General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23130, 20 September 1940, Page 8

General News

Ambulance Towed to City The sight of a vehicle of tfig St. John Ambulance being towed along Papanui road by a t eakdown truck about 8 o’clock last evening might have suggested that_ the ambulance, instead of attending an accident, had been involved in one itself. The cause, however, was only a broken axle, which made it necessary for the ambulance to be towed back to the city. £IOOO for London Fund A donation of £ 1000 toward the first phase of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council’s campaign for funds for the relief of the people of London was made by the Auckland City_ Council last night.—Press Association. bridges on West Coast Road Improvements on the West Coast road were reported to the council of the Automobile Association, Canterbury, last evening, by Mr W. F. Harley, secretary of the Greymouth branch of the association. Mr Harley said that the bridge over the Thomas river and the new deviation on the east side of the river were now open to main road traffic. The small Craigieburn bridge was also open. Upper Twin creek, on Arthur’s Pass near the Dudley Dobson monument, had now been bridged. Patriotic Grants The National Patriotic Fund Board at a meeting yesterday made a grant of £2OOO for its work in Great Britain among women’s war organisations. Approval was given to the provision of a recreation hut for fortress troops at Motutapu Island, Auckland. A grant was made to the Navy Office for the purchase of naval comforts for Christmas.—Press Association. Petrol for West Coast The supplying of petrol to the West Coast by sea, to avoid the higher price caused by land transport, was urged by West Coast delegates at a meeting of the executive of the Automobile Association, Canterbury, 'last evening. It was decided to approach the Department of Industries and Commerce in support of the West Coast request. Mr W. R. Carey said the department had had similar requests on behalf of other districts and had taken action. Mr G. S. Morris said that, with the pooling of oil companies’ supplies, the coastal tanker Paua, owned by the Shell Company, might be available for West Const ports. Scientists anti War Work More than one member of the scientific staff of the New Zealand Wheat Research Institute is engaged on war work of some sort. It was reported to the institute at the quarterly meeting yesterday that Dr. O. 'I. Frankel had enlisted in one of the home defence units. Dr. Frankel is the plant geneticist at the institute. The chemist, Mr E. W. Hullett, is engaged in confidential scientific work for the scientific advisory committee of the Defence Department. Mr J. B. Hair, Dr. Frankel’s assistant, has re r signed to join the 4th Reinforcements. Fewer Cars Sold The decline in sales of new motor vehicles since the beginning of the war is set out in figures given in the annual report of the New Zealand Motor Trade Federation. In the year ended on March 31, 1939, registrations of new motor-cars numbered 28,937, new commercial vehicles 10,862, and new motor-cycles 2233. In the year ended on March 31, 1940, after six months of war, registrations of new cars numbered 18,107, new commercial vehicles 9869, and' new motor-cycles 1814. This represented a decrease in sales of cars of three-eighths (hr 37.4 per cent.), commercial vehicles nearly onetenth, and motor-cycles nearly one-fifth. The decline had continued since March, registrations of new cars, which for Apyil were 869, being 637 in May, 659 in June, 371 in July, and only 329 in August. There were similar declines in commercial vehicles and motor-cycles. Too Many Books Sent to Library Difficulty has been caused at the Canterbury Public Library because of an appeal which has been sent out through the Dominion for books for Waiouru military camp. The librarian (Mr E. J. Bell) said last evening that so many books were being received that it was impossible to find room for them. 'At present there were several thousand in hand. The library was mainly in need of magazines for the men m Canterbury, and it could not undertake the task of handling more books for other parts of the Dominion. Mr Bell added that books and magazines should not be sent in unless they ■wete \tv reasonably good condition. The library already had two sacks of rubbish, and if such books continued to arrive the staff would be caused considerable trouble. On the other hand large numbers of books and magazines in very good condition were, being received, and a gut of £1 to buy books was made yesterday. ’ Power Pole on Fire Caused by the high wind moving one of the electric power cables, with a consequent short circuit, a power pole near the Harbour Board watch house in Lyttelton tork fire about 7 o’clock last night. The pole carried Harbour Board power lines, and, as a safety measure, a “black-out” was ordered. After the fire was extinguished by the Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade the power was restored and the working of the port resumed. The power was cut off for about half an hour. England at Worlt "The engineering trade in England is working seven days a week and 24 hours a day,” said Mr F. Shawcross; a railway engineer from England, who is visiting Christchurch. He said that the employees had been working so hard that it had been found absolutely necessary, in spite of their willingness to work, to give them frequent week-ends off, to allow them to recuperate. Mr Shawcross said that he considered that the fine spirit brought about by the needs of the war and the good feeling that had arisen between employers and. workers would have permanently good effects on industry after the war was over. India’s Millions Writing from the Punjab, where he is on the staff of the -Presbyterian mission, Dr. A. J. Henderson, of Auckland, states that from 1921 to 1931 there was an increase of 33,000,000 in the population of India. It is estimated that in 1941 the total will exceed 400,000,000, the increase being largely due to the prevention of the former great outbreaks of disease. Whereas 70 years ago the average annual income was about 30s, 10 years ago it was about £B. In the modern city of Bombay one-third of the population of 1,100,000 live in rooms occupied by more than five persons at a time, and many rooms have 20 persons or more.