NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 173, 24 July 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Home Guard Route March A route march of five days in easy stages from Rotorua to Whakatane and back has been planned by the Rotorua Home Guard, starting this afternoon. The proposal is to observe active service conditions and to do the march without use of petrol. Soldiers' Train Fares Forty-three local bodies supported the request of the Takapuna Borough Council for free train travel for members of the armed forces, nurses and chaplains in New Zealand, according to replies so far received to the council's circular, it was stated at a meeting: of the council last night. Eight local bodies merely received the circular, while seven considered that it was not a matter on which local bodies should pass an opinion, but rather a matter of Government policy. The Odd Angle A frequent contributor to the "Man About Town" column when it was a popular feature of the "Auckland Star" and later a correspondent with his own odd angle of observation upon shoes and ships and sealing wax, "MacClure" will reappear on this page to-morrow, and twice a week thereafter, in a separate, column. He will state his views upon affairs here, there and everywhere from his own viewpoint, and will, we believe, be welcomed by all of our readers who have expressed their enjoyment of his earlier contributions. Building at Takapuna Building permits issued in Takapuna for the month of June last represented a value of £21,525, it was reported at a meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council last night. Commenting on the size, of the figure, the Mayor, Mr. J. Guiniven, stated that since April 1 last the Government had let contracts for 43 houses in the borough, and if the average assessment was taken as £1000 per house, this meant that £43,000 could be added to the total. Mr. Guiniven stated that during the past three years building permits, both private and Government, had exceeded £300,000 in Takapuna. "At this rate," he said, "Auckland will soon become a suburb of Takapuna." Permission to Win "Somewhere in North Africa" recently a team of New Zealand officers played Soccer with some Italian prisoners. According to a soldier, who has sent details of the match, the enthusiasm of the prisoners knew no bounds. However, there was one point on which their minds Were not at all settled. After some collaboration with his colleagues, the Italian captain approached the British officer commanding and said: "About this game this afternoon, doss, there is one thing we do not know. Are we allowed to win?" The officer was flabbergasted. Permission was granted, and the Italians won by 10 goals to 1.

Making Biscuit Tins According to a correspondent, a Christchurch firm is turning out 8000 biscuit and oatmeal tins a week, working 19 hours a day in two shifts, which is consideued the least wasteful application of the shift system. Two firms in Dunedin, and two in the North Island, are working similarly under the same contract to .fulfil special orders and at the same time keep the local market supplied. A White Shark A shark caught at the Kaipara Heads last week by Mr. E. Pook, a fisherman, weighed 10001b and was 12ft 6in long. Mr. W. M. Fraser, Whangarei harbourmaster, who is an authority on New Zealand fish, is of opinion that the fish is a white shark. "The white shark, which is found in the open seas of the tropics, is one of the largest and most formidable of sharks," said Mr. Fraser. "It is rarely seen on the New Zealand coast, and its capture at Kaipara is of considerable interest. This species owes its name to the white colouring of its under, surface." Accidents at Intersections Attention was drawn to the prevalence of motor accidents at street intersections by the Commissioner of Transport in a letter received by the Devonport Borough Council last night, requesting the co-operation of municipal traffic authorities in checking breaches of the regulations at these sections. During the year ended March 31, 1941, there had been 467 collisions between motor vehicles at intersections, or 54.3 per cent of all collisions between motor vehicles where some person was injured. In 311 cases the police reported that failure to yield right of way was the main cause of the accident. Excessive speed was the cause in 18 cases, and contributed to 31 other cases. The council decided to place the matter in the hands of the traffic inspector, and to inform the Department that the council would be pleased to co-operate. History Made History was made yesterday when two women members, Miss F. I. Patterson and Mrs. D. N. MacDiarmid, newly-elected parents' representatives, were welcomed at a meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board. The chairman, Mr. J. Stanton, remarked that this was the first time there had been two women on the board. There had been one woman on the board from 1917 to 1921, but none since. On the motion of the chairman the board placed on record its appreciation of the work done by the retiring members. Mr. W. Ward Baker and Mr. A. St. C. Brown. Mr. Baker had been parents' representative on the board since 1923. while Mr. Brown had been a member for the last 12 years. As a result of the alteration in the personnel of the board it was found necessary to elect a new vice-chair-man, and Mr. J. Victor Macky was elected to this position.