NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 3, 29 September 1943, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Art Union Drawing

The drawing of “A Lot to Lift” Art Union is to take place at the boardroom, 2nd floor. Wellington Commercial Travellers’ Building, Customhouse Quay, this morning, commencing at 9.30 o’clock.

Esperanto. . t An enthusiastic northern Esperantist has been communicating with Esperantists and clubs throughout New Zealand in an endeavour to form a “Koresponda Rondo” (Correspondence Circle). Lhe secretary of the Karori Esperanto Society has received from him a letter requesting names and addresses of members interested who were desirous, of corresponding with other Esperantists within tbc Dominion. It. was felt that, this move would fill the gap caused by the prohibition of correspondence in Esperanto to persons living outside the Dominion.

Single Man’s Appeal. Stating that fie had sent £lO a month to his widowed mother in England ever since he arrived in Now Zealand six or seven years ago, J. R. Harris, single, aged 32, a carpenter and joiner, had his appeal at. Auckland against military service dismissed. The Crown representative pointed out that if the reservist were in the Army the compulsory allotment of’ 4s a day combined with an extra allowance of Is fid for his mother would total approximately the same allotment as he was now making.

Dermatitis. Reference to the prevalence of dermatitis in the tannery industry was made by the secretary of the Tannery Workers Union, Mr. A. Rawlinson, at a sitting of the Auckland Industrial Manpower Committee. Mr. Rawlinson said that he had worked in a tannery all his life and had not suffered from dermatitis. The complaint,’ however, was on the increase, aud he attributed this to modern tanning methods. He thought that an inquiry should be made into the matter. The chairman, Mr. J. O. Leddell, suggested that an industrial organization should make representations in the matter. — P.A.

Tereinaliau Gold Deposits. Interesting evidence of thq. qnantiiy of gold remaining to be won in the Tereniakau district was given by Mr. Frank Bird, mining registrar, before a commission sitting in Greymouth. The old-time miners had left some gold for future generations, said Mr. Bird, aud it had been estimated that there were about 1000 acres of gold-dredging land near Greenstone. Research had indicated that gold worth £1,000,000 to £1,500,000 remained to be won. Before the war a dredging company had been formed, and after the war the biggest dredge in New Zealand would be erected and would give employment to 50 men for I’s to 20 years. Second-hand Envelopes. “Is this show hard up?” Mr. E. S. Parker demanded at a meeting of the Marlborough Power Board. “We get our notices in old second-hand envelopes. It costs more to paste on new fronts than it’s worth. The lawyers and the power boards seem the only mean ones.” Mr. A. TL Nees said he objected, too. “When I geh the board’s envelopes I just can’t use them again,” he said. . Air. Parker added that the borough council sent out its notices in new envelopes. , “But aren’t.they an extravagant crowd?” The secretary explained that the practice of using envelopes a second time was adopted to be in line with the Government's policy. Police Officer’s Death.

The death has occurred of Senior-Ser-geant Donald Austin, of the police force, aged 51. When stationed in Hamilton as a sergeant, in November, 1940, Sen-ior-Sergeant Austin distinguished himself by rescuing a woman from drowning in the Waikato River, and was awarded the King's Police Medal. Of the six police officers who have been presented with the decoration since the award was! established 25 years ago, only one now survives. Senior-Sergeant Austin joined the police force in April, 1916, and was stationed successively at Invercargill, Greymouth, Dunedin, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington.

Serious Decisions. An Auckland justice of the peace commented recently on the number of girls who had asked him to witness the consent of their parents to their marriage before they were 21 years of age. He stated that frequently in such cases he had inquired of the mothers their feelings on the question of such youthful marriages, often on short acquaintance, between the contracting parties. The almost invariable reply from mothers was that they had counselled waiting a year or two, but on finding their daughters deaf to such advice, had deemed it better to let youth have its way under sympathetic direction than make a youthful adjustment of the kind more difficult by parental disapproval. .