NEW ENGINEER

DISTRICT PUBLIC WORKS MR. THORNTON PROMOTED Succeeding Mr. F. S. Dyson, Mr. 0. G. Thornton has been appointed district engineer of the Public Works Department at Auckland. Mr. Thornton, who has been with the department for 35 years, lias been connected with many important railway and other construction works in the North and South Islands.

Before coming to Auckland in April, 1942, as deputy-district engineer to assist in the department's activities arising out of the war, Mr. Thornton was district engineer at Gisborne. During his 13 years of service there, public buildings, roads and main highways were developed, and the construction of the Waikokopu-Gisborne" section of the East Coast Main Trunk railway was begun and virtually completed. He was chairman of tho No. 4 District Highways Council from 1929 to Railway Construction Born in Hawke's Bay and educated at the Napier Boys' High School, Mr. Thornton joined the Public Works Department in 1908 as an engineer cadet. After 11 months in the head office in Wellington, he was sent to North Auckland, and for three years was engaged in railway surveys and construction mainly in the Kaipara district. In 1912 he was in the Bay of Plenty engaged on further surveys of the Roto-rua-Paengaroa and East Coast Main Trunk railways, after which he spent two and a-half years on the West Coast, with headquarters at Greymouth, gaining further experience in railway construction, various road works and control of coast erosion.

While in charge of the construction of the railway from Kaikolie northwards in 1915, Mr. Thornton enlisted for service overseas with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He was not called up, however, until after a transfer to Marlborough, and six months' service in charge of the construction of the north end of the Main Trunk railway. He left New Zealand with a unit of engineers early in 1916, and served for three years overseas. He was wounded, and was recommended in the field for a commission, which he gained after passing through the Royal Engineers Cadet School. Work at Paeroa On his return to New Zealand in 1919, Mr. Thornton was placed in charge of the construction of the Opunake branch railway, on which substantial progress had been made when he was transferred to Waiotu as resident engineer in 1925. He completed the closing of the Huarau-Oakleigh gap in the North Auckland railway, enabling traffic to be opened to Whangarei, Opua and Ivaikohe. Mr. Thornton's next appointment was to take charge of the Paeroa subdistrict, where, in the course of three years, he supervised work on the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers development scheme, and the construction of roads and main highways, including several large bridges. From Paeroa. Mr. Thornton went to Gisborne, and was then transferred to Auckland.

WORK ON TRAMWAYS MODIFICATION ORDER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday The Tramways Industry Labour Legislation Modification Order gazetted to-night states that any worker concerned who is required to work in any week on a day which, except for the provisions of this order, would not be a working day, shall be given a minimuni of eight hours' work and be paid at the rate of time and a-half. Sunday is not regarded as an additional day under this order.

THEFT OF JEWELLERY VALUED AT OVER £I4OO (P.A.) Thussday Jewellery valued at over £I4OO was exhibited in the Magistrate's Court this morning, when Francis Henry Gordon Guilford, a labourer, aged 51, pleaded guilty to four charges of breaking and entering houses in Christcluireh and committing theft. Guilford was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence on charges of breaking and entering and theft from a house at Wellington and from a shop at Point Chevalier. Auckland.

Guilford was remanded to appear at Wellington on May 5.

FLAG IN CEMETERY USE IN SOLDIERS' PLOT The City Council last night approved a proposal by the Auckland Returned Services Association, on behalf of an anonymous donor, that the association should be allowed to erect a permanent flagpole in the soldiers' plot at the Waikuniete Cemetery, on condition that the Union Jack should be hoisted and lowered to half-mast on the occasion of every burial in the plot. The association stated that these stipulations had been made by the donor, who had offered £IOO. He wished the Union Jack to he used, rather than the New Zealand ensign, because ex-servicemen of Empire forces other than those of New Zealand were frequently buried in the eemeterv

Captain R. S, Judson, V.C., expressed doubts whether anyone had a right to hoist the Union Jack in the circumstances mentioned without express authority. The council approved the proposal with any reservation that might be needed to meet the point mentioned by Captain Judson.

MARKET GARDENERS VALUABLE WAR WORK The valuable service being given by Chinese market gardeners in Auckland and surrounding districts, was the subject of favourable comment by the No. Transport Licensing Authority, Mr. Iti. J. Plielan, at a sitting yesterday, when applications for truck licences under tho Transport Goods Emergency Regulations were lodged by 60 Chinese and about 12 Hindus.

Mr. Chang, secretary of the Chinese Commercial Growers' Association, stated that about 2000 acres were at present being worked by Chinese in and around the city. He did not know the-number of men employed or the tonage of vegetables prod need. Most of the vegetables were for the local market.

Representatives of the Hindu applicants said that in some cases fruit and vegetables were delivered from shops to individual consumers. The authority stated that in his opinion this practice should be discontinued during the war. Decision in all cases was reserved.