General News

Freyberg Street The name Freyberg is to be suggested by the Riccarton Borough Council to the Post and Telegraph Department as a new name for Godley avenue. Wavell was originally suggested as the new name, but councillors agreed last evening that there was danger of confusion of that name with Darvel, which has been selected as the new name for Edinburgh street. Anzac Day in India The Government has received the following message from the chairman of the Eastern Group Supply Council, Simla: “At the instance of Australian and New Zealand members, the Eastern Group Supply Council, at to-day’s meeting in Simla, appropriately observed the anniversary of the landing of the Anzac Corps at Gallipoli, and my colleagues on the council desire me to forward to the Government and people of the Dominion an expression of their remembrance qf the memorable feat of arms which characterised the epic landing on Gallipoli.” The following reply has been sent by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser); “The Government and people of New Zealand warmly appreciate recognition of Anzac Day by the Eastern Group Supply Council, and regard it as an additional instance of the imperishable bonds that unite the various portions of the British Commonwealth.” —Press Association. Canterbury Apples A considerable quantity of Canterbury apples this season was being held in orchard stores, Mr R. G. I. Hamilton (orchard instructor, Department of Agriculture) said yesterday. Arrangements had been made with the Internal Marketing Department for growers to hold back a greater quantity to relieve cool store space and to spread the crop evenly over latei markets. The total received at the depqt from Canterbury growers this season was, he said, about 14,000 cases. At this time last year the quantity was 36,000 cases. The total crop going through the Marketing Department from Canterbury growers this year was estimated at about 100,000 cases. Practically 40,000 of these would be Stunners, which were only just being harvested. Where the bulk of the fiuit was in by the end of June last year, the department’s season this year, with orchardists holding back stores, would end about August. Confidence, in Minister “When a Minister gives a decision which is so devoid of common sense, he can’t expect us to have any faith in him,” said Cr. C. G. McKellar at the Riccarto.i Borough Council meeting last evening, when a copy of an Order-m-Council was received from the Department of Health, giving details of the new combined North Canterbury Hospital Board area, into which Riccarton has been incorporated. Riccarton was formerly joined with Waimain, but now it is combined with Sumner and Lyttelton. “The decision means that we have to run an election tied up with a district 10 miles away from us, over 'a high range of hills, and separated in addition by the city and by Heathcote County. We have no community of interest and not even contiguity,” Cr. McKellar added. Drapery Prices Replying to statements by the New Zealand Federation of Drapers, Clothiers, and Retailers, which claimed that the tribunal’s formula was unjust and unworkable, the Price Tribunal says it always endeavoured to treat each case on its merits. Soon after .the outbreak of war the Drapers’ Federation asked the tribunal for special treatment in the administration of price control. The federation claimed that if it was allowed to increase prices only by the amount of increased costs their trade would be bankrupted. The tribunal states that an investigation showed that drapery turnover had been increased over pre-war figures, and there was no fear that the results prophesied by the drapers would occur. The tribunal also says that it has been disappointed with the lack of co-operation by the drapery trade. It had worked out a system to avoid individual applications being made for price increases; but in several large towns drapers consistently failed to co-operate.—Press Association. Wild Boar Hunt in London The bank holiday’s most exciting event was a hunt in the heart of London for a large, ferocious Indian wild boar, which had been most bad-tempered since his companion died in December, writes -the London correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald” on April 17. It escaped through the exits of the zoo enclosure on Sunday night. Keepers discovered it asleep in the middle of a big lawn. The head keeper organised a pig-stalking party of keepers and men of the Auxiliary Fire Service. After an hour’s run the boar was driven into a narrow lane between wire fences. The fun fizzled out when the boar calmly walked into a cage into which* two biscuits had been thrown. Twice during the hunt the boar tried to charge lorries, which swerved to avoid it. “My Country, Right or Wrong” “The time has come when we ought to stand up and declare ourselves for the Empire and to hell with the other people.” said Major D. S. Murchison, Area Commander of the Home Guard, in an address on citizenship to the Christchurch Businessmen’s Club yesterday. “Too often in the past,” he said, “we have had foreign doctrines explained in our schools and universities, to the detriment of our Empire. In answer to criticism of this we have been told that the young people must learn about all the doctrines, but they are not taught enough about our own. We could better revert to the old three R’s, coupled with ‘My country, right or wrong’.” Canadian Hospitality Already advantage has been taken of an offer to New Zealand cricketers from the British Columbia Cricket Association, to “take in hand” any players from New Zealand who pass through Vancouver as members of the armed forces. The New Zealand Cricket Council has received a letter from Vancouver offering this hospitality. It was asked at the meeting of the council last evening that any delegate knowing the name of a man passing through Vancouver should hand the name on to the council. The offer of such kind hospitality has already been suitably acknowledged. Jobs in America The United States Bureau of Labour Statistics estimated recently that nearly a million jobs would be provided by expansion for defence of the aircraft and shipbuilding industries within two years. Basing its estimate on orders and the current rate of expansion. ' the bureau predicted 550,000 men would be needed in the aeroplane manufacturing industry. Shipbuilding employment “on Government vessels alone” would require 388,000 workers by November, 1942.