General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23053, 22 June 1940, Page 10

General News

Railway Enlistments Yesterday was the last day for the enlistment of. railwaymen in the special operating companies being formed for service overseas, said the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sul--livan) in a statement yesterday. In addition to those already serving with the 3rd Echelon, and those who volunteered but have not been called up, applications for enlistment in the railway operating companies received up to Thursday ■were: —Monday, June 17,. 96; Tuesday, 190; Wednesday, 336; Thursday, 351. The total enlistment of railwaymen, he said, was 2128. ine Minister said he expected a large number ot applications yesterday. He was grateful and proud of the ready response which had been made by railwaymen and extended to them his personal thanks and those of the Government. —Press Association. Origin of Iron “Iron is thought to date back to between 3000 and 4000 8.C.,” said Mr J. Hutton in an address to the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry last evening. “There is a piece in the British Museum originating from the pyramid of Gizeh which was erected about 3733 B.C. The process of smelting iron is supposed to originate from the Hindus, although smelting by means of the blast furnace was done in Germany as early as 1350 A.D. and in England about 1500. Steel was first made by the Chaldeans or Egyptians by methods resembling our crucible process. In India, the celebrated Indian swords were made by melting very pure iron ores, mixed with chopped wood, in clay crucibles in a charcoal fire blown by goatskin bellows. No finer tool steel has ever been produced.” Change of Seasons To-day the sun, which is now in the most northerly portion of its annual track, will reach the winter solstice, after which it will retrace its path toward the equator and higher arcs in the skies! To-day, therefore, will be the shortest day of the year for the southern hemisphere, although the difference between the lengths of, days for a week before and after the solstice is a matter only of seconds. War Conditions and Bates of Pay “Better leave things alone.” “The council meeting is not a place to discuss these matters.” These were comments made at a meeting of the Heathcote County Council last evening when the following resolution of the Wallace County Council came before the meeting: “That owing to the war conditions this council ask for a reinstatement of the 48 hours week without any increase in the existing weekly wage. Also 50 per cent, reduction in holidays and overtime at ordinary rates of pay.” The copy of the resolution was received. “Better Than France” “It is better to be buying raffle tickets for a worthy cause in New Zealand than to be in France or Egypt,” said Mr Allan Matson, when speaking on patriotic efforts, when the prize in a recent raffle was presented in the Square last evening. He urged continued support of the efforts to raise funds for war needs. Mr Matson said people were sick of raffles. Everywhere they went they had books of tickets thrust under their noses, but they must continue to give cheerfully. Lower Milk Price in Auckland A reduction in the retail price of milk in Auckland will take place on July 19. Thereafter loose milk will cost 6£d instead of 7d a quart, and bottled milk 7d instead of 7Jd. The price to producers will not be decreased, nor will any allowance be made to vendors. The economic foundation will be a reduction of intermediary costs by the introduction of zoning. This will mean reducing some rounds and enlarging others. The machinery of the Milk Council provides for the payment of compensation to vendors who lose a portion of their trade, and for payment to it of the value of new trade gained by vendors. —Press Association. Cable Messages for Soldiers In view of the intimation that the 2nd Echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force has arrived in England, .the Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C. Webb) announces that cable messages for members of the 2nd Echelon should be addressed: “N.Z.E.F., London.” The regimental number, rank, and name of the as well as the designation of the unit to which he is -attached, should be included in the address. A special service is available to New Zealand soldiers in Great Britain, the rate being 5d a word, with a minimum of 2s 6d. No charge is made for the address. Popularity of the Hills “The popularity of the hills this winter is more evident than ever,” stated a report from the traffic inspector of the Heathcote County Council (Mr A. J. Tait) made at last evening's meeting of the council. “On fine Sundays,” tne report added, “all the parking places are fully taxed. With the number of hikers using Dyer's Pass road between the Takahe and Kiwi, motorists have to exercise care, and it creates a problem which will not be easily solved.” Teachers and National Anthems Included in the report submitted by Miss M. H. M. King, principal of the Girls’ High School, to the monthly meeting of the Otago Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools’ Board was the following paragraph;—“ Mention, has been made, as occasion seemed to demand, of the present critical situation in Europe, and both the ‘Marseillaise’ and ‘God Save the King’ are now sung at the close of assembly in the morning.” When the report came before the meeting, Mr F. H. Campbell said: “It would be pertinent to inquire if, when these songs are being sung, all the teachers of the Girls’ School are present, and if so, do they stand up? I am bringing this matter up in view of certain rumours that are being spread abroad. I think it is one way of bringing the position to a head.” Mr Campbell then moved that the board take steps to discover whether all the teachers were present when the national anthems were being sung, and whether they all stood up. Dr. G. E. Thompson seconded the motion, which was carried without discussion. Testing Elderly Drivers Reference to the testing of applicants for drivers’ licences of persons 70 years old and Over is made in the report of the traffic inspector of the Heathcote County Council (Mr A. J. Tait) to a meeting of the council last evening. The inspector states; “With the renewing of licences and the retesting of people of 70 years of age and over, I have had a fairly busy time. Of the number of elderly drivers retested only a few appear to be showing a slowness in their reaction to the unexpected. . One or two whom I gave the benefit of the doubt to this year were warned that they were approaching the time when they would find it difficult to pass the test. However, of all those retested only one had ever been involved in an accident, and, needless to say, are proud of their record. A few applicants objected to having to go to the expense of producing a medical certificate.” Becoming “Hospital-minded” “We have turned the hospital into a free house since the fire,” declared the chairman of the Southland Hospital Board (Mr T. Golden), when a member remarked on the additional number of mattresses which the board had ordered for the reopening of the Kew Hospital in September. “When you give a free show you expect to have to provide additional room; and it is the same with free hospital beds. People are getting hospital-minded.” City Populations Palmerston North citizens have a keen desire to see the population of their city greater than that of Invercargill, according to a statement made by Mr J. H. Dick, of Wellington, at a tea attended by directors of.the Invercargill branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association and collectors for the campaign now in progress. Mr Dick, who represents the national organisation of the association, formerly lived for 20 years in Palmerston North. * The two cities, he said, were similar in many respects and' Invercargill’s growth in population was eagerly watched in the northern city. The competition offered by Wanganui, he declared, was not taken nearly as seriously as that offered by Invercargill. The 1939 Year Book gives the populations of the three cities, as on April I, 1938, as follows:—lnvercargill, 26,200; Wanganui, 26,000; Palmerston North, 24,800.