NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 213, 4 June 1943, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF

High-Priced Fish Soles and flounders from Nelson realized as much as £5 a case at the fish market in Allen Street, Wellington, yesterday morning. This was at the rate of 1/6 per lb. Terekihi sold as high as 1/3J per lb. fish which, before the war, could be purchosed at the market for 3id. or 4d. per lb. Butterfish sold at from 1/6 to 3/6 each, and blue cod, red cod, . and hapuka in the same proportion. Strain on Industry. A resolution viewing with concern the calling-up of men in key positions in industry, commerce and primary production, particularly in the older age groups, was adopted Iby the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday after members had expressed anxiety, regarding the strain on industry through the loss of large numbers of men. —P.A. Northern Maori Seat. Nominations for the Northern Maori by-election, made necessary by the death of the Hon. P. K. Paikea, closed at rfoon on Wednesday. Only two nominations were received —those of Mr. Tapihana Paikea, of Otamatea, son of the late Minister, and Mr. Samuel W. Maioha, of Russell. The by-election will be held on Saturday, June 19. An Old Excuse. “That’s a good old hoary excuse, we used to do that 30 years ago, but look at the roads now,” said Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Christchurch, when a taxi-driver, charged with exceeding the speed limit, said he accelerated to avoid the dust being raised by another car. A fine of 20/- was imposed. Would Choose Prison.

“Appellant feels so strongly about this, and has such a horror of the associations, that if she had to choose between.going to prison and going there, she would rather go to prison,” said' counsel when the objection of a 31-year-old girl to •being directed to the Porirua Mental Hospital was being heard by the Wellington Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday. Placed in a similar position, added counsel, he would' make the same choice. Help For Nursing Sisters. , As a result of the concert given in the St. James Theatre last Sunday by the members of the Second Marine Concert Party, in conjunction with the Commercial Broadcasting Service and Theatre Management Ltd., the sum of £166/8/was handed over to the provincial patriotic fund. This sum has since been given to Mother Theophile to dispense to the refugee nursing sisters from the Solomons. It represents the entire gross—there (being no expenses in connexion with the concert. Development in North Australia. Development in the Northern Territory since Japan entered the war would have taken 30 years in time of peace, according to the Administrator, Mr. C. L. A. Abbott. It was no longer the lonely north, he told newspapermen during a trip south. The country was tremendously busy, and thousands of civilians were engaged in permanent construction work. In an area where water was as valuable as gold, much new water had been found, and supplies developed. Personal Aspect Stressed. The statement that the employer did not “cut as much ice” as the representations and reaetious of the person concerned in such cases was made by the chairman, Mr. J. J. Scott, during the hearing by the Wellington Manpower Committee yesterday of appeals by young women against their direction to the Porirua Mental Hospital to take up employment as nurses. He said the mam questions to be determined were the suitability of, and'the hardship imposed on, the person concerned. Cow’s Artificial Teeth. A cow with artificial teeth of stainless steel was one of the curiosities seen by Mr. J. Roberts, of the Christchifrch Trades Hall, during his tour of Russia. When he first heard of this cow at an agricultural show, Mr. Roberts told members of the Businessmen’s Club at a luncheon in Christchurch, he thought it was a joke. Personally, he saw little sense in giving such an animal artificial teeth, but he was told that in the case of a pedigree cow it was worth while. Theft From Army Prisoner. A former member of the provost unit of the New Zealand’ military forces was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by Mr. Morling, S.M., at Auckland yesterday for the theft of money and property belonging to a military prisoner who was in his custody. Accused was Norman Leslie Fincham, aged 33, charged with stealing at Wellington last December £l4/13/- in money, a wrist watch, suitcase and other articles of a total value of' £lB. He admitted the offence, which occurred while military prisoners were passing through Wellington.—P.A. Factory Labour Shortage.

Comment that she noticed that in nearly all cases clerical workers were being called, when she considered there were plenty of factory girls who could be made available, was made by an appellant who appeared before the Wellington Manpower Industrial Committee yesterday to object to her direction to work as a nurse in the Porirua Mental Hospital. The chairman, Mr. J. J. Scott, said there were insufficient factory girls available to supply the labour demand in their own industry in 'Wellington, and the National Service Department did not consider it expedient to move them. Air Force Needs. “The Air Force does not come here and will not write and tell ua what the position is,” said Mr? (F. J. Cox, Crown representative, when an appeal by an insurance company for the exemption of an agency supervisor from service, was heard. by the Auckland Armed Forces Appeal Board. A representative of the company said the reservist, not a Grade 1 man, had elected to serve in the air force. Mr. Cox said 1 that if the air force were represented in such cases or gave written information to the board of its needs, the board could weigh up the respective air force and industrial requirements. The appeal was adjourned sine die. — PjA, No Ships at Tiinaru. “We have all the facilities at Titnaru for handling export trade, but we have no ships.” said' the chairman of the Timaru Harbour Board (Mr. F. R. Flatman) at a meeting of the board. “We can handle the shipping, but we don’t seem to '.be getting any help from those in control.” There has not been an overseas ship at Timaru since the end of last year, and yet meat and wool are being railed to Lyttelton.” Referring to a letter the board had sent to the I’rime Minister, Mr. Flatmau said that the Timaru board did' not want Government assistance as compensation for the loss of trade through centralization —it wanted the trade (because it could handle it expeditiously. Cabaret Worker’s Appeal. Appearing for a cabaret manageress who appealed to the Wellington Manpower Industrial Committee yesterday against an order directing her to take up duties as a nurse at the Porirua Mental Hospital, Mr. J. Meltzer said most people were familiar with the difficulties of the municipal authorities and other organizations in catering for servicemen on leave, and there was an undeniable shortage of places of entertainment. Mr. B. L. Hammond, employers’ representative on the committee, said the main thing was to prove that the services of the person appealed for were indispensable. They had still to be convinced that, the cabaret would have to close down if she were transferred to other work. Mr. Meltzer said that on present indications there would be no alternative to closing down the cabaret in such an event. Mature Women Needed. The opinion that the duties of a nurse in a mental hospital required the services of women aged 40 to 45, because they were of mature age, good physique, and had come up against the real difficulties of life, was expressed by Mr. H.‘J. Pittendrigh, manager of Messrs. R. Hananh and Co., during the hearing by the Wellington Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday of an appeal by a staff member against the acceptance of such duties at the Porirua institution. He added that women of that age were not so susceptible to happenings as an impressionable young girl. He suggested that the chairman of the committee should go to the hospital, see the work the nurses were called on to do, and that then he would lie more competent to give an equitable decision. Mr. 1 iltendrigh said the registration age or women should be raised to give the manpower officers a wider field of selectivity for such work.