Waihola celebrated on Wednesday afternoon an event of some local interest, the occasion being the placing of a mile-stone at the 25th mile from Dunedin.
This stone is one of a series erected from the Taieri Ferry School, 22 miles, to the 27th mile from the city. In the early days the Provincial Government of Otago erected wooden mile-posts along the main south road, as far as the Ferry. These gradually decayed, or were removed from time to time, until the post at the Taieri Ferry was the only one left.
Although weather-worn and obliterated, it was found to be in a good state of preservation, after 50 years of service. Mr R. A. Ewing, having obtained permission from the Bruce County Council (through the member for the district, Mr W. Bell) had it removed to the Early Settlers' Hall, as a memento of the early days, and replaced by a facsimile made of cement. Similar stones, six in number, have been erected to a distance of a mile and a half beyond Waihola.
It was considered fitting that the stone in the township should be placed in position with some ceremony. All the school children, and a large number of residents, were present.
Mr Ewing explained the history of the earlier mile-stones, and informed his hearers that a sealed bottle containing particulars of the district, and other items of present day interest, written on parchment, bearing the signature of the older residents, together with copies of the Otago Daily Times, Evening Star, and Bruce Herald, and copies of "Passing Notes'', June 24 and July 1, was deposited at the base.
In conclusion, Mr Ewing hoped the school children would always take an interest in this stone, which at some future date might be of historic importance.
The speakers referred to the benefit the travelling public would derive from these mile-stones, which they hoped to see continued along the Main South road. All the stones, which are of a substantial appearance, were made and donated by the Milburn Lime and Cement Co.
•On behalf of the Canterbury Labourers' Union, Mr E. J. Howard (general secretary) has written to the chairman of the North Canterbury Education Board, informing him that complaints were coming from hundreds of the members of the union concerning the manner in which the children at the primary schools were being treated because their parents were too poor to provide them with money or goods for the various funds.
The union urged the board to have the matter stopped at once.
•Mr Arthur Gill, of Redwood's Valley (Nelson), has for some little time been experimenting with a view to determining the best method of launching bombs with precision from aeroplanes.
He has hit upon what appears to be a good solution of the problem, and recently submitted the result of his experiments to the Inventions Board in England.
He has received word that his method has been closely examined, and has received the thanks of the Admiralty for his communications.
•Beginning on January 1, this year, Denmark introduced the 24-hour system of computing time. This means that, hereafter, in Denmark, the hours will run consecutively from 1 to 24, what has been called 1 p.m., becoming 13, and so on until the close of the 24 hours, midnight being called 24 o'clock.
This system, which eliminates all doubt as to whether a given hour refers to day or night, has already been introduced in several European countries.
- ODT, 7.7.1916.
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