LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Traffic Rule. According to a statement made in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court, a horse-drawn vehicle must give way to a motor-vehicle at an intersection, whether the car is on the right or left, the right-hand rule applying to motor traffic only. Woman Conductors. Four women conductors commenced their duties on the Wellington trams yesterday, and 12 more who are completing their training will make their first public appearance shortly. It is expected that a decision will be reached this week on questions relating to rates of pay and conditions of employment. Manufacture of Radios. The radio manufacturing industry in New Zealand, already largely engaged in work of national importance, will in the near future be concerned entirely with war contracts, and after a period allowed for the completion of work in hand the making of sets for domestic use will cease. Similar action has been taken in the United States. Maintenance of wireless contact with the public is regarded by the Government as essential to the national morale and to public safety, and it is assumed that efforts will be made to keep up the supply of materials necessary for repairs and replacements. Inquiry into Air Liner Crash. A board of inquiry to investigate and report on the accident to the Lockheed airliner 10A, registered in the name of Union Airways of New Zealand, Limited, has been appointed by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, under the Air Navigation Regulations, 1933. The aircraft crashed on Mount Richmond, near Nelson, on May 7, on a flight from Wellington to Nelson, causing the death of the crew of two and the three passengers. The Minister announced that the personnel of the board would be Mr V/. F. Stilwell, S.M., Wellington, chairman; Squadron Leader G. C. Bolt, engineer officer, Royal New Zealand Air Force; and Captain Oscar Garden, pilot, Tasman Empire Airways, Limited, both of Auckland. Declared Essential. Because of the difficulty of meeting the increasing demand of the public for meals and accommodation, all licensed hotels (except in respect of the handling and dispensing of alcoholic liquors), private hotels, tearooms, restaurants, refreshment rooms, cafeterias, fish and grill rooms, quick lunch rooms, milk-bars, coffee-bars, and hamburger-bars have been declared essential. The Minister of National Service, Mr 1 Semple, said yesterday in Wellington that the present difficulty had arisen because a large number of workers had been attracted to other forms of employment, often of a less essential nature, thus leaving hotels, restaurants!, and other’ such places, short staffed. The Minister explained that any boarding-house in which the number of boarders was usually five or more, or the number of employees other than members of the family of the occupied was usually two or more, were deemed to be private hotels and were therefore covered bj the declaration.

Fifteen Frosts in Succession. A frost of 2.5 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning, making the fifteenth frost in succession. An Interesting Relic. The recent death of the late Mr George Oxley at Pahiatua, recalls that he had in his possession the original plans and design of a steamship, which were submitted to the celebrated Sir Joseph Banks, president of The Royal Society of Science, in 1807, by Mr Thomas Oxley,' grandfather of Mr George Oxley. Sir Joseph Banks ridiculed the idea that a vessel could be navigated by steam and said that it was visionary and impracticable. Sir Joseph Banks added that a ship equipped with a boiler and engine would not be sufficiently buoyant to ride the waves. That very year Robert Fulton launched the first steamboat on the Hudson River! Decrease in Tobacco Sold. The sale of pipe and cigarette tobacco has declined about one-third since the increase in taxation, according to the estimates of several Wellington tobacconists, though most reported increased sales of cigarettes in packets. This is believed to be due to the fact that many smokers had reserve stocks of tobacco when the increase was announced. Except for the rarer visits of a few regular customers, no tobacconists stated that there was any evidence to suggest that there had been a decline in smoking. Price of Matches. Though no price increase has yet been authorised for wooden matches, some Wellington shops are reported to have tried to anticipate a decision by the Price Tribunal, and have increased the price of boxes formerly sold for one penny to lid. Inquiries from the Price Tribunal yesterday revealed that consideration was being given to the cost of matches, but no decision had yet been reached. Though Wellington shopkeepers have sometimes been reluctant to part with matches, it is doubted whether any have indulged in the profiteering experienced recently in Auckland, where one tobacconist sold 20 matches for a penny, compared with the 42 which boxes average. Holiday Pay to Soldier Teachers. An extension of the existing arrangements for the payment of holiday pay to soldier-teachers was announced last evening by the Minister of Education, Mr Mason. He said that, early this year the Government decided as from December 1, 1941, to give a sol-dier-teacher his full accumulated holiday pay on his entering camp without interfering with his receipt of military pay. ■■ The Government had now decided to extend this privilege to all teachers who entered the armed services at any time after the outbreak of war. This meant that many teachers now serving with the forces would receive back pay for the holidays due to them when they were given leave from the teaching service. It brought teachers into -line with all Government servants.