NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 121, 17 February 1944, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

E.P.S. Curtailment

A further stage in the curtailment of BPS activities in Wellington was reacued last night when a meeting of district fire wardens at which Mr. L. headquarters warden, presided,, resolved that future parades of ree mty s ’ hr. sections would be held quarterly in steal of monthly. The fire seci’ons are ( to retain their equipment and di. tuct pos ? . and depots will he kept ready lor use in the event of a community fire emergency. School Committees. . ... School committee elections m Wellington are to be held on May 1 and. where necessary, the second meeting is to be held on May 29.

Konaotai College Play Area. ~ . . Part of the drainage reserve adjoining Rongotai College has been granted to the college authorities for use as a play area on conditions imposed by the city engineer.

Removal of Air Raid Shelters. Authority has been granted by the Wellington’City Council for an expenditure of £5OOO for the removal of air raid shelters in business premises m the city and for the reinstatement of the premises. Organ Recitals. , , Agreement with the proposal of the National Broadcasting Service to sp® half-hour ’recitals monthly, by visitin.sr and- local organists, on the lows Hall organ, was expressed by the Wellington City Council last night. Auckland Mayoralty. The mayor of Auckland. Mr. J. A.. Allum, announced yesterday that he would be a cand’date for a second term for the Auckland mayoralty. Many representations had been made to him and he felt that on account of the war conditions and the necessity to proceed with plans for post-war work, be should again, offer his services. —P.A.

Outsize in Beetroot. Cultivating a “Dig for I ictory Sarden, a Mauriceville resident has had exceptional results with a planting of globe beetroot in heavy clay soil which till this season had been a well-limed hnv paddock. One root grown weighed ojib. and was 19} inches in circumference. The beetroot have been tender to eat.

Boardinghouse By-Laws. The new by-laws dealing with boarding houses and those concerned with egress from buildings are now available at a nominal cost at the town clerk s office. Wellington. Persons interested are asked to inspect the by-laws which, if no more representations are made and further amendments adopted will become operative on March 31.

Bus Service Wanted. A request that the tramways committee should establish’ a bus service connecting the Wadestown tram terminus with the Northland terminus was made by Cr. M. Fraser in the form of a question at a meeting of the Wellington City Council last night. The mayor, Mr. Hislop, undertook to bring the matter before the next meeting of the committee. Town Hall Renovations.

In reply to Cr. W. H. Stevens at a meeting of the Wellington City Council last night, the city engineer, Mr. K. Luke; said that work on the Town Hall, including the Concert Chamber, had been seriously delayed by shortage of labour, and as a result the cost would be materially affected. It was hoped to have the Concert Chamber finished by May. Matter of Theory.

Cr. W. H. Stevens asked at the Wellington City Council’s meeting last night whether, in view of such facts as that the health and safety of citizens was prejudiced because labour could not be obtained for essential work, New Zealand was part of “A Democracy That Works.” The mayor, Mr. Hislop, ruled out the question as theoretical. ■

Plenty of Mushrooms. 1 Mushrooms, in very limited quantities, have been selling at 5/- a pound in Wellington shops. Lapt week they were being sold at 9d. a pound in Taranaki, and a farmer's wife who brought 201 b. freshly picked from the country had difficulty in disposing of them to retailers in New. Plymouth. They were tod plentiful.

Warming-up. Possibly with an eye on the municipal elections, ■ councillors were ' unusually talkative at last night’s Wellington City Council meeting. Even a clause on rat poison promoted a keen debate. On some other subjects every councillor spoke. Some tried to speak twice on the same subject. The open meeting lasted from 7.30. to 10.50 p.m., when the council went into committee. Tram Passes Refused, Applications for free tram passes for the Civilian Amputees’ 'Association and. the Methodist Church chaplain to the public hospital have been refused by the Wellington City Council. At a meeting of the council last night the mayor, Mr. Hislop, Said the tramways committees’ view was that any disability suffered by amputees could properly be dealt with only under the Social Security regulations.

Immunization From Diphtheria. Pre-school and school children in the Wellington Central health district are receiving their customary yearly immunization from diphtheria. Three jnnoculations, at four-weekly intervals, are being given each child. The number so. dealt with in 1942 was 2080 in Wellington Central, and it will be greater this year. Similar activities are being carried out in other health districts.

Permit For Factory. “I can assure you that if the locality residents don’t want this factory it won’t be established there,” said Cr. R. McKeen, at last night’s meeting of the 'Wellington City Council, when an application was considered for permission to erect a model one-story radio and electrical goods factory ’in Roljeston Street. The city engineer said that the applicants wanted to know the council s views before proceeding with the purchase of the land. The recommendation to grant the permit was adopted by 10 votes to six. Apples and Pears.

Though 10,000 to 12,000 cases of apples are coming under the Internal Marketing Division’s control weekly at present, reasonable supplies, it is stated will not come to hand till the cud of March. Early varieties now on the market are Irish Peach, Red Astrakhan aud Gravenstein, hud William Bon Chretinn pears. Crops, as they mature, are expected to be every bit as good as those of last year., The Nelson crop is reported to be light and that in Hawke’s Bay heavy.

Karori Sewer. “Plans are now in course of preparation for the provision of additional sewer drainage at Karori and the work will be. undertaken as soon as the pipes and necessary labour are available,” said a report submitted to the Wellington City Council last night. “We have nil the material for the job. ' Our difficulty is lack of labour, and we have even asked the Health Department to get men released for the work,” said the chairman of the works committee, Cr. W. Appleton.

Heating for Schools. A request for priority of supplies of fuel during the coming winter is to be made to tlie Mining Controller by lhe Wellington Education Board. The Minister of Education is to be asked for his support. Discussing the probable shortage of fuel, at a meeting of the board yesterday. Mr. L. J. McDonald said that some of the school rooms were very cold, and, if the necessary minimum of healing were not available it would, he believed, be impossible to keep the children in them.

Quarrels at Board Meetings. The Wellington Education Board yesterday received from the Ngaio School Committee a letter drawing its attention to “the unfavourable impression created by publication of reports of quarrels” at the board’s meetings.- It was decided to reply that the board was conscious of the need for attention to educational matters and did give that attention as opportunity arose. Mr. .L. J. McDonald expressed the view that quarrels were given a disproportionate amount of space in Press reports nno tended to convey an unbalanced impression of the board’s proceedings.

MIRAMAR COMPLAINT

A report by the by-laws committee that a deputation of Miramar residents had complained of the nuisance caused by the manufacture of varnish in the district was made to the Wellington City Council last night. The report stated that action was being taken against, the manufacturers, and the committee recommended that the Health Department be asked to declare the manufacture of varnish a nbxious trade. The- mayor, Nir. Hislop, said that the management should be heard before a decision was made. CrC. R, L. Miiealister said that the deputation bud been “big and angry.” It was decided to hold over the matter pending the hearing of the management's ease.