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Evening Star, Issue 24328, 17 October 1942, Page 4

Lighting restrictions for ‘the week commencing fio-morrow apply from 7.28 p.m. to 5.18 a.m.

Advices have just been received that a further large shipment of relief gift goods sent through the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society has arrived safely in England.

The Minister of Industrial Man Power (Mr Me Lagan)' announced yesterday that goods services and every passenger service, excluding taxi cab services, were to be declared essential industries. This was necessary, he said, to maintain the transport system, which was vital to the war effort. The retention of skilled drivers would also assist the conservation of petrol and tyres. Rumours, entirely unfounded, are in circulation in Auckland, and are causing people to rush the buying of footwear, using up M coupons which they may be sorry later on to have parted with so unnecessarily. The false notions behind this buying rush appear to be that any unused balance of M coupons in the present books will shortly cease to be redeemable, and that people are to be restricted to two pairs of footwear a year. There is no basis for either belief, but these are the same species of damaging rumours as were spread in Wellington some weeks ago and caused serious disorganisation in the retail footwear trade there. After a retirement of only threequarters of an hour a jury in the Supreme Court at Wellington returned a verdict that Colin Douglas McKenzie, aged 34, a former buyer of Woohvorths (N.Z.) Ltd., was not guilty of a charge of accepting approximately £6O in the nature of a bribe and contrary to the Secret Commissions Act. The charge was a rare one, in which proceedings are instituted only by the authority of the Attorney-General. The hearing, which occupied two days, took place before Mr Justice Blair. Mr W. H. Cunningham conducted the case for the Crown, and Mr K. W. Ongley represented the accused.

In the new rationing period which begins next month no tea ration is provided for children under the age of 10 years on January 1 next. Small children are to be issued with a “ O ” book, in which there are no tea coupons. The distribution of ration books commences on Monday. They contain 52 sugar and 20 clothing coupons,_ 52 coupons designated “ E,” and a similar number under the heading “ F.” The purpose of these two latter is not disclosed, but to each is attached a note stating: “ Do nothing with this page until told what to do.” Six “ emergency ” coupons are provided for a sugar ration which, it is explained, “ should not be used except in an emergency or when on holiday spent away from the usual place of residence.” The coupons become valid when an ordinary sugar coupon is attached to them. Persons are expected to maintain the existing registrations with retailors. The new ration books will be available from money order and savings bank offices only between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m.. but a large staff will be available at the Town Hall for the issuing of books between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., with intervals for meals.

“Many people have good characters because no one lias funnel them out; there are hundreds and thousands who have a reputation they do not deserve, - ’ remarked Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court, Wellington. “ Character is not what a person is, but what people think of him.” Three soldiers, representing the American, Australian, and Mew Zealand armies, were discussing tne advances .science and surgery have made since tne last war. Giving an instance ol this, the American said that one of their boys had lost both legs at Batan, and, after being fitted with two wooden legs, had won a 120yds hurdle race. The Australian, not to be beaten, said that one of their fellows during the fighting in the Western Desert lost both his arms, and, after being fitted with wooden substitutes, won a heavy-weight boxing championship. But the New Zealander cupped both of those'stories by telling of one man who had lost his head, and, with a wooden one, was now one of the leading business men and the biggest blow-hard in the town he came from.

The Southland Hospital has a liberal benefactor who has given £2OO a year for seven years to the funds of the hospital. He is a well-known citizen, but such is his desire to preserve strict anonymity that he does not wish even members of the Hospital Board to know his name. These facts were mentioned by Mr W. M. Norman at a meeting of the Southland Hospital Board. Mr A. M. Williams, the secretary, said that this' year this benefactor had sent along a ciieque for £2OO, but did not sign his name to the cheque. It had to be returned to him for signature. One year he brought £2OO in notes to the Hospital Board office. He would not allow the receipt to be made out in his name. The receipt was made out to “ Stranger.” The man said he had never been a patient in a hospital, and his £2OO a year was his “ little insurance against that.”

When the history of two of Wellington’s largest commercial undertakings are written in years to come it may be recorded that 'their founders began their first business venture one Friday evening in Lambton Quay as bumble bootblacks. Their historian might well remark that their business acumen was far in advance of that of most boys of 12. It is now several months since visiting servicemen on their arrival began to inquire the whereabouts of bootblacks, but it remained for these two schoolboys to fill the need. Equipped with a bos and footrest, tins of black and brown polish, brushes, and cloths, they took their stand about midway along Lambton Quay before 5 o’clock on Friday afternoon. Within two hours they bad retrieved their capital expenditure and made three shillings each. They then shut up shop and went homo to tea, but were ready for business bright and early the following morning.

A little-known original function of the grand jury was mentioned by Mr Justice Fair when he was delivering the charge to the grand jury at the opening of the Supreme Court sessions in Auckland. In the earlv stages, he said, the object of the system was to summon persons of good character in the district, who should not only consider the charges brought before them, but who; as responsible persons, well acquainted with what was going on in the district, should present for trial any additional persons who within their own knowledge had been guilty of some offence. With the increase of population and the complexity of modern life it was decided that this function should no longer be entrusted to the grand juiy.

Yesterday's street appeal resulted in almost £3OO being raised for the children’s health camp, campaign, and as the sum carries a pound for pound subsidy from art union funds a substantial amount will ultimately be available. The secretary of the Dunedin district health campaign executive (Mr 11. S. M. Sinclair) said last night that the result was very satisfactory, considering the circumstances, and it was one with which the committee had reason to be pleased. Yesterday’s appeal was the first street collection which the organisation had held, and conditions were not improved by the difficulty in obtaining collectors and by the numerous other calls on the public purse. The committee, Mr Sinclair added, was very grateful to all those organisations and individuals who had so willingly assisted. The money, which was urgently needed, is to be used to maintain the health-giving children’s camps at Roxburgh, Company Bay, and Waikouaiti.

With the no-confidence motion in the Government out of the wav, the House of Representatives settled down to business to such good purpose that four Bills were passed, including the Medical Advertisements Bill, the Women Jurors (No. 2) Bill, and the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill. It had been intended to sit until 10.30 p.m., but in view of the progress that had been made the Prime Minister decided to “ call it a day,” remarking that he understood that this course would meet with the wishes of the House. The House adjourned at 9.9 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. to-day.—Parlia-mentary reporter. The House of Representatives last night, after passing the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, placed on record, at the suggestion of Sir A, Ransom, its appreciation of the gift of 600 acres at Dipton by the late Sir Robert Anderson for the settlement of ex-servicemen of the present war and for the purpose of assisting the widows and orphans of Southland servicemen by grants from the revenue derived from the gift. Sir Robert Anderson’s death occurred this week. The Bill contained special, provisions with respect to the gift. Both Sir Alfred Ransom and the Prime Minister paid tribute to the late Sir Robert Anderson for his generous gift, which, they said, would assist in the rehabilitation of ex-servicemcn. They also expressed the regret of the House at Ids death, Mr Fraser remarking that Sir Robert was one' of New Zealand’s finest citizens.—Parliamentary reporter. The Minister of Health was asked by Mr Denham in the House yesterday whether he would take steps to compel medical practitioners to collect their fees direct from the Social Security Fund; also would the Minister make it compulsory that doctors be not allowed to charge their patients in excess of the amounts prescribed by the Government. Mr Denham said that the placing of the responsibility upon the doctor to claim direct from the State would reduce the number of the departmental staff now required for this work The fact that a good many doctors were satisfied with the Government’s allowance for their services showed that the reward was quite adequate.—Parliamentary reporter. The difficulty experienced by .young women on moderate salaries in making ends meet in Wellington when not living at home was instanced in an appeal heard by the Man Power Industrial Committee in Wellington. An appellant, who is in receipt of £2 12s 8d a week net wages, said that she occupied a room in an apartment house at a rent of 16s fid a week. All her meals bad to be obtained separately, and this she estimated to cost 4s a day. or 28s a week. The balance left for other purposes was thus only 8s 2d a week.

A complete review of all the fit single men who have been exempted from overseas service was sought by Mr Roy in notice of a question to the Minister of National Service in the House of Representatives to-day, his suggestion being that their places should be filled by married men with families. “It is considered that there are many positions held by single men which could be filled by married men with families.” added Mr Roy.—Parliamentary reporter.

After a satisfactory commencement on Monday, the progress of the second Liberty Loan in the Otago district has been fairly regular. One or two large subscriptions have been received, including one of £20,000 from the National Insurance Company Ltd., and the total at the end of the first week has reached £161.050. Provision is made for the small investor, as low a sum as £lO being accepted, and interest commences from the date of investment.

Commencing to-morrow, the Security Hall in King Edward street will be opened every Sunday from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m., and' the members of the Dunedin South branch, N.Z.L.P., extend a cordial invitation to men of all services, and trust that the men will avail themselves of this invitation. Tea will be provided free at 5 p.m., and the entertainment which in the past has proved so popular will commence as usual at 7 p.m.