NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 241, 12 October 1942, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Milford Track Chked

tinie for many years Milford track will not be opened during the coming summer season. War conditions are responsible for the decision by the tourist authorities. The Milford Sound Hotel will be open during the summer, and it is possible that parties may make the trip there by the new road if a walking passage Is allowed through the Homer tunnel, but the lake service from Te Anau to Glade House and Pompolona and Quentin huts will not be operated. The track was closed earlier than usual last summer, and it is not considered that in the present circumstances the patronage would justify the service being operated. What a Man!

Mr. Winston Churchill is tremendously admired In the United States. One American writing by the last mail from New York says In a letter to a Wellington friend:—"What a man is Winston. We see over here that he has just lit back in old England after flying half round the world—and him nearly 68 years of age. Dinner with Stalin in Moscow; breakfast with the King of Egypt in Cairo. And how were we tickled over the yarn that in Egypt he was presented with a cigar 12 inches long. What a cigar! What a man! America is on her toes. The feeling here for England was never better." Conductresses Prosed Auckland's tram conductresses are winning praise on all sides. Tact, kindness in helping elderly people, carefulness in watching passengers get on and off trams, as well as resource, have all been shown by these women, whose job can be a tiring one, especially in rush hours. Two women passengers who obviously held the fine belief that the time for praise Is the present, were handing out large measures of it to a girl conductor in a city tram the other day. "You're doing fine work," one told her. "It's marvellous the way you've settled down to the work so quickly." And when the conductress moved away, smiling with pleasure, they enjoyed themselves exchanging further tributes to these members of a sex which has proved not so weak after all. Driving Home to Lunch "Several complaints have been received by the Timaru Oil Fuel Advisory Committee concerning the irregular action of a number of business men in using their motor vehicles for travelling home for lunch," the district oil fuel controller, Mr. C. W. Browne, said a few days ago. The matter hacl received publicity in other centres, and the controller said that he did not propose to issue any further warning. "Business men, who are provided with licenses to draw oil fuel to enable them to carry on their business activities, are aware that by using their vehicles for travelling to and from their places of business at lunch time, they are committing a breach of the Oil Fuel Regulations," Mr. Browne continued. "At the request of the committee, the tjiiAc Inspectors have been inMxucted to institute a periodical ' Check of the main streets of the town >. 4HMI submit for the information of wM committee a report on any apparent breaches."

Oyster Season

In spite of bad weather at the beginning, which kept the boats at home for weeks at a time, the Bluff oyster season, which is now closed, was an exceptionally good one, the tally for each boat being very much above that of last season. The vessels have now put all dredgers' oyster gear ashore and are ready to be painted and overhauled. Appreciation An appreciative letter has been received by the Mayor, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, from the captain of an overseas ship, who acknowledged the gift of native bush plants grown in the Auckland Domain. "I hope to keep them aboard until I make my home port and am looking forward to transplanting them," the letter said. Thanks were also expressed for a donation of books ana magazines. New Industry

A start was made in Dunedin last week on the construction of the factory building for the production of oil from the seeds of linseed flax. The building is being erected for Dominion Industries, Ltd., on the Harbour Board's reclamation area at the foot of Frederick Street, and the Fletcher Construction Company is to carry out the work. The cost of construction will be about £20,000, and the work should be completed in about 16 weeks' time. The seed and cake store will be 218 ft long by 70ft wide, and the mill 75ft long by 60ft wide. There will also be a series of steel oil tanks for the maturing of the product and filling stations. Confidence In U.S. Navy Surgeon-Commander A. Perry who is on leave just now, told his fellow members at the Dunedin Orphans' Club that he had the utmost confidence that the United States Navy would do the job which it had set out to do in the Pacific. He was particularly impressed with its medical equipment and organisations. Speaking of the nonchalance displayed by the average British naval • man, Surgeon-Commander Perry told of the commander of a British destroyer which was proceeding along a Norwegian fiord when another British ship approached, feeling its way in an opposite direction. The latter's commander signalled: ' Have you a navigating chart of this channel?" and the reply came back: "No; we're using an A.A. (Automobile Association) guide." He is a Good Soldier Members of a military camp in the Auckland area take special pride in a dog which has attached itself to them, and which makes a feature of turning out every time the call i# sounded for the changing of the guard. First "man" on parade each time is the dog, which always heads the squad through the various evolutions until the new guard has been set, whereupon he dismisses himself to seek company elsewhere. The common story goes that as a raw recruit the dog made a "buddy" of a particular soldier, but when this pal of his incurred penalties for several breaches of the regulations, the dog showed his displeasure by transferring his friendship to another member of the camp. Just what were his calling and connections in civil life the dog has not deigned to reveal, but somewhere he seems to have absorbed a strong sense of military duty.