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Evening Star, Issue 24283, 26 August 1942, Page 4

The official cost of living index figure on August 1 was 101 points above the level of July, 1914. This compares with 100 points a month earlier, the rise in the figure Iboing the result of general increases in coal prices. There has been no appreciable change in food prices, for which the index figure remained at CO points above the level of July, 1014. or of any other articles covered by the statistics.

A soldier on leave from camp went into a telephone box in Wellington to advise relatives of his arrival. Before dialling the number he wanted he placed his purse, containing more than £6. on the top of the telephone stand, and forgot about it. He liurried back to the telephone box a few minutes later to find the purse had gone, so he borrowed some money and came to Christchurch. His relatives, in the hope that an honest person might have picked u,p the purse, put an advertiseincut ui a newspaper, niul within half an hour of its publication received a telephone call from a woman, saying that she had found the purse in the telephone box aud was on her way to hand it over.

Funds representing enemy property in Now Zealand collected or realised by the Public Trustee as Custodian of Enemy Property now amount to approximately £230,000. The annual report of the Public Trust Office presented to Parliament states that enemy property, together with the income from it, is held in trust for all persons having any interest in it. The money is invested in accordance with tho directions of the Minister of Finance.

“ There is at the present time too much money for these young chaps,” said Mr Allan J. Moody at Auckland, when appearing for two' youths of 18, charged with breaking and entering and theft. Air Justice Fair had just been commenting on the fact that he, had swen such young men coming before him. all of whom seemed to have been in good positions and to have enjoyed many advantages. “ They earn too much money,” Mr Moody continued, “ and they don’t appreciate the worth of what they got. T do think there should be a hardening of discipline in all branches of life. Discipline is not strong enough at school or at work or intjhe national life.”

War has 'brought about a tremendous increase in the seriousness of the wild post menace in Britain. Bombing practice by aircraft at sea has driven sea birds iidand, and gun-testing along miles and miles of tho coast has brought about a general migration of rats, rabbits, and foxes. Hosts of carrion crows with no gamekeepers to keep them in check prey upon newly-born lambs, and foxes are so numerous in the Welsh mountain country that shoots are being organised to keep the pests down. Many of the agricultural war executive committees have been compelled to employ rat-catchers. It was stated at the annual meeting of the Waitaki High School Old Boys’ Association that more than 1,000 old boys of the school are now serving .in tho armed forces, their ranks ranging from private to lieutenant-general. Air AY. M. Uttley, who presided in the absence (on military service) of the president, Captain R. H. Hill, of Christchurch, conveyed the sympathy of the association to the relatives of those who had lost their lives on active service.

That blindness does not (prevent the serving of a useful role in the community is evidenced by a story published in the ‘ Chronicles of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind.’ Mr S. C. Mottershaw, of Sydney, a blind masseur and diathermic expert, recently treated a racehorse for muscular trouble. Mr Mottershaw lost his sight 11 years ago as the result of an explosion while at work. Later ho went to England and took his massage examinations at the Massage School of the National Institute for the Blind. Returning to Sydney four years ago, ho set up practice, and two years later tried out treatment 6n horses and dogs. He was so’ successful that a big proportion of Ins time is now taken up attending to animals. Probate has been granted by Mr Justice Kennedy in the estate of Ellen Elizabeth Arnold, married woman, Dunedin.

The sudden drop in temperature yesterday caused many of the weather-wise to shake their heads, sniff the air, and predict that snow was not far off. They were right, for during the" wintry night and early hours of the morning snow and sleet did fall—scarcely noticeable in the city, but on Mount Cargill and the Peninsula a white mantle lay this morning, mute testimony that the fall there ami on higher levels had been much more severe,.

“ In whichever direction we gaze sport appears to be of very small moment to-day, yet it is without doubt that it is our duty to carry bn so long as in doing so we are not interfering in any manner with the war activities of the nation,” said Mr H. F. Nicoll (president) , speaking at the annual meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club. “Our men on the battle front would consider that wo, who by reason of our age or other disabilities, are forced to remain at home, had failed them if we allowed the sports and privileges to which they have been accustomed in their leisure moments to fade away because we had not the spirit or the resolution to preserve those recreations for their enjoyment upon their return to civil life. So it is up to all those who are in a position to do so not to wilt or to gloom, but to endeavour to preserve the amenities and happiness of life in order to complete the happy welcome we all look forward to offering them in the future,” he concluded. ' Disregard in 103 cases of the regulations fixing the value of motor vehicles impressed by the Army under the Impressment Emergency Regulations is reported by the Controller and AuditorGeneral (Mr C. G. Collins) in his annual report to Parliament. He says that Regulation 10 states that in no case shall the assessment of value exceed the price paid by the owner of the vehicle, less a reasonable sum for depreciation. “ Examination of payment vouchers indicated that payments of a total of £1,580 8s 3d had been made in excess of the amounts paid by owners,” states the Auditor-General. “ Explanation of this apparent over-payment was asked for some weeks ago. but is not yet to hand. In addition to the vehicles bought under the impressment regulations many were purchased for Army heeds by negotiation with the owners; In the opinion of the Audit Office purchases in this manner should not have been made, as the safeguard of Regulation 10 was not thereby provided.”