General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23479, 6 November 1941, Page 4

General News

Teacher’s Duty in Emergency A ruling that in time of emergency the first duty of a teacher was to the children under his charge was given by the Education Dep ment in a memorandum received by the Auck land Education Board. The made in reply to a the Ha: Headmasters’ Association concerning the in a national crisis of teachers finn c Home Guard or Emergency Precautions Scheme, organisations. A teacher should no undertake other duties until the children have first reached home or a place of . hpr the department. In the case of a head teacher, there should be no conflict of duties, and he or a deputy should enrol as a warden or team warden to ensure that all measuiesfor the safety of the children were carried out. P.A. An Active Patriotic Society The Mayor of Christchurch ( Mr oEdrews) received yesterday a cheque fo for patriotic funds from the Lmwood-Avonside Patriotic Society. This society has already col lected £854, of which £7lB has beenpaidm o the Canterbury Patriotic Council. The sum o £l3B was collected the Lmwood-Avonside Society’s stall at the Industries Mr An drews spoke appreciatively of the done by the society m raising funds for the benefit of those serving in the forces. Parking Light Areas The only Canterbury area classified as a oarkine light area unaer the new lighting regulations is the Esplanade, New Brighton. The Gazette notice defining the districts in which motor vehicle lighting is thus rigorously restricted lists streets in Wanganui, Gisborne Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Oamaru, and Dunedin. Christchurch s one blacked-ouu street is much the smallest of the lists for th various centres. Union Jack Club Repainted The Union Jack Club, which has been closed for the last three days for redecorating, will be open again to-day. Mr Tom Smith, the secretary, said last evening that the loung , sports floors and showers had all been done up, and there wduld be business as usual in the fresher surroundings. Demand for Miners ■ According to the applications which are being received by the State' Placement Office at Greymouth vacancies for experienced miners exist in almost all of the main district mines, excepting Blackball. It is stated that if more miners could be found more truckers could be taken on by a number of mines to increase the output. Producer Gas Equipment

Because of the possibility of fires being started, particularly on the sides of country roads, by ashes or other material from producer gas equipment, the executive of the Canterbury Progress League last evening decided to draw the Government’s attention to steps being taken in Australia to introduce legislation regulating the lighting and handling ox producer gas plants. The executive s motion arose after the league’s organiser ' (Mr P. K. Climie) had read an extract from the bouu Australian Motor” stating that a bill had been introduced in Parliament to amend the Bush Fires Act to guard against the danger of fire from vehicles fitted with the equipment. . The bill, if passed, would prohibit lighting the plant or opening entrances to parts containing hot ashes or similar material which might emit sparks or fire unless the ground for 12 feet round was clear of all stubble, scrub, or other inflammable material. Provisions were also made in the bill for the compulsory extinguishing of materials emptied from the plant; for the fitting of the plant in such a way as to prevent the escape of sparks, ashes, or burning gas; and for its construction to be such that the outside surface would not be likely to heat sufficiently to ignite stubble or grass. A Wooden Cross A grave found on the shores of the Mediterranean at a New Zealand camp serves as a reminder of the silent though heroic part played in the war by the men Of the Merchant Navy. The grave has been discovered by members of a New Zealand mechanised regiment who recently moved into that area (writes the Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force). A pathetic sight in its loneliness, the grave now appears as a mound on which a few rough rocks from the nearby ■ b£ach are resting. A wooden cross stands at the head of the grave and bears the simple inscription: “Unknwn Br smn—fd 3.5.41.” The body was apparently washed up on the shore and buried there by soldiers camped in the vicinity at the time. When he probably lost his life members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force were engaged in one of the fiercest conflicts of the war, and it is not unlikely that this unknown seaman was part of the crew of a ship bringing aid in some form to our cause.

Permanent Outlet to Lake Ellesmere The following letter concerning the “Permanent Outlet to Lake Ellesmere Loan, 1938” and asking for an extension of the period of the loan has been sent by the secretary of the Ellesmere Lands Drainage Board (Mr L. F. Foote) to the Secretary' of the Local Government Loans Board in Wellington;—“l am instructed to make application to your board to have the period for the raising of this loan extended for a period of three years or until the war is over. Owing to the war the Public Works Department has not been able to commence the permanent outlet in the terms of the agreement with the Government and my board has to find the money when the work is commenced, consequently the question of when the money is to be raised is out of the board’s hands.” \ New Brighton Scrub Fire A scrub fire on the New Brighton Esplanade caused the Christchurch Fire Brigade to be called out at 5.55 p.m. yesterday. The fire, which was in the scrub area north of the pier towards North Beach, caused no damage to property. Building Permits in October Building permits issued by the Christchurch City Council in October totalled £36,056 in value, compared with £41,683 in October last year. The largest. amounts were in the St. Albans (£14,195), Sydenham (£5583) and Spreydon (£5085) wards. For the seven months since March 31, the total is £236,892, compared with £290,614 last year. The largest amounts are in the St. Albans (£78,874), Spreydon (£48,827), Linwood (£31,242), and outer central (£26,310) wards.