In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24887, 29 October 1942, Page 4

In the News

Appeals By Candlelight While Invercargill observed the blackout last night the Southland Armed Forces Appeal Board held a sitting in the Supreme Court with only the sketchy illumination of six candles provided by the chairman (Mr E. H. Murney). The court room could not be blacked out and the board was faced with the alternatives of breaking the law or using greatly reduced lighting. It chose the latter course. One candle was placed in front of each of the three members; the Crown representative (Mr J. W. Hinchey) had two because of the many files with which he was surrounded and a reporter had the other. The appellants in the body of the court sat in almost total darkness. At one stage the chairman, peering into the gloom, inquired hopefully: “Is that the lot?” “Not yet, Mr Chairman,” replied Mr Hinchey. “There are still some more in the bottomless pit.” New Ration Books The article published in The Southland Times yesterday morning suggesting that it would be advisable for persons who had not already done so to make early application for their new ration books had the desired effect. Yesterday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. there was a steady stream of people to the counter at the Chief Post Office, Invercargill, at which the books were being issued. During the day 2445 ordinary books, 572 children’s books and 686 sheets of special clothing coupons for children aged 5 to 17 years were issued. Holiday Observance Advice has been received by the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association that the secretary of the Dominion. Federation, Mr D. I. Macdonald, has been in communication with the appropriate Cabinet Ministers seeking an early pronouncement on the observance of holidays by manufacturers, more particularly those engaged in essential undertakings, during the Christmas and New Year periods. In his communications Mr Macdonald has stressed the necessity for an early announcement that will make known the policy to be adopted both in regard to the customary' and statutory Christmas holidays and in regard to periods of annual holiday leave prescribed by industrial awards. Judge Once Clerk “I was a shipping clerk myself once, so I know something about it,” remarked Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court at Wellington, when a foreman stevedore was on trial for the theft of or receiving two bolts of suit material. Butter-boxes and whisky cases could be easily identified by anyone, said his Honour when questioning a witness who expressed the opinion that other cases could not be so readily identified. Later in the case, the head stevedore of the New Zealand Shipping Company told his Honour that guano was never pillaged, but spirits were particularly liable to be interfered with. Sometimes quite trifling articles were taken.

Gallant Chaplain One of the few Empire chaplains to receive the Military Cross in this war, Captain F. O. Dawson, of Tauranga, has returned to Australia after two and a-half years’ abroad on active service. During that time he went through campaigns in Greece, Crete and Libya. The award of the M.C. to Captain Dawson followed his heroic work in the front line in the desert last November when he helped to administer anaesthetics, assisted medical officers at critical times at casualty clearing stations and carried wounded men to safety under fire. His best friend in the desert was a well-known medical officer of imposing physique, and he and the chaplain, a diminutive person in parison, came to be known as “body and soul.” On one occasion Captain Dawson was captured during the fighting in the desert. He and his companions forestalled the enemy by taking the distributor cap off the engine of the truck and pointing out that the vehicle would not go. About nightfall a sandstorm blew up and Captain Dawson and his companions drove off in the truck loaded with wounded New Zealanders. The two Italian guards climbed on the truck and gladly drove off with them.

Army Education A report on the Army education scheme has been prepared by Mr David Forsyth, who is president of the New Zealand Educational Institute and represents the R.S.A. on the Chamber of Commerce, for the purpose of giving members of the chamber some guide on the problem on the educational side. The choice of Lieutenant-Colonel D. G. Ball to fill the appointment of director of Army education is described by Mr Forsyth as a “happy one,” and he then discussses in detail the new system that will have to be created to meet the needs of young men whose education is interrupted by the requirements of the armed forces. He points out that the Army education might have three possible types of bias—academic, cultural and recreational, and vocational —oi' it might be a combination of two or all of them. Mr Forsyth stresses the definite need for some form of vocational bias immediately in any educational scheme, at least for a. section of the Army, and for suggestions of possible ways in which that nqed could be met, The Rehabilitation Council plans to establish rehabilitation vocational training centres after the war, but the report suggests that they could be established immediately and used for Army educational purposes as well as for re-< habilitation at a later date.

Legal Qualifications ’* As a result of a clause in the Statutes Amendment Act 1942, the provision of the Law Practitioners Act by which a solicitor could, after five years in active practice as a solicitor or managing clerk to a solicitor, be admitted as a barrister, has been repealed. This repeal does not, however, affect solicitors enrolled before March 31, 1943. The loss of this privilege is apparently to be compensated for by the university authorities and the Law Society, which will reduce the course of study for the solicitors’ examination from five to three years. Persons who qualify under the shorter course after March 31, 1943, will not be admitted without further study. It has been felt for some time by the university and legal authorities that it was not right that the same qualifications should suffice for both solicitor and barrister.

Chaplain m Germany A description of his .work in Stalag VIIIB, Germany, has been given by the Rev. J. Hiddlestone, Baptist military chaplain, who was formerly at the Epsom Baptist Church, in letters received in Auckland. Mr Hiddlestone said that services were held every day. The church held only about 500, and there were 18,000 British prisoners in the area. Recreational activities were well catered for with three orchestras, a school, and a library. Theatre performances were given regularly in a 300-seat theatre room. Mr Hiddlestone was captured when he remained with wounded men in the Greece campaign. Commercial Air Services In spite of continued restrictions because of war conditions, increases in commercial aviation activities in New Zealand were shown during the year ended March 31, 1942. The report of the Controller of Civil Aviation states that six internal aircraft services remained in operation. Statistics for the year (those for the previous year being given in parentheses) were:—Passengers, 39,058 (37,023); mail, 165,6701 b (130,8061 b freight, 194,8581 b (206,9361 b).