NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26626, 24 November 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Extra Christmas Rations Some of the problems of preparing a Christmas dinner this year have been solved for housewives by the Minister of Supply, Mr Nordmeyer. The Minister announced,on Saturday that an extra Boz of “butter would be made available for Christmas baking and that meat coupon values would be altered to make possible the purchase of spring lamb in adequate quantity. Paris Dress Designs Because valuable material had been hidden early in the war, Paris dress designers had been able to produce new models immediately after the war, said Mr Taylor Cole, of Texas, president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce International, in an address at Auckland. Americans described the dresses dragging the ground as the "new look.” They looked silly, but were not as silly as they looked at 1200 and 1500 dollars a dress. Booking Office Busy

Anticipation of a rush period on Saturday by the Tourist Department in Dunedin proved justified. A queue of prospective holiday-makers which extended around the corner into Rattray street waited patiently for the-greater part of the morning to reserve seats for the Christmas holidays. Because many offices are closing over the weekend before Christmas Day; there is a keen demand for travelling accommodation on Monday, December 22, for which date reservations opened on baturday.

Long Criminal Session The criminal session of the Supreme Court, which opened at Auckland on October 21. is proving an unusually long one. It has occupied two courts for five weeks and one case—the trial of a woman on a charge of murder is not completed. The calendar included 35 cases, and six of the accuseu entered pleas of guilty. In 16 cases verdicts of guilty were returned, and 13 of the accused were acquitted. There were four cases in which juries failed to agree at the first trial, and the retrials resulted in two verdicts of guilty, one of acquittal and one further diP9gi'<rn?ont. Municipal Concert The audience at the municipal concert in Dunedin last night was treated to an enjoyable and varied programme of vocal, orchestral and piano music. The concert was arranged by Dr V.. E. Galway, in conjunction with the Music Teachers’ Association. Conducted by Mr L. Schwabe, the Macandrew Intermediate School Orchestra played several numbers which were well received by the audience, the final presentation being “Christmas Fantasy.” 'arranged by the conductor Vocal solos were sung by Elizabeth Galway, Jean Maxwell and Noel Tasker. Joy Stewart and Noeline Duff played pianoforte solos.

Apprentices Benefit There appears to have been uncertainty in some quarters whether apprentices should have benefited under the general wage increase which came into effect on October 1. The position is that apprentices are entitled to receive fixed percentages of the journeymen’s ruling rates, and when thp journeymen received increases on October 1 the apprentices’ wage rates also advanced. On October 1 the journeymen’s hourly rate in most industries advanced from 3s 4d to 3s 7d. In most trades, based, on the 3s 7d an hour rate for journeymen apprentices should now receive gross rates ranging from £1 13s a week in the first six months to £5 10s 4d in the tenth six months Dutiful Chairman

For nine years and a-half Mr Alan J. Moody was chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, and in the whole of that period he missed only one meeting. His absence on that occasion was caused by his inability to stand on his feet or to sit in a chair, because he was encased in plaster, having broken his back when alighting from a tram in Queen street. However, he contrived to attend meetings while still in plaster, for two months, and for a further nine months, in the discomfort of a surgical jacket. Chairmanship of the board called for attendance at 160 meetings, or more, rounds of hospital calls every Saturday and Sunday morning, and much walking through wards during Christmas festivities.,

Underlying Fear “The general atmosphere in Finland is one of poverty and dinginess almost equalling what I saw in Germany. The spirit of the people is remarkable. They all say: 4 Well it will be better in five years.’ That is when they are supposed to have paid off their reparations to Russia.” This impression is given by a resident of Timaru who is at present visiting Europe, in a letter to her father. “Everything is going to Russia,” the letter continues, “ and there is nothing in the shops; all the children I saw were very thin and had varying degrees of rickets. “ I have the greatest admiration for the Finnish people/’ the writer auded ‘ They are tackling their problems in such a forthright way, expecting neither help nor sympathy and all the time they fear that Finland will be taken srom them although they never speak of it.” To Err is Human

Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M., was given a “ pink ticket ” for double parking at New Plymouth on Friday, and the details of this “law-break-ing ” incident were soon circulating among amused and intrigued R.S.A. members, who saw Mr Woodward with his “ ticket ” in the R.S.A. cafeteria. ” Who will hear the case? ” they asked, but Mr Woodward solved the problem for himself. Late in the afternoon he presented a reporter with evidence that he had paid his fine for double parking. It was another “ pink ticket,” but this time it was a receipt testifying that on November 21 • the chief borough inspector had received from Mr Woodward £1 as a donation to the funds of Pukeprua Park, New Plymouth. The only consolation was there were no court costs to pay.

Licensing Trust Profit The annual report of the Invercargill Licensing Trust states that members looked forward to the time when their saloons could be called social centres, with drink only a small pari of the entertainment. That tendency could already be seen in the trusts sit-down saloons. The report added that until the trust’s full building programme was completed no complete judgment could be passed as to the success or otherwise of trust control. Strict observance of the hours and the general law as to trading continued to be the inviolable rule of the trust. The taxable profit for the year was £26.561 18s 9a. After allowing for income tax. the social security charge less a refund from last year because of the closing of the Grand Hotel Suspense Account, the net profit was £17,504 11s lOd. Whales and Fur Seals

The ruthless exploitation of whales and fur seals in Antarctic waters was referred to by Dr R. C. Murphy, curator of oceanic birds in the American Museum of Natural History, when he gave an address on South Georgia al Canterbury University College. He said that the history of South Georgia as well as so much of the Far South had been one of almost uncontrolled exploitation and overdraining of the resources of land' and sea. Restrictive legislation was now being introduced to conserve the whale population of the Antarctic, but it was coming too late to save some of the species, he continued. When he visited Soutr. Georgia, humpback whales formed 97 or 98 per cent, of the catch, but now the figure was only 2 per cent, and the great blue and fin whales had had to pay the price for this destruction There would be an end to whaling unless still more rigid laws and regulations were made to conserve the whales,

For rings, watches and jewellery, try Peter Dick, Jewellers, 30 Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt.