NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 264, 6 August 1942, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Queen’s Birthday

His Excellency the Governor-General has received the following telegram from the Queen in reply to the message dispatched to Her Majesty : —“My sincere thanks to you and to all in New Zealand for the kind message on my birthday, which I much appreciate.—Elizabeth R.”

Strange as it Seems—- “ Strange as it seems, though we live by selling electricity, we beg you kindly to use less.” —New anonuncement filling a large window in Electricity House, Wellington.

£lOO Fine for Bigamy. Robert Scott, a stevedore, who pleaded guilty in the lower Court to bigamy at New‘Plymouth, was fined in the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, £l6O, in default six months’ imprisonment. —P.A.

Japanese Tree That Died. “Last year you gave me a Japanese tree to plant,” the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, remarked to the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop, when about to plant an English lime . at -yesterday s Arbor Day ceremony in Central 1 ark. “Yes, and - 1 believe it died, - replied Mr. Hislop, amid the laughter of those standing round.

Minister Consults Unions. Before any industry or other undertaking is declared essential, the union concerned is consulted and given an opportunity to state its attitude to the change. This new procedure, introduced since Mr. McLagan became Minister of Industrial Manpower, is considered by union officials to eliminate friction which might otherwise occur. Mishap to Ferry. Running into a dense bank of drifting fog about 8 o’clock yesterday morning, the vehicular ferry Eaglehawk, bound from Devonport to Auckland city, struck a submerged portion of a rock wall near the berthing place. She was moving slowly at the time. She was easily backed off and the damage below the water-line is though to be slight. The ferry will have to be docked for examination. —P.A.

Juries and Manpower. Evidence of the manner in which the administration of justice is likely to lie affected by the shortage of manpower was provided by Mr. A. E. Reynolds; registrar of the Supreme Court, Hamilton in an address to the Hamilton Rotary Chib. He said that, before one recent session of the 'Supreme Court, he sum* moned 75 jurors, and only 45 were available. At a subsequent session, 7b were summoned, and only 36 responded. Most of those who did not appear had been called for the Army. Mr. Reynolds said that in future he would have to summon a larger number of men.

Farm Production. The responsibilities falling to Primary Production Councils in a drive to increase production were reviewed by the chairman of the Auckland district council, Mr. It. C. Clark, at a recent meeting. The exchange of machinery and labour on adjoining farms, fostering production _of extra grain feed for pigs, stimulating vegetable growing, the supervision of the farms of soldiers overseas with the forces, consideration of transport and fertilizers for farming, were among the duties allotted to councils. It was the ami of the Minister, Mr. Polson, to eliminate bureaucracy and reduce centralization. Linseed Oil Factory’. Tenders are being called at once for the buildins of the new linseed oil factory’ that is to be established on the reclaimed area fronting Anzae Avenue, Dunedin. It is hoped to start building at a very early date. The bulk of the plant is going from Auckland, and before it is installed it is to be rebuilt and modernized. In the first instance the plant will extract linseed oil from linen flax seed, but it will also be designed to cope with oil extraction from other seeds. Valuable stock foods in the form of linseed meal and linseed nuts are to be produced in addition to the oil. Income Tax Defaulters. The section of the recent Finance Act empowering the Commissioner of Taxes to require employers to deduct income tax from wages would not be enforced against anyone making an honest attempt to pay what was due, it bus been stated before, said the Minister in Charge of Land and Income Tax,, Mr. Nordmeyer. The power taken was necessary in fairness to those who were meeting their obligations. It was obvious, added the Minister, that if the State required, for example, £11,000,000 from income tax, and defaults in payment amounted to £1,000,000, it would mean that a 10 per cent, increase would have to' be imposed on those willing to meet their obligations. Fire-vi'atcliing Story A sharp blow on the head roused a Wellington fire-watcher'from slumber on tiie night of the recent earthquake. Clapping one hand to the injured part, he staggered out of bed and switched on the light. Before it failed, he was horrified to discover that his face, his bauds, his clothes, and his bed were .stained with crimson fluid. Fumbling in the dark, he sought to summon aid. His past went before him like a horrible movie. His legs felt faint. . . . But he'almost’wished it had been blood when a fellow fire-watcher pointed out that a bottle of red ink had fallen from the shelf above his bed I 'That, anyway, is the story they are telling in firc■watching circles.

Soldier Labour. A number of soldiers have been released from camps to assist in the rehabilitation of Wellington, particularly to deal with damaged chimneys. One contractor, who was given a gang of these men, spent most of Tuesday instructing them what to do and how to do it, and found the men eager and willing. He expected the same men to turn up yesterday morning, but a fresh lot altogether was allocated to him, and once more he had to spend part of the day teaching the men. This he considered a very poor arrangement, one that was evidently made by the military authorities, who were releasing the men in squads for one day at a time.

Goats on Mt. Egmont. A total of 3343 opossums had been caught so far this year and 202 goats had been killed, stated the acting-ranger, Mr. N. H. Short, in his report to the quarterly meeting of the Egmont National Park Board in New Plymouth. Mr. Short said he thought a trapper with good dogs and a rifle could clean the goats out while he was trapping. The honorary ranger, Mr. G. G. Atkinson, said that he considered the goat population for a reasonable distance inside the reserve and on the adjoining farms had been so reduced during the past year that their depredations need no longer be considered ns serious. The goats could be kept under control by an occasional “shoot up.” Kele.ase of Grade 111 Men.

It seemed reasonable that a Grade HI man should be released from camp and returned to an essential industry, such as a bank, to allow a Grade I man to enter the forces, said the chairman of the No. 1 (Auckland) Armed Forces Appeal Board, Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., recently. An employee of the Newton branch of the Bank of New Zealand opposed an appeal on his behalf, stating that it was possible to dispense with his services by staff rearrangement. The manager stated that, if it were possible to release a Grade HI and senior man already in camp, the reservist could be allowed to go. The case was adjourned to permit, inquiries regarding the release of the reservist already in camp. Tinchers on Service.

The large proportion of male teachers of the primary schools of the Dominion who are serving with the armed forces is shown in a return compiled by Mr. IT. ,T. Thornton, secretary of the Nelson Education Board, and published in the journal, "National Education.” Of a normal male teaching staff of 3833, no fewer than 2032, or i>3 per cent., are on service, and these inelude a considerable number who are over military age. The number and percentages froin_ the nine education districts as at July 15 are given as follows: —Auckland, teachers and trainees serving, 638. or 46. S per cent.; Taranaki, 111, or 64.5 per cent.; Hawke's Bay; 168, or 65.9 per cent.; Wanganui, 156, or 61.1 per cent.: Wellington, ‘229, or 55 per cent.; Nelson, 96. or 55.8 per cent.; Canterbury, 284, or 46.8 per cent.; Otago, 229. or 59.6 per cent.; Southland, 121, or 57.6 per cent.