NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF

Social Problems

The report of the representative committee on current social problems is to be considered’ by the Wellington City Council at a special meeting shortly. Opening of Swimming Season. It was decided by the Wellington Centre of the N.Z, Amateur Swimming Association last night to open its 19431944 season with a polo carnival at Xhorudon Baths on November 25. Tepid Baths. The suggestion that an up-to-date tepid baths would make au ideal war memorial for Wellington was advanced by the president of the Wellington centre of the N.Z. Amateur Swimming Association. Mr. W. H. Gerrie, at the annual meeting of the centre last night. New Health Stamps. Mr. A. Pellow, Chief Postmaster, states that the receipts from the sale of the new “Princess” health stamps al the Wellington city post offices total £670. Of that amount £62 was taken at the Lambtou Quay office and £62/18/9 at the Wellington East Post Office. The demand continues to be keen. Post-war Highways Work. A bridge-building programme will be among works which the Main Highways Board plans to put in hand after the war. it was stated at last week’s conference of the South Island Motor Union. The need for surveys in preparation for major works was realized and attention was being given to this. Municipal Conference. The municipal conference will be held in Naipier early next year. Local bodies were circularized regarding the holding \of a conference. Eighty-seven were in favour and 28 opposed, while six offered no opinion. The mayor, Mr. Hislop, the deputy mayor, Cr. M. F. Luekie, and Cr. R. L. Macalister will represent the Wellington City Council at the conference. Danger, at Crossing? Complaints of danger at the Normandale railroad crossing following recent alterations were brought before the council of . the Automobile Association (Wellington) last night by Mr. E. P. Hay. The roads committee will view the crossing: also that at Waterloo Road and Cornwall Street, Lower Hutt, and elsewhere in Lower Hut.t, at Petone and at the Seaview Road intersection. Non-Swimmers. “The non-swimmer is a danger to himself and a potential loss to the community,” said Mr. F. J. S. Adam, at the annual meefing of the Wellington branch of th" N.Z. Amateur Swimming Association last night. “Several hundred pounds may have been expended on his education, primary, secondary, and even university, and all that may be lost in a few seconds if he cannot swim.” Meat Board Election. In a resolution passed by the Waikato executive of the Farmers’ Union .the opinion was expressed that the dairyfarmer or pig producer who had no sheep or less than 100 sheep should be given the opportunity of voting at the, election of the electoral college of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board, the number of stock to qualify being fixed at not less than 25 cattle or 25 pigs. Education in China. The fact that there were 35 universities of high standing in Chipa was mentioned by Dr. Lai-yung Li in an* address in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. There were three types, privately-owned institutions, provincial and national universities. One prominent university received annually about 120 men and women from the United States for one year’s study. Regular exchanges of students were made between the two countries. Soldiers and Football. “You can always' tell where the New Zealanders are in the desert by the foot-' balls soaring into the air,’ ! said. Brigadier H. K. Kippenberger, D. 5.0., in a recent address. He was speaking of the many services that the men owed to the Patriotic Fund, and said that the last distribution of football gear to those in the Middle East cost the fund over £5OOO. A similar distribution of cricket gear cost over £3OOO. Vital Statistics. Registrations of births in Wellington in the first nine months of this year were 282 fewer than in the corresponding period of last year. More deaths and more marriage notices were recorded. The following figures show the returns for September and the first, nine months, the statistics for the similar periods of 1942 being given in parentheses: —-Births, ”63 (269) 2015 (2297); deaths. 111 (170), 1441 (1373) : marriage notices, 180 (174). 1409 (1349) : marriages by registrar, 39 (43), 300 (364). “Gretchen in Bad Way.” ■ Prisoners of war in Germany evidently have a good idea of the hazardous condition of that country at present. A Christchurch soldier, a prisoner in Germany, has written to his parents asking for money to be sent to London for him. He remarks in the letter that “Gretchen is in a pretty bad way. The inference is drawn that the prisoner expects Germany to collapse shortly, and is preparing for the day when he will be free.

Woman Called iil Jury Ballot. . Among the several hundred names that have been ballotted for jury service during the coming quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court at Auckland there appetU’9 that of one -woman—probably the first' of her sex to be so selected in the Dominion. It is far from certain yet, however, that she will be actually called on to serve. He name will first have to be selected in the. individual ballot that prpcedo each trial, aud after that it will have to pass the challenge ot the opposing counsel engaged in the case. Passchendaele AnniversaryThe 26th anniversary of the first participation of New Zealand troops in the Battle of Passchendaele in the last war fell yesterday. On October 4, 191 <, the New Zealand Division was first engaged in the assault on the village. Battling forward through veritable seas of mud the troops achieved some success, but the final objective was not -reached. A second assault was launched by the' New Zealanders eight days later, hut they were held up by the uncut enemy wire and intact pill-boxes. It was not till November 4 that the village was captured following an attack by the Canadians from a different direction. Unruly Soldier. While a dance tvas proceeding in a Wellington cabaret-on. Saturday night a disturbance arose, which was quelled after some trouble by civil and military police. A New Zealand soldier, A ictor Gordon Cook, aged 22, became obstreperous, tripped up a civil, constable and had to be handcuffed. Senior-Sergeant G. J. Paine, in relating these facts in the Afagistratcs’ Court. Wellington, yesterday, when Cook appeared to answer a charge of assaulting a constable while in the execution of his duty, said accused had been drinking. Mr. Stout, S.AI., convicted accused on the charge, and ordered him to come up for sentence if called on within three months. Inter-Island Shipping. “1 wish I could say that, there has been an improvement as a result of the recent conference of interested parties, but quite frankly there has not been,” said the president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, Air. A. Al. Hollander. reporting to a meeting ot the association on the need for more shipping between the North aud South Islands. “The position is not only keeping Canterbury back, but. is also a serious inconvenience to those people tvho are wanting goods,” he said. “Last rveck everybod.v was in trouble, lint I believe the position lias cased a little this week, said Mr. Hollander, in asking members to report to the association any trouble they had in future. He understood that another conference might be called. “Prosecution Hun Riot.” “One has no sympathy with traders who exploit the public, but this would appear to be civil service prosecution run riot,” said Air. O. G. Stevens in the Alagistrates’ Court, Dunedin, when speaking ou behalf of a client Avho had been charged Avith breaches of the .price order regulations. Referring specifically to an allegation that the defendant, whose husband Avas a prisoner of war overseas, had failed to display a price order in respect of chewing gum and other goodi in her shop, counsel pointed out that she had not had chewing gum in stock for six months. To bring a prosecution of this nature, he declared, was nothing hut persecution, aud he would not be doing his duty by his client if be did not point out that the department had little to do in launching such a prosecution.