NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 250, 20 July 1942, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Rail Service Resumed

Full railway service, passenger and goods in both directions, was maintained yesterday on the Wairarapa line for the first time since Monday. After being blocked for three days, the line was cleared sufficiently for the afternoon railcar from Wellington to run on Thursday. Good progress has been made clearing the slips, and though the line is opened, some work remains to be done.

Knocked Down by Taxi. A fracture of the skull and concussion were received by Mrs. Hodge, Trentham, when she was knocked down by a taxi on the main road on Saturday night. She was taken to hospital by the Free Ambulance.

Coupons For Servicemen. Members of all units of the New Zealand forces in camp in the Dominion are now receiving their special issue of 15 clothing coupons. No time limit to their cancellation has been fixed. The coupons, which are numbered, are vellow. According to the civilian scale for men. the issue will supply one each of shorts, shirt, socks, singlet, underpants, pyjamas, and eight handkerchiefs.

Women Railway Porters. Twenty-four women porters began work at the Christchurch railway station last week. They have completed their fortnight of theoretical and practical training—aud from now on will be full-time railway employees. The various jobs will be interchanged among the 24 women, so that each one will have .experience assisting guards on expresses and suburban trains, and working in the luggage room, parcels office, and on the platform. Dragged by Train. A watchman at the Woburn Railway Workshops was dragged about 60 feet hy a line of moving trucks and suffered a compound fracture of the right’ leg cud severe shock on Saturday morning. He was Mr. Henry Oatham, 28a Fitzherbert Street, I’etone. After opening a gate a few feet from the railway tracks, Mr. Oatham walked into the train apparently not noticing it in the rain. He was taken to hospital by I he Free Ambulance.

Clergy Stipends. Speaking at the Wellington. Diocesan Synod on Friday night on a motion suggesting that available funds should be pooled to provide for the payment of basic stipends to clergy, the Bishop, the Rt. Rev. 11. St. Barbe Holland, said that an important principle was involved, and he would not like to see the subject dismissed, but he thought that it would not be satisfactory to make any decision at that late hour of the session. Moving an amendment to the effect that the vestries’ opinion should 'be obtained, he said that this would keep the subject alive, No Popular Compromise. “God help the Church that will yield its principles, change its policy, and lower its standards in response to the clamour of a traditional demand,” said Colonel AV. Ebbs, of the Salvation Army, at the Vivian Street Citadel yesterday, referring to a recent 'decision of a church council to lower its ban against dancing and card playing to cater for the demands of the time. He declared that the unchanging aim of the Salvation Army was to bring men and women into vital contact with God, and that cool'd not be done by compromising with the world or sacrificing standards to meet popular demands. Salvation Army Camps. Commissioner J. Evan Smith, Territorial leader of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, recently paid a visit of inspection to one of the largest and most important Salvation Army Institutes, where he came in contact with a large number of men situated in the Wellington area. On his return he said that the amenities provided for the troops were all that could be desire'd, and they were greatly appreciated. In addition to the canteen work there was splendid provision in the way of a writing room, library, recreation room, and lounge. On Sunday the Commissioner and Lieut.-Colonel S. Hayes, the Salvation Army’s senior chaplain, conducted 11 Church parades with men in the Wellington area. Brewery Fire. Damage to the bottle store, cloakroom aud waits of the malthouse of New Zealand Breweries Ltd., Murphy Street, Wellington, was caused by a fire of unknown origin in the early hours of Saturday ihorniug. A sailor gave the alarm at 3.3 a.m. to the Thorndon Fire Station, which is in the same street as the brewery, and machines from that station and from the Central Fire Station were quickly on the spot. The firemen found that the fire had begun in the men’s cloakroom, which is underneath the bottle store and adjacent to the malthouse. A lead of hose from Molesworth Street ami another from Murphy Street were used to subdue the flames. The building is covered by insurance. Salvation Army Anniversary. The celebration of the 59th anniversary of the commencement of the Salvation Army in Wellington was marked by a series of meetings in the Vivian Street Citadel, conducted by Colonel and Mrs. W. Ebbs, assisted by Brigadier and Mrs. Gray, during the weekend. An old identities’ reunion was held on Saturday afternoon, and at night there was a festival of music and song. Speaking at the Sunday morning meeting, Colonel Ebbs congratulated the corps on its 59 years of service. Features of the afternoon gathering were a solo by Bandsman W. Judd, the oldest bandsman in the Wellington Band, who has played his instrument for 30 years; and also a speech by Mr. Pennington, ■who was captain of the corps 45 years ago.