June 1937

Riverside Drive Hooligans

A further outbreak of an incredibly stupid practice has taken place at Riverside Drive. Within the last few days four life-belts and four life-hooks have been removed from the standards on which they are suspended and thrown into the river.At periodic intervals the loss of these life saving appliances, which are placed at intervals along Riverside Drive, is brought to the notice of the authorities, but for some months they have remained untouched.

Now, unfortunately, the dangerous practice has been renewed. It does not seem to strike the miscreants with the twisted sense of humour that the absence of a life belt or hook at a given place may mean loss of life.

Yet they cannot be acting in ignorance, for on each standard is an inscription in bold letters that the appliances are there in the interest of public safety and that to remove them is to endanger human life.

The mentality of the persons who commit this type of mischief, to put it mildly, is difficult to understand. It is definitely not the work of children, as the life-belts and hooks are not very accessible to small persons, and the mischief is believed to take place at an hour when only adults are abroad.

That is why the culprits escape capture. The malicious deeds are done under cover of darkness and when passers-by are scarce. Most of the life-belts ultimately drift ashore, and though a reward is given for their recovery usually the appliances suffer from the long immersion in salt water and they have to be renewed.

The cost of replacing the life-belts and paying the rewards has to be met out of the rates. That, however, is the least important factor in the case. The danger to human lives outshadows all other considerations.

A capture and a prosecution might work wonders.

One-Way Traffic in City Square

There are no objections to the one-way traffic regulations for Dundee’s City Square carriageway.

The magistrates have applied to the sheriff of Perth and Angus for confirmation of the following bylaw:-

“Whereas the carriageway of City Square is so situated that vehicular traffic proceeding in diverse directions and herein cause congestion and danger to pedestrian traffic, no vehicle shall enter City Square by the west most section of the carriageway, and no vehicle shall leave City Square by the east most section of the carriageway.”

The Sheriff appointed objection to the proposed byelaw to be lodged with the Sheriff-clerk at Dundee, and yesterday was the closing date for their receipt. None had been lodged.

Ground Sold

A piece of ground measuring 38.85 poles at the corner of Lawside Road and Lawside Terrace, Dundee, realised the upset annual feu-duty of 2s per pole when exposed to public roup by the corporation yesterday. The successful bidder was Mr P.R. Johnston, Solicitor, on behalf of a client.

Smith Signed

Tommy Smith, Dundee’s popular left-half, signed again for the Dens Parkers on Thursday forenoon. Dundee officials were at Luncarty early in the week. They saw Eric Guthrie, but Smith was spending the day at Aberfeldy. Guthrie did not sign, but a message was left that if the players were willing to sign they should come to Dundee on Thursday. Tommy Smith arrived alone. A short talk and the player put pen to paper.

Tobacconists

Get your “smokes” from Sutherland’s and depend on their freshness.
42, Castle Street, 19 So. Union Street, and 50, Albert Street.

Playhouse

Nethergate, Dundee
Daily from 1 o’clock. Doors open 12.45
Irish Phil Regan in
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
(U)
Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson in
"Country Gentlemen”
(U)
Colour and cartoon newsreel.
Reduced prices until 4 o’clock.

Monkey Runs Amok

An escaped monkey figured in a remarkable episode at Broughty Ferry. The monkey, which answers to the name of Jackie, belongs to Mr George Brodie, dairyman, Beach Cottage and is usually kept on a chain in a hutch adjoining the house. Owing to the fine weather, however, it was transferred to an outhouse in the garden at the rear of the house.

Breaking away from its tether, the monkey escaped and maintained its freedom for nearly an hour and a half.

The little animal is quite tame and of a friendly disposition. Several children, however, tried to capture it and this apparently annoyed Jackie. He left the front garden via the railings and jumped onto the hood of a pram, which was being wheeled by a young girl. The hood collapsed and the monkey fell in onto a child in the pram.

The monkey them scampered away and was ultimately “cornered” and captured in the sun-porch of the adjacent Castle hotel.

The baby was none the worse of its experience, sustaining only a slight scratch to the forehead.

Hint and Tips 1937

Coronation Flags – Perhaps some of your readers would like to know of a use for their Coronation flags. I have covered cushions with mine and use them for the garden chairs.  They give quite a gay appearance to the lawn, and are much admired. – “Constant Reader, Dundee”.

Flax Workers Get Increase

The Flax and Hemp Trade Board, under the chairmanship of Mr A. Murdoch, has decided to increase the minimum rates of wages for mail and female workers in the trade, and to ask the Minister of Labour to bring them into force at the earliest practical date.

The increase is one of 5 per cent on the present rates and will not come into force until the Minister has made an order confirming the variations of which notice will be given to employers in due course.

Cherryfield Hall’s Future

Cherryfield Hall, Blackness Road, for many years the home of a popular west end mission, has been acquired by the Salvation Army.

Mr Robert G. Deasley, Hon. Superintendent of the mission, has received intimation from Mr James Weir, general secretary of the Y.M.C.A., that the directors of the latter body decided to dispose of the Cherryfield property to the Salvation Army, and are arranging with them to take possession on 1st July.

Mr Weir stated that the directors were willing to place at the disposal of Cherryfield workers and members’ suitable accommodation in the Y.M.C.A. premises on Constitution Road on Sundays and week nights for meeting.