General News

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23438, 19 September 1941, Page 6

General News

No Prayer Before Meetings The Westport Borough Council, at its meeting on Wednesday evening, decided not to adopt the suggestion of the Mayor, Mr J. M. Robertson, to begin with a prayer for Divine guidance. Councillors said that such a practice would be hypocrisy on the part of those who did not believe in prayer. The Mayor was the only one to vote for the motion. Cuckoo in the Nest? “Major road ahead” signs, which the Road Safety Council have decided should be changed to “Main road ahead,” which wpuld avoid any suggestion of conflict with the right-hand rule, raised comments by Mr F. W. Freeman at the Canterbury Automobile Association’s council meeting last evening. “It’s like home rule for Ireland—it will probably never be settled, or not for a long time,” Mr Freeman said. He added that Canterbury had always supported “main,” which had been used since the inception of the Highways Act, whereas “major road” was the cuckoo. After some discussion on correspondence on the subject, the council passed a resolution incorporating an expression of its preference for “main road ahead.” Houses for Soldiers’ Wives A request that the Minister for Housing (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) in the future allocation of State rental houses, should give preference to the wives of soldiers serving in the fighting forces, specially those overseas, was made by Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo), in a question of which he gave notice in the House yesterday. He added that soldiers’ wives, specially those with children, were finding it more and more difficult to rent homes. —P.R. Flowering Trees on Sewage Farm Flowering trees planted by the Christchurch Drainage Board along the whole of the Page’s road frontage of the sewage farm are now coming into flower for the first time. There are about 132 trees in all, including flowering peach, apple, and currant, and Forsythia. All except the apple trees are in bloom along more than half a mile of the road. The trees were planted some months ago at the suggestion of the secretary of the board (Mr C. F. Champion). Russian Workers’ Thanks Russian garment workers have cabled a reply to the garment workers of New Zealand who recently sent to the Soviet a message expressing admiration for the Russian struggle against Germany. The Russian cablegram, which bears the signature of Anastasie Maikova, president of the central committee of the Clothing Workers’ Union of Russia, states:— “We thank for cordial greetings. Clothing workers of the U.S.S.R. are ready to sacrifice all their forces for securing victory upon mankind’s worst enemy, bloody Fascism. Victory will be ours.” Money for Hospital Buildings A suggestion that the Government should raise money for the erection and maintenance of hospital buildings by art unions, to relieve the extra charge on the land, was made by the Cheviot County Council when a protest was made against the charge of £BB 6s 4d on the council for interest and sinking fund on the North Canterbury Hospital Board’s proposed loan. The council urged that a change Should be made in the system of rating land for hospital purposes. Price of Candles The Price Tribunal, in a statement issued yesterday, said that it had investigated the price of New Zealand manufactured candles. It found that prices throughout New Zealand varied considerably. Due to the higher landed cost of wax, they might tend to rise. Tl>e time was opportune, therefore, to fix Dominion-wide prices which would be fair to retailer and consumer alike. It should be pointed out, .the tribunal stated, that the prices which had been fixed by the order were maximum prices only. The prices are: Is 2d per lb packet of six candles, 2Jd a candle for less than packet lots. Having regard to the varying prices at present ruling, it was felt that on an overall basis the operation of the new maximum price fixed by the order, while fair to retailers generally, would benefit the public.—P.A. Bombs Reveal Roman Wall Surprisingly few antiquities have been revealed by the German bombing of London. Finds can be counted on the fingers. The largest of these discoveries is a bastion of the wall which the Romans built around London and some fragments of the wall itself. The bastion is in the neighbourhood of Barbers’ Hall in the area about Cripplegate, which has been badly bombed. It consists of the Roman lower courses only. A surviving portion of the undercroft of a mediaeval building has been exposed under the pavement where Queen Victoria street and Watling street meet near the heart of the city. It apparently dates from the fourteenth century. The destruction of some of Wren’s churches has proved the great architect’s frequent use of existing wall and foundations in his rebuilding after the Great Fire of London. This had long been suspected. Third Minesweeper to be Launched The third composite naval minesweeper to be built at Auckland will be launched from the Marine Department’s construction yard oh Tuesday morning. Miss Joyce Mason, a daughter of Mr P. Mason, a director of Mason Bros, and Company, Ltd., the contractors, will name the vessel Manuka The first two minesweepers, the Hinau and the Rimu, were launched on August 28 and September 9 respectively. As soon as supplies of Australian steel become available, the first of three steel minesweepers to be built at Auckland will be started. Nine steel minesweepers will be built in New Zealand.—P.A. Hours of Work “Will the Government take immediate steps to regulate the hours of work of those workers whose labour is subject neither to award nor statute?” asked Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn), in a question he addressed to the Minister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb), on behalf of the Hon. W. E. Barnard (Democratic Labour, Napier), in the House yesterday. He that one type of night worker did 60 hours a week, and worked seven nights a week. His wages were £4 17s 6d gross. “Give us his name,” said Mr Webb.—P.R.