General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23742, 14 September 1942, Page 4

General News

An Unusual Predicament A predicament unusual in modern times, notwithstanding the shortage of tyres and petrol, was cited at a sitting of the Armed Forces Appeal Board at Greymouth when an appeal against Home Guard service was heard from a resident of the Kumara district. Saying that he lived six miles from Kumara, and would have to walk there and back, he told the board he did not have a motor-car or a bicycle. There were only two horses on the property, one a draught horse and the other, which was 26 years old, was owned by his brother. "I am very unfortunate in that respect,” appellant told the board, referring to transport. His appeal was allowed. Cricketers in Forces Illustrating the effect of the war on cricket, the president of the Canterbury Cricket Association (Mr C. S. Thompson) told the annual meeting of the association on Saturday that seven of the 10 members of the management committee elected a year before were now serving with the forces. Mr Thompson said that there were many cricketers serving overseas. Some had been wounded, some were prisoners of war, and some had lost their lives.,At his suggestion the meeting stood in silence in respect for the memory of those who had been killed. National Savings at Ashburton For the forty-eighth consecutive week the Ashburton district has succeeded in filling its national savings quota of £BB2. Last week a total of £9OB, or £26 more than the quota, had been subscribed by noon on Saturday. Business Firms* Waste Paper The question of how long business firms should keep their records and correspondence is considered in the latest issue of the “Mercantile Gazette of New Zealand.” "Private ledgers should be kept for at least 20 years," says the article. “Most other books of account can be dispensed with after seven years, and where customers pay promptly there is no necessity to refer back to original entries. The bulk of the records can be destroyed after two or three years. Receipts need not be kept more than seven years, and correspondence and miscellaneous material generally not more than 18 months.” As to the disposal of confidential papers, the article says that if such papers are packed in a sealed packet, the controllers will guarantee that no disclosure will be made of the contents. Curtailment of Road Services Drafetic curtailments of all road services in the Greymouth district are contemplated by the local goods transport control committee.; which is still deliberating on the situation. Mr A, V. Oliver has been appointed an additional member in an advisory capacity, representing stock ahd station agents. “The Ideal Committee” Tht Canterbury Cricket Association on Saturday evening adopted an amendment to its rules providing that nine delegates should be elected to the management committee, and that, after that had been done, if the committee did not then include a representative of each senior club, representatives'of those clubs should be elected by the delegates. When the first nine members of the committee were nominated, the president (Mr C. S. Thompson) announced that “the ideal committee” had been nominated, because every senior club was represented. There were no additional nominations and no more members were required, so that there was no ballot. Mr Thompson said he had been connected with cricket -for 34 years and he could not remember a committee being elected without a ballot before. Excursion Trains The excursion train to Timaru from Christchurch yesterday carried 614 passengers and a special train from Timaru brought 313 to Christchurch. Joke Went Too Far A statement that he had filled in the Home Guard enrolment form “for a joke” was made to the Armed Forces Appeal Board at Greymouth by a reservist. He also said that he had left out certain particulars for a similar reason. He agreed with the secretary (Mr C. F. Shapcott) that the joke had gone too far when he was called up for service. He waa wounded in the last war and sought exemption on those grounds, but had omitted to state so in the form. He was granted an adjournment to obtain a medical grading. Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis ‘‘There is still no diminution in the number of cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis,” said the Medical Officer of Health in Wellington (Dr. Hubert Smith) last week. For the week ended August 31 there were 47 cases in New Zealand with seven deaths, including seven cases in Wellington with two deaths, 13 cases in Auckland with one death, and four cases in Taranaki with four deaths. The previous week there were 33 cases in the Dominion with four deaths, including five cases in Wellington v ith one death and eight cases in Auckland with no deaths. Staffing Problems Enlistments in the fighting forces had greatly lessened the trained personnel of the Social Security Department, as well as the staffs of other large State Departments, said the Minister in Charge of the Department (the Hon. W. E. Parry) last week. Normally there were between 1100 and 1200 employees in the various offices of the Social -Security Department throughout the Dominion. It was found to-day that the number of men fully trained and experienced in the work of the department was hardly sufficient to instruct new officers, who were mostly young women. “With all - the difficulties,” Mr Parry added, ‘‘there has been little delay in dealing with new applications, and in paying out over £12,900,000 to some 220,500 beneficiaries and pensioners.” Political Labour Conference It is possible that a conference of political Labour Parties in the British Commonwealth will be held, says the “Evening Post.” Last week, after representations from the Dominion, the national secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party received the following cablegram from the international secretary of the British Labour Party:— “The national executive committee of the British Labour Party agrees with the holding of a conference of the political Labour Parties in the British Commonwealth and would welcome proposals from your executive as regards time, place, composition, agenda, and any other relevant observations or material.” The matter will be considered further at the next meeting of the national executive of the New Zealand Labour Party. The Rabbit Pest The release of shotgun and .22 ammunition to land owners for use in the destruction of rabbits is urged by the executive committee of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. At a meeting of the executive it was stated that the rabbit pest was rapidly increasing, particularly on the Canterbury plains and in the Wanganui district. It was decided to ask the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research if a tasteless rabbit poison could be obtained. Prohibition of the sale of ferret skins is also sought, as the ferret is considered one of the most effective natural enemies of the rabbit. Farmers’ Income Tax The position of farmers whose net taxable income has been increased by non-expenditure on essential farm maintenance, brought about by labour shortage, absence of fertiliser supplies, as well as shortage of supplies of other commodities, was discussed at a meeting of the executive committee of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. The! opinion was expressed that farmers should be allowed to create a reserve fund which could be carried forward in their tax returns, and on which they would not be taxed during the current year, on condition that the reserve is drawn on over a period of three years after the war for expenditure on labour, manure, and materials for the purpose of restoring the capital value of the farms. It was also considered that farmers who entered the armed forces and in consequence had to sell their stock should not have to pay income tax on the money derived from the sale of such stock. , _ , i