General News

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23941, 7 May 1943, Page 4

General News

The War-Time Price The Gazette issued last night said that the war-time price at March 15 was 1011. This figure represents an increase of 1.1 per cent, in the general ' level of prices of commodities. etc., included in the wartime price index since December 15, 1942, when the base was 1000. —(P.A.) Infantile Paralysis Two more cases of infantile paralysis were reported in Timaru yesterday. One patient is a boy aged 10 and the other a young woman aged 24. Since April 2 there have been 11 cases in the South Canterbury district. White Heron at Gore Bay One of New Zealand’s rare birds, a white heron, is at present on the Jed Lagoon, Gore Bay. Mr A. Wilkinson, who reported the bird's appearance, said it was reasonably tame, he and his children having been within six or seven yards of it. New R.S.A. Members Of the 4978 returned servicemen who were discharged up to March 31 last, 3644 have become members of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association.—(P.A.) State Sawmill in Grey District Because of the difficulty of procuring a sufficient quantity of mining timber, the Mines Department is investigating the possibility of starting a State sawmill in the Grey district. Mr C. H. Benny (Under-Secretary for Mines) said yesterday that no decision had yet been made. The department operated a sawmill in the Runanga district some years ago. Petrol for Merchant Seamen

The New Zealand Returned Services’ Association, which recently asked the Dominion Fuel Controller to grant to men of the Merchant Navy the special allowance of petrol provided for servicemen who have returned from overseas, has been advised that the matter is receiving consideration, and that arrangements will be made ak soon as a satisfactory scheme of recording has been worked out. — (P.A.) Rain Needed in Cheviot District Rain is badly needed in the Cheviot district, as winter feed will be very scarce unless the ground receives moisture soon. Even so. the young grass is likely to be killed with frosts. Team work is being hindered, some paddocks being too dry to plough or to plant in wheat. Paddocks already sown down would benefit greatly by rain. In the township where people are solely dependent on rain water, many households are having hard water carted from nearby pumps. In the Darfield district less than an inch of rain has fallen since March 12, and farmers are bac'.ly in need of rain as feed is getting scarce. Defaulters in Government Employ The Government Service (Defaulters) Emergency Regulations published last night give the appointing authorities in the Government services the right to dismiss employees who have been convicted as military defaulters, and persons dismissed shall have no right of appeal.—(P.A.) " Beekeepers in Demand

"Beekeepers are in great demand these days by the farmers because the bees are needed to fertilise clover, rape, turnip, and other seeds that are hard to obtain from overseas. We are operating about 800 col mies on 15 different farms. It is really a job for three experienced men and we have been unable to get efficient help," Mr J. H. Watson, apiarist, of Geraldine, told the No. 10A Armed Forces Appeal Board at Temuka yesterday, when the review of an appeal for reservist by the Director of National Service was being considered. A sine die adjournment was granted subject to reservist continuing in the Home Guard. Tariff on American Goods

A proposal that tariff concessions be granted on goods imported from the United States to give them entry to New Zealand on the same terms as goods from the United Kingdom is to be brought before the Associated Chambers of Commerce by the Canterbury Chamber. The council of the chamber approved of this course last evening on the recommendation of its importers’ committee, which had considered the suggestion of the 'Associated Chambers that this concession should apply to goods imported under lend-leasc. The committee recommended that'the Associated Chambers take up the proposal with the Government and ask for the concession to be arranged on a reciprocal basis. Land Settlement Policy

Although the war had already lasted three and a half years, there did not yet seem to be any policy for the settlement of returned soldiers on the land, or any machinery to carry out such a scheme, stated the annual report of the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association. In accordance with a decision of the Dominion executive of the association, the lands sub-committee had prepared a circular making clear its concern at the present position of the proposals to settle on the land the men and women who are serving in the armed forces. The passing of the Rehabilitation Act in 1941 had set up a new means of dealing with land settlement which had caused unavoidable delays. Among the important points to be settled was the stabilisation of land values. The association’s headquarters had submitted to the Government a scheme which was extremely practical, and hgd been generally accepted by the Government departments concerned. Care of War Prisoners Examples of the care and consideration given to individuals by the International Red Cross in Geneva were mentioned by Miss M. G. Havelaar, when she was speaking on “Prisoners of War" at a luncheon meeting of the Overseas League yesterday. The mother of a prisoner had told her of her anxiety about footwear for her son who had a peculiarity in one foot and for whom boots had always been made to order by a Christchurch firm. At Miss Havelaar's suggestion, the mother received directions for- making the boots from the local firm; these were sent to Geneva and some months later the prisoner wrote to his mother to say he had received from Geneva a pair of boots exactly like those made for him in Christchurch. Another prisoner broke his spectacles. The prescription for the spectacles was sent to Geneva and within three weeks the prisoner received a pair exactly the same as those that had been broken. Taxation of Armed Forces

A suggestion made at a recent meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce that the temporary staff of the New Zealand armed forces should be taxed on Army pay has not met with the approval of the taxation committee of the Associated Chambers of Commerce. In a report, to be considered at the next meeting of the Associated Chambers’ executive and read to last evening’s meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber, the committee says that the levying of social and national security charges and income tax on the pay of soldiers would be an injustice to the many, although it would be just to collect these taxes from a few r . The report agrees that some of the highly paid officers are better off than they were in civil life, particularly because of their exemption from direct taxation, but says that the Army is not composed of majors and lieutenant-colonels, most of those serving in it being privates and n.c.o.’s, many of whom have made considerable sacrifices. Purchase of E.P.S. Requirements

“It is questionable whether a body like the borough council, which pays only a sixth of the expenditure, should have the power to prevent the E.P.S. procuring what it considers essential requirements,’’ said the chairman (Mr W. K. McMillan) at a meeting of the controllers and executive of the Temuka Emergency Precautions Services, held in the Borough Council Chambers. “There should be some other controlling body to which we can apucal if necessary.’’ he added. The Temuka Borough Council recently vetoed the purchase of two sirens by the Temuka E.P.S,