NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Review of Taxi Licenses. Taxj licenses in the Auckland area are to be reviewed at an early date by the Xo. 1 Transport Licensing Authority, Mr. K. J. Phelan. More than 1000 vehicles are licensed in this area. It is nearly a year the authority licensed taxi operators in the Auckland district, and at the forthcoming review they wilt l>e required to satisfy him that conditions regarding hours, wages and the keeping of books have been observed. A sitting will be held at Devonport early next month to deal with taxis on that side of the harbour. Molotoff Breadbaskets.

Recent cables have made reference to the use of Molotoff breadbaskets by the X'azis in the Battle of Britain. This type of bomb was Russia's contribution to modern warfare. They adopted tactics of plastering extensive areas in Finland so thickly that, although no objective was actually aimed at, work and movement in areaA surrounding important objectives was made impossible. The Molotoff breadbasket consists of a cylinder 7ft (Jin long and 3t't in diameter, which collapses in the air and pours out over a wide area up to 100 ineendiarv bombs.

How Are You Holding, Digger? These are days of hard personal economy in camp, writes the New Zealand official war correspondent from Afdershot. Xo man may go on his seven days' leave unless lie has £3 10/ to his credit, and the average private soldier's pay book is hard put to pass the test. Some are able to borrow from tlicir fellows. More try to do so. Most have t'alien back upon the home front. Every soldier overseas is to be allowed to receive A'2o a year from Xew Zealand, all transactions to go through the Army Pay Office. He points ont. that at the time of tlu; first Xew Zealand leave to London an auxiliary pay office was opened near Xew Zealand House. There was such a rush oil it that it was decided not to open it a second time. Hence the present financial requirements and stringency.

Permanent Health Camp. Owing to difficulties in finding a suitable site, Auckland is lagging behind other centres in New Zealand in the provision of permanent health camps, according to a statement made by the Minister of Health, t\e Hon. H. T. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong said that he ha 4 been impressed with a proposed site which he inspected yesterday in company with members of the local committee. Auckland people had contributed liberally to the funds for this purpose, he said, and the Department was anxious for finality to be reached. Tenders had already been called for the erection of buildings for the Otago camp at Roxburgh, and camps to accommodate a large number of children had already been established at Wanganui and Otaki. Fan That Went Astray.

There was every indication of trouble on an outward-bound tram last evening, when one of those incorrigible practical jokers tried his art on a short-tempered friend who was reading a newspaper. The joker applied a match to the bottom of the sheet, and the victim suddenly discovered he was holding a miniature fire. The flames got away with a rush, and there was much stamping and gesticulating before the blaze was controlled. Needless to say, there was not much paper left to read, and the owner of it had some hard things to say to his practical joker friend, who seemed badly shaken at the unexpected success of his fun. Eventually, the matter wa, settled amicably, but it is certain chat the joker will not again choose a tram in which to stage l\is surprises. The Man in Uniform. This is "Mum's" story. She has two sons, and the elder, having been turned down for military service, has decided to get married. Anxious to do "the decent thing" by "the boys." and not being an "elbow-lifter" himself, he asked his younger brother to purchase for him the requisite "dozen." Brother did not "remember that, being in uniform, he could not carry liquid provender away from a hostelry until he was oil the steps of the said place of cheer. He cast about him then for an accomplice before and after the act. He waited for about an hour before he saw two likely citizens and sought their aid. All he got was a lecture on the perfidy of his intentions. He was just leaving them in chastened mood, when a friend came along. Informed of happenings, he raised shocked eyebrows. "Gripes! They're two 'Dicks'! Let's beat it." Strategic retreat was beaten.

For Shipping Efficiency. Agreement with the view of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce that overseas chips should as far as possible call at main ports and reduce their visits to the smaller ports, to increase efficiency and reduce freights, was expressed at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. It was pointed out that this would entail an increased coastal trade and more coastal vessels. The president, Mr. R. H. Nimnio, said that any suggestion that overseas shipping should be concentrated in the main ports was likely to meet with a storm of complaint from the small ports. It was agreed, however, that, considering the equipment at the main ports and the allowances that had to be made for working the small ports with less equipment, and the necessity of standing off and on in heavy weather, freight rates were higher than if traffic were centred in the main ports. This would mean an increase in the coastal traffic and more ships engaging in it.

The Mighty Totara Has Fallen. It was one of those jobs that the suburban gardener puts off from week to week —a large and unsightly tree stump at the bottom of the garden. The clay of reckoning arrived, however; the amateur logger approached the object of his intended endeavours, and the job looked less attractive with each advancing step. That stump was about 71ft high and about 18in through at the base of the trunk. He decided that the best way to tackle it was to chop through the upper portion and then dig out the stump. Equipment was limited —a. medium-sized axe —but he set manfully to work. Fortunately the trunk was pretty dry and the chips flew merrily. But there were difficulties, in that the tree was alongside a fence. After much expenditure of perspiration and the acquiring of a few more blisters, the new recruit for a forestry company stood back in self-esteem. He proceeded to fasten a rope to the uppermost part of the trunk and put his weight into | it. Now would come that fine loud cracking and a cry of "timber" from the winged army of dead and gone big timber men! He heaved again—hut the crack didn't come. Instead, the whole trunk, plus root, came neatly from the soil. It was rotten at the root. Wasted effort or not, it was a great relief.