NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 183, 4 August 1943, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Trial Interrupted When the jury returned after the mid-afternoon adjournment during the hearing of a trial in the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr. G. S. R. Meredith, counsel for the Crown, said he had been informed that a member of the jury had come into possession of information which had not been brought out in evidence. In view of this he suggested that the jury should be dismissed and the trial taken before another jury. Both his Honor and counsel for the accused agreed with Mr. Meredith and the jury was dismissed. N.Z. Girls in London A warm tribute to the way in which Dominion men in the forces are looked after in London by New Zealand girls who' went there before the war is paid by Mr. Arthur Towsey, who is in Auckland for a short while before returning to England. "These girls are doing a fine job in New Zealand House, the New Zealand Forces Club and the Prisoners of War Department. Those who haven't a full-time job looking after the New Zealand boys' interests entertain them and look after their welfare generally after their own day's work is finished. They are always ready to sew on a button, find accommodation, or shepherd anyone round." Looking to the Government How Governments can be regarded as almoners was illustrated recently by the Premier of Victoria, Mr. Dunstan. He had received a letter from a country resident, who after 25 vears with false teeth found it necessary to have a new set, to cost £6 6/, so he wrote seeking financial assistance. Mr. Dunstan replied that there was no State fund for that purpose. Next mail he received an indignant protest. "Look, brother Albert, I am most disappointed, the writer said. "I did not expect funds to be available for any such purpose but after a man has been an active worker for 50 years, what would it hurt six members of Parliament each throwing in 21/? They would never miss it. Do try again like a good fellow lam stuck without teeth!" The Premier was considering the application when he received a third missive in which his correspondent quoted from Matthew: "Give to him that asketh thee, and, and from him who would borrow of thee, turn not thou away!"

Morals in United States That the problem of wartime morals is not confined to New Zealand is evidenced by a recent announcement by J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, who said arrests of girls under 21 increased 55.7 per cent in 1942 over the 1941 total. "Even more shocking," he said, "were the still higher figures of arrests for certain specific offences indicating a general let-down in moral standards among our young girls." Te Kuiti* s Climatic Changes Te Kuiti had 13 degrees of frost again on Saturday morning. After four lovely sunny days Sunday evening became cloudy, rain commencing about 1 a.m. Monday and continuing steadily nearly all day, mostly of a light nature. The whole of Te Kuiti township was enveloped in a very thick fog all Monday evening, making travel difficult and conditions generally most unpleasant. Very heavy rain fell during most of Tuesday, and slight flooding of roads and low-lying country has been reported. Hosiery Ration Cards The special cards which are to replace coupons in the hosiery rationing scheme will not be replaced if they are lost. A warning to this effect is given on each card. Although it has been stated by post office authorities elsewhere that replacement will be considered in cases where cards are destroyed by fire or stolen with other personal belongings and the loss reported to the police, inquiries at the Auckland Post Office revealed that no such advice has been received here. The new cards will be available for three months. - Massey College "The Canadians are a fine lot of people, and very kind to New Zealanders," writes Lieutenant Donald Souter Flux while training in Canada for the Fleet Air Arm. Lieutenant Flux, who is an old pupil of Massey College, desired to see something of farming in Canada in a practical way, and when he had leave he took a position on a farm. His training at Massey College stood him in good stead, and he says he was able to give his employers in Canada useful advice about farming. In some ways he thinks New Zealand farming is as advanced as any he has seen elsewhere in his travels. The Canadian farmers he met were surprised that New Zealand had such an advanced agricultural college.