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Evening Star, Issue 23373, 16 September 1939, Page 12

The monthly meeting of the Forbury School Committee was held on Monday, with Mr J. Slight in the chair. The head master (Mr D. D. Steadman), reported that the roll stood at 525, the average attendance for last term being 468.8. He also reported that winter sports were now drawing to a close, and that the school had had a successful season. The hockey A team had again won its section. Miss H. Snipe, an exchange teacher, was at present filling the position of infant mistress. The appointment of Miss Parry, of Port Chalmers, as infant mistress was confirmed. The first assistant, Mr Lang, had received an appointment to the Kaikorai School, and in view of the probable decapitation of the school on the opening of the new intermediate school at Macandrew road, his position would not be filled permanently. During the last month, the inspectors visited the school and gave a good report.

A handful of dentists sat around a small table and waited for patients to arrive (reports a recent Melbourne ‘ Age ’). They were waiting, not with ferocious forceps, and not with a chair of horrors, but with friendly smiles and a festive air. In spite of that, however, there was no rush of public visitors. The occasion was the annual meeting of subscribers to the Dental Hospital, and as time slipped away without a quorum arriving, those present began to fidget, and frantic telephone calls were put through. After a delay of half an hour it was decided to postpone the meeting for a week. The official explanation for the absence of a quorum was that dentallyminded citizens were surfeited with pleasures, such as meetings following the round of gaiety of the Dental Congress, but another explanation might point to the deeply ' ingrained (if quite unreasonable) fear of dentists. Perhaps it was the lingering pangs of those first extractions that were haunting minds of subscribers, and leading them to do what human frailty leads us all to do—to put off visiting the dentist.

The mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) acknowledges with thanks receipt of the following donations to the appeal on behalf of the New Zealand Council for the Adoption of Chinese Refugee Children:—Previously acknowledged, £763 6s 8d; Mrs Mallett, ss; total, £763 11s Bd.

Reminiscences of the early days of community singing were interchanged between two of the leaders in an informal conversation yesterday. Quite a lot of drives were undertaken in the years from 1914-18, not only to instil the cheer germ in the community, but also to raise money for patriotic objects. “ I remember going out to Mosgiel at one stage,” said Mr A. Pettitt, “ and there was a man with a barrel-organ and the biggest monkey ever I saw in my life. I didn’t find out for long enough that the monkey was Mr Himbufg dressed in skins.” Mr Himburg was not hand in adding details, and was espe-‘ daily thrilled with the memory of having routed a large retriever dog, which, with the majority of his audience, had mistaken his identity. “ 1 used to get a lot of peanuts in those days,” he concluded.

Cricket enthusiasts have found interest in the announcement that the urn containing the mythical ashes had been removed from Lord’s to a place where the ashes will be safe from air raids. It is satisfactory to know that nothing can happen to the ashes over which all-England and Australian elevens have fought so many • stout battles. But that is only at first sight; the announcement induces deeper thought. Indeed <it raises some nice legal points and some questions of fact. For instance, can a mythical thing be exploded or destroyed? If not, why take it to a place of safety? What about the “ corpus delicti,” and would a writ of habeas corpus fail because of inability to deliver up the body? There is a further complicated and worrying question not involved in A.R.P. How can England send the .ashes to a place of safety when they do not possess—•mythically or actually—the ashes? For the fact-is that Australia, not England, holds the ashes.. Therefore, the people at Lord’s have done something with something that (1) does not exist, and/or (2) that, if it does exist, they do not possess. A legal pronouncement on the question might be interesting—or would it further complicate the question?—Melbourne ‘ Age.’

In the Police Court yesterday, Alexander Rust, who was represented by Mr O. G. Stevens, pleaded not guilty to exceeding the speed limit of 30 mill's an hour through a restricted area, and after evidence the defendant was fined £1 and costs.

Cuthbert Earl M'Keagg, for whom Mr' W.' H. Carson appeared, was charged at ,the Polifce Court this morning with the theft of a ring valued at £2, the property of some person or persons unknown. On the application of the police the accused was remanded until Friday next. The only other business dealt with was a charge of drunkenness brought against a first offender, who, having been in the cells all night, was convicted and discharged. Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., was on the bench.

That there are not in Dunedin as many alien residents as are located in the chief northern centres is proved by the fact that the small staff of officers at the Central Police Station for the purpose of dealing with applications for registration have experienced no difficulty whatever in coping with the work. There has been a fairly steady stream of applicants covering a wide range of nationalities, with Chinese predominating.

The existence of “ cliques ” in cricket teams is not unknown to club officials, and Mr R. C. Torrance, one of Otago’s finest left-hand bowlers of a-quarter of a century or so ago, made an appeal to members at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Club to forgo their personal inclinations in this way and to cheerfully play in any team in which they were selected, irrespective of whether their mates were in the same eleven or not. The appeal followed Mr Torrance’s election as sole selector of all teams “ It should be for your own good and for the good of the club if you are put up a grade,” said he, " and I’m going to do my best for both. If you don t like my methods—-well, you 11 know what to do at the next annual meeting.”

A young woman who was proceeding along Tweed street, Littlebourne, about 10 40 o’clock last night was struck on the head with some instrument She fell to the ground screaming, and persons came to her assistance, the police being promptly sent for. A search was made in the vicinity of the assault, but without result. The young woman, who was not so severely injured that hospital treatment was necessary, stated that prior to the assault she had noticed a young man standing near the steps in Tweed street. The_ police are making further investigations. “ This man seems to think he is a sort of Hitler on wheels,” remarked the magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle) in the Police Court yesterday .afternoon when summing up the evidence against John Stevenson, who was charged with failing to obey a traffic inspector. His Worship imposed a fine of £5 and costs (£1 6s) and suspended the defendant’s license for a month, the conviction to be endorsed on the license. ” The sooner he learns ordinary courtesy and to show consideration for other users of the road, the better for him,” the magistrate added.- A further charge of dangerous driving and one of failing to stop at the traffic inspector’s signal, which were also brought against the defendant were withdrawn. The question whether it is advisable to hold the Centennial - Exhibition at Wellington while the Empire is at 'jar will come before the meeting of the executive of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce at its meetiug °u Tuesday night. Representatives of various bodies on the executive have been asked to obtain the views of those they represent. Where right-hand ' turning is required at an intersection, control by automatic lights can be very dangerous to At 4.45 yesterday afternoon one such escaped being run down by a car by a'matter of inches. For many weeks a traffic Inspector has spent hours each day educating pedestrians, .for their own safety, to cross the'street at the 1 Star ’ corner only when the lights permit. The pedestrian mentioned above stepped from the kerb at John Chambers doorway and commenced walking towards the continuation of the pavement outside the Law Courts Hotel, the lights indicating that no traffic passing along Cumberland street could cross Stuart street, and that pedestrians could proceed in safety. Half-way across the intersection a car, moving rather quickly, but otherwise in perfect accord with the regulations, came down Stuart street, turned right, and swung into Cumberland street, scattering the equally law-abiding pedestrians walking under light protection. From yesterday’s experience the pedestrian has decided that such walking is no safer than waiting for an opportunity and going ahead when such occurs. Incidentally pedestrians are further liable to be in danger when making this particular crossing, as on one post controlling the Cumberland street through traffic the amber-coloured light has been removed. Red switches immediately to green so that any pedestrian making the crossing has no assurance that any moment through traffic may not get immediate right-of-wav across his line of travel. When volunteers were called for last week one of those to get into his warworn uniform and report was an exDigger who has of lato years been in ill-health, though still able to carry on Ids occupation. He thought, however, that he might be able to again “ do his bit,” in a modified form, by, say, guarding some vulnerable point. He had answered all questions to his own satisfaction, but at the tail end came the sting. “ All men must be medically examined; those who are not fit fall out.” This ex-Digger did not fall out, but he subsequently went to the O.C. and said, very sadly, “ I guess I wouldn’t pass the quack, so I’ll withdraw my name—but, look you, you’re losing the best man in the whole bunch.” “ I believe yon, Digger, but —well, there it is,” said the 0.C.; and the old soldier went home to doff his khaki.

Resignations from highly-placed officers are not uncommon whenever an international crisis occurs, but the current upheaval is an exception to the rule (says the Melbourne ‘ Age ’). The only withdrawal so far. notified is that of the United States Ambassador at Berlin, Mr Hugh Robert Wilson, whoso defection was notified by President Roosevelt in one of his familiar “ Press conferences.” No surprise, however, need attach to Mr Wilson’s action, because as soon as German wrath toward Poland reached the critical stage, and America felt impelled to give expression to its feelings against the aggressor, he voiced strong protest against the inconsistency of the U.S.A. embargo policy which would forbid export of arms but not of material from which they might be manufactured. Mr Wilson, who has had long experience in the diplomatic service of his country, has taken a special interest in armament questions. He was secretary of the general conference for limitation of naval armaments at Geneva in 1927. and adviser and delegate to the preparatory commission for disarmament conference in the three succeeding years. He was also delegate to the conference for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions, and to the commission for the preparation of a draft convention on the private manufacture of arms and ammunition and implements of war. The U.S.A, neutrality law which governs export of arms, therefore, was always a potential cause of strained relations between the Berlin embassy and Washington.

At a meeting of the executive of the Thames Valley Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Association, it was decided not to hold the annual show this year, principally on account of the petrol restrictions being likely to affect the gate receipts and stock entries.— Press Association.

Sir Truby King memorial fund has been added to by the following donations:—Mrs Crampton 3s 6d, Mrs A. Cameron 10s, “ Noel ” ss.

Notifications of Sunday services as enumerated below appear in our Sunday services advertising columns Anglican; St. Paul’s Cathedral, All Saints’. Presbyterian: First Church, Knox Church, St. Andrew’s, Musselburgh, St. Stephen’s, Roslyn, Kaikorai, Maori Hill, Wakari. Methodist: Trinity, Central Mission, Mornington, St. Hilda, Cavershara, Dundas Street, Abbotsford, Cargill Road, Maori Hill. Baptist: Hanover Street, Caversham, Mornington, South Dunedin, Roslyn, Sunshine, North-east Valley, Green Island. Congregational: Moray Place Church. United. Church of Christ: St. Andrew Street, North-east Valley, South Dunedin. York Place Hall, Salvation Army, Playfair Street Hall, Christian Science, Theosophical Society, Spiritualists, Salvation Array (North Dunedin). Dancing patrons are reminded of the Wain’s Hotel annual staff ball, to be held in the Early Settlers’ Hall on Tuesday, September 26. The Dunedin Starr-Bowkett Building Society will dispose of £SOO in Nos. 5 and 6 groups by sale on Wednesday.

The Dunedin Burns Club will hold its monthly concert 'in the Town Hall Concert Chamber ou Wednesday next.' A first-class programme of vocal, instrumental, and national dances will be presented.

An examination of candidates for certificates as dredgeraasters will be held at Dunedin and Greymouth on November 21 next. Particulars are advertised.

The weekly old-time dance will be held to-night in the Early Settlers' Hall. The music will be supplied by the Sports Orchestra, assisted by Piper Gordon Crichton and Hogg’s sound system.