General News

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24095, 3 November 1943, Page 2

General News

End of Whitebait Fishing The loss of the aeroplane which recently made a forced landing on the Franz Josef Glacier has been indirectly responsible for bringing the whitebait fishing season in the far south of Westland to an end, as Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., has now only one aeroplane for its service, and there are no other means of transporting the whitebait to Hokitika. Fishermen from Paringa report a very successful season. Some substantial cheques have been received, the amount of which can be gauged from the fact that three men who were working in partnership paid nearly £3OO to Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., for freight on their whitebait from Paringa to Hokitika. Gift of "Risingholme” “Members of the Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Early Settlers’ Association wish to express to Mr J. R. McKenzie their appreciation of his generous action in giving to the citizens of Christchurch, ‘Risingholme,’ ” states a resolution of the association. “This property is well known as being very closely connected with the early history oi Canrerbury, and the members are delighted that it is being preserved for future generations.” Letters to War Prisoners The Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C. Webb) said yesterday that the International Red Cross had agreed to redirect, as soon as the camp addresses of prisoners are known, any mails for New Zealand prisoners of war formerly interned in Italy which may be on hand in Switzerland, or in transit from New Zealand. No further mail for New Zealand prisoners of war formerly in Italy should be addressed in care of the International Red Cross, Geneva. The Minister added that until the camp addresses of these prisoners came to hand, letters should be addressed in care of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, 415 Strand. London, and they would be redirected from there. Letters to men who are known to have escaped to Switzerland should bear as part of the address, “I cw Zealand internee in Switzerland.”—(P.A.) A Warning to Tradesmen “The practice of tradesmen parking their cars on the wrong side of the road is likely to be dealt with more severely in future,” said Mr E. C. Levvey. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when several offenders were each fined 10s. A Christchurch City Council traffic inspector said paragraphs had appeared in the newspapers warning tradesmen of this offence, but little notice had been taken. The Magistrate said in future the minimum fine for this class ot offence would be £2. An inspector said that one man who had been fined was of a type who thought he could just drive where he likeo and park his van just where and how he liked. Mataura Licensing Pol) Mataura has failed to carry restoration in the licensing poll. Service votes bring the restoration total to 4336, and the no licence total to 3234, thus falling short of a three-fifths majority by 206 votes. A few votes to come cannot affect the result.— (P.A.) Land Sales Committees The first meeting of the Canterbury Urban Land Sales Committee will bo held in Christchurch next Tuesday. No date has yet been fixed lor the first meetimi of the Rural Land Sales Committee. With one exception all the half-dozen or so applications for approval of transactions in Canterbury concern urban properties. National Savings Last week 193 towns attained their quotas of national war savings, and in 15 of the 18 postal districts the full district quota was obtained. Two more towns to record their one hundredth weekly successes are Tuakau. in the Auckland district, and Riverton, in the Invercargill district.— (P.S.S.) Packing Cases Prized in London Men of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. forestry unit who returned to Christchurch yesterday spoke appreciatively of the patriotic parcels which they received regularly throughout their long period of duty in Great Britain. As far as they could tell, only one shipment of parcels was lost in transit, that by enemy action. One member of rhe draft who was seconded for part of the time to the Patriotic Board’s headquarters in London mentioned that the cases in which the parcels from New Zealand were sent to England were much prized. Costing Is lOd to 2s 3d in New Zealand, the cases could be sold in London lor as much as 10s. and even 15s in some instances. The proceeds of the sale of these cases were by no means a small addition to New Zealand’ patriotic funds raised in London. Post-War Trade with Canada Another inquiry on the prospects of developing post-war trade has been received by Mr L, J. Schmitt, secretary to the Department of Industries and Commerce, from the acting-Trade Commissioner for Canada (Mr C. Blair Birkett) and passed on to manufacturers through the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association. The firm making the inquiry is Messrs Watt and Scott (Montreal), Ltd., which asks to be put in touch with New Zealand exporters of foodstuffs of all kinds, especially honey, dried milk, canned fish, canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned meats, gelatine, dried fruits, edible nuts, spices, oils, and fats. Son Seen on Screen When a Christchurch mother attended a cinema theatre this week, she saw on the screen her son, who left New Zealand two and a half years ago. The picture is a newsreel showing one of the latest aircraft-carriers, and includes a sequence in which an aircraft takes off, circles round, and returns to the ship. When the pilot of the aircraft got out and came right up to the camera for a close-up, Mrs B. Steven, Peterborough street, recognised her son, Sub-Lieutenant Gilmer Steven. Small Change Shortage A shortage of small change, notably pennies and halfpennies, is reported in Greymouth, and to meet the position additional supplies of silver have had to be circulated. A banker yesterday attributed the shortage to several causes, among them the reduced amount of change entering the country compared with normal years, the onset of Christmas with saving of small coins by children and others, and the practice of storekeepers and other business firms • of retaining large quantities of loose silver and pennies. Council Of Sport A special general meeting of the Canterbury Council of Amateur Sport will be held in November to discuss affiliation with the National Council of Sport, and alteration of the council’s name to the Canterbury Council of Sport. Advice of the meeting was received by the management committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association last evening. West Coast Visitors There will be a heavy influx of visitors to Christchurch for the trotting and racing fixtures this month, and railway bookings for to-morrow and Friday are heavy. There will be a double-unit rail-car on Friday evening, with a full complement of passengers, also a special train which has been heavily booked. Patriotic Contributions The Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C Webb) said yesterday that contributions to provincial patriotic funds by post office workers, reported from time to time, were merely progress contributions. and not the total, as might be thought. Officers of the post office had now contributed a total of £16,320.—( P.A.) No Labour for Luxury Clothing Though no general reply has yet been received from the Government to the representations made to it by the clothing industry on manpower difficulties, the Government has already made certain comments, states a letter received by the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association from the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation. The federation states that the Government has given instructions to manpower officers that new labour being directed into the industry is not to be used on the production of luxury lines.