NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 256, 28 July 1942, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF

Cheaper Eggs The Wellington Egg Marketing Committee and the Internal Marketing Division, working in conjunction with the Price Tribunal, have arranged for decreases in the wholesale prices of eggs. The new prices, which were effective as from yesterday, are as follows, with previous prices shown in parentheses:— Heavy, 2/9 (3/-); standard, 2/7 (2/10); medium, 2/5 (2/8); pullet, 2/2 (2/4): large duck, 2/7 (2/10); small duck, 2/5 (2/8). Authorized receiving depots wiV pay 2/51 a dozen for ungraded eggs. First of Narcissi.

Narcissi —great golden bells—grown at Lower Hutt have made their appearance in the Wellington markets. Their appearance is usually accepted as an indication. that winter is approaching its last lap.

Boys Clean College. By the help of a number of boys who have been engaged, and who work for about hours between, afternoon and evening school, the Wellington Technical College is being kept in a clean and sanitary state till additions can be obtained for the permanent caretaking staff. Windows Not Weatherproof. The Wellington Technical College Board of Governors faces the replacement of the window frames on the north side of the college building. They were not galvanized and the rusting has been so. great that it is impossible to keep them weatherproof. Heavy north winds have driven rain through them. Technical College Shelters. It was reported at the meeting of the board of governors of the Wellington Technical College last night that it had been impossible to proceed with the con; struction of air-raid shelters for the college till the machinery required for excavations could be released from other work.

Little Damage by Quake. Very little structural damage was done to the Wellington Technical College by the earthquake, it was reported to a meeting of the board of governors last night. Two partition walls previously damaged by subsidence were shattered to x an extent which made desirable the replacement of the 4jin. brickwork with wooden partitions. Some casts in the art school and a few bottles in the chemistry laboratory were broken.

Tributes to Merchant Navy. Tributes to the vital importance of the Merchant Navy in time of war, and to the unflinching courage of the men who sailed all the seas of the world practically unarmed in spite of the worst the enemy could do, were paid by the Naval Secretary, Captain Beall, by Air Commodore Goddard, and by the secretary, Mr. R. Darroch, at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Navy League last night

Damaged Walls. It is much easier to lower a brick wall than to build one. Though the work only commenced a fortnight ago, the whole of the front of the big shop and boardinghouse block in Manners Street, which was badly affected by the earthquake, has been removed. It has been found that a side wall needs repairs. Work is also going on in connexion with the eastern wall of the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, and scaffolding is being erected for exploratory work at the Hotel Regent, also in Manners Street.

Safety of Pupils. Due to the impossibility of assuring parents that students, particularly girls, would be adequately safeguarded in making their way to and from their homes under the blackout conditions still existing in various parts of the city, the board of governors of the Wellington Technical College last night decided to postpone the annual operatic and dramatic production which bad been intended by the students for August. Other social activities of the school have been postponed till the lighting restrictions .are fully lifted. Karori Horticultural Society. The first meeting this season of the general committee of the Karori Horticultural Society was held recently. Mr. G. S. Nicoll (chairman) welcomed Mrs. John Wilson, after a long absence through illness, and expressed gratification at her resumption of the office of secretary-treasurer, which she had previousy carried out so capably. It was decided to hold the usual four shows throughout the season, and to change the show day from Wednesday to Saturday. It was agreed that a donation of £lO should be made to the Karori Soldiers’ Welfare Association. Broken Railway Crockery. Train passengers are becoming increasingly aware of the difficulties the Railways Department is experiencing in replacing crockery broken at refreshment rooms on the various lines. It is a common experience to drink tea from a cup without a handle, and sometimes saucers are not obtainable. Notices are being displayed asking passengers not to take crockery in the train, but to leave it at the station where the refreshment was obtained. Girls from the refreshment rooms have adopted the practice of retrieving crockery from the trains so they can keep pace with the orders received.

Oranges Available. Australian navel and island oranges were placed on the Wellington market yesterday in fair supply, after a fortnight’s dearth.. Last year Wellington received only island oranges for the greater part of the season, the supplies from Australia going to the South Island.* On this occasion Wellington is being given a fair share of consignments both from the Commonwealth and the islands. The wholesale fixed prices (at the markets) ranged from 25/- to 36/- a case } according to count, for Australian navei oranges, and island oranges were obtainable from 19/6 to 24/6 a case. The report was that on the whole the condition of the oranges was good.

Sea Cadet Corps. There were now some 4t> keen members of the Sea Cadet Corps in Wellington under Captain A. V. Hale-Monro, said Mr. Gordon Reid at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Navy League last night. Under special arrangement the corps had expended some £250 in reconditioning two cutters, a whaler,- and a gig, the property of the old Petone Naval Artillery Volunteers, and in making repairs and additions to their shed at Petone. In return the Sen Cadet Corps had been assured of the use of the property for five years. Arrangements had also been made recently for a special navigation course at the Wellington Technical College and attendances had been encouraging.

Education in Military Camps. The statement that approval bad been signified by the military authorities for educational facilities to be an integral part of military training was made by the director, Mr. R. G. Ridling, at the meeting last night of the board of governors of the Wellington Technical College “A scheme of education for those engaged upon military work is being prepared,” he reported. “Instruction by correspondence will help in this work and within the limits of courses already prepared we are able to send assignments of work to any educational unit established in a camp. They might be used bv individual students or form the basis for class instruction. It will be difficult to provide text-books for all who wish to study and assignments of worksent out from a central institution must be provided.”

Navy League Officers. The following officers were elected at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Navy League last night :— President, Sir Charles Norwood; deputy president, Mr. Gordon Reid; hon. Auditor, Mr. J. L. Arcus; hon. treasurer. Mr. A. J. Mack; vice-presidents, the mayor, Mr. Hislop, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Hon. J. J Cobbe, Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C.. Mrs. J. Darling. Mrs. L. O. H. Tripp, Sir James Grose, Sir Alexander Roberts, Mr. E. F. Hemingway (Paten). Mr. John C. Hare (Cheltenham), Mr. Athol Preece (Palmerston North), Mr. C. Strouts (Wanganui); executive committee, Sir Charles Norwood, Sir Janies Grose. Lady Lake, Miss B. Cable. L Graham Robertson. Dr. G. E. V. Anson. Dr. M. Ki-onfeld. Colonel ( . Weston KC D S <). Captain A. '. Hale-Monro. Messrs Gordon J- Reid. A. Walker. A J. Mack. C. H. Mitchell. L. O. H. Tripp. S. D. Waters, W. E. Fussell, A. Dicsens, R- C. Addison, and Colonel Beere.