Earthquakes hog the limelight
The Rev H.H. Barton, who has just returned from an extensive tour in the Far East expressed to a reporter much dissatisfaction with the news about New Zealand to be found in the newspapers of Australia and other countries he visited. In Sydney he found reference to the earthquakes at Taupo under the ludicrous scare headline "Rickety Islands", and that was practically all that was to be found of news from the dominion. Searching in Perth for items from New Zealand all he could discover was that it had produced the biggest hog in the world. Even in India cricketing people could follow the scores, but of politics, commerce or other happenings there was nothing. This was greatly to be regretted because in his travels Mr Barton found many people who were keenly interested in New Zealand, some of whom were making inquiries about prospects with a view to settling here, but as Mr Barton remarked, "If all you get is cricketers and an occasional hog it does not carry you very far."
RSA to sell French poppies
Tuesday, April 24 (the day before Anzac Day), will be observed by the Returned Soldiers' Association as "Poppy Day", and advantage will be taken of the opportunity to raise money for the relief of unemployment amongst returned soldiers.
On that day poppies will be sold throughout New Zealand in aid of the object in view. These will be distributed on a population basis, and the quota allotted to the Otago district will be 22,400 small and 2040 large poppies.
The number for sale in Dunedin will be 14,650 small and 1300 large flowers. The poppies have been manufactured by widows and orphans in the devastated areas in France, and to them a portion of the proceeds will be remitted. Last year the expenses connected with the sale were very small, amounting to only 1 percent of the proceeds, apart from the cost of advertising.
Sydney’s colossus
The Sydney Harbour bridge will be the heaviest piece of steel bridgework in the world. It will be built to carry four lines of railway, a roadway 35 feet wide for heavy traffic within the main trusses, another roadway on one side 18ft wide for fast motor traffic and a foot-walk 15ft wide on the other side. The bridge, which will be 3816ft long, will cross the harbour between Dawes Point and Milsons Point. The main portion of the bridge will be of the cantilever type with a central span of 1600ft and two anchor spans of 500ft each. There will be two main trusses rising to a height of 270ft over the piers. The clear height above high spring tide will be 170ft to permit of the passage of the tallest-masted vessels. It is estimated that the Sydney bridge will take 10 years to construct. — ODT, 5.4.1923
Compiled by Peter Dowden
