LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 246, 19 October 1942, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

A total of 152 entries have been received for the annual commercial examinations conducted by the Blenheim Chamber of Commerce. The examinations will take place between November 16 and 20, and the same prizes as last year will apply. A Wellington Supreme Court jury, after a retirement of threequarters of an hour on Saturday afternoon, brought in a verdict of not guilty against Colin Douglas McKenzie, aged 34, a former buyer for Woolv/orths (N.Z.), Ltd., who was charged with a breach of the Secret Commissions Act. After receiving representations from the Blenheim Confectionery, Iee-cream and Milk Bar Association in -connection with the shortage of supplies and rationing by wholesale firms, the Chamber of Commerce has decided to lend all the assistance possible towards rectifying the present unfair position. Representations are to be made by the chamber to the manufacturers concerned. In a letter received by the Picton Borough Council at its meeting on Thursday night the N.Z. Refrigerating Company drew attention to the large increase of stock being ariven over the road to the freezing works, and asked the favourable consideration of the Council for . a proposal to widen the road. it was decided to forward the letter to the Main Highways Board for its views. A request for information as to the cost' to the Government of the potatoes imported from America was contained in notice of a question given in Parliament by Mr Goosman (Opposition, Waikato) to the Minister for Marketing. In a note to his question Mr Goosman said that American potatoes were for sale in his distriet at 6d a 1b., and New Zealand potatoes at 2|d a lb. in the same shop. * A complete review of all fit single men who have been exempted from overseas service was sought by Mr J. McL. Roy (National, Clutha) in a notice of question to the Minister for National Service in the House of Representatives, 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. "This is a machinery Bill, which airns to correct a number of anomalies which have arisen during the years," said the Minister in Charge of the National Provident Fund Department, Mr Nordmeyer, in referring to the National Provident Fund Amendment Bill which was introduced and read a first time in the House on Saturday. The Minister said the Bill was also designed to improve the working of the department. In the Wellington Magistrate's Court on Saturday, Roy James Embleton, a merchant seaman, aged 29, from an overseas vessel, pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing clothing, total value £6 17s, from the premises of the Y.M.C.A. in Wellington. He said he was very drunk and remembered nothing till he woke up in gaol. He was fined £5 on the first charge and convieted and discharged on the second by Mr Stout, S.M., who ordered immediate payment of the fine.

Most units of Blenheim's Emergency Precautions Service attended a screening of air- raid instructional films at His Majesty's Theatre last evening. Most of the dress circle was occupied by E.P.S. personnel. The public, however, displayed scant interest and failed to take the opportunity of learning how to protect their lives and property in the event of an enemy attack. Issued by the Australian and New Zealand E.P.S. authorities, the films dealt in direct and practical fashion with the essential principles and needs of A.R.P., and their instructional value was undoubted. Whether it was the usual practice for resident doctors at public hospitals to charge a fee for issuing death certificates in the case of deaths in these hospitals was an urgent question put in the House of Representatives by Mr Goosman COpposition, Waikato). The Minister for Health, Mr Nordmeyer, replied that while it was not the practice to make a charge for death certificates, and he understood under the law it was not right to do so, the practice had grown up of making a charge vhen certificates were required by insurance companies or for some such purpose. The question whether a doctor who was paid by a hospital board or the board employing him should get the fee was one for the board concerned, and the practice varied throughout the Dominion. Unless the present position is altered it appears likelv for all that some Blenheim restaurants can do about it, that many servieemen will soon have toi return toi carnpi from leave without supper. Under a, re-cently-issued award it was, agreed by employees that as a wartime measure females might be employed until midnight instead of until 10.30 pi.m. However. it has been found that the Shops and Offices Act over-rides this agreement. and makes it necessary for all females; employed in such premises to knock-off for the day at 10.30 p.m. On Sepiteimber 11 thei local proprietors made application to the Industrial Emergenc.y Council for special piermission to work extended hours in view of the number of servieemen requiring meals, but advioe received last Thursday showed that no recommendation had been, made. The final blow fell on Friday night when all premises which retain their female staffs after 10.30 p.m. were raided by an inspector. An urgent telegram to the Prime Minister has resulted in an assurance that Mr Fraser is looking into the position immediately. It is interesting to feca.ll that a little cver two months ago Mr Semple had restaurants and similar premises declared essential industries for the purpose of catering for servieemen on leave. t

The Regimental Band, conducted by Bandmaster L. Bush, rendered an appreciated programme to a large audience in Seymour Square yesterday afternoon. During the second Liberty Loan period all National Savings offices will be credited with quota successes, irrespective of the amounts actually received for National Savings purposes. Consequently National Savings flags will be flown at all offices until November 14. This arrangement is similar to that made during the campaign for the first Liberty Loan. The Minister for Railways and Transport, Mr Semple, has joined the Parliamentary Home Guard. A pioneer section, whose duties involve aemolitions, the handling of explosives, and cover field engineering activities generally, will be part of the organisation as it is of other Home Guard units, and when it is formed Mr Semple will have charge of it. In work of this kind Mr Semple has had considerable practical experience. An announcement that the War Cabinet had authorised the payment of children's allowances in respect of all a soldier's dependent children under 16 years of age was made by the Minister for Defence, Mr Jones, in reply to an urgent question asked in the House of Representatives by Mr Sullivan (Opposition, Bay of Plenty). The necessary amendment of the Pay and Allowances Emergency Regulations, said the Minister, had been prepared and would come into operation on November 1. "Woujd the Minister take steps to compel medical practitioners to collect their fees direct from the social security fund, and would he also make it compulsory that doctors be not allowed to charge their patients in excess of the amounts prescribed by the Government?" Notice of a question in these terms was given in Parliament by Mr Denham (Government, Invercargill) to the Minister for Health. In a note to the question Mr Denham said that placing the responsibility on the doctor to claim direct from the State would reduce the departmental staff now required for that work. The fact that many doctors were satisfied with the Government's allowance for their services showed that the reward was quite adequate. It's a queer thing but the sight of a pioke t fence or a road sign seems absolutely irresistible to memfoers of the hoodlum class — probably only psychologists could understand and explain the reason why. Tlie attraetion of these objects, and the urge for destruction they arouse, is incomprehensible to the average normal person. Typical examples of these f'reakish mental processes from which hoodlums suffer were perpetrated in Maxwell road — that happy hunting ground of the destructionist — the other day. The tops of half a dozen pdckets were removed from a fence near Queen street with about the same faeility as the tops of several "empties" which were conspicuous in the same area. Further along, on tlie Hodson street intersection, someone had shinned up a power pole to twist about and damage two street name boards. The joy of Melbourne tennis enthusiasts who read the other day that old tennis balls could be "pepped up" by hypodermic injection, was short-lived, states the Sun. Those who visualised the proeess as a swift rpumping-up were doomed to disappointment. The proeess is successful only when the cover has been removed with chemicals, the seams revulcanised, and the ball re-covered. Also, only balls with an inside rubber plug can be re-inflated. Chemioally inflated balls, with no plug cannot be re-vitalised. One manufacturer estimates that a ton of raw rubber would be sufficient to re-vul-canise the seams and re-coat enough worn balls to keep tennis going for a long time. Tlie manufacture of new balls has stopped and, unless worn •balls can be given new life, tennis wiii die out — some say withip. six to nine months. Resourceful 'servieemen given a small spot of leave, anxiousto inspect some of the advantages of the province in which they have been stationed, came out on top the other day. There was a round dozen of them and no taxi or other petrolconsuming vehicle could be begged, borrowed, stolen or hired. Then one man, who will some day become a wing commanfler, had a cerebral fluttering: "I know a bloke with an ashcan on his ear that fluffs out gas if you shake a match at it. Let's go and wave money at the lad." The currency did the trick and the gasproducer car was hired for a long day. "But she'll only hold seven," the owner protested as he tallied up the men in :blue. "Don't worry, old boy," the tactician replied. "I know another bloke with an engineless Lizzie. She holds five at a sardinefitting — and we'll hang her on behind your bus. They'll have to push on the hills." That was how quite a lot of people saw a remarkable tour of Marlborough inaugurated. : — v