NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 153, 25 March 1944, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Passenger Services “It is just problematical how lons we can bold on to passenger services, said the No. 1 Licensing Authority. Air. L. J. Phelan, at a sitting in Hamilton. Air. Phelan said the position in regard to petrol was becoming extremely serious, and he had had instructions to see that as much wear and tear on rubber as possible was saved by keeping licences down to the very minimum. Price Regulations Breach. Fnr a breach of the Price Emergency Regulations, Ka Shee Wong, trading as W. Lowe, fruiterer, Lambton Quay, was fined £3 with costs in the Alagistrates Court, Wellington, yesterday. He sold 11b. 3oz. of peaches for 2/-. Proposal Rejected. . ■ By 273 votes to 209 a meeting of the Wellington branch of the Public Service Association rejected a proposal to join the New Zealand Federa-, tion of Labour. The president of the federation, Mr. A. McLagan outlined the work of’the federation and described the benefits it had brought to its members. £1152 for Anglican Children’s Homes. The recent street day in M ellington .and the Hutt for the Anglican children s homes returned £115?, the best result yet for this particular appeal. The full sum, with no deduction for expenses, was distributed to the homes yesterday and will come into immediate use. The social service board and the children thank the public for the splendid response.

Gifts to Museum. . Eighteen gifts, including Oriental articles, have been received by the Auckland Museum during March, according to the report of the director to a meeting of the council. They include a bronze wine vessel from the vicinity of Lanchow, two , decorated bamboo ' linie boxes from Sumatra, and early English and Oriental antique articles brought by Captain Hum-phreys-Davies as gifts from LieutenantColonel K.' Dingwall, London. Postal Services to Southern Italy. The Postmaster-General, .Mr. Webb, stated yesterday that the civil postal service recently restored between New Zealand and certain provinces of southern Italy had now been extended to include the provinces of Avellino, Benevento and Naples. As in respect of the other provinces the service was restricted to unregistered letters not exceeding 2oz. in weight and postcards of a purely personal nature.

Cricket to Music.' A novel method of teaching young cricket enthusiasts the correct rhythm and timing in batting has been adopted by the coach at an Auckland primary school. On a recent morning some w boys, each with a bat, a stump or a straight stick, were on the playing field practising strokes in unison to the tone of a waltz played on a gramophone. Ike boys were practising a set routine o£ strokes with the appropriate footwork.

Hot Water. . The AVellington District Council of Primary Production' has advised the Hutb Valley Power- Board of the need for boilin'- water on dairy farms and that the council would resist any restrictions in the supply of current for water heating, and also any suggestion of an increase in price. A replv has been sent that the matter of available current was in the hands of the Government and that no suggestion of an increase in price had been made. The board was desirous of helping the dairy-farmer. Street Saving Plan.- ' ‘ In less than a year women volunteer collectors in Christchurch have secured national war savings investments totalling £2581/9/6 under the scheme where streets M*e organized into savings groups, and householders make investments „hy way of sixpenny savings stamps. Ihe scheme, which is operated by the General Service Corps, is carried out at present by S 3 collectors, and it is hoped to have 100 women on the job by May 17. which yvill mark the end ot the first year’s work.

Shot While Prisoners. Captured by the Japanese when the Gilbert Islands fell to the enemy early in the Pacific war, Private Roderick Alurdoch McKenzie has been reported as being killed by the Japanese while a prisoner of war. He was the son of Air. R. H. McKenzie, Te Kuiti. From the meagre information available it appears that Private McKenzie, after being held a prisoner on Tarawa Island for some time, was, with eight other New Zealanders, shot by the Japanese before the American landing.

Flu Among Cats. Though influenza among cats is not uncommon at this time of the year, the number reported to have died from the complaint in the past few weeks indicates that this year’s outbreak is approachins epidemic proportions in Auckland. An Auckland veterinary surgeon states that he had received an average of four or five calls a day during the mist three weeks from owners of cats. The malady is similar to gastric influenza. The digestive system is affected and the first symptom is the cat’s reluctance to eat. The treatment suggested is a small dose ot aspirin.

Historic Ceremony. Solemn high military field Mass, sponsored by an American infantry unit now in New Zealand, will be offered at Carlaw Park on Easter Sunday. Nothing.of this clwaeter has ever been organized in New Zealand previously and it is regarded by the Catholic Church as a historic. event. Both American and Allied servicemen will atend and Bishop Liston will preside. American chaplains of the army, naiy and U.S. Marine Corps will take part in the celebration of the Mass. Ihe war dead of all the Allied forces will be honoured. At least 20,000 people are expected to attend. —P.A.

Seamen Ambassadors. “War is a strange mixer of the num..n race.” says the annual report of the British Sailors’ Society (Wellington branch), adopted at a recent meeting. In addition to entertaining and caring tor Btitish boys, we have befriended American, Norwegian. Chinese, Dutch and Indiau seamen. Each man visiting our rooms is an ambassador who departs with some impression of Ne_w Zealand and its people which he imparts to those ae meets throughout the world. So. througn seamen’s organizations and others who extend hospitality to seamen, our. country is receiving favourable publicity.

Vice-Regal Party In Mar Canoe. The Governor-General, Sir Cyril New. all, and Lady Newall, will be the principal guests today at a Alaori gathering. Their Excellencies will embark on tlie historic Alaori war canoe Mimka, and will proceed via the AVaipa River to the Turangawaewac marae on the IVaikato River. They will be welcomed with hakas, and an illuminated address will be presented by King Korokh Ihe carved meeting house, inahinarangi. will tneii.be visited. The proceeds of the gathering will be devoted to the renovation o£ Turangamaemae and its establishment as a Maori health clinic “and as a rest home for returned IVaikato Alaori servicemen.

Gisborne Air Service. The resumption of the Gisborne-Pal-merston North air service linking up with the trunk air lines between Auckland and Dunedin is in sight, Union Airways having made arrangements with the Government for the release of a D.H. S 6 machine, which is now undergoing overhaul. This information was received by the chamber of commerce when it was considering the transport difficulties arising from the elimination of the one-day railway service between Gisborne and Welv lington. Air. Coleman, M.P., advised that the outlook for the restoration of the former schedule of the railway service from Gisborne southward was not hor —’ ful.

Manpower Breach. Elaine McNulty, wardsmaid. aged IS, was fined £2 and costs by Mr. Harley, S.M.. in the Magistrates’ Court. Wellington, yesterday, for failing to take up employment with the Wellington Public Hospital, to which she was directed by the district manpower officer on. December 24, 1943. On a further charge of failing to register for work of national importance, she was convicted and ordered to pay costs. The magistrate warned her that, she must take up work as instructed by the district manpower officer and must remain in that employment. and further that she would be liable to imprisonment if she came before him again on a similar charge. The evidence showed that she had evaded .taking).upjyogk for._oyer.,a.xear.