NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 257, 29 July 1942, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Pi;ice Of Shaving

The; authority of the Price Tribunal for an increase in the price of shaving from 9d. to 1/- was notified yesterday to the secretary of the Auckland District Retail Tobacconists and Hairdressers’ Association, Mr. R. M. Carter. Shaving at 9d. had been an uneconomic proposition for some time, said Mr. Carter, and the New Zealand Retail Tobacconists and Hairdressers' Federation had based its application for an increase on the increased costs of materials used, laundering, overhead and wages. The price now fixed had a Dominion-wide application.—P.A.

Seatoun Patriotic Efforts. At the annual meeting of the Fort Dorset Association, held recently, its representative on the Seatoun Patriotic Committee reported that the sum of £65 4/9 had been raised by earlier appeals, and £578/3/11 in the recent "All Purposes” appeal, making a total for the year of £644/8/8. Attempted Murder Charge. Herbert Hunter Barrett, recently a police constable at Wanganui, appeared in the Magistrates’ Court, Whangarei, yesterday, and w?s remanded to appear in Auckland on August 10 ou the charge cf attempting io murder Mate Soko Urlich at Lake Chia on July 20. Urlich is reported to be improving after an operation.—P.A. All Clear Siren.

Listeners in New Zealand had nn unusual experience on Monday evening when tuned to the 8.8.C.’s overseas. programme. When the Empire' transmitters were plugged in to the microphone picking up the chimes of Big Ben, with the sound of the famous clock’s bells came the wailing of a siren, announcing the “all clear” after the first alert London had experienced for many months.

Memorial Window to be Insured. “The finest window iu Wellington.” according to a member of the Wellington Colleges Board of Governors, is to be insured for £IOOJ against war damage. At a meeting of the board yesterday appreciation was expressed of the generous action of the Wellington College Old Boys’ Association in offering to insure the war memorial window at Wellington College. It was pointed out that old pupils took considerable pride in the memorial. Fort Dorset Association.

The following officers were elected at the recent annual meeting of the Fort Dorset Association: —President, Mr. A. C. Hinman; vice-presidents, Messrs. 11. Pettit, W. Murie. J. W. Gendall; hon. secretary, Mr. E. A. Clark;' hon. treasurer, Mr. L. C. Hendren; executive committee, Messrs. J. G. Lancaster, F. W. Martin, F. J. Mason, C. A. Terry, A. Barr, J. H. Parker, C. McFarlane (U.S.A, representative) ; hospital sub-committee, Messrs. J. G. Lancaster, F. J. Mason, F. W. Martin, A. C. Hinman. .

Customs Staff Appeals. When an appeal was before the Armed I’orces Appeal Board yesterday for the exemption from military service of live clerks employed by the Customs Department, it was stated that the work of the department was “much stickier’ than in normal times. Of a pre-war staff of 520, it was stated, 256 men had already gone, and their places had mostly been filled by girls. Not a single appeal had been made hitherto for a fit man. The five appeals were adjourned sine die, two of them to be reviewed in six mouths' time. '

Beer for Troops Stolen. Five bottles of beer consigned to New Zealand troops overseas were stolen recently from a ship berthed at Wellington. Convicted of this offence yesterday by Mr. Stout, S.M., Matthew Bonner, waterside worker, aged 30 years, was sentenced to one month’s hard labour. Accused, who first pleaded' not guilty, altered bis plea during the hearing of evidence. He was represented by Mr. R. R. Scott. Evidence was given by officers of the shipping company that cases had been found broken open and bottles emptied. Bonner was seen leaving the wharf with two bottles in his pockets. Deceived Constable.

A seaman who went voluntarily to tin’ police when he heard that: inquiries were being made, was fined £2 in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, for aiding and abetting another to evade th'’ emergency regulations governing control of the wharves. lie was Joseph Howard Phillips. For deceiving a wharf constable and going aboard a ship with a pass that was not hit? own, William i’eter Anderson, mechanic, aged 30 years, was fined £5. He had borrowed Phillips’s pass. "This sort of thing has got to stop,” said Mr. Stout, S.M., who added that the imposition of a term of imprisonment would prevent a recurrence.

School Pupils ,on Tranis. Congestion ou Wellington traincars may result in a modification of the timetable of secondary schools'. The tramway manager, Mr. L. Hutton, has asked for the co-operation of Welii'tf on Coliege to enable all pupils using trams to do so before 4.30 p.m. Reporting to the board of governors yesterday, the headmaster, Mr. W. A. Armour, said that compliance with the request would need either ■_ the abolition of afternoon games or modification of the timetables. By reducing the lunch interval, afternoon school could finish at 3.15 instead of 3.35 p.m. as at present, he added.

Pupils’ Patriotic Work. Salvage of waste by pupils of Welling-ton-Girls’ College was reported to the board of governors by the principal, Miss E. M. North, yesterday. The school transport group takes supplies of waste each week to the depot. Parcels for the armed forces have been sent frequently by, the Juuior Red Cross and the patriotic group. ' Members of the staff recently entertained a group of about 200 seamen at the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, and provided a hot meal and supper. Later, a group of about 40 girls gave a concert and supper to seamen of the society. Bequest to Blind Institute. Subject to a life interest, the capital of almost the entire estate of Mr. Alfred Butcher, Christchurch, probate of which has been sworn at under 1:25,000, will go to the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, Auckland. Mr.- Butcher, who died on July 18, aged 75, lived nearly all his life in Christchurch. He came to New Zealand from London as a young man, ami for many years conducted a jeweller’s business. More recently he was in business as a financial agent. The will, provides for small legacies of about tow, and directs that the remainder of the estate shall go finally to the institute, whrna is expected to benefit by about ±~O,OOO. Mr. Butcher leaves a widow but no clnldreu. —P.A. Selfish Landlords. Concern at the attitude of certain owners of properties damaged by the earthquake who refuse to sign the order making themselves responsible tor the cost of repairs, on the ground that they wish to get rid of their present tenants, has been expressed by the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop, and he intends to suggest to the Government that egislatiou be brought down to deal with such cases. Though the corporation had certain powers under the Health Act, they were not sufficient to meet the new positiou created by selfish landlords, he said. He considered' that wider powers might bo given to the local authority to take such steps as were considered proper in the circumstances. Prefects’ Working-Bee. ‘Tt was the finest piece of co-operative effort among schoolboys that I have so far known,” commented the principal of Rongotai College, Mr. F. M. Reimer, in advising the board of governors that at a recent weekend the prefects formed a working-bee and completely renovated the interior of the assembly hall. All holes were patched with plaster of paris, the walls painted, and the floor thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. “I had almost -iven up hope that anything would be done in answer to my request that the interior of the hall should be recondition ed The refurbishing has been done s» well and is now so pleasing to the eye tint I would suggest the board write r the head prefect a note of appreciation. ’ Mr. Renner continued. The board willingly agreed to do as suggested.