LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20742, 28 February 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Currency in London Fine gold was quoted in London yesterday at £7 8s 2d an ounce (£7 8s 3id on Friday the dollar at 4.68 5-16 (4.69) and the franc at 177 1-32 (177). Income Tax Payment Only two days remain for the payment of income tax and the statutory penalty of 5 per cent, will be added after to-morrow to all amounts unpaid. Hamilton Operatic Society Orchestra A meeting of those interested in the formation of an orchestral branch of the Hamilton Operatic Society will be held to-night. It is felt that there are many instrumentalists in the town who would be glad to form such a branch. Bond’s Hosiery Mills Bond's Hosiery Mills (N.Z.), Limited, has advised the Stock Exchange Association that the directors propose to recommend to shareholders at the annual meeting a dividend of 74 per rent for the year ended January, 1939. The dividend is payable on March 24. Gold Production in Australia The official return issued last week shows that Australia produced 1,590,406 line ounces of gold valued at £14,012,414 in 1938. This was the highest output for any year since 1916, when 1,665,816 flno ounces were produced. On January 4 last the pricp of gold leached a record level of £9 5s 8d per ounce. Aircraft for Hospital

To convey doctors to Great Barrier Island to attend urgent cases of illness or to transport patients from the island to Auckland for admission to the public hospital, aircraft are to be made available to the Auckland Hospital Board by the naval authorities. The proposals have been approved by the Government, and no charges are to be made by the Naval Board. Bite From a Shark

Severe lacerations of the left hand were suffered by Mr T. S. Ramsbottom, of Warkworth, North Auckland. when he received a Lite from a captured shark while fishing at the mouth of the Matakana River. Mr Ramsbottom was attempting to haul the shark, about 7ft. in length, by the tail into the boat when it swung around and bit him in the hand.

Chewing Gum Shortage Wholesalers’ stocks of chewing gum in Wellington are almost exhausted and no new shipments will be allowed in until June or July. Some retail shops are already without chewing gum and have been unable to buy further quantities. It is expected that by June chewing gum will be practically unobtainable. Importations of chewing gum have been restricted to 30 per cent of the normal quantities.

Building Demolition The work of demolishing the old central wooden building of St. Mary's Convent, Clyde Street, began yesterday. The building, which is one of the oldest and largest wodden building in Hamilton, has been a landmark in Hamilton East for almost 50 years. It will be replaced by a modern brick structure, which will mark the completion of a comprehensive building programme.

Destruction by Fire A large seven-roomed house at Warkworth, North Auckland, occupied by Mr J. R. Bond, was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning. Mrs Bond was awakened by the noise of the fire at about 1.30 and she aroused her husband and son. Bursting Into flames when descending a hill near Patumahoe on Sunday night a light sedan car, owned and driven by Mr N. M. Fraser, of Patumahoe, was soon destroyed. Mr Fraser was the only occupant and lie escaped uninjured.

Perpetual Forests Special resolutions are to be submitted to an early meeting of shareholders of New Zealand Perpetual Forests, Limited, involving the liquidation of the company and the distribution of its assets to shareholders. The directors •. remind shareholders that they are now individual shareholders in New Zealand Forest Products, Limited, and that their aggregate holding constitutes an important interest in that company. The chairman states that the accounts of Perpetual Forests are in an entirely healthy condition.

Safety on Highways Further legislation designed to increase the standard of safety an the highways was* foreshadowed by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, .in a speech at Kohukohu recently. The Minister had been explaining his obligations to make roads fit to meet the demands of modern traffic. “The safety programme,” he said, “has reduced the motor accidents death rate to the lowest figure in the world, but I am convinced that 90 per cent of motor accidents are avoidable.” The road improvement programme would be pushed on to the limit of the funds available.

Import Licenses Licenses to import poods in the second period of the year are now being issued by the Customs Department where goods are of a seasonal nature, and it is necessary that orders should he lodged overseas without delay to ensure delivery. Between 2000 and 3000 applications have actually been received relating to the second six months of the year, but it is not considered that a very big proportion of these come within the urgent category, and the policy to he pursued in dealing with others has not yet been postulated.

Mutual Co-operation That there are two sides to the achievement of increased production \\\ i emphasised by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. 1). G. Sullivan, in their addresses to workers durinp their visits to Wellington factories yesterday. Those two sides, they said, were those of the worker on the one hand and of the employer on the other, and only through co-operation and work leading to greater output could they mutually benefit. 900 One-way Bridges •We have a tremendous job in North Auckland." said the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. It. Semple, at Pukekohe yesterday. "We have just been through counties where there are 900 one-way bridges in a deplorable state: they just stand up from force of habit. How the people get over them heats me, and the task ot replacing them with good two-way •bridges and widening the roads has to be faced. We have to make roads suitable for high-powered cars.” The Minister said the task was beyond the resources of counties, and he recti-r----nlsed the major responsibility devolved upon the Government.