NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 184, 1 May 1940, Page 11

NEWS IN BRIEF

Recruiting Improves

Recruiting in Wellington during April increased by about 50, compared with the previous mouth. The total registrations for the month were 440, and of these 25 have enlisted since Anzac Day. The parade on that day and on Saturday were probably responsible for stimulating interest. Since enlistments for overseas began 5085 men have been registered in the district, and 3387 have been passed fit for service. 340 were temporarily limit, and 674 permanently unlit. Two thousand three hundred and thiity have been sent to camp.

“On Four Wheels.” “Any Freemason who only goes to church on four wheels to be christened, who goes again on four wheels iu a motor-ear to be married, and who will only go once more in a hearse to be buried, is a pretty poor specimen of the craft,” said Bishop Hilliard in an address to his Masonic brethren in the Christchurch Cathedral recently.

Bible Sunday. Next Sunday, the first Sunday in May, has been set apart by the British and Foreign Bible Society as New Zealand Bible Sunday, on which ministers and congregations are invited to give consideration to the world-wide activities of the'society. Each year the societv, which was founded at tlie beginning of last century, prints more than 11,000,000 copies and portions of Scripture in more than 700 languages, into which it has had translation made.

Tip For Soldiers. Soldiers in Egypt are finding that “phoney” coin is plentiful in the land of the Pharaohs. An Auckland business man who went away with the first echelon, in a letter from Cairo to his wife, made the following interesting comment: “A lot of money here is bad. Most of the shops have a marble slab table. The shopkeeper bounces your money on it, and you bounce your change to make sure it is good. I have known a customer reject a third of bis change. ‘Once'bitten, twice shy.’”

Teachers and Communism. After a long discussion a meeting of Paeroa teachers carried tbe. following resolution: “That this branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute deplores the insidious propaganda and literature of Communism allegedly being spread throughout the community and dissociates itself therefrom and asks the central executive to make clear-cut public announcements along similar lines reaffirming the loyalty of the teaching profession to the Crown in terms reassuring to the general public.”

Royal Show Entries. A comparison of entries at Royal Shows during the last 14 years, contained in tbe annual report of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, discloses that the 193 S fixture, held in Hamilton, eclipsed all previous records. The entries totalled 3089, and the next best was 3018 for the 1936 show in Christchurch. At the Hamilton show there were 929 entries in cattle classes, which was tbe highest for tlie period under review. The Christchurch show of 1936 holds tbe record for sheep classes. In that year entries totalled 1237.

Cargoes in Enemy Ships. With, cargoes for New Zealand and Australian consignees, the German steamers Cassel, Franken and Stassfurt have been sheltering in the Dutch East Indies throughout most of the war.. Negotiations for the release ot the cargoes have reached the stage where the London Chamber of Commerce has advised the New Zealand Associated Chambers of Commerce that a Batavia lawyer has been instructed to applv to the Courts for orders for deliveries. On the release of cargo, owners are to pay the London chamber 5 per cent, of tbe c.i.f. value as an adjustable deposit to cover legal expenses. Success had previously attended efforts for the release of several items from the cargo of the Stassfurt.

Exemption from Taxation. Advice that it was usual to allow farmers exemption from taxation of one-half of tlie wages paid to domestic servants has been received from the Deputy-Commissioner of Taxes, Mr. H. A. Smith, by the Southland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union. The letter was in reply to a remit from the executive asking that farmers be allowed exemption from taxation on the wages of domestic servants. The de-puty-commissioner stated that to the extent that the wages paid to a domestic servant were for attending to the domestic requirements of other farm employees they might be deducted, but no allowance could be made for the wages paid for attending to the domestic requirements of the taxpayer, his family or persons .not employed itt producing the taxpayer’s income. The union's remit seemed to suggest different treatment for farmers from that afforded to other classes of taxpayers and he could not see any justification for such a step. Each farmer’s case would be considered on its merits if full particulars were furnished.