General News

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27676, 4 June 1955, Page 6

General News

Beaten to Quarry The Controller-General of Police (Mr S. T. Barnett) joined in a chase after a driver on the Waterfront road, ■ near Okahu Bay, Auckland, last evening. But his car was beaten to the offender by two detective patrol cats r which were in the area. With Mr P. s J. Nalder, the Assistant Commissionei of Police, Mr Barnett was driving I along the waterfront about 8 p.m. when he heard on the radio a message that a truck had failed to stop after .an accident near Okahu Bay. Mr Barnett decided to participate in the J chase, and told his driver to accelerate. , But they were a few minutes after the detectives in reaching the truck. ( Close behind them was another detective patrol and a uniform branch « patrol car.—(P.A.) Flying to Football Although L. Russell, ’the Auckland and All Black trial wing three-quar- ! ters, will soon be transferred to Petone for six weeks, he will still be able to play for his Auckland club, Gramma-. each Saturday. Russell will work for five days a week at Petone and fly to Auckland each week-end. Three Visiting Judges Three visiting judges will preside at sittings of the Supreme Court ih Christchurch during July. Mr Justice Cooke will preside at sittings from June 21 to July 5. Mr Justice Henry will be here from about July 11 for a fortnight and the Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough) for the last fortnight in July. Income Tax System Farmers are fearful that if a pay-; as-you-earn system of income taxation j is introduced in New Zealand they may be saddled with additional accounting and tax collection duties. “When this matter was discussed it was apparent that farmers have had a fill of gathering and accounting for the social security charges on wages and allowances to their employees and will be definitely opposed to bein’-' saddled with any further- tax collecting and accounting work, even if baited with some slight remuneration.” , said the secretary. Mr A. E. G. Lyttle, in the annual report of the tenth i annual conference of the North Can- ; terbury district of Federated Farmers yesterday. Oil from New Refinery < The first shipment to New Zealand ' of oil refined at the new Kwinana refinery in Western Australia will ar- ' rive at Auckland on Monday in the British Tanker Company’s 8686-ton ' motor tanker British Maple. An official , function will be held on board on Tuesday, and the tanker will leave for 1 Wellington on Friday.—(P.A.) School Lunch Problem

A school cafeteria would be opened at Kaeo (Northland) to solve the problem of children who ate their lunches en the streets, said Dr. C. S. Williams, of Kaeo, at a meeting of school committees in the district. “A lot of our Kaeo children are ill-nourished, and their parents.will not bother to make them lunches,” he said. “They give them. Is or Is 6d each day, and the children spend it on ice-cream or sweets. They leave home at 7 a.m., and return at 6 p.m. without having anything to eat. They show the effect in their physique and in their work. It has been proposed that the school should run a cafeteria. . . . We are going on with this idea. Money does not seem to be the trouble,” Dr. Williams said. “The parents cannot be bothered to cut lunches, so that each day almost 100 pupils ask for permission to go to the village, where they are not supposed to go in school hours.”—(P.A.)

Shooting in Riverbed r Because of the danger from ricochets off the shingle and trees, the North : Canterbury Catchment Board has pror hibited rifle shooting—and the carrying of rifles—in the Waimakariri • riverbed and on unlet reserves. The [ use of shotguns is permitted in the [ areas provided shooters carry a cur- , rent permit issued by the board. The board’s chief engineer (Mr H. M. Reid) ! told the board yesterday that he had , seen rifles being carried in the re- • serves, although persons were told I when they applied for permission to [ traverse the reserves that rifles were not allowed. Headquarters for Farmers , Disappointment that more progress had not been made towards estab- ■ lishing a permanent headquarters for > Federated Farmers in Nbrth Canterbury was expressed by the secretary. Mr A. E. G. Lyttle, in his annual ; report to the North Canterbury dis- , trict of Federated Farmers yesterday. “It is difficult to understand and dis- > appointing that there has not been ; greater interest taken in the need for a permanent home for Federated Farmers,” he said. *‘A sizeable sum has been given but nothing like what one could reasonably expect from such a prosperous district as North Canterbury. Surely pride in your ; calling and faith in your organisation should be sufficient spur effort.” In committee the conference further discussed the project but no „ announcement was released when it ‘ resumed in open meeting. Rabbit Skin Trade The export trade in New Zealand rabbit .skins is. almost non?existent Since June 1, 1954, the export of rabbit carcases has been prohibited, and according to the Rabbit Destruction Council that has greatly reduced skins available for export. In 1948, 13,471,298 skins, worth £754,651, were exported, and in 1953, worth £84,42ft iMtf last year’s figure was only 764,858, IVahfed at. £9760. The rate of the levy on rabbit last year was 66 2-3 per cent. - , but the Government had some doubt about. the legality of further increasing, the levy under the existing legislation, and the council I has asked that amending legislation be introduced to completely prohibit trade in rabbit skins.—(F.O.O.R.)

I Qlass on Beaches The Municipal Association will seek legislation giving local authorities more control over the breaking of glass on beaches. Numerous instances of serious injuries being received . from broken glass have been brought to the notice of the association. The association’s executive has been informed that there is nothing in the Police Offences Act to enable the , prosecution of anybody for putting bottles on a beach. It has decided to ask the Government to have the act widened. . Proposed New Freezing Works Mr F. C. Johnstone, acting-chairman ; of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, said in Wellington yesterday that Messrs H. P. Mclntyre and W. D. McKenzie, of the Southland Sheep- ! farmers’ Company, and Mr A. V. Hartley, president of Southland Federated Farmers, had met the board to discuss new proposals for a licence to operate an additional freezing works in Southland. “We had a cordial and very satisfactory meeting,” said Mr Johnstone, ; “and I am now very optimistic that' we shall before long be able to announce the details of an understanding that will be generally welcomed throughout Southland.” Mr Johnstone expecM to visit Southland soon for more discussions there.—(P.A.) Rabbit Boards’ Activities Whether the powers of rabbit boards should be extended to enable them to , kill at their discretion such pests as , opossums, goats, and wild pigs is to be considered by the executive committee of ' the North Island Rabbit Boards’ Association. When the asso- i ciation held its annual conference at < Napier a Waitemata delegate said ] tnat the opossum was becoming just as big a menace in his area as the rabbit had been 15 years ago. Rabbit boards could give the ratepayers a service now that they had got the : rabbit fairly well under control, and : at a cheaper rate than any other body. Other delegates agreed that the opos- ' sum was becoming the No. 2 menace : in New Zealand. They considered, ; however, that if attention were given 1 to other pests before the rabbit was 1 eliminated there was a grave danger < of rabbits getting out of hand again. 1 Accordingly, it Was left to the execu- : tive qpjnnUttep to investigate the j sugeesflon more closely.—(P.A.) <