. “Do you consider it necessary to erect a new post office in Invercargill?” was a question addressed to the Hon. Adam Hamilton at his meeting at Nightcaps on Monday. “Most assuredly I do,” replied the Postmaster-Gen-eral, “otherwise I would not have recommended Cabinet to authorize the expenditure involved. While I cannot recollect the date when the present building was erected I know that the existing accommodation is too limited to enable the activities of the department to be performed as expeditiously and efficiently as is desired. It is intended to accommodate in the new building several Government departments which now conduct their business in rented buildings in different parts of the city. This will result in a saving in annual rental and there is

no doubt that the whole of the accommodation to be provided will be taken up. The proposed building will be erected close to the footpath and the public will thus be relieved of the necessity of traversing the wide open space in front of the Post Office.” * * * *

Court of Review At Invercargill. Mr Justice Johnston, of Wellington, Judge of the Court of Review, Messrs R. S. Chadwick, of Dannevirke, and Alfred Coleman, of Stratford, members of the Court, and Mr W. N. King, of Auckland, associate registrar, arrived in Invercargill by last evening’s express. This morning they will hear appeals under the Rural Mortgagors Final Adjustment Act and will also deal with applications for relief in connection with rural mortgages under the Mortgagors and Tenants Relief Act. The party is staying at the Grand Hotel. On the completion of the Invercargill work the Court will proceed to Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru and Christchurch. The effect of the institution of the Court of Review is to bring into uniformity the decisions of the Adjustment Commission relating to these matters throughout the Dominion. The recent _ amendment to the Rural Mortgagors Final Adjustment Act gives the parties the right to appeal to the Court from all decisions of Adjustment Commissions.

Statue of Sir Joseph Ward. The statue of Sir Joseph Ward, nowin Post Office Square, will be removed with the other two statues to the Gala street reserve, the Post and Telegraph Department having disapproved of the suggestion that it be placed in the vestibule of the new post office. The let-, ter on the subject to the City Council from the Chief Postmaster stated: “I have to inform you that the matter was duly represented to my head office. I am now directed to inform you that, while the department is naturally sympathetic to the movement which prompted the suggestion, the adoption of the suggestion is not possible, as, according to the plans for the proposed new building, there will not be sufficient room in the vestibule for the statue. I am also directed to say that it is not considered that the proposed position would enable the statue to be seen to advantage as would be the case if it were placed in the open. Although the department cannot adopt the suggestion offered, it nevertheless thanks the City Council for bringing the matter under notice.” It was decided that the Superintendent of Reserves make the necessary arrangements with Messrs Reid and Jones for the removal of this statue to the Memorial Park, Gala street, this being the site already chosen for the statues of Earl Jellicoe and the late Earl Kitchener.