NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 191, 9 May 1940, Page 11

NEWS IN BRIEF

Taxation Forms Run Out Through a shortage of paper the supply of taxation forms at the General Post Office, Wellington, has run out, and it is not expected that further forms will be available till early next week. As no penalty accrues before June 1. it is not likely that anyone will suffer through tlie temporary shortage to any greater extent tiian having to make a double trip to the Post Office. A Good Bag. A bag of 82 duck and 22 swan was secured by Messrs. Brian and Hugh Feast, Eric Martin, Athol George aud J. B. Lauchlan shooting on Wairarapa Lake. Bookings Still Above Normal.

Hotels in Wellington report no at>precinble falling-off iu trade now that the Exhibition has closed. As was to lie expected with the return of visitors to the country areas, bookings have fallen off slightly, but they are still above normal. Throughout the Exhibition period must hotels in the city were fully booked out.

Junior Commerce Chamber. A series of fortnightly luncheons was inaugurated by the Wellington Junior Chamber of Commerce yesterday, when Mr. C. W. Barnard, editor of “The New Zealand Dairy Exporter,” gave impressions of his visit to Scandinavian countries. The luncheon was well attended, and it was stated that a feature of each gathering would be an address. A Valuable Machine.

Two men were granted exemption from common jury service by Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court, Auckland, this week, on the ground that thev were engaged on Government contracts. One of them said he was hiring a machine which would be idle if he could not attend to it. It was hired to him for £lO a day. “Ten pounds a day?” remarked his Honour. “It must be a very valuable machine,” he added, when assured that that was the figure.

Tramway Cross-over in Boweti Street. The Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semple, has consented to the proposal of the Wellington city tramway authorities to construct a tramway cross-over in Bowen Street. The crossover is to be constructed in the space between the War Memorial and Bowen House. Its purpose is to enable a tramway service to be maintained between the western suburbs and the city, even when there are large gatherings of the public around the Memorial or on Lambton Quay. Car Registration.

Though the business of attending to the annual registration of motor-veh-icles for the year commencing June 1 is already being attended to in the various post offices, and drivers’ licences are being issued by the Traffic Department, the Wellington central bureau for the rush period in the concert chamber of the Town Hall will not be opened till Monday morning, May 20. As usual the hall will be shared by the post office staff, transferred for the time being, and the supplementary Staff engaged by the Traffic Department of the Wellington City Corporation.

Prime Minister Shut Out. The fact that through a misunderstanding he had been refused admission by the side door of the Regal Theatre, Ponsonby, Auckland, where he was to deliver an address on Monday night, was revealed with amusement this week bv the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser. Because of the crowd fft the front door, the chauffeur drove to the side door, and knocked, Mr. Fraser said. The door was opened and. the chauffeur asked if Mr. Fraser coifid come in that way, but the attendant, perhaps not hearing what was said, replied, ‘.’Not a chance,”, and slammed the door. The Prime Minister and his party later had a way cleared for them through the crowd at the.front door.

X-Ray Display For Museum. One of the interesting features in the electricity hall at the recent. Centennial Exhibition was the display of X-ray tubes and a gallery of photographs illustrating the manner in which the X-ray has been adapted to photography. This collection came from Ilford, England, through the agency of Watson Victor, Ltd., who worked' up tlie display, in association with the Wellington electricity department. The photographs showed metals, fabrics, animals, and portions of the human frame, disclosing in a striking manner the penetrative effect of the rays when used in conjunction with the camera. The collection, as well as the easing, has now been presented to the Dominion Museum, which hopes later on to add one or more Xray tubes. Probably the oldest X-rav tube in New Zealand is that owned by Mr. M. Cable, the tramways manager, who imported it from England 38 years ago. This tube, which was in the Exhibition, is still as good as the day it arrived.