Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 23686, 20 September 1940, Page 6

Over 80 employees of the motor , industry in North Otago have sent a petition to the Minister of Labour seeking his support for an increase of the petrol rations to prevent further unemployment in their ranks.— Press Association.

The cases of infectious diseases reported to the District Health Officer (Dr T. M‘Kibbin) this week are as follows;—One case of pulmonary tuberculosis and two cases of diphtheria in Otago, and five cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in Southland. There are still fairly large numbers of “ throaty ” colds about, many of them being recurrences, but the district continues to be remarkably free from serious disease.

From April 1 to August 17 the total railways working account figures were: Revenue, £4,111,854; expenditure, £3,587,359; net revenue, £524,495. For ’the corresponding period last year the totals were: Revenue, £3,605,548; expenditure, £3,428,166; net revenue, £177,382.

Official notification that summer time will begin in New Zealand at 2 o’clock, New Zealand standard time, on the morning of Sunday, September 29, and end at 2 o’clock, New Zealand standard time, on the morning of Sunday, April 27, next year is contained in a ‘ Gazette ’ notice which was .issued last night. An omission in the prize list of the Boy Scouts’ hobbies and handicrafts exhibition supplied to the 1 Star ’ yesterday was the award of a first and a special prize to the Holy Name Troop for a troop exhibit. What do passengers eat crossing the Tasman on the flying boat Awarua ? That question has been asked, and specimen menus of the meals—breakfast and luncheon—served on the air liner shoty that they are very well catered for. The breakfast menu offers grapefruit, cornflakes, grapenuts, scrambled eggs on toast, grilled bacon, breakfast sausage, egg salad, brown or white bread, scones. butter, jam, honey, or marmalade, tea, cocoa, or coffee, and fruit in season. For luncheon there is cream of tomato soup, cold buffet—roast duckling and apple sauce, country ham, roast lamb, luncheon sausage, salad in season, potato salad, masedone of peaches, cream, various kinds of cheese, biscuits, coffee, and fruit in season.

The difficulties facing sheep farmers in South Canterbury because of the shortage of shearers in consequence of enlistments and other causes were discussed at a meeting of the eomitaittee of the Timaru Agricultural Association, when it was decided to communicate with the Minister of National Service, Mr Semple, and other primary industrial organisations. Mr A. S. Elworthy said that from information he had received it appeared that there would be a shortage of about 56 shearers in South Canterbury because of men having enlisted for overseas or home service. These men would in ordinary circumstances have been able to handle about 200,000 sheep, so that it appeared there would be a serious shortage unless steps were taken at once to meet the position. More than 50 of the old guns which have stood on Tower Hill by the Tower of London for over 100 years are being removed to be broken up and made into modern war weapons. Those guns were fired in various campaigns during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and were given into the care of successive Constables of the Tower. Their use since they have been on Tower Hill has mainly been to act as bollards facing the river. Many of them weigh about two tons each. Some of the people who have business in the neighbourhood of Tower Hill are not sorry to see them go, as they were a nuisance in the dark. People were rather apt to bump into them. An inquiry to find how many motorists have radio receiving sets in their cars, portable battery-operated sets, or sets which can be operated from an ordinary six-volt or 12-volt motor vehicle accumulator, is being conducted by the Automobile Association (Canterbury). The inquiry is being made as part of the ’ public emergencies precautions scheme. “It will be realised that in the event of a disaster such as a severe earthquake there would be in all probability a complete severance of means of communication available to us in normal circumstances, more especially telephone, telegraph, and radio broadcasting,” a circular distributed to members of the association states. “ We would perhaps be deprived of those essential services at a time when the safety and possibly the lives of many of us might he dependent on the establishment of some ready means of communicating with other parts of the country and the provision of facilities for disseminating important information and announcements quickly and effectively.”

A Wellington Press Association telegram states that Allan Albert Hartneady, staff manager, pleaded guilty to sending an indecent document through the post and was fined £lO. The letter was sent to a youth.

Packing cases have never perhaps been exactly a luxury in Dunedin, but the general public has usually been able to procure its needs without much trouble. To-day cases are at a premium, and this applies to every type. So many are being used to pack gifts for soldiers, clothing for overseas refugees, or other articles for patriotic or war purposes that the supiply is hopelessly inadequate to meet the general demand. Even fruit cases, usually rather despised as an article of any use apart from their original purpose, are eagerly sought after, and very few arc finding their way into coal sheds, there to be chopped up for firewood. So scarce are cases at the present time that business! houses and those, bodies requiring them to ship articles for soldiers and sufferers overesas have to get them specially made, and the cost is said to be prohibitive.

Economy measures enforced by the •war have results in some quarters undreamt of by the general public. Footwear retailers are faced with a minor problem through the delivery of children’s boots, shoes, and sandals packed in hulk in flimsy cartons instead of being packed in pairs in cardboard boxes. Tins war time measure means that it is not possible to stack the footwear neatly on shelves as in the past. Instead they have to be strung up or laid out in pairs side by side, a procedure which calls for considerable space. If the unboxed shoes were piled up one on top of the other some damage might be caused the leather, due to the frequent handling which invariably ensues before a customer is satisfied.' In shops where space is at a premium the stacking of footwear is proving a bit of a problem, but as a war time inconvenience the best is being made of it. More than one member of the scientific staff of the New Zealand Wheat Research Institute is engaged on war work of some sort, it was reported to the institute at the quarterly meeting yesterday that Dr 0. H. Frankel had enlisted in. one of the home defence units (savs the Christchurch ‘ Press ’). Dr Frankel fe the plant geneticist at the institute. The chemist, Mr E. W. Hullett, is engaged in confidential scientific work for the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Defence Department. Mr J. B. Hair, Dr Frankel’s assistant, has resigned to join the 4th Reinforcements.

“ The engineering trade in England is working seven days a week and 24 hours a day,” said Mr F. Shawcross, a railway engineer from England, who is visiting Christchurch (says the ‘ Press ’). He said that the employees had been working so hard that it had been found absolutely necessary, in spite of their willingness to work, to give them frequent week-ends off to allow them to recuperate. Mr Shawcross said that he considered that the fine spirit brought about by the needs of the war ami the good feeling that had arisen between employers and workers would have permanently good effects on industry after the war was over.

The Library Committee of the City Council reports that the appeal launched by the chairman of the Library Committee for __books and magazines for camp libraries has been very successful, some 1,100 books and 1.200 magazines having been received at the library to date, Tho class of books offering and tbeir condition are both very good, and the thanks of the committee arc extended to the numerous donors.

A clause in the annual report of the High School Old (Boys* Cricket Club which was read to the annual meeting last night displayed a yearning for brighter cricket, or at any rate, for a less serious outlook on the part of players of the noble game. “ Four ‘friendly 1 matches wore played during the season,” the clause ran, “ the annual fixtures with King’s High School and the Otago Boys’ High School being again enjoyed, though they were of a more serious nature than the matches played against the Air Force and the Ice Ballet IRcvne Company.” “It is a pity.” the clause concluded, “that this village green type of cricket is not more in evidence in competition matches.”

Silvered halfpennies are being passed for shillings in Auckland at present Isays the Auckland ‘Star’). During rush hours some shopkeepers and barmen have been deceived, but owing to the difference in size between a shilling and a halfpenny the deception is readily perceived on a moment's examination. The fact that a shilling has a nulled edge, whereas the rim of the halfpenny is smooth, makes il more difficult to ■nass the coins for shillings.