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Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 3

The report of the Imperial Challenge Shield competition for the Empire for 1930 received by the defence headquarters shows that 31,312 boys throughout the Empire competed for the trophy in 1930, which was won by Canada, compared with 40,510 the previous year, New Zealand figures being respectively 5738 and 13,147. The report, referring to New Zealand’s entry, says: “New Zealand unfortunately has not maintained the progress made last year. A very large decrease in the numbers made it necessary to include in her national team an undue proportion of low averages. The falling off is owing to the cessation of training of non-secondary school cadets. After the splendid effort made last year the falling off in both numbers and efficiency is the more disappointing, but at the same time it may be noted, with the exception of 1926, the Dominion quota of boys qualifying as marksmen and first-class shots is the largest she has yet provided. Some of the smaller teams made very good scores, and 20 of the 43 units gained places in either the. first or second hundred lists.” Speaking at the annual conference of the principals of the registered secondary schools of New Zealand, held in Wellington last week, the Rev. H. K. Archdall, headmaster of King’s College, Auckland, said that undoubtedly the existence of- independent schools was of general benefit to the whole community in so far as they stood for freedom in educational experiment against the ever-present danger of stereotyped bureaucratically-controlled instruction. “ The risk of standardisation in a State-controlled system,” he went on to say, “ is that it may all too easily foster contentment with something less than the possible best. To have a number of schools independent of the State system and free to make untrammelled adventures in policy is to admit the opportunity of breaking away from hampering monotony. Therefore, it is to the interest of society at large that nothing should be done to limit our freedom unnecessarily, or to prevent us giving our full contribution to the common educational efforts of the community. Our registration by the State is proof that our schools are efficient from the point of view of classroom teaching, and the community can test us by external examinations as well as by the character of those we turn out. Beyond that we ask to be left alone, so that we can make an untrammelled contribution to the welfare of the community.”

With the low and falling state of the Kawarau, proposals in tlie direction of closing the Kawarau dam are being taken up by all local bodies (reports our Cromwell correspondent). It is contended that this would be the means of absorbing many of the unemployed in profitable work, and in that respect would be of immense benefit. A meeting of local claim-holding companies on Wednesday evening decided to urge the matter on the authorities, and the Cromwell District Mining Association on Friday evening passed a similar resolution. The proposal will be placed before the Minister of Public Works and the Unemployment Commissioner. There can be no objection on the part of the claim-holding interests, as successful operations would help to promote the general scheme. Local claimholding interests are unanimously in favour of a closing.

New Zealand's attractions as a holidayground for the overseas visitor have greatly impressed Major Sir Douglas Halt, D. 5.0., of the Coldstream Guards, .who sailed this week after a visit extending over three months. “New Zealand is certainly one of the finest places for a holiday that I know,” said Sir Douglas in an interview in Auckland, and Lady Hall, who accompanied him on most of his less arduous expeditions, lost no time in confirming his statement by adding that the greatest tribute they could pay lay in the fact that they had already made plans for their return next summer. Their visit has been a “ sporting holiday,” of which, they state, they have not wasted a day. Sir Douglas has caught swordfish in the north, stalked deer in Westland, shot chamois at Mount Cook, and caught trout in the Tongariro River. Such a marvellous variety of sport, he said, could not be found in such a small space in any other part of the world. “ The deerstalking is quite the best thing I have ever done, and if there is one thing more than another that is bringing me back it is that,” said Sir Douglas. lie penetrated deep into the mountainous country between the Mueller Pass and the Landsborough River in Westland. Many heads fell to his rifle, and he brought four out. One was a first-class 15-pointer. By a special privilege Sir Douglas was able to shoot a chamois at Mount Cook, and from what he saw there he is of the opinion that chamois and than shooting in New Zealand is likely to become some of the best in the world.

This year has been a disastrous one for many persons, but probably the business man in Gisborne who has been the hardest hit is Mr R. J. Kerridge, one misfortune succeeding another with clock-like regularity. In January last the Garrison Hall, which Mr Kerridge had leased for miniature golf, badminton, dancing, etc., was destroyed by fire, and Mr Kerridge’s loss was estimated at £l5OO. A few days later the manager of his Whakatane theatre was partly paralysed, being almost electrocuted. Almost on top of this came news from Mr Kerridge's Levin theatre that an operator had caught his hand in machinery at the theatre, and had to have some fingers amputated. On February 3, the day of the big earthquake, Mr Kerridge’s Gaiety Theatre in Wairoa, with the plant, seating, scenery, etc., was completely demolished, his loss running into some thousands of pounds, the insurances not covering earthquake damage. Now conies another loss with the closing of the Regent Theatre indefinitely until damage done by the earthquake there this month is repaired. Mr Kerridge cheerfully remarked that there are still eight months to go before the year is ended, and he wonders where and when the next blow will fall.

In Christchurch some organisation of professional men have adopted a chain system of calling meetings, thus saving the cost of sending out notices. The idea is that the message shall be passed on from one member to another, on the principle of a chain letter. Each member of the asociation has a list of all the members, with the telephone number of eaclu When a meeting is called, the first man on the list is telephoned and acquainted of the time and place. It is his duty to ring up the second, the second the third, and so on. The chemists of Christchurch are using the telephone in this way, and it is stated that the dentists intend to adopt the system. In Auckland (says the Star) the chain system is not in use, because it is considered that a message might be mutilated when spoken over the telephone, and it would sometimes be necessary to leave the information with an office assistant, to be given to the principal when he returned. The experience of the army proved that a message is likely to be distorted beyond-recognition when it is passed by word of mouth from one man to another along a line of soldiers. There was the classic instance on the Western Front in which “ Awaiting ■reinforcements” was transformed into “ Raising three and fourpence.” There was a strange meeting a few days ago on aTe Kuitj farm. Two brothers, both born in New Zealand, one aged 52 and the other 70, had both lived in the North Island all their lives, and yet had never met. It is stated that when tlia younger brother was about two years old, the elder, who was of rather a dare-devil disposition, rode a horse up the stairs of the hotel in the district in which they lived. This caused such a stir that he was obliged to leave the neighbourhood. When he revisited his relatives in later years his brother was absent. The. brothers never actually met until last /week-end, when their reunion was celebrated.

The Nelson Education Board unanimously passed the following resolutions: — (1) “ That all married women teachers, widows excepted, now in the service of the board be given three months’ notice as from June 1 of the termination of their engagements.” (2) “ Should any teacher consider her circumstances to be of such a nature as to entitle her to special consideration, full particulars should be forwarded to the board.” The graduation ceremony in connection with the University of Otago will take place during the last week of the first term. The public will be admitted by invitation only, and it is recommended that invitations be issued as follow: •—(1) To specified friends of council, staff, and graduands who signify their intention of attending to receive a degree. Each such graduand may submit the names of two friends, to each of whom a personal invitation will be issued. (2) To members of the committee of the Court of Convocation of the Otago University district. (3) To prominent citizens, and to persons interested in University affairs. (4) To the president and members of the executive of Students’ Association, platform'tickets to be issued to the president and two vice-presidents. (5) To the executive of the student association of each faculty. The Professorial Board reported to the meeting of the University Council yesterday as under: The board recommends that pressure should be brought to bear upon graduands to induce them to be present at the graduation ceremony. That it is inconvenient for a graduand to come up for his degree is not a sufficient excuse. Every year too great a number of degrees are conferred in absentia. This would not be tolerated in any Home university.

A deputation from the Gaelic Society waited on the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) on the Dunedin Railway Station on Tuesday morning a to discuss with him arrangements in con- t, ncction with the unveiling of the John j M'Kenzie memorial on Puketahu Hill t (Palmerston). After hearing the views a of the members of the deputation, the v Minister promised to fix a date in the near future for the ceremony. J The report of a special meeting re- I specting the clock presented by the chan- v cellor (Sir Thomas Sidey) to the University of Otago was brought forward at r the meeting of the council on Tuesday. The t committee recommended that a brass tab- < let be erected in the hall alongside the ( master clock, and that the following in- j scription be placed on it: —“ The clock ? in the University tower and this master clock were installed in March, 1931, , through the generosity of the Hon. Sir , Thomas K. Sidey, M.L.C., Chancellor.” The committee also recommended that a suitable Latin quotation be added. It was ( decided to carry out the recommenda- , tions of the committee. The chancellor expressed his appreciation of the action of the committee. With the lifting of the Government’s ban, the Auckland Acclimatisation Society is moving in the direction of importing 400 chukor from Northern India for liberation in its district. The placing of the order was authorised at a meeting of the council, the price agreed to being 8s 6d a brace. Mr M'Kenzie said the society had ordered 400 of the birds in September, 1929, but a ban had been placed on their importation by the Department of Internal Affairs. In the present case, shipment would be made from Bombay in November. In answer to an opinion that the cost was too great, Mr M'Kenzie said he considered the birds cheap. The society had imported much dearer birds, the Hungarian partridges, for instance, having cost more than £1 each. An advertisement appears in our advertising columns dealing with the election of three producers’ representatives on the New Zealand Meat Producers Board. The regulations under which the. election is conducted provide that the various districts shall elect 25 delegates who will constitute an Electoral Committee. This committee will assemble in Wellington on August 27 to consider the board’s annual report and balance sheet and to elect three producers’ representatives on the board. In accordance with the provisions of the Meat Export Control Act, the members of the board who are to retire in August are Messrs H. D. Acland (Christchurch), J. S. Jessep (Wairoa), and William Perry (Masterton). These members offer themselves for re-election as producers’ representatives on the board.

A compliment was paid to Mr T. Bloodworth (Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners) by Mr Justice Frazer at the wage inquiry in the Arbitration Court on Tuesday. After Mr Bloodworth had presented his address Mr T. O. Bishop (employers’ advocate) said he did not think any good purpose would be served by cross-examining him. His statement was a very honest and conscientious expression of opinion. “ I think all of us who know Mr Bloodworth would not expect anything else from him,” observed his Honor.

The chairman of the Otago Educatiois Board (Mr James Wallace) stated at the meeting of the board on Thursday that he had just received the following telegram from the Minister of Education (Mr H. Atmore) regarding the construction of the new Albany Street School: —“ 1 have decided to approve of the intermediate type of school, to be constructed in reinforced concrete. The plan will require to be modified. The department will consider immediately the accommodation that will be necessary and will communicate with you in the course of a few days.” The chairman said that that would hold up the beginning of the school for a little while yet, but they had gained something. They had now got a definite decision that they were to have an intermediate school, but what that meant was not quite clear. To his mind, however, it meant that the Fifth and Sixth Standards at Albany Street, George Street and the Normal Schools would go to the new intermediate school, and that the primary classes at the Albany Street School would be distributed between the other two schools. The board decided to thank the Minister for his prompt reply, and to ask him to use the utmost expedition in getting the information required regarding the amended plans.

When the honorarium of the Mayor of Auckland for the ensuing two years came to be fixed by the City Council last week, the Deputy Mayor, Cr Entrican, moved that it be at the former figure of £5OO a year, subject to a 10 per cent. cut. which, he stated, the Mayor desired to be made. “ That is not in order. The Arbitration Court has not made a 10 per cent, cut yet,” said Cr Bloodworth with a smile. The motion was carried.

“ When I was in Ottawa last year,” remarked Sir Thomas Sidey, in his address to the Historical Association ’ last week. “ I saw the New Zealand room in the Canadian Parliament Buildings, so called because it was panelled throughout with New Zealand kauri. New Zealand, on the other hand, has a room in its Parliament Buildings panelled with Canadian wood, mostly birds’-eye maple. I was somewhat disappointed with the New Zealand room in Ottawa, because it seemed to me that if other timbers besides kauri had been used it would have taken away the monotonous tone of the room.”

A youthful financier with, a keen eye to business had a very promising source ' of income cut off on the second day of 1 the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s winter meeting. It was reported at the monthly meeting of the committee of the club last week that this lad had been caught by an official selling ladies’ complimentary tickets on the pathway in Plunket street. He was taken before the secretary, to whom he admitted that he had asked ladies for their spare tickets, and had then sold them for Is and Is 6d. A laugh went round the table when it was revealed that the boy’s name was the same as that of a member of the committee. An exchange tells a tale of a Sounds settler who took a cargo of fence posts to Picton on his own launch and began to unload them, when he was stopped by a deputation of wharf labourers. “ That is wharfies’ work,” he was informed, “ and you will have to employ members of the Wharfies’ Union to do it.” There was a lot of argument, of course, and the * launch owner, muttering something about a “ free country,” strode off to ascertain the rights of the case. Approaching the proper authority, he discovered that it was quite correct that he must engage union labour; but he also discovered that he could join the union for half a crown, or thereabouts. So, paying his due, he strode triumphantly back to continue his interrupted labours under the eyes of his out-manceuvred fellow-unionists.

An interesting relic of the past has been found near the mouth of the Manawapou River, a few miles from Hawera. Mr W. -Hayward, a resident of Normanby, some months ago noticed a stone of an unusual shape protruding through the sand on the seashore at spring tide. When the water was low he could not recover the stone, but he marked the spot on the land with the intention of procuring assistance to dig out the stone later. A- search was made subsequently but the stone had disappeared. However, last week it reappeared and was recovered and taken to Mr Hayward’s home at Normanby. It weighs about 2001 b, and is shaped like a wedge. It is about 2ft 6in long, 18in wide, and Ift in depth. Maoris in various pas> around Hawera contend that the relic is an anchor stone which was lost by the Ngatihine tribe living at Ohangai. According to the tradition of the Maoris there was once a deep pool at the mouth of the Manawapou River in which fishing and war canoes, used to anchor. The pool was gradually filled up with sand. The Maoris are very jubilant at the find. They say the anchor-stone was lost about 1769, before Captain Copk arrived in New Zealand. They have appealed to the finder to treat it with care, as it is a sacred object.

A very gratifying feature in connection with “ Made in New Zealand ” week is the way in which everybody is co-operating to make the week a success. In addition to their giving up their window space for manufacturers’ displays, many of the leading retailers are featuring “ Made in New Zealand” week in their own advertising spaces. The sales forces of the various retailers are also putting their weight behind the movement “and the public is not backward in its praise of the efforts of the window dressers or in its purchases. The displays will be on view until the end of the week and are well worth a special trip into town to see. The illuminations in the Octagon, which may be termed the City Council’s “ shop window,” lend the necessary touch of colour to the display as a w-hole.

A sum estimated at about £55,000 has been bequeathed to-the Hastings Memorial Hospital under the will of Miss H. L. Kelly, who was killed in the Masonic Hotel at Napier during the earthquake on February 3. The deceased had lived in the Hawke’s Bay district for about 50 years.

Regulations governing the work of the committee which has been set up by the Government to deal with eases of hardship arising out of the “cuts” made in the salaries and wages of civil servants have been published in the Gazette. Applications for relief are to be forwarded to the chairman of the committee, through the permanent head of the department concerned, before September 30 next, but no application for relief will be considered in respect of any person in receipt of a salary of £425 or more per annum or bound by an agreement. If the committee is satisfied that an anomaly or hard ship exists it may make adjustments it thinks fair and equitable, and the decision of the committee in respect of any application may be extended, with modifications considered necessary, to any cases or classes of cases whether or not application for relief has been made under the regulations. Applications by persons employed by a university college or other institution mentioned in the Act and which have been affected by a reduction in grant from the Consolidated Fund are to be dealt with by these institutions.

In addressing the Historical Association last night, Sir Thomas Sidey mentioned the interesting fact that it was the general practice of people passing the Cenotaph in London to raise their hats as a mark of respect to those who had fallen in the Great War.

The sight of a basket of oranges and lemons at the Waimate Flower Show, with a card announcing that they had been grown by Mr Napier, of “Te Kiteroa,” on the hill at the back of the town, was a distinct surprise to a lady of Perth, West Australia. “ Knowing that South Canterbury is subject to severe frosts,” she writes, “ I concluded that the fruit must have been grown under glass, but upon inquiry was told that it was grown in the open, with no protection whatever. It seems that although they often have 15 degrees of frost on the flat, the hill is almost exempt. "Waimate is certainly a charming little town and is fortunate in having a Mayor who takes the keenest interest in making the town attractive to visitors. The hotels are good and well conducted.”

“ Expenditure on food constitutes somewhat less than two-fifths of the total expenditure of the average household,” states a report in the latest monthly Abstract of Statistics, dated April 27. “In order to present a more complete picture of the movement in retail prices generally, statistics regarding retails prices of clothing, drapery, footwear, and miscellaneous items are collected at quarterly intervals, while returns as to house rents are collected twice a year. When these indexes are combined with the monthly fuel and light indexes, approximately 87 per cent, of the total family expenditure is represented. A fall of 41 points in the grocery group is mainly accounted for by decreases in the prices of potatoes and onions in most towns. Slight decreases in bacon prices have caused a fall of 13 points in the dairy produce group. Meat prices continue to decline, the March index number having fallen by 46 points as compared with February. Retail ‘prices of meat are now, on the average, only 5.6 per cent, above the July, 1914, prices.”

Among the younger generation there is still keen interest taken in the old-time dances (says our Balclutha correspondent). One young man from South Otago journeyed as far as Waitati on Tuesday night—a distance of more than 100 miles —to attend a dance. He danced all night and returned in time to have breakfast and then hurry off to his work feeling none the worse for his exertion.

On the eve of his return to England a farewell message to the people of Australia was broadcast from station 2FC, Sydney, on Sunday evening by Rearadmiral E. R. G. R. Evans, who has commanded the Australian Squadron for the Royal Navy for the past 10 years. Rearadmiral Evans has had a long and distinguished career in the “ Silent Service/’ and saw fighting in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, as well as taking part in two Antarctic expeditions and serving throughout the Great War. Referring to this Dominion, Rear-admiral Evans said: “I have never forgotten my introduction to New Zealand. We were making for Port Lyttelton and saw the beautiful white Alps bathed in moonlight, and then the sun came up and bathed the whole country in warm radiance. As we sailed between the lighthouse and the signal station they flew j the signal of ‘ Welcome ’ from the station. Had Coue been with us he would have said, ‘ New Zealand every day in every way grows more and more beautiful.' ” Rear-admiral Evans said it was a matter for great regret to him that during his 10 years of service in Australia financial stringency and acute depression had prevented h:m from bringing the Australian Squadron to New Zealand to show the people of this country what a fine body it was, and he was also very sorry that the terrible earthquake at Napier had prevented the New Zealand Squadron from joining the Australian Squadron in the manoeuvres which had been planned. He also paid a tribute to the warm regard for the navy which was held by the people of Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand mails which were despatched by the Makura from Wellington on April 21 for the United Kingdom, via San Francisco, arrived in London on May 18. In a letter received by the High Schools’ Board of Governors at its monthly meeting on Wednesday advice was received from the Director of Education that the Public Works Department had the matter ot plans for the new post-primary buildings of the proposed South Dunedin High School well in hand, and that the question of the early erection of the buildings Was now one that depended entirely on that of public finance.

The annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association is to be commenced this year on June 23 in Wellington. It is usual for the president, the senior vice-president, and the secretary to attend the conference as representatives of the Dunedin Association, but the question of delegates will not be definitely settled until next meeting of the association.

To be knocked down and injured by one motor car, and then to be killed by a second while receiving first-aid treatment in the street from fet. John Ambulance officers, was the fate of a pedestrian in England recently. The case referred to by Dr J. R. ■ Thomas at a meeting of the St. John Ambulance Association in Christchurch, when he said that one justice had given it as his opinion that the victim should have been removed from the street before being attended to, though another had claimed that the officers had been right in giving first place to first-aid treatment of the patient’s injuries. The association, said Dr Thomas, had affirmed its intention to continue its present practice of first investigating and attending to injuries, and then removing the patient to a safer place, and had claimed that it had the right to hold up traffic for the purpose.

Tattered curtains hanging at the windows of a house that had been locked up during the owner’s absence from Auckland attracted the attention of a man who had been authorised to keep an eye on the place. He obtained a key and entered the house, to find several rooms in wild disorder. The curtains had been badly ripped, cushions were strewn about the floor, and vases and ornaments had been upset. At first it appeared to be a case of vandalism, but every door and window of the house was locked, and the man started to look about fo r an explanation of the mystery. A search in the front rooms of the house was unsuccessful, but in the kitchen the invader was completely surprised. In a big pot an opossum was sleeping soundly. Taken off its guard, the animal, which had apparently entered the house by way of the chimney, was quickly killed.

An incident, possibly unique in the annals of the Masonic fraternity in New Zealand, occurred in Taihape when Dr G. N. Mac Diarmid, of Taihape, was installed as the new master of the Otaihape Lodge by his brother, Mr C. L. Mac Diarmid, solicitor, -of Hamilton, who is assistant provincial grand master of the Auckland district. The father of these two brothers, Mr N. K. Mac Diarmid, of New Plymouth, was also present, despite his 82 years, and in his capacity as an advanced official of the fraternity also took part in assisting one of his son* to install another son.