IN THE NEWS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 421, 30 April 1937, Page 4

IN THE NEWS.

FEES FOR ADOPTION. Regulations Gazetted under the Infant Act. lf-08, provide that the fees for filing an application for adoption and for an order of adoption shall be •10s in each case. WANGANUI WOOL SALES. Cross proceeds from Wanganui wool sold during the season just ended total just over a million and a half, the exact return being £1,542,512 16s 2d. which represents an average pri e per bale of £22 19s 6d against £l2 Os 5d received for the selling nei tod in 1935-36. RZ'OIO LICENSES INCREASE. Radio licenses in force in New Zealand on March 31 show a remarkable increase when compared with the figures for the corresponding date of the previous year. A return supplied yesterday by the Post and Telegraph Depatment shows that at the end of March the grand total of all classes of licenses was 243,642, as against 191,482 on March 31, 1936—an increase of 49,160. Leading position is occupied by the Wellington district. HOUSING SHORTAGE. During good times in Wellington it was customary for the city engineer’s department to issue about 50 or GO permits a month for new houses. As the result of severe rent restriction plus Government house building neonle are disinclined now to invest their money in new houses. During the past month only 17 permits for new houses were issued, says an exchange. CHEAP PIANOS. A number of old pianofortes came up for sale at an Auckland auction room a few days ago. They had been stored for many years, and were badly damaged by borer and moth.. The condition they were in is attested by the prices realised, for six sold for £5, and one made only 11/6. Nevertheless, there were bargains ’ among them, for some of the walnut and mahogany timber had resisted the attacks of the borer insect, and was undamaged.

‘VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE. ! Founded in 1898 to assist the fire i brigade, the Wellington Volunteer I Fire Police is still an active body and many tributes to the valuable work | they are doing were paid at the annual swearing-in ceremony and smoke | concert at Wellington last night. | I ’cocktails AND BABIES. I “'a preference for cocktails to , babies” was how a speaker at Hon. W. B. Barnard’s lecture in Masterton accounted for New Zealand’s declin- ’ ing birth-rate. Young New Zealandi ers, added the speaker, had lost all ’ their love for simple, home life, i ■STRATFORD BUILDING TRADE. I The building permits issued by the ■ borough inspector, Mr A. E. Sayers, ■ for the month of April were of a totfal j value of £643, made up as follows: | Residence £450, garage £45, veran- ; dah £3O, repairs to porch and room ; £73, alterations to residence and ; garage £45. I ’ ISWEDISH WHEAT RESEARCH. There* is considerable interest in ! the growing of wheat in Sweden, according to Mr S. Abdam, a Swedish cereal research chemist, who arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Awatea. The fact that New Zealand was endeavouring to grow enough wheat to supply her own requirements made him particularly interested in this country. PHILATELIST’S COLLECTION. An interesting collection of stamped envelopes, the property of a Ngaere philatelist, Mr E. Barnes, is displayed in a Broadway shop window. It includes commemorative first day covers of U.S.A, army and navy heroes, Queen Mary. Wiley Post, Chas. Ulm, and Byrd Antarctic expedition covers. CYCLE CLUB’S RACE. I he Stratford Cycle Club will open i the season to-morrow with a race to I Midhirst and back.