General News

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24022, 10 August 1943, Page 4

General News

New Designation for Appeal Boards The recent reorganisation of appeal boards throughout the Dominion has involved a change in the numbering of the boards, which are now known by the numbers of their military areas. The two boards in Christchurch, formerly called the Christchurch No. 1 and No. 2 Appeal Boards, will in future be No. 10 and No. 10A respectively. Strongman Mine Output Strongman State miners established a record for the mine last week, when their output was 2875 tons, the average daily production for the six days being about 479 tons. The highest production in any one day was 554 tons on Friday last. The increase in production was partly due to the transfer of a number of miners from the James State mine, which has been worked out. The Liverpool State mine output last week was 3496 tons, a daily average of approximately 583 tons. The highest output on one day was 769 tons on Friday. The Liverpool mine produc v tion last week was lower than usual, though the mine worked full time. Price of Citrus Fruit "The executive is firmly of the opinion that the Internal Marketing Department is solely responsible for the high price of citrus fnr'. and bananas, stated the report of the executive of the Christchurch Consumers' League, which was presented at the annual meeting last evening. “We consider u to be a cjstly organisation to the people of the Dominion, and entirely without merit. It is mostly because the fruits controlled are always at prohibitive prices to the ordinary wage-earners with young families. Citrus fruits have also been in insufficient quantities, and apart altogether from the excessive charges, they have not been made available through the monopoly control of the department. It will always remain a costly institution to the people, and should be abolished in the interests of efficiency and economy. Arthur’s Pass Road Closed Snow is still lying to a considerable depth in the region of Arthur s Pa^ s i preventing the passage of motor traffic. The Public Works Department advised yesterday that the highway is still closed, and has been unusable since last Monday. R.S.A. Membership The addition of 43 new members to the Christchurch Returned Services Association last evening brought the total to 4347, compared with 3578 at the same time last year. Two of the new members, Messrs E. G. and R. J. Ewart are brothers who enlisted together, trained, and went overseas with the 3rd Echelon, served together in all campaigns and have recently been invalided home together after being wounded in the same engagement. Shortage of Oranges "The shortage of oranges is not because of the war, for I am told that some of the boats come back from the islands in ballast,” said Mrs C. L. Crowley at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Consumers’ League last evening, when the supply of oranges and honey was discussed. Mrs Crowley said that she knew of an officer on a ship travelling between New Zealand and Australia who had bought a case of beautiful oranges in Australia for 14s, but the Customs Department had not allowed him to bring any ashore, and had told him that he would be liable tb a fine. This officer had stated that on his last trip there was room on the ship for thousands of cases of oranges. "Those oranges cost less than 2d each and we pay 6d in the shops," added Mrs Crowley. “Children cannot possibly have oranges to-day. As for honey, the Government has taken control of Canterbury honey yet there is very little in the shops. Also very few men in the services see honey.” Blankets for Soldiers The reasonable requirements of all returned servicemen wanting blankets will be met quickly on the presentation of reliable authority. This assurance was given in a letter to the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association last evening, which slated that retailers had been instructed to supply these men if they had certification of their service from the R.S.A. or from a rehabilitation officer of the National Service Department. If stocks were not available locally, direct representations to the Rationing Controller, Wellington, should be made, it was slated. The Italian People That Italians will not mourn the downfall of Mussolini but will rally behind King Victor Emmanuel as representative of the old regime in which home life was a real institution, is the firm impression brought back to Invercargill by Captain G. C. Jennings, who as a prisoner of war in Italy had 17 months in which to study the outlook of the Italians at home. Captain Jennings states that the Italians in general are a simple peasant people, and lovers of home, music, and the arts. Their soldiers iiate this war. because it has meant their leaving their homes and living on an army pittance The nation has no sense of the value ci time nor of planning, even in their household routine. Mussolini, the opportunist, had risen to power through his- personal driving force; but Italians, when questioned by Captain Jennings, had invariably shown disapproval of the dictator and approval of the old regime for which the King of Italy stood. Crosses on Soldiers’ Graves A complaint about the dilapidated condition of the crosses on soldiers’ graves at the Bromley cemetery was made to the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association last evening. On being informed that their upkeep was the responsibility of the-Public Works Department, through the War Graves Commission, the executive decided to ask that attention be given to the plot. Country Library Service The hope that the Country Library Service will be fully developed without delay when peace comes is expressed in the annual report of the service for 1942-43, and the intention to prepare plans for the extension of library service to all country people at the earliest favourable time is also stated. The report states that the two significant developments of the year were the establishment of a library service division of the Army Education and Welfare Service, and the first full year’s operation of the school library service, involving about 28,000 children in 500 schools with an issue of almost 30,000 books. It states that curtailment of book supplies and the shortage of staff were reflected in the smallest annual growth in the number of local authorities co-operating with the service in making their libraries free. The total of county, borough, or town district libraries co-operating with fhe service at March 31 was 43, serving a residential population of 111,176. A total of 368 small independent subscription libraries, 20 more than last year, were linked with the service during the year. War Damage Insurance The Associated Chambers of Commerce have decided to ask the Government to reduce the premium for war damage insurance to 6d a £IOO. The executive has discussed the Government’s proposal to reduce the premium. and considers that the amount named—2s a £loo—is excessive in view of the size of the War Damage Fund.