NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 14, 12 October 1943, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF

Fishermen’s Harvest Whitebait fishermen are reaping a rich reward this season ns a result of plentiful supplies and a firm market, states a Westport report. Several men have earned £l5 and £2O a day during the last week for their efforts, and one fisherman’s return for a single day’s netting was £3B. Much of the whitebait is being sold in the Wellington market. The season is described as one of the best for many years. Motor-Vehicle Taxation. During the past 21 years the sum of £52,000,000 has been paid by New Zealand motorists in motor-vehicle taxation, states the annual report of the Automobile Association (Wellington). Reopening of Church. The mayor and councillors of Lower Hutt last night decided to accept the invitation of the Lower Hutt Methodist Trustees to be present at the reopening of the Mehodist Church next Sunday morning. It was stated that the Gov-ernor-General, .Sir Cyril Newall, would attend the service. Lower Hutt Library. The Lower Hutt City Council last night, on the recommendation of the library committee, appointed Mrs. E. A. Hall assistant librarian. The chairman of the committee, Cr. E. P. Hay, said Mrs. Hall was an experienced librarian, as before her marriage she had served for some years on the staff of the Wellington Central Library. Rainfall at Lower Hutt. The city engineer, Mr. H. R. Bach, reported to the Lower Hutt City Council last night on the rainfall at Lower Hutt during the southerly storm on September 4,5, and 6. For the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. each day the following rainfall had been recorded at the Birch Street Nursery and White’s Line East (Haywards) : 4th. 0.55, 0.50; sth, 5.32, 3.50; 6th, 1.61, 2.00; totals, 7.48, 6.00. Production of Gold. In spite of staff shortages since the war, West Coast gold dredges have maintained a big output of bullion', according to evidence given to the Armed Forces Appeill Board at Greymouth. It was stated that since the outbreak of war the Arahura dredge had produced. 65.547 ounces of gold, on which £57,182 war tax had been paid, and the Kanieri dredge had produced 50,422 ounces, the war tax on which had totalled £43,483. Post-Primary Agricultural College. Representatives of the Seddon Memorial Technical College Board, the Auckland Education Board, the Auckland Grammar School, the Farmers’ Union and the A. and P. Association met in Auckland last week to discuss a proposal to establish a junior agricultural college in the district. Tentative resolutions were adopted affirming the desirability of starting such a college within easy reach of the city. Supreme Court Sessions. The quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court in Wellington will commence on October 18. The Chief Justice (Sir Michael* Myers) will preside oyer the civil sessions and Mr. Justice Smith over the criminal sessions. Other fixtures include : Palmerston North, October 18, Mr. Justice Blair; Hamilton, October 19, Mr. Justice Johnson; Napier November 1, and Gisborne November 9, Mr. Justice Johnston; Wanganui, November 1 and New Plymouth November 8, Mr. Justice Blair; Blenheim, November 16 and Nelson November 23, Mr. Justice Northtroft. Display of Moa Eggs. A permanent display of moa eggs is to be shown in the New Zealand birdroom of the Canterbury . Museum. Io date, 12 reasonably perfect moa eggs have been recovered, 10 found in the South Island anil two in the North Islanu. The display at the museum will comprise three models of eggs and three actua. specimens. A model of the first inoa egg to be found will be shown. The egg, which is now in the British Museum, was found in 1852 at Awamoa, near Oamaru, by Mr. Walter Mantell. Bookmaker Fined £5O. “There ie only one way to stop it; it has got to be put down,” said Mr. Stout, 5. in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday in imposing a fine of £w and costs on Frank Henry Teddy, process engraver, aged 36, who had -pleaded guilty to carrying on the business of a bookmaker. "Senior-Sergeant <l. J. Paine said accused had been found in a doorway in Manners street about 7:30 a. m. on Saturday with the usual book and pencil, and had admitted being the agent for a bookmaker.

Damage to Trawler. . Shipwrights have Ibeen working tor about a week on the Waitemata Fisheries seine trawler Waiwera, which was extensively damaged whe? it went-aground at Tokomaru Bay early last month, and it is expected that the vessel will be on the slip for another five weeks. Temporary repairs were made at Tokomaru Bay before the Waiwera was towed, to Auckland. AH the planks will have to be refastened and a new keel is required. One large hole in the Waiwera s side goes through to the living quarters, lhe Diesel engine, which was under water, has been taken out. Wellington Hospital Loan. The Lower Hutt City Council last , night gave its consent to the Wellington Hospital Board applying to the Local Government Loans Board for permission to raise an additional loan of £40,000 to complete the 210-bed block at Wellington Hospital. The mayor, Mr. J. -Andrews, said it was not the board s fault that costs had increased, and to object to completing the contract now would only be foolish. All the council could do was to agree to the additional loan, and to ask the Government at an appropriate time to put taxation for hospital upkeep bn a more equitable basis. Prison Camp Life. . Some indication of the activities or prisoners of war in Japanese camps is given by Mr. Trevor Jack Gould, second son of Mrs. E. M. Gould, of £>t. George s Bay Road, Parnell,' in a letter to his mother. “Our spare time is easily filled, he writes. “I have read some quite good books, and we have been permitted, to produce Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar. e have also salvaged sufficient instruments for a band.” Mr. Gould went to Hongkon" as Supreme Court Crown Council in 1938, and later acted as magistrate and as marshal in prize. He was one of the two Government representatives on the Shipping Control Board. He has.been in Japanese hands since December, ’1941. Esperanto as Literature. . “‘Has Esperanto a literature? is a question that Esperantists are otten asked,” said the instructor of the Aaron Esperanto Society this week. He an affirmative answer by stating that t ie library of Esperanto books in Geneva comprised 12,000 books of which over 2000 were original. The whole of the Bible had been translated, he said, whue the works of Balzac, Byron, De Musset. Goethe, Moliere, Shakespeare, Tolstoy and 11. G. Wells were among the classical translations. “The lighter side is also represented by many of the world s famous authors,” he said, and the number of translations and original works in this literary language, Esperanto, is continually increasing.” Windscreen Stickers. . “With the object of conserving metal the licensing authorities decided last year to replace number plates with windscreen stickers for which motorists pay Od. each and for renewals a penalty price of 1/ench,” states the annual report _ of the Automobile Association (Wellington). “It became necessary to bring before the Post and Telegraph Department the numerous complaints of motorists _ concerning the disintegration of .stickers soon after being affixed to windscreens, and the unfairness of the replacement charge, particularly on a penalty basis or 1/- each. . The question of quality is being investigated by the department, and it is hoped that they will act in a reasonable manner and not insist on the replacement charge referred to.” Use Of D Plates. Reference to strenuous efforts to induce the Government to introduce legislation which would confine the issue of D plates to those dealers who were in good standing in the retail motor trade was made in the New Zealand Motor Trade Association’s annual report. This report stated that at present it was competent for any individual who stated that he was a dealer in motor vehicles to purchase a set of “D” plates. The Associations opinion was that this was totally at variance with the spirit of the law regarding the issuio of “D” plates, and it hoped that the Government would soon introduce legislation which would coniine the issue of “D” plates to those in good standing in the trade.