NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 117, 12 February 1944, Page 8

NEWS IN BRIEF

Waste Paper Wanted

As occurred once toward the end of last year, the Wellington waste paper depot is short of paper again, and an appeal is beiii" made for supplies. Ihe committee's biggest source is the business houses of the city, aud when shops, offices and warehouses exert themselves the depot does not hick work, but the appeal is addressed also to householders who can have small quantities of paper collected by children from the nearest school. The committee’s organization <s amply large enough to handle all the paper that could be offered.

Drowned on Birthday. While bathing at the Himatangi beaen with a party on Wednesday, John Kenneth Marshall. 22, a soldier, was carried out to sea and drowned. His father is Mr. E. G. Marshall, Newtown, Wellington. It was the soldier’s birthday.—P.A. New Zealand’s N'ationa. Poet. Mr. Bernard Magee, Onmaru, has received cabled advice from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, that his script on the life of Thomas Bracken, New Zealand’s national poet, whose centenary occurred in December last, will be broadcast from Sydney at 5.5 p.m., Australian summer time, tomorrow.

Ragwort in Reserves. A few years ago the ragwort menace caused farmers a great deal of concern. Anyone who fails to eradicate this noxious weed’is Hable to a heavy fine. At the present time, farmers have the weed under control, but iu Wellington it appears to be thriving on at least two public reserves, at Nairn Street and Central Park,

Wellington Bookmaker. Joseph Wood, making his first appearance, was fined £25 by Mr. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday for bookmaking. Senior-Ser-geant Paine said that Wood was formerly a barman. He was found in a hotel bar with a notebvi'K on him wbieh showed the taking of considerable bets on the Wellington, Takapuna and Woodville meetings. He was not iu a big way. Unheralded Return.

A complete surprise was sprung by Telegraphist (P. 0. H. B. Elvey, a member of the New Zealand Navy, when be walked unheralded into his parents' home at Hamilton yesterday morning after arriving with the furlough troops. Elvey has been serving overseas for three years. No official intimation had been received of his arrival home on leave. His name was not on the nominal roll of the party. —P.A.

Jail for Theft. A youth aged 20 who requited the kindness of an Auckland family when he was in uniform by thefts of cash, jewellery and articles of clothing later was sentenced by Mr. Justice Callan in the Supreme Court, Auckland, to 18 mouths’ hard labour. He was James Billens. The judge rejected a plea for probation and said that Billens's conduct almost immediately after his release from jail did not inspire the confideuee of the Court.— P.A.

Fishing Licences. The sale of licences for the current fishing season in the Rotorua district had been a record for several years, said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, last night. New Zealand’s improved condition in the war, the relaxation of petrol restrictions for the December-Janu-ary period, and the increased number of servicemen-anglers visiting the district, had been factors influencing the sale of fishing licences. "The fishing all round has been particularly good this year,” Mr. Parry added.

Sea Leopard Shot. The sea leopard which has been a not altogether welcome visitor to Anderson's Bay, Dunedin, during the past few days, has made a permanent departure, but not of its own accord. Its removal was brought about by means of a bullet, the necessary authority having been given by the Marine Department on the ground that the visitor was iu ill-health and might die on somebody's private property. So the leopard was shot on the spot by a police sergeant and the body removed in a Publie Works Departmeni lorry and buried at St. Kilda. Expensive New Year. The sequel to an assault in the post office square at Nelson on New Year’s Eve during the gathering of a crowd to welcome in the 'New Yearuwas heard in the Magistrates’ Court. Wellington, yesterday. by Mr. Stout, S.M. Hubert George Prestidge, post office messenger, was stated by Senior-Sergeant Paine to have struck Norman Edward Berkett on the jaw during some pushing and jostling that occurred in the square. Berkett’s denture was broker, as a result and cost £lO to replace. Fining defendant £2 for assault, Mr. Stout said that no doubt he would be sued civilly for the cost of the denture.

Children and Town Planning. Good work done by 1000 children from 11 secondary schools in obtaining data for the Christchurch metropolitan planning scheme was' ipentioned by Mr. J. W. Mawsoil, town-planning adviser to the Department of Internal Affairs, at a conference in Auckland. Local body officers were surprised at the accuracy and completeness of the surveys made by the children, Mr. Mawson said, and in their opinion much of the work was worthy of adult experts. An exhibition of reports was held, and later he visited the schools to address the children and show them how their returns fitted into the scheme. Everyone regarded the experiments as a valuable lesson iu .civics. Trout From Taupe. Taupo was proudly referred to at a town board deputation to tbe Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, as being a popular resort in tbe centre of tbe North Island. Dr. Scaifr. Armstrong, chairman of the board, said it was possible for a local resident or visitor to reach any of tbe cities of the North Island in one day. Supporting the accessibility of Taupo, Mr. T. Heath, a member of the board, staffed that a fair-sized trout, caught in the lake one,morning, graced a banquet table at New Plymouth in the evening of the same day. ' The fish had' been dispatched by plane. On the menu it appeared as “Taupo trout a la Aviation Sauce.”

Cats Protect Wool. A Christchurch business man had occasion to visit one of the large wool and grain stores in Moorhouse Avenue. While he was walking through the avenues of thousands of wool bales a half-grown cat followed him. The bead storeman asked if be was fond of cats, and he replied that he was. Whereupon the storeman eaid: “Well, you just watch this.” Re gave two or three whistles, ns though calling a dog. In a few seconds 11-cats of all sizes and all colours came running from all parts of the store, over wool and grain sacks. “See that one there,” pointing to a tabby, “well, he hud seven small rats for breakfast this morning. Those cats are worth their weight in gold.” Trespassed on Wife’s Property. That he wanted evidence to institute divorce proceedings, was the reason Archibald John Chester gave yesterday in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, for trespassing on his wife’s property when a separation order was still in force. The police said defendant was well behaved when sober and came from a respectable family. He bad a grievance against bis wife, and when be visited her house he saw a man escaping from it. Chester hid in the adjoining school grounds when the police came, and this instituted a charge of trespassing on the property. He was convicted ami discharged by Mr. Goulding, S.M.. on the first charge, and convicted on the latter, and ordered to come up for sentence within six mouths if called upon.

Seasonal Food. The proprietors of Garland’s restaurant in Manners Street, Wellington, were convicted and ordered to pay costs in the Magistrates’ Court yesterday for charging more for a meal than the fixed price of 2/-. The meal in question included spring lamb, new green peas and new potatoes anil cost 2/3. The defendants held that they could not continue to supply to the public a meal of seasonal food at the ,fixed price and keep up their high standard of catering. It was stated that, some restaurants in Wellington were still _ charging prices above the fixed limit for ordinary meals. The magistrate, Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M., said that it was notorious that (lie Price Tribunal order should be abused every day. The defendants were concerned, he said, in an isoated instance of supplying a meal of seasonal food, and this had some mitigating circumstances.