NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 259, 31 July 1942, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Pukerua Bay Slip

Transhipping of passengers past the Pukerua Bay slip on the Main Trunk line continued throughout yesterday, it being found impossible to complete the work necessary to put one line into dperation last night as had been hoped. An official of the Railways Department stated last night, however, that it was hoped to have one line working in time for the passage of the northbound Limited express tonight. Closing Of Cemetery. The Paekakarik i cemetery will be closed from January 1, 1943. The Wellington Hospital Board was advised to this effect last night.

E.P.S. Film. All wardens enrolled in districts 8, 9. 10 and 11 are required to attend at the Regent Theatre at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday next to witness a special screening of a film having as its subject “Unexploded Bombs.”

Change After 20 Years. . A cost of living allowance for district nurses which has operated for .20 years, was changed last night by decision of. the Wellington Hospital Board. It was fixed at £7B a year, compared with the £4O fixed 20 years ago. Awake New Zealand. 'A Nelson branch of the Awake New Zealand movement was formed following addresses by Mr. Shaw, Dominion secretary, and Mr. Morton, mayor of Te Kuiti. About 100 people attended the meeting. A committee will be formed at a public meeting at a later date. —P.A.

Trial of New Siren. A test of a new siren will take place in Wellington at noon today, in the vicinity of Anderson Park. The authorities emphasize that the test is not a trial alarm, and the public are asked to ignore it. Travel to Otaki Hospital. As the result of negotiations, the Railways Department has arranged for special travel facilities for visitors to the Otaki Beach Hospital. Mrs. Knox Gilmer reported this to the Wellington Hospital Board last night.

Forty-five Hours Overtime. Evidence'of the shortage of manpower was clearly shown by the statement made at a sitting of the Armed Forces Appeal Board in Christchurch recently, when an appellant stated his case. He said that the pressure of- work was so great that both he and another employee were forced to work 45 hours a week overtime. That meant a total of 89 hours a week, or nearly 13 hours a day for seven days a week. Presbyterian Assembly. The date of the opening of the annual General Assemblv of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, which has been under consideration for some time, has been fixed for November 11, eight days later than was at first proposed. The assembly will be held in Aucikland. It is usually attended by about 300 delegates, but on this occasion the numbers will probably be smaller.

Fishing Craft. Further restrictions on the movements and functions of fishing boats are contained in an amendment to the Fishing Boats Emergency Regulations gazetted last “gnt. The amending regulations require all fishing boats to report to controlling officers when they leave on any . voyage, whether within or beyond tha limits of a port. Licensed fishing boats are also prohibited from engaging in any other work than fishing for the purposes of sale.

Against Church Union. . Church union is a subject which has been very much to the fore among the Methodist, Congregational,, and Presbyterian Churches of .New Zealand for the past few months. The Rev. C. G. H. Bycroft presided at a business meeting ot the Cambridge Terrace Congregational Church on Wednesday night, when the question was deliberated upon. The meeting voted unanimously against accepting any -basis for church union. Hospital As Defence Work. The £lO,OOO mortuary block being erected by the Wellington Hospital Board and the 210-bed block at Wellington hospital are being declared defence works. The Wellington Hospital Board, according to a report at last night’s meeting, has been advised to this effect by the Commissioner of Defence Construction. The contract for the block has been allocated to the Fletcher Construction Co.. Ltd., and for the mortuary to Mr. A. Lemmon, stated the report. Restaurant Charges. The Price Tribunal stated yesterday that investigations made by its inspectors showed that some proprietors of tearooms and dining-rooms had increased their prices without prior application having been made for authority to do so. The matter was being followed up with a view to prosecution of the offenders, and the Tribunal emphasized that charges must not be raised without its approval. In considering applications the Tribunal would have regard only to increases in costs since prices were stabilized as at the outbreak of war.

War Pensions Appeals. ’’AVhy are so many men from the present war going before the War Pensions Appeal Board?’ asked Mr. E. Orchard at a recent meeting of the executive of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association “Usually men do not appear before the board till a few years after their service. There appears to be something wrong.” On the suggestion of the secretary (Mr. E. F. AVillcox), the executive went into committee to hear the explanation, which, Sir. AVillcox said, would probably affect a Government department. A Hospital Board Loan. The AVellington Hospital Board recently advised local body contributing authorities of its intention to ask the Loans Board’s permission to raise £10,006 for a new mortuary. Five authorities raised no objection, but the Eastbourne Borough Council informed the board that it considered the existing law requiring the board to notify it of such proposals to be a farce as the council had no real say in the matter. The Johnsonville Town Board advised that it did not favour the proposal in view of the enormous expenditure to which it had been committed recently by hospital board loans. Hobson Street Jiridge. . . Some AVellington residents in their sixties can remember having a swing on the Hobson Street suspension bridge when they were children. This makes the bridge well on toward 70 years of age. It is, then, small wonder, seeing that nothing much has ever been done in the way of repairs, that some doubt exists today as to its safety. Additional stay wire's are beiug rigged across the bridge and anchored to the portal posts. At the same time the district engineer is making a thorough overhaul of the bridge strueture to ascertain whether it needs furtliei- strengthening. If he decides that it does the work will be carried out nt the earliest possible moment.

Oil Bore at Marton. Speaking at Marton the other day, Mr. F. Burnell, mayor of Marton, said Umr representatives of the Superior Oil Company; Ltd., United States, had spent several months on a geo-physical survey in Marton and surrounding districts tor the purpose of locating oil. prospects, it was stated, appeared to be very promising. "It is possible.” said Mr. Burnell, that within the next, fortnight arrangements will be completed for sinking a trial bore to a depth of 8000 ft. to 10,000 ft. 11ns will be at Neumann's Line, about two miles from Marton, and it is expected that the company will be able to prove tlie success or failure of the venture before Christmas.” Electrical Goods in Demand. “At the. present rate of demand, supplies of electrical goods on the ‘black list will not last much longer than one mouth,” said a Wellington dealer yesterday. Others were reluctant to state a time when such articles us radiatorsirons and toasters would not be procurable, but suggested that it would depend ou whether the factories were allowed to complete existing orders. Deniers generally reported that they had orders outstanding for several months. All agreed that there had been an unprecedented demand for articles the manufacture of which has been prohibited. “There used to be u steady demand for most electrical lines, with radiator sales varying with the weather. However, for the last lew weeks there has been a rush and some lines are exhausted now,” said one dealer.