General News

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23880, 24 February 1943, Page 2

General News

Conditions at Air Station What were described by the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H. Andrews) as ‘‘shocking conditions” at a Canterbury Air Force station were discussed by the Metropolitan Patriotic Committee last evening, when it was reported that the National Patriotic Fund Board had refused a request for the provision of some furniture. It was suggested that the board had done so because of the comforts it had already provided for the Air Force, to which Mr H. S. Feast replied: “But not at this station.” Mr Feast said the Canterbury Patriotic Council was trying to buy some billiards tables for the station, and on his suggestion it was decided to approach the officer of the national board concerned with furniture supplies. A point mentioned in the discussion was that the district in which the station is situated raised more than its onota of patriotic funds last year and has already almost reached this year's quota. Scarcity of Football Gear

There is likely to be an acute shortage of football material in New Zealand this year, especially in bladders lor footballs and football boots. This was revealed at a meeting last evening of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union after a letter from Warrant Officer P. W. Storey, asking for assistance in securing gear for military camp, had been read. The letter said that while there were plenty of covers there were few “inners." The president (Mr E. V. Phillips) said that the Rugby Union had only sufficient to carry through the season and there was at present no possibility of adding to the stock. Another member, who complained of carelessness by players in attending to football gear from one season to another, said that no football boots would be made in New Zealand this year. It was decided to ask the New Zealand Rugby Union if it would not be possible in make arrangements to import a sufficient quantity of football material with which to carry on during the season. “A Forgotten Man” Writing in "Church News" of his recent visit to some of the old historic spots in the Bay of Islands, Archbishop West-Watson says; "The Treaty House w as, of course, the home of, the first Resident, Busby, who was superseded, ungenerously enough, by the appointment of Captain Hobson in 1840. I read, while et Paihla, the new .ife of Busby, which Eric Ramsden has written, and lound it a mine of information about the years preparatory to the signing of the treaty in 1840. Busby was assigned an impossible task, let down by his superiors in office, and then blamed for lack of success. And yet he did succeed in the most important issue, that of, along with the missionaries, winning the confidence of the Maori chiefs sufficiently for them to sign the treaty. New Zealand only needs to know more of its forgotten Resident to appreciate the fact that he helped to lay the foundations on which future governors built our constitution.” Sailing Cancelled At the request of the Government, the steamer express did not sail from Lyttelton to Wellington last night. Future arrangements will be made known to-day. Intending passengers are requested to keep in touch with the Union Steam Ship Company’s office. Raffle Prize Forfeited A football autographed by players in the North and South Island Rugby teams who met at Christchurch, last Winter was offered as a prize m apatriotic fund raffle, which raised £64 14s lOd. The winner of the prize did not c aim it, and it has now become the property of the Metropolitan Patriotic Committee. It was s;id at a meeting of the committee last evening that many prizes in patriotic fund raffles were not claimed by the winners. Another instance quoted was the claiming of only two out, of seven prizes in a recently-drawn raffle. ■ Dominion’s Mineral Resources Evidence of the extent to which the mineral resources of the Dominion are being worked was given to the Armed Forces Board at Greymouth by Mr G. W Lowes, Inspector of Mines. Mr Lowes said that his department was operating three drills for the New Zealand Oil Exploration Company, one diamond drill at Manganehi for coal, two at Clarendon for phosphate, one at Blackball for coal, and one alluvial drill at Cobb river for the hydroelectric scheme. The following new enterprises are to be set up:—One diamond drill at Glenorchy for scheehte, one at Kawau Island for copper, one at the Klondyke Collieries. Coalgate, two at a new coalfield at Ohai. and one at the Smcke-ho coalfields. Some groups are working ihree shifts and others are on two shifts. If more labour and drill miners were available further work would be undertaken, said Mr Lowes. Visit of Marines’ Band A band of the United States Marine Corps will visit Christchurch in a few w-cks. This information was given to the Metropolitan Patriotic committee bv a member, who said he had received definite adveo and had arranged for the band to. take part in an event for patriotic funds. Grocery Deliveries

It is the intention of the Government immediately to relax restrictions on grocery deliveries, according to advice received by the secretary of the New Zealand Master' Grocers’ Federation (Mr R. M. Barker, of Auckland). from the Minister of Transport (the Hon. J. O’Brien). The Minister said the whole position in regard to zoning dcLveries had been reviewed, as it had been represented that the restrictions had caused undue hardship to the public in some cases. "While in most parts of the Dominion there will be only one retail delivery. of groceries a week, there will be no minimum restriction on the size, or weight of parcels in that delivery,” he added. “Instructions to this effect have been given to local controllers of oil fuel and an examination is being made of the various zoning schemes already gazetted with a view to amending them.” Rail-car Delayed

Because a mechanical defect developed when it was at Addington early yesterday morning, the' ChristchurchGrcymoulh rail-car did not reach Greymouth until 8 o’clock, an hour and 20 minutes late. It carried 56 passengers, those for Hokitika being transferred at Greymouth to the mixed train, which was held for the purpose. A spare rail-car left, at 7 a.m. for the usual morning service to Hokitika. More Tuberculosis Cases A considerable increase in recent months in the number of cases of tuberculosis notified in the Auckland central health district is shown by records of the Health Department. Cases of phthisis, or tuberculosis of the lungs, reported in the three months ended December 31, totalled 143, compared ith 65 in the first quarter of the year. The reason for the increase was undoubtedly to be found in the compulsory examination of thousands of men by Army medical boards, said Dr, T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health. The X-ray examination which these men underwent had disclosed many cases which, in normal times, would probably have remained undetected. Notification of such cases by the military authorities was commeficed in August.