In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24873, 13 October 1942, Page 4

In the News

Minister as Guardsman The latest recruits to the Parliamentary Home Guard unit include the Minister of Railways and Transport, the Hon. R. Semple. A pioneer section, whose duties involve demolitions and the handling of explosives and cover field engineering activities generally, will be part of the organization 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.—P.A. “Hunting” Season “I think quite a number of them will need both barrels this time,” remarked Mr W. J. A. McGregor at a meeting of the Southland Second Liberty Loan Committee yesterday during a discussion on proposals to canvass city business inen for contributions to the loan. A canvassing committee was appointed, but some objection was raised as it was said that bankers and sharebrokers would be canvassing their clients and some overlapping might occur. Mr McGregor declared that it would not be a handicap and his sporting remark raised a hearty laugh. E.P.S. Control Criticized The resignations of Messrs W. Machin, W. S. Mac Gibbon, M. E. Lyons and W. H. E. Flint, who have organized the Christchurch Metropolitan E.P.S., were placed before a meeting of 500 E.P.S. workers last night. The following resolution was carried: “That this meeting of E.P.S. workers in the Christchurch metropolitan area, having heard a recital of the events by the organizing committee leading to the committee’s resignation, concurs in the view that the present dominance by the Regional Commissioner system is inimical to efficiency. It expresses thanks to the organizing committee for the work it has accomplished and entire confidence in the committee, and urges it to continue its work contingent upon the government removing the present system of control.”—P.A. Make Good Soldier Used tooth-paste and cosmetic tubes when melted down make excellent solder. This fact was mentioned in a letter received at a meeting of the Southland Committee for the Reclamation of Waste ' Material yesterday from the Masterton committee. The letter stated that the Masterton committee had sold 941 b of 1 used tubes and at 2/2 per lb the receipts* had been more than £lO. In reply to a question Mr F. M. Corkill said that not many tooth-paste tubes had been put into the box in the Crescent for ffie collection of scrap metal. What had been put into the box was mostly rubbish. It was decided to write to the Head Masters’ Association suggesting that children be asked to bring used tooth-paste tubes to school. It was suggested that a box for collecting the tubes should be provided at each school with a notice pointing out that such tubes were worth 2/2 per lb. Six-Day Week Proposed In view of the difficulty of obtaining sufficient capable staff, especially for auxiliary and emergency hospitals, the Auckland Hospital Board is to proceed with an application for permission to employ all hospital workers siv days a week without the payment of overtime. Following a communication to the Industrial Emergency Council the board last night received a letter from that body stating that it had delegated to a standing committee an investigation of all applications for alterations of hours and conditions of awards. The quickest way in which a decision could be reached was with the co-operation of the appointed representatives of the unions concerned. The council advised the board to consult the New Zealand Hospital Board’s Union of Employers to obtain unanimity among hospital boards, then through that organization to approach the Federated Hotel and Related Trades Union in an endeavour to negotiate an agreement. If no agreement was reached application should be made to the Minister of Labour. The board decided to pursue its application along the lines indicated, though doubts about the wisdom of the decision were expressed by two members.—P.A. “Pen-Friend” Letters “Pen-friend” letters are now to be officially discouraged, in terms of a decision of the Defence authorities. No penalty will be exacted from those found to be writing “pen-friend” letters, but very few letters of that type addressed to foreign countries will be allowed to pass the censorship. The decision has been made necessary in the interests of the security of New Zealand and to further the Allied war effort. “Pen-friend” correspondence may seem a harmless enough pastime, says an official statement, but in time of there is a grave danger that “pen-friends” may be deliberately cultivated by the enemy as a valuable source of information. No loyal New Zealander would like to feel that he was acting as an honorary agent for the enemy, and all “pen-friend” correspondence should immediately be stopped, even if it is of long standing.