NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26619, 15 November 1947, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

School Examinations Monday will be an important day In the lives" of over 400 city school girls and boys, as it marks the date of the starting of the 1947 School Certificate examinations. The examinations will be spread over a period of almost two weeks, the final papers being set down for November 27. The School Certificate examinations will be closely followed by the annual University Entrance and scholarship examinations. As yet no date has been fixed for these, but it is expected that they will commence on Monday, December 1. There are large entries for University Entrance, but a considerable number of the candidates will probably not be required to sit the papers owing to the operation of the accrediting system. Quick Turn-round The Bank Line steamer TynebanK, from the Gulf of Mexico, via northern ports, was given a quick turn-round at Port Chalmers yesterday. The 4600-ton vessel, which brought 115 tons of bitumen, arrived at 1.35 p.m., and sailed again for Melbourne soon after six o'clock. Capital Punishment “It is not proposed to introduce legislation this session providing for the reinstatement of capital and corporal punishment,” said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in the House of Representatives, in reply to Mr G. H. Mackley (Oppn., Wairarapa), who had drawn attention to the increase in serious crime. Food Parcels Gift food parcels, numbering 24,586, which were despatched on the motor ship Kaipara from Lyttelton on September 25, arrived in the United Kingdom on November 3. - The parcels, which had a total weight of 223,5561 b, represented postings from all districts in the South Island except Nelson, during the period from August 21 to September 18. (Carrying a Licence A decision to send a protest to Dominion headquarters against the present unreasonable traffic regulations which make it necessary to carry a motor driving licence to avoid the possibility of a conviction, was made at a meeting of Federated Farmers in Invercargill. Mr G. Anderson, the secretary, said that a remit had been sent some time ago, but the present one would reopen the matter. Destination of Taxes

The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, had a quip ready when suggestions were made in the House of Representatives on Thursday night that part of petrol taxation should not be diverted to the general purposes of the Government. Would it be suggested, he asked, that proceeds from, the tax on whisky should be devoted to the whisky drinkers, the tobacco tax to smokers, and the tax on acid drops to acid drop eaters? Seals Plentiful Mr J. Roderique, skipper of the fishing vessel Kekeno, who returned to Bluff last week from a successful fishing trip to the West Coast Sounds, reported that when passing the West Coast rookeries he saw large numbers of seals. They seemed to be more plentiful than they have,/ been for some time. Mr Roderique left again at the week-end on another fishing trip to the Sounds, and expects to be away from four to six weeks. Conditions in England

“ The situation in England is just as grim as it is painted,” said Mr J. E. Robson, the Otago lawn tennis champion and Davis Cup representative, in his reply to the welcome home extended to him yesterday by the Mayor and Mayoress, Mr and Mrs Cameron. Mr Robson added that conditions were bad and the Davis Cup players felt verv guilty when they visited English homes, for although they had their own rations, the English people always wanted to do their best for them and would always share their meagre rations.

No Holiday on Thursday Talks appropriate to the occasion and the ceremony of honouring the flag will be the extent of the observance in Dunedin primary schools of the wedding day of Princess Elizabeth next Thursday. There will be no holiday for the children unless a general public holiday is proclaimed by the Government. The Minister of Education, Mr McCombs, has stated that the governing authorities of secondary schools have power to grant a holiday if they so wish, but that owing to the number of interruptions in the term the primary schools will not observe a holiday. An Erroneous Impression “New Zealand has a wonderful name in England, but some people we met had an exaggerated idea of the country,” said Mr J. E. Robson, the Otago lawn tennis champion and DavL Cup representative, at a welcome horn;: function tendered to him by the Mayor and Mayoress, Mr and Mrs Cameron, yesterday. He added that one man in Czechoslovakia had the impression that New Zealand was a place where no one had to work. “ I told him that in spite of the inconvenience of having to work, it was not a bad place,” Mr Robson said. “Indeed, we are all glad to be back.”

The Very Thing! An Invercargill man who wished to secure a ride by car to Roxburgh advertised his requirements. Next day he received the following answer: “In reply to your advertisement, I have a tricycle for sale which might suit you. It is a small size, “ Sunny Jim ” model, and is in excellent condition, having been used for about two months only. I am asking £3 5s for it. If you are interested you may see it at the above address.” A check-up disclosed that the writer of the letter was not being humorous at the. advertiser’s expense, but had intended to reply to another advertisement in an earlier issue.

Responsibility for Bee Sting “As part of the school project I keep bees. Am I under any liability if a child is stung? ” a teacher has asked the New Zealand Education Institute. The answer was: “Ronald Rubinstein in ‘John Citizen and the Law’ says: ‘lt may be of interest to note that the owner of bees is not responsible for any sting which one of his disgruntled pets may cause. Bees as a class are regarded as wild animals and there is, generally speaking, no ownership in a swarm of bees. When, however, they have been hived, they are the property of the owner of the hive. If they leave the hive in order to swarm, their owner may follow them so far as he may see and reach them.’ ” Tram Complaint Answered Tram passengers to Opoho frequently complain of what is believed to be an infringement of the regulations in that sides of the tram are changed before reaching the terminus, making it necessary to alight on the wrong side. The engineer-manager of the Transport Department, Mr L. Greig, explains that although the general rule affecting all other terminals is that sides must not be changed until the tram is stationary at the terminus and all passengers have alighted, this does not apply to the Opoho terminus. Owing to considerations involved in the gradient on Signal Hill road, the long-standing rule is that sides must be changed on the outward journey while the tram is stationary at Farquharson street. Tobacco Prices

Since the announcement of the increased duty on tobacco and the imposition of sales tax on cigarettes some tobacconists have been charging an extra 2d a packet on cigarettes and others only Id. Prices for packet tobacco have also varied. New Zealand manufacturers have now advised distributors that an advance covering the two increases will operate as from Monday next. The increase on cigarettes will be approximately 8s 8d per 1000 and 2s per lb on tobacco. The retail increase, on tobacco is 2£d a 2oz packet—both cigarettes and pipe varieties—and on cigarettes 2d a packet. These increases apply to New Zealand manufactured lines only, tobaccos imported from Great Britain having already gone up in price, and they will be imposed by all retailers next week.