LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 7 November 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Consumption of Cigarettes That New Zealand's consumption of cigarettes last year \yas at the rate of 20 per week or almost three a day for every person in the Dominion, was one of the interesting facts given by the Minister of Customs (Mr. Nash) when moving the second reading of the Customs Amendment Bill in the House of Representativ.es yesterday. The Bill alters the rates of duty on imported tobacco in line with the Customs resolutions adopted by the House last week. Desert Road Service After a two-day hearing, the Transport Authority, Mr. Skoglund, reaffirmed. his decision to grant a passenger service licence" to the Railway Road Services for Taihape-Rotorua via the Desert Road and Taupo, and djsallowed Hawke's Bay Motors5 application for the extension of their WairakeiNational Park service to Taihape via the Desert Road. The applications had been referred back to the Authority by the': Transport Appeal Authority. Telephones in Dominion The latest figures give the number of telephones per thousand of the population in New Zealand as 158, compared with a density of 61 per 1000 in 1919, and 102 in 1935. New Zealgnd had now held for some years the position of the third country in the world for telephone density. The 1945 density figures for other countries were: — The United States, 211; Sweden, 183; Switzerland, 148; Denmark, 140; Norway,- 109; the United Kingdom, 86. Airfield Planned at Niue A fully equipped expedition will leave New Zealand about April of next year to construct an aerodrome on Niue Island. It is hoped that the work will be finished during the dry season, which ends about November.' The Public Works Department is planning the expedition to the island, the present white populatibnCbf- which is under double figures. Work on the aerodrome was deferred for this season because of the difficulty of obtaihing the material and manpower. The airstrip will be 5000 feet in length. Better Air Mail Service An improved air mail service will operate throughout New Zealand from November 17 when the new National Airways Corporation timetable is brought into operation, said the Postmaster-General, Hon. F. S. Hackett, yesterday. Extra air mails would be carried and there would also be improved transfer connections for air mails as between frunk and feeder services. These additional services would enable the Post Office to give practical effect to the objectiv.e it had aimed for since the inception of the inland air mail service — good same day connections between all main centres. Otaki Maori Church In a recent appeal to the Native Minister, Mr. Fraser, the Rev. Paora Temuera, minister in charge of the historic Maori Church at Otaki, urged that the church be fully repaired in time for the centenary celebrations in 1949. Mr. Temuera ,• estimated the cost of strengthening and repairing the church, which was built by Te Rauparaha, at £2000. The church was symbolic of the traditional history of the Maori people, and Mr. T.emuera maintained that there was no other building in existenee equal to it in beauty. "To see this beautiful building deteriorate and fall to the groun.d would not only be a loss to Maori arts and crafts, but it would be a national calamity," he said. Acting- on. Mr. Temuera's representations, Mr. Fraser instructed experts of the Native Department to make an inspection of the building, and that report, it is understood, is in his hands. '