It was the first public demonstration in New Zealand of the process of soldering and welding aluminium, devised and perfected by two New Zealanders, Mr Overend and Mr Grinlinton.
The process, as displayed by Mr Grinlinton, appears remarkably simple. Hitherto the difficulty has been to reach the pure aluminium owing to the coating of oxide, and this invention provides for a preparation containing pure metal and some impurities.
When this is placed on the aluminium and subjected to the required heat the oxide on the aluminium and the impurities mingle and rise in a scum to the surface, while the pure metal descends and makes a perfectly amalgamated surface.
It has been adopted, after rigorous examination, by the British Admiralty and War Office, and it is gratifying to think that such a notable invention should be the work of two men from this dominion.
•The train which left Dunedin for Clyde at 7.52 yesterday morning was detained at Mount Allen for about an hour while the line was being cleared of a slip.
During the afternoon another slip occurred, and the train from Clyde to Dunedin could not get past it. The passengers, however, were transferred to the train which left Dunedin at 11.40 a.m., and which then returned to Dunedin.
The passengers for Otago Central on board the 11.40 train were transferred and taken as far as Middlemarch, where they had to stay overnight.
A fair quantity of stuff has come down in the slip, and it will be some time to-day before it can be cleared away. Passengers leaving for Otago Central by the early train this morning will be transferred to a train on the other side of the slip, and arrangements have also been made to transfer the passengers by the train from Clyde.
It is doubtful if the train due to leave Dunedin to-day at 11.40 a.m. will run beyond Wingatui.
•Supplies of ten shilling banknotes have been distributed to the branches of the various banks of issue in the dominion.
The notes will be placed in circulation within a few days. Authority to add banknotes of this denomination was given by Parliament in the Finance Act, which was recently passed by the Legislature.
The design adopted by the Bank of New Zealand is much simpler than that of any of the notes already in circulation. Smaller than the 1 note, the new note is printed on pink paper, water-marked "Bank of New Zealand'', and has none of the pictorial decoration which distinguishes the existing paper currency.
The principal reason for the issue of ten shilling banknotes is the discontinuance of the supplies of half sovereigns from the Australian mints owing, it has been stated, to the difficulty of replacing worn dies.
•A rather peculiar incident is reported from Kanieri, says the West Coast Times. Some 12 months ago, Mr R. Chesterman was carting straw in his shed, preparatory to having it cut into chaff.
One of the men employed in stacking the straw dropped some loose silver, amounting to 6s. All the money was recovered but sixpence. In due course the straw was cut into chaff, and later fed to the cows.
Last week one of Mr Chesterman's cows was killed, and on opening the carcase the lost sixpence was found. The coin was bent over, and plainly bore the marks showing where it had been through the chaffcutter.
- ODT, 4.8.1916
