100 YEARS AGO
FRM OUR ARCHIVES
Penguin slaughter questioned
SYDNEY: Strong efforts are being made by various bodies to put a stop to the wholesale destruction of seals and penguins that is said to be going on at Macquarie Island. In a lecture before the South Australian Royal Society last week, Sir Douglas Mawson urged the authorities to take action to restrict the slaughter, and suggested that the island should be transferred to the commonwealth (it is an appendage of Tasmania, and is at present controlled by that State), and that proper measures should be taken to protect the bird and animal life there. It should then, he contended, be kept purely as a reserve or be exploited to a moderate extent under supervision and safeguards. It was interesting, Sir Douglas said, to inquire into the seal oil and penguin oil industry as conducted at Macquarie Island, with a view to ascertain whether the great slaughter was compensated by any great financial gain. So far as he had been able to learn, the trade, as conducted there in the past, from a financial standpoint, offered no great attraction over the normal occupations of the workaday world. For many years past such slaughter as had been carried on had been conducted by
New Zealanders, with headquarters at Invercargill. The Tasmanian Government, under whose jurisdiction the island remained, had been in the habit of leasing it to the New Zealand party at a nominal rental, the difficulty of collecting which appeared to have at times resulted in nothing being paid at all.
Flats for Royal Terrace
We are informed that Mr H. Isaacs has acquired the large residential block known as Avenil, in Royal Terrace, and Messrs Fletcher Bros. have been instructed to convert this building into five modern flats. These flats will range from three rooms, with a kitchenette and bathroom, to six rooms with a kitchenette and bathroom; and each one will have a separate entrance. They will be equipped with the latest modern fittings, and will be uptodate in every respect. Messrs Fletcher Bros. have also secured a contract for the erection of skin and hide stores for Messrs Wilson and Canham. The building, which will be two storeys in height, is to be constructed of reinforced concrete, and will be fireproof. A special feature of this building will be the drying system, which is to be installed for the drying of rabbit skins with hot air. The plant, which is to be installed by Mr George Davis, is being imported from England, and is believed to be the first of its kind to be introduced in any hide store in New Zealand. The lighting and ventilation of this building will be on the latest American principle, and the stores, which are to be completed by February of next year, will be among the most uptodate of their kind in the dominion.
Adventurous workers
Dunedin business men who are interested in the sheep running on the Campbell Islands, which lie half way between Stewart Island and the great Antarctic icepacks, recently advertised for men to go down there as musterers and shearers. The response they received shows clearly how strong is the lure of the unusual and unknown among our young men, for over 50 applicants came forward, including a number of returned soldiers. — ODT, 13.10.1919.