In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24228, 11 September 1940, Page 6

In the News

Booking Fee For Petrol

A booking fee of 2d. a gallon, with a rebate of lid if the account is paid by the 20th of the following month, was decided on by the Invercargill Garage Proprietors’ and Petrol Resellers’ Association at a meeting last night. 1116 reason for this decision, it was stated, was that the oil companies were now supplying petrol on the basis of cash on delivery. It was stated that the ruling prices of lubricating oils in Southland were as follows: Standard grade, 1/3 a pint, 2/6 a quart, 4/9 a half-gallon, 9/5 a gallon; super grade, 1/6 a pint, 2/9 a quart, 5/6 a halfgallon, 10/11 a gallon. Building Leased

A lease of the Colonial Chambers to a Gore syndicate for a period of 28 years was approved by the City Council last night. The Baths and Library Committee reported that only one tender had been received. The tenderer was prepared to spend a substantial sum on improvements. It was stated that the council’s income from the building would be assured and would not be subject to fluctuations. Cr E. J. McLauchlan objected to the lease on the grounds that the city would receive no benefit as the building would require rebuilding at the ,dnd of the lease. If the value of the £1 fell the rent would be too low.

Sealing of Kew Road The City Council last night agreed to the suggestion by the South Invercargill Borough Council that a conference of the two bodies named and the Southland County Council be held to consider the questidn of sealing Kew road. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr J. R. Martin) • and Councillors F. A. Webb and A. Scott were appointed the representatives of the City Council. «

New Season’s Lambs The first of the new season’s lambs were yarded at the Lomeville stock sale yesterday, when two pens were forward. All counted they realized 14/2 and 9/9 respectively and these were considered satisfactory values. Petrol Restrictions An appeal for an easing in the restrictions on petrol is contained in a telegram sent to the Prime Minister last night by Southland resellers. The text of the telegram is as follows: — “When can alleviation be expected from the harsh petrol restrictions? The Automobile Association, the Southland

Progress League, garage proprietors, motor trade employees and the general public are complaining bitterly that no relief has resulted. The unresponsive attitude of the Government is far from satisfactory and a definite favourable pronouncement is called for without delay if further trade stagnation, unemployment and general inconvenience is to be avoided.” Rates On Rugby Park The question whether rates on Rugby Park should be remitted, but that rates should be levied on the caretaker’s residence on the property, was discussed by the City Council last night. The town clerk (Mr W. F. Sturman) reported that there was no separate valuation for the caretaker’s residence and in the past the rates had been

written off the whole property. The Finance Committee recommended that, the rates be remitted, but that service charges be*paid. Crs A. W. Jones and R. T. Parsons objected to the rates on the residence being remitted, but the recommendation of the committee was adopted. Music Teachers’ Concert The need for first-aid equipment in cases of emergency was emphasized by speakers at a meeting yesterday of the music teachers of Invercargill who discussed the object of a concert they are organizing. Originally it was intended [ that the concert on September 18 would i be staged in aid of the Southland Fighter Aeroplane Fund, but now that that objective has been reached it was decided to give the proceeds of the concert .to the Emergency Precautions Scheme and the St. John Ambulance j Association. A donation of £lO to the fund from Mr Abraham Wachner was gratefully acknowledged. Wellington’s Wet Week-ends

Wellington is putting up something of a record in the matter of wet weekends. The latest was the fifth in succession. A curious thing about them was that for the most part they have a character of their own, which countrymen would probably characterize as “ideal spring weather,” soft persistent rain, with moderate temperatures and little wind (says The Dominion). When this form of rain comes from the south it is sometimes the materialization of a heavy sea-fog that rolls through Cook Strait at this time of the year, and is local in area. An example of this localization of weather was afforded at the beginning of September when, though Wellington was smothered in a dense sea-fog, brilliant sunshine was experienced beyond the Paekakariki Hill and the Rimutakas. “Fours” And “Rinks”

A mild repercussion of the decision of the New Zealand Bowling Association that the term “fours” be officially adopted in preference to the common term “rinks” occurred at a meeting of the Canterbury Centre on Monday evening. Mr T. D. Lennie objected to the use by Mr A. Dickson of the words “three-fours competition” in a report. “We all know what a rink is but if we

make this change we will think we are playing golf,” he said. The president (Mr J. E. Gagliardi) pointed out that the association ruled that “fours” be used, since a rink was the green on which the competition was played.