Coloured Pedestrian Crossings.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 249, 18 September 1940, Page 6

Coloured Pedestrian Crossings.

Coloured pedestrian crossings arc to be tried by the traffic department of the Christchurch City Council, and the first of these have been laid. National Patriotic Fund.

Donations to the National Patriotic Fund now total £157,477, including £603 from the Public Service and £350 from the staff of the Post and Telegraph Department (fourth instalment). Woman’s Generosity.

A cheque for £3OO from a woman living at New Lynn, Auckland arrived in the.mail received by the National Patriotic Fund Board yesterday with a request that it.be acknowledged as a contribution from “Warrimoo” toward the relief of the people in London whose homes have been destroyed. Efficient Shipping. The view that overseas ships should as far as possible call at main ports and reduce their visits to the smaller ports, to increase efficiency and reduce freights, was expressed at last night’s meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. It was pointed out that this would entail an increased coastal trade and more coastal vessels. Scenes In London.

Moving pictures taken in London of the German air attacks on August 23 and rushed by airmail across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have reached the Dominion. Sent in two small wooden boxes, the film carried £4B 4s in postage stamps. Both boxes 'vere covered with stamps, back and front, leaving only a few square inches of wood exposed. Italians On The Land.

'Phe Italian miners who lost their positions in the State mines in the Runanga district when Italy entered the war are being placed on a landclearing job on a block of about 2000 acres of Crown land on .the West Coast. The men will camp 'on the job, and about 14 have already been placed. Most of them have been on social security for some months. More Electric Power.

Plans for the provision of additional electrical power in the North Island in case of a shortage during the summer similar to that experienced last year are already well under way. In addition to the Auckland Power Board’s plans for the storing of coal, considerable construction work is to be carried out in the North Island, particularly on the Waikato Hirer scheme. Bombed Church.'

One of the London churches damaged by the Nazi bombing last week was St) Mary Woolnotli, of which the rector is Canon W. E. S. Holland, brother of the Bishop of Wellington (lit. Rev. H. Holland). St. Mary Woolnoth is the parish church for the Mansion House, and stands just by it and opposite to the Bank of England. The Royal Exchange and the Stock Exchange are in close proximinity, for this is the very heart of the city.

Import Licenses. A statement that ho was endeavouring to arrange to have details of the import licenses for the fifth period published by the end of this week was made yesterday by the Minister of Customs (Hon. W. Nash). A request by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to the Customs Department that the validity, of licenses for the fourth period should he extended to be good for 12 months instead of six, was refused, it was reported to last night’s meeting of the chamber. Profit on Petrol.

Investigations are being made by the Department of Industries and Commerce with a view to adjusting the profit resellers are allowed to make on petrol, which is now 3d a gallon, it was stated at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Petrol Resellers’ Association. The president of the Motor Trade Federation (Mr C. R. Edmond) said the trade’s policy was to ask for a profit of 15 per cent., a calculation of profit based on a percentage being fairer than one based on pennies when prices were fluctuating. It was decided to ask the Government to treat the matter as urgent.

Helping the Farmer. With a view to helping the farmers in a time of heavy seasonal work, an approach has been made by the Palmerston North Placement Office to secondary school boys to ascertain if there are any who are willing to work on farms during their Christmas holidays. Indications are that there may be a very good response. As another avenue of possible aid with, such work ias the cultivation of seasonal crops and haymaking. an approach has been made to the Women’s Auxiliary Service Corps, and hero, too, there are indications that, as leave and holidays permit, assistance will be available.

Maori Crafts. When Arbor Day was observed at the Raetihi School' flax was. planted out so that the Maori pupils will be aide to continue craft work.

Cabbage Trees in Flower. The native cabbage tree, considered by old-time Maoris a reliable prophet of the seasons, is already well advanced toward flowering in the north, and, if the sign is to be believed, that area should this year enjoy an unusually fine summer.

To Camp at FoxtonFoxton has been definitely decided oh as the venue of the camp which the Fourth Field Battery, New Zealand Artillery, will enter for three months from October 1. It is understood that approximately 1000 men will be under canvas at the racecourse. School Area Extended.

Advice has been received by Mr J. Hodgens, M.P., from the Minister of Education (H,on. H. G. R. Mason) that Cabinet has approved of a grant for tlie purchase of a little over three acres of land adjacent to College Street School for the extension of the playing area. Damage In Orchards.

Depredations of birds have _ caused serious losses to orchardists in the Marlborough district in recent weeks. In some cases it is reported that stone fruit, particularly peaches and nectarines, will be in very short supply. The damage is brought about through the birds eating away the buds. Compulsory War Loan. An announcement setting out the Government’s proposals concerning-'the compulsory war loan is expected shortly from the Minister of Finance. Hon. W. Nash said yesterday that the procedure and details had been practically completed and preparations lor printing the prospectus were in hand.

Woman Acting-Professor. A woman has been, appointed actingprofessor of modern languages at the Auckland University College. She is Miss D. L. Miller, who has been senior lecturer for a number of years, and who will occupy the chair of the late Professor Maxwell AValker pending the calling of applications to be considered in March, 1941. Animal Protection.

Efforts are being made by the Animal Protection Society (Auckland) to follow the action taken by the N. A.R.P. (National Air Raid Precautions for Animals Committee), England, who are endeavouring to register every cat, horse and dog in the country and provide them with identification discs with a view to caring for them during and after air raids. Meteor Breaks in Two. The fall of a remarkable meteor was witnessed by a Devonport (Auckland) resident at six o’clock on Monday,eyening. The meteor, a brilliant greenishblue one, began its career as a singlo body, but when half its visible trajectory was completed the nucleus exploded, dividing into two bodies of equal brilliance, which thereafter pursued parallel paths until both disappeared. Black-out at Thames.

The Thames Emergency Precautions Committee held a try-out on Monday night with an imaginary air raid over the town. Immediately the alarm was given by the ringing of a largo lirebell tlie town was blacked out, traffic stopped and householders drew their blinds, it was presumed that large engineering works and the Central School had been bombed, and were on fire. All committees —fire, ambulance, medical, nursing, supplies, communication and evacuation efficiently attended to their necessary duties. • Many Benefactions.

In the annual report of the trustees of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Acknowledgment of Debt to British Seamen Fund (more commonly known as the Flock House Fund) an impressive detailed list is quoted of the names of the ships on which husbands or fathers were killed in the Great War whose dependants subsequently received assistance from the fund. The list covers nearly the whole of the operations of the British Navy and the Mercantile Marine in the Great War. Further, a precis is given of references of gratitude from letters from over 100 persons who received assistance from the fund, and they make a moving and telling record of the sendee of the fund to older persons residing in Great Britain. Nearly all these cases, it is stated, and many others, will continue to receive the weekly grants from the fund as long as the recipients live.

Tradition Of Service. “All the ex-trainecs from overseas ax-e now mature men and women, verymany of them married and with homes of their own, • and the responsibilities of the trustees would, in the ordinary coui-se, be limited to giving advdee and encoui’agcment when needed, and in assisting those desirous of making a start for themselves and who comply with the conditions regarding character, ability, and savings account balances, in accordance with the promises originally made by the trustees,” says the annual report of the Flock House Fund. “The times are, however, not ordinary, and the war has bi-ought its special problems in this connection. In all 635 boys and 128 girls were brought from Great Britain, trained at the Flock Houses, and established in New Zealand. These young men and women, whose fathers were killed or incapacitated in the last war, have the tradition of service in their blood, and already, only one year alter the outbreak of war, over 160 of the boys, more than 25 per cent., are overseas in the Army, Navy and Air Force, and many others are in camp and will follow their comrades. One has already laid down his lifo for the Empire overseas. Tlie trustees are keeping in touch with the boys on active service, and will do all that is possible to re-establish them into civilian life on their , return to New Zealand when the war is over.”