NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 284, 29 August 1942, Page 8

NEWS IN BRIEF

Expensive Fruit August is not the tone for cheap fruit, but at present ticketed prices*' in Wellington retail sljops cause many a housekeeper to raise her eyebrows. For example, if one wishes to purchase passion fruit one finds that one has to pay 6d. each for them. Small Meyer lemons are 3d. each, and so are New Zealand grapefruit, used in toe main part in the making 'of marmalade. Australian oranges are being sold retail at from 3/- to 4/4 per dozen (G-svernment fixed prices). Pears are 6d. and Bd. per lb., apples 3d. to 6(1 • l )er trce tomatoes 1/4 per lb. These prices are in keeping with the prices of vegetables. New potatoes were sold yesterday at 1/4 per lb., and for green peas the public was being asked to pay 1/S per lb. Public Works Employees. - . There has been a steady rise m the number of men employed on undertakings directed by the Public Works Department as the year has progressed, the number employed in June 'being 10.627 compared with 11,094 in January. The June figure is the highest since November, 1940, according to returns published in the'Abstract of Statistics. Industrial Disputes. ; • ' The number of industrial disputes occurring in the first six months of 1942, as published in the Abstract of Statistics, was 47, compared with 36 in the same period of 1941. The disputes in 1942 involved 10,641 workers, and 29,832 hours were lost, compared with 89it> workers and 19,376 hours in 1941. Live Stock Statistics. , The preliminary totals for the ' livestock population of the Dominion for 1942 show little variation from the final totals for 1941, published in the Monthly. Abstract of the Census and Statistics Department! Horses and dairy cattle show slight decreases, while sheep and lambs are slightly higher in number. Pigs also show a decrease. Manpower Industrial Committee. The Wellington Manpower Industrial Committee returned to Wellington yesterday after hearing* appeals in Masterton, AVaipukurau, Napier and Palmerston North. The members of the committee are:—Chairman, Mr. John Read; workers’ representative, Mr.' J. Arthurs; employers’ representative, Mr. H. O. 1 itI tendrigh; secretary, Mr. L. L. Meadows. Trains Collide. , Just before 9 o’clock yesterday morning a depot-bound empty tram collided* with a St. Kilda' tram ahead of it in Princes Street, Dunedin. The rear cab of the St. Kilda tram was badly, damaged and the front of the other one was smashed. There were few passengers in the St. Kilda tram, and none was injured, but the conductor suffered cuts from flying glass.—P.A. Rates Office to “Stay Put.” Most of the damage done by the earthquake to' the Wellington Town hall was in the northern half of the building. There is little evidence of serious damage in the suite of offices occupied by the city treasurer's staff and the rates office. For that reason there will be no necessity for the rates office to remove to other quarters when the work of repairing the big hall is put in hand. Missionaries in China.

After many months ■ without direct news, the missions committee of the Presbyterian Church has received letters about five months old* from members of its staff in South China. These give satisfactory news of the Rev. H. Davies, in Canton, of Mrs. Davies, (Miss F. Ogilvie, and* Dr. J. C. Loan, interned at Stanley Bay, Hongkog, and of Miss Annie James, in free China. Esperanto Movement. During the last meeting of the Karon Esperanto Society, after the instruction period, a topical discussion ensued concerning the latest development of the Esperanto ’movement in South and Central America, based on reports from one of the pioneers of the movement, Mr. E. Lante. Mr. Lante, who visited New Zealand in 1939, is now living in Mexico, after touring Chile, the Argentine and Brazil. 30 Cars Converted. Appearing for sentence on 30 charges of converting motor-cars valued at £2729 and one of theft, a boot factory worker, Andrew Robert Victor Hinkes, aged 17, wad admitted to two years' probation by Mr. Morling, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Auckland. Accused was also ordered to pay £25 in restitution to the owners of different cars. It was stated that his accomplice, aged 16, had been sentenced to two years’ Borstal detention when he appeared in the Children’s Court. Electrical Work. With a view to ensuring that electrical work will not be unavoidably held up despite the fact that such supplies as steel conduit are not readily available, amendments have been made to the electrical supply regulations and to the electrical .wiring regulations. They clarify the existing.regulations as well as making a number of new provisions, including one enabling the use of wooden cupping and covering in service niains where metal conduit is in short supply. Bachelor’s Position.

A Yugoslav, Jure Vitasovich, known as George White, a restaurant keeper, Huntly, in appealing for exemption from military service, said he served 500 meals a .week and did all the cooking himself. A’ member of the board concerned, Mr. A. Hayward, said he did not think it fair f<br a single man to remain at his business making profits while married men with children had to close their businesses and go to camp. Appellant was given three months’ leave in which to dispose of his business or make other arrangements. Timber Merchants’ Federation. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Timber Merchants’ Federation this week, Mr. At W. Greig, Auckland, was re-elected president, and Mr. D. G. O’Toole, Wanganui, was re-elected vicepresident. Executive members elected werei Messrs. J. J.’ Jackson and G. »*• Pollard (Auckland), J. Bush and R. A. Collins (Canterbury), G. Ramsay and J. Grant (Otago)', G. Cook and C. Dunn (Wellington), F. G. Bea ven and A. EK. Gilbert (North Island), W. G. Irwin and D. J. Wesuey (South Island). Missing Defendant. When the name of a defendant, charged with being found on licensed premises after hours, was called for a second time in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, he did not. appear. On the first occasion he had intimated the t he was pleading not guilty, and the magistrate directed that the case be held over till later in the sitting. Repeated calling through the court buildings brought no answer on the second occasion. The magistrate remarked, “Perhaps he is on licensed premises again getting up a little Dutch Courage,” and directed that a search should be made of adjoining premises. Defendant was not found, and the case was held over. Policemen and Potatoes. “All that wo hope is that the spuds grow,” said a Wellington policeman last night, having spent much of bis day countersigning applications for seed potatoes. All police stations report that there has been a steady flow of applications since the inauguration of the scheme. Another constable said that, he hoped some of those whose applications he had countersigned would bring him along a bag of potatoes at Christmas time, but he sometimes wondered whether they would all be used for seed. In similar vein, a third commented that he didn’t know where the land was coming from to plant all the potatoes in the applications be had countersigned. Protection of Trees. In commendatory remarks last night on the public-spiritedness of local authorities and citizens in the planting uno protection of frees in city areas, for the peopled gratification, the Minister ot Internal Affairs, Mr. Barry, made special reference to the handing over of Kowhat Dark to Wanganui city by the local harbour board. Me said that as an Arbor Dav commemoration and testimony to the' interest in beautification and conservation work of loenl bodies and individual citizens there was no better example. Many tree lovers and institutions had been concerned in the planting of trees in Kowhai Park, and in their protection; their work was.a noteworthy service which merited, public reeogni.ion.