NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 29, 29 October 1942, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

New Ration Books

New period ration books already issued in the Wellington city and suburban areas total 85,039, which is about twothirds of estimated requirements, and tlie distributing offices wili not be open at night after tomorrow. Yesterday 10.113 books were issued, including 5G27 from tlie temporary office in Wakefield Street.

Auckland-Wellington Express. The Railways Department advises that to meet tlie altered sailing time of the Wellington-Lyttelton express service steamer, the express train will in future leave Auckland for Wellington at 7.1.5 p.m. on Sunday instead of at 3 p.m.

Tin Hat Day Funds. The £242 raised on Tin Hat Day in Palmerston North recently is to be expended on the A.N.A. club premises- in that town. This action was agreed to by the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday. Scalded to Death.

A four-year-old girl, Nita Fay Leathart, daughter of Sir. and Mrs. J. R. Leathart, Mantniui, near Taumaruniii, died in the Tainnarunui Hospital on Monday from extensive scalds following a fall into a washtub of boiling water on Saturday morning. The child's mother was a patient in a nursing home and the child was in charge of relatives. University Scholarships. The Victoria University College Council, at its last meeting, awarded scholarships as follows —Emily Lilias Johnston Scholarships: For women students, Marion Marwick; for men students, F. M. Todd. A. D. Crawford Scholarships: Faculty of arts, commerce or law, Mini S. Parsons; faculty of science, J. C. P. Williams. £4OO for Free Ambulance.

The Wellington Harbour Board last night increased its grant to the 'Wellington Free Ambulance from from £3OO to £4OO. Mr. W. Appleton said the Free Ambulance was finding it difficult to keep going. The chairman, Mr. W. 11. Price, said the ambulance board was faced with an expenditure of £2OOO on new ambulances.

Prices for Early Produce. At the Alien Street markets, Wellington, yesterday morning, green peas from Nelson realized from 4d. to 7|d. a lb., according to quality. Hot-house tomatoes, from Nelson, brought 2/4 a lb., when sold by the case. Tiny new potatoes from Te Kuiti were sold for 2d. a lb. These are the sort of potatoes that used to be sold for about 2/G a cental bag in happier days. Stole Purse at Dance.

Charged with theft of a purse and contents valued at £9/10/6 from a dance hall in Gltuznee Street, a sailor from an overseas ship pleaded guilty before Mr. Stout,; S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday. He was. John Francis Kelly, aged 23. Sentence of one month’s hard labour was imposed with the arrangement that he should he put on his ship if it sailed before the expiration of that term. Patriotic Bodies to Confer. The National Patriotic Board has advised the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council that a conference will be held in Wellington on November 18. The matter of Christmas cheer for the men in camp in New Zealand will be considered at the conference. One remit already received in Wellington is' from Zone II (Taumaranui). It reads: “That, all future patriotic appeals be subsidized by the Government front the War Expenses Account to the extent of 50 per cent.” Schools of Art Exhibition. A proposal to organize an exhibition, of the work of students of New Zealand art schools has been under consideration, states the report of the committee of management of the National Art Gallery. It is felt that it 'would be of great interest and educational value. The art schools, in the four main centres have agreed to co-operate, and it is hoped that it will be possible to proceed with arrangements for holding the exhibition in the near future.

Defaulters Sentenced. Two men who had previously served terms of imprisonment for failure to report for military service and otte other who had not previously been before the Court, were charged in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday with refusing to obey an order to parade to receive uniforms. Mr. Stout, S.M., sentenced all three to defaulters’ detention. They were Clifford Hubert Best. Bartholomew Christopher Patrick Long and Percy Harold Kerins. Long entered a plea of “guilty by the laws of man, not guilty by the. laws of God.” Sports Gear for Soldiers. During the last month, reported the secretary, Mr. V. Ward, to the Wellington provincial Patriotic Council yesterday, lie had visited camps in the Wairarapa district, and saw to it that they were all supplied with sports material suitable to the season, and also went into matters concerning the messes with the officers in charge. He had arranged with Colonel Phillips that all the winter sports gear should be called in and put safely away under lock and key so that it could be made available for next season.

£l5O for Carpets; Recently the committee running the A.N.A. Club in Palmerston North spent £l5O on carpets. When this was brought under the notice of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council, the committees action in expending so large au amount out of it's imprest without consulting the council was questioned. Consequent on this the treasurer, Mr. B. O. Peterson, wrote a letter to the secretary in Palmerston North instructing him that items of capital expenditure must always m the first place be sanctioned by the council. United Services Chib. . ' There is a movement in M elhngton to establish a United Services Club for officers. So far those concerned iu the matter have found it difficult to secure suitable premises, as it. is considered necessary to have the club as close as possible to Army headquarters. The matter was brought up at the monthly meeting of tue Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday, because it had been suggested to the secretary, Mr. A . M ard, that tins body might help. Mr. Ward said that he had told the officers concerned that ne thought they had better act “under their own steam," an attitude generally approved by members of the council.

Deep-Sea Fish Collection. . During the past year the Dominion Museum has received a remarkable collection of deep-sea fish from Cook Strait belonging to the following genera :— Crytosparus, Manrolicus, Phosiehthys, Lampanyitus, Diaphtis and Baelijtioctes. Most were previously unknown m Aew s£oul<iiid sens, and tlif.v were prescutt’d Mr. A C. Kaberry, district inspector ot fisheries Island Bay. The entomological department of (he Museum has received specimens of Australian beetles, South African termites and a wide range ot New Zealand beetles and spiders. Ihe chief addition to the herbarium was <JI mounted specimens ot Marlborougu plants.

Servicemen Say “Sir.” The demeanour ot Lulled States servicemen who have appeared several times in the witness-box in the Magistrates Court Wellington, in recent weeks forms an interesting contrast in some respeets to that of New Zealanders. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is that the former, almost without exception, address both police and counsel as “sir when answering questions. It is noticeable too. that they are less prone than New Zealanders to give lawyers the obvious reply to a question framed tor a special answer. Their unsuspecting use of slang lias also on several occasions introduced a breath of a less rarilied atmosphere into Court proceedings. Cost of Service Clubs. There are 12 service clubs - aud hostels in the Wellington provincial district. What they cost during the year ended September' 30 is set. out in the accounts for the year presented to Hie Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday. The eost of each club (administration anil capital) was as follows: —Wellington A.N.A., £4927/10/11; Wellington Toe 11, £509/5/11; Sydney Street Hostel. £2906/12/7; Dixon Street Hostel, £4017/19/3; Upper Hutt, £ISS 3/H ; Palmerston North A.N.A., £2255 8/6: Levin A.N.A., £43/19/2Catholie Services, Palmerston North, £3O/14/3; Raetihi. £lO3/17/11; Obakune, £B7 15/6; Wanganui Y.M.C.A. Hostel, £l4B 5/11; Taihape, £731/3/10.