General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23747, 19 September 1942, Page 4

General News

Bicycles in Black-out Reports on the last black-out showed that some cyclists did not understand the lighting requirements yet, said the chairman of the Emergency Precautions Services organising committee (Mr W. Machin) yesterday. During the black-out a girl on a bicycle without a light rode into a rope used to cordon off an “incident,” fortunately without suffering serious injury. She said she had been told that she could not ride her machine with a light in a black-out, and other reports showed that a number of persons had the same impression. Mr Machin said the girl was not an Emergency Precautions Services worker, and should not have been riding her bicycle at all. In any case, a bicycle should have a front light, masked with the equivalent of two ..sheets of paper, and a tail-light, and then could only be ridden by an authorised person. Holidays Discussed by Drapers The question of closing down for two weeks at Christmas time to allow employees to have their annual leave was discussed at the meeting of the council of the New Zealand Drapers’ Federation in Christchurch yesterday, but no recommendation was made, and it was left to individual drapers to make their own arrangements for staff holidays as usual. School Afforestation Scheme "The trees have done wonderfully well and will be a great asset to the board for years to come,” said Mr W. P. Spencer at the meeting of the Canterbury Education Board yesterday, when referring to the, success of the North Beach afforestation scheme. The report of the agricultural inspector (Mr S. A. la Roche) stated that 10 schools took part in this year’s planting and 2480 trees were added. Mr la Roche submitted information on the extent of the participation of the various schools in the scheme, which it was considered would provide an excellent guide for the allocation of funds when the scheme comes into profit in about 20 years. Soldier-Patient Golfers

An appeal for golf sticks was made on behalf of the patients of the soldier section of the Queen Mary Hospital to the Canterbury Territorial Association last night. A retired lieutenantcolonel wrote that the soldiers had collected golf sticks, some of which were relics, but more were needed. He suggested that thousands of old clubs would be lying in back sheds and some would be most useful at Hanmcr Springs. Blacksmiths and Overtime

‘‘Working overtime and long hours does not always pay,” said an appellant before the Armed Services Appeal Board yesterday, when asking for the release from military duties of a blacksmith. *T thought I could do it. continued the appellant, “but I found it only slowed me up for the next day s work.” Later, the appellant spoke of the difficulty he had had in securing the services of blacksmiths. Mr G. T. Thurston asked whether inquiries had been made among employees of the Christchurch Tramways Board. “The Christchurch Tramways Board have a habit of hiding men away as labourers and bringing them out just when they want them,” commented Mr Thurston. Home Guardsmen’s Expenses

Matters concerning Home Guardsmen living in country districts were discussed by the South Canterbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union at Timaru yesterday. Motions were carried expressing strong disapproval of Home Guardsmen being asked to pay part of their travelling expenses, and requesting the Government to set out the true position about the insurance of guardsmen, and also guardsmen's cars while they are being used for conveying other guardsmen to parades. Representations were made recently by the executive asking for the provision of a reserve of tyres or, alternatively, a retreading service available to Home Guardsmen who use their cars for transport to parades. The reply received at yesterday’s meeting indicated that the matter was one for the Minister of Transport to decide, Mr D. M. France asked what the position would be if guardsmen refused to use their cars. The secretary (Mr A. B. Struthers) said he supposed Army trucks would be used. Imprisonment for Sly Grog Sales

“There are no fines for siy-grofigers to-day unless there are very special circumstances ” said Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., when dealing with a number of persons charged with selling liquor without a licence. A sentence of one month’s imprisonment was Imposed on John Tahu Andrews, who admitted selling six bottles of beer to a constable for £l. Sub-Inspector Joyce said the defendant sold beer from a car. A similar offence was admitted by Stanley James Hill in respect of premises at Freeman’s Bay. Sentence of 14 days’ imprisonment was imposed. —(P.A.) Otira Gorge Road

The Otira Gorge road, which was blocked by a slip at Candy’s bend on Thursday, remains closed. Rain was still falling in the vicinity yesterday morning. The Lewis Pass route and all other highways remain open. Fire Danger at Cashmere

The danger from uncleared vacant sections which would arise in Cashmere if fire bombs were dropped, was emphasised by Mr B. A. Barrer, Cashmere district fire patrol leader, in a letter before the Heathcote County Council last evening. Mr Barrer said that he had written to the council in January about the danger. He suggested that the clearing of the sections should be taken in hand by the council at once, as it would probably not be possible to get permission from the Fire Brigade to clear by burning if the matter was left any longer. The chairman (Mr A. G. Williams) said that when the Emergency Precautions Services committee had been approached it had objected to the use of Emergency Precautions Services equipment for clearing the sections. Mr F. W. Freeman said that Mr Barrer had suggested that if the council could clear margins round the sections then the Emergency Precautions Services men cpuld do something about clearing the sections in week-ends. The council could not, of course, spare the men. The county inspector (Mr W. W. Scarff) said that he had sent out 40 notices before asking people to clear sections, and he did not think half of them had done so. The council decided that the owners should be’asked to clear margins round the sections. Mould-boards for Ploughs

The question of supplies of mouldboards for ploughs had been discussed with the Ministry of Supply, and all applications to import either raw materials or parts for ploughs were supported by the Department of Agriculture, said a letter from the Director of Primary Production’ (Mr R. B. Tennent) received at a meeting of the Mid-Canterbury Primary Production Council last evening. The letter was in reply to a request by the council that stocks in New Zealand of mouldboards be made available to blacksmiths so that ploughs could be repaired. The chairman (Mr H. C. ,B. Withell) said that the council did not want blacksmiths to build up large stocks of mould-boards, but merely to have supplies available for use when they were required. It was decided to write to Mr Tennent again, pointing this out.

Car Light Restrictions Requirements of the regulations covering the lights of cars in lighting restriction areas were explained yesterday by the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr J. Bruorton). He said a car had to have a dipped headlight on the lefthand side and-a parking light on the right-hand side. On cars on which it was not possible to dip the left-hand light, a fog lamp could be used instead of the headlight, but it must be on the left-hand side of the car and dipped. Highly Productive Season “From the primary producers’ point of view, the last season had been one of the most highly productive experienced in North Otago for many years,” said Mr Charles Hedges (chairman) at the annual meeting of the North Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd. This, combined with the policy of the United Kingdom in purchasing at reasonable prices all primary products, had resulted in greater prosperity both in town and country, said Mr Hedges.