HOUSE REPAIRS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24292, 5 June 1942, Page 2

HOUSE REPAIRS

URGENT EMERGENCIES TRADESMEN AVAILABLE In view of the wide powers vested in the Auckland Defence Building Control Committee, recently set up, the question has been raised whether tradesmen and materials will be available to house owners for urgent repair jobs. In the past few months numbers of citizens have encountered the greatest difficulty in obtaining, for instance, the services of a plumber to deal with faults suddenly revealed in the sanitary system of homes and in root and spoutings and the like. The assurance is given by Mr. H. ii. Clark, secretary of the committee, that where a property-owner finds it impossible to arrange for such work to bo done the committee will do so. "It; will make contact with the organisation covering the employers of the trade concerned," he said, "and instruct that one of its members does the job. We have power to instruct. The committee will, of course, first satisfy itself that the work is essential and urgent and it will also expect the property-owner to have used his best _ endeavours to find a man prior to coming to the committee."

In cases where material is required the procedure that has long been in vogue will be followed. An order will be given to a merchant, who on the proper form will submit it for consideration to the Housing Construction Department, the head of which, Mr. K. W. Rowllings, is a member of the Auckland Defence Building Control Committee, if the work is deemed to be urgent and the material is in the eountry approval will be given immediately. REGISTERING OF WOMEN NO FURTHER CALL YET (0.C.) WELLINGTON. Thursday Until the available young women in the 20-21 age group who were required to register recently have been placed in suitable essential industry, the registration of higher age groups will not be called for, it- was learned officially today. The position at the moment is that the supplies of young women in the first group have not been exhausted, and consideration has not yet been given to the question of further registration of women. ARMY DAY APPEAL PARADE THROUGH CITY Army Day, the second of six street appeals to obtain funds for the Auckland Metropolitan Psoriatic Committee's 1942 Appeal, will be held in tho city and suburbs to-day. A military column will march from the junction of Park Road and Grafton Road at noon, through Karangahape Road and Queen Street to Quay Street. Two bands will play and there will be a display of modern mobile war equipment. Miniature tin hats, which proved popular at a recent Wellington appeal, will bo sold. This appeal has been organised by the Returned Services' Association. The next street collection will be an Air Force Day on July 3. LOCAL AXI) GENERAL Danish Constitution Day The anniversary of the Danish Constitution of 1866, the national day of the Danish people, falls to-day. The original Constitution was replaced by a new one in 1915, which was in turn amended in 1939. Since the invasion of Denmark in 1940 the free Danes have been under the Danish Legation in London as their official head. There will be no celebration in Auckland, but one will be held on the birthday of the King of Denmark, September 16. Wear on Roads At the annual meeting of the Manukau County Council yesterday, the report stated that, generally speaking, road surfaces had been kept to a uniform standard, in spite of the difficulty of obtaining permanent labour to maintain them. Certain roads had had to bear a considerable amount of intensive military traffic, and the council was in communication with the_ Public Works Department with a view to gaining some assistance from the Government; Sporting Assets Proposals for the curtailment of activities at game farms and fish hatcheries as a war effort have been strongly deprecated by some Auckland sportsmen, who declare that this is the time above all when the sporting attractions of New Zealand should not be neglected. They point out the probability of many visiting sportsmen being anxious to test our ability to cater for rod and gun in the near future, and upon the opinions thus formed will depend a great potential tourist traffio in the post-war years. Prevalent Dishonesty In answer to a plea by counsel that a prisoner should be dealt with in such a way as might lead to his reform, Mr. Justice Callan said yesterday that this was not the whole duty of the Court. It had also to consider what must be done to discourage and stamp out such forms of crime as it observed were bej coming prevalent in the district. "'This i Court does observe." continued His ! Honor, "that gross dishonesty and dis-

regard of other people's property is becoming too prevalent- in this community." He imposed a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment for theft. Education in Army A letter stating that the Government was being asked to put into operation a scheme for providing educational facilities for members of the armed forces, through personnel already in the Army who had the necessary training to undertake the work, was received from the Associated Chambers ot Commerce at yesterday's meeting of the council of the Auckland chamber. The letter was in reply to representations made by the Auckland body tor lectures on various subjects and other educational facilities, such as are provided in Britain and the United States, to be made available in New Zealand. It was stated that the matter was also being placed before the Senate of the University of New Zealand. Fuel Position Because of the short season of heavy demand, the fuel position in Auckland is considered to be better than in most other towns and cities in New Zealand. Firewood is becoming scarcer and a greater demand will be created lor coal. The practice of booking orders for a fortnight or more ahead and taking only limited quantities has been adopted by a number of Aucklanders. This is not considered uneconomical hy the coal merchants, as they are gioupin<T orders so that only full loads are sent out from the depots to the delivery areas. If the public buy normally and do not endeavour to build up stocks, there will be ample winter fuel for everyone, was the opinion or a representative of the business. Coffee in Short Supply In an attempt to mitigate the blow of tea rationing, some restaurants and tearooms have been endeavouring to secure extra supplies of coffee, in the hope of being able to switch some ot their customers over. _ It has been a fruitless quest, 1 here is not ex act! \ a famine of coffee yet, but it is scarce enousih for merchants to be unwilling to increase supplies beyond customers past requirements or to supply new customers. Experienced caterers are doubtful whether it would be po.ssib.e to turn confirmed tea-drinkers into coffee addicts, in any case. When the price of tea first rose sharply, theie was only a very slight increase m sales of coffee, retailers of which have been applying a degree of rationing for some time.