NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 27 June 1944, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Rate Demands Wellington city rates for Hie current year will be struck nt a meeting of the citv council to be held iii/xt week. Io strike the rates in July is rather later than usual, ami for that reason, as well as staff difficulties, it is not likely that the rate demands will be issued before about the middle of September? Servicemen’s Cigarettes. Samples of the packets in which the Patriotic Fund Board’s free distributions of cigarettes now reach the men overseas were on view at yesterday s meeting of the Metropolitan Patriotic Committee in Wellington. They bore stickers clearly marked "Patriotic Issue.”

Servicewomen's Club. As from June 4. the lease of the prerniises in Hannah’s Building. Lambton Quay, previously used by the Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic Committee as a servicewomen's club, was transferred to the Ex-Royal Naval and Merchant Navy Association. The furniture was taken over by the. new tenants for £6OO. Unexpected Meeting. “When mv wife left home she rang up for a taxi, but she was a bit unlucky because I was sent to answer the call” said a taxi driver in Auckland when petitioning Mr. Justice Blair for a decree directin his wife to return to him. Petitioner said be drove bis wife to where slip directed him aud charged her the usual fare.

Pay-As-You-Go Taxation. In a poll taken on the question , of pay-as-vou-go income tax by the Canterbury' Chamber of Commerce ISO members voted in favour and 32 against. Referring to the unsatisfactory nature of the replies so far received on the subject from Ministers, a bulletin issued by the chamber states that the chambers ot commerce, at this stage, are asking only for a complete examination of the method in its application to New Zealand.

Workers “Going Home. Stating that waterside workers ceased work on a ship at jO o'clock one Saturday morning, a witness in the Magistrates’ Court. Auckland, was asked, by counsel where they went then. “They went home, I suppose,” prompted counsel. “I do not know,” replied witness. “Well, I presume they went home —eventually.” remarked Mr. Luxford, S.M.. amid laughter. Deposits Are Safe. People with bank deposits who may have felt uneasy on reading that Australian taxation officials had seized the bank deposits of people who were believed to have defrauded the Taxation Department may be relieved to know that power to take this action is not contained in the New Zealand Land and In, come Tax Act. An income tax inspector, in giving this information, said he knew of no instance where any such action bad been taken in the Dominion. Fruit and Produce Merchants. The following officers were elected at the annual meeting of the ,New Zealand Fruit and Produce Merchants’ and Auctioneers’ Federation :—-President. Mr. H. Turner. Auckland: vice-president. Mr. 11. C. Frampton. Nelson; executive members, Messrs. A. N. Press and D. Bowie (Wellington). IV. A. Donald (Auckland). J. F. Fraser (Dunedin). J. F. Murray (Christchurch). F. W. Baillie (Greymouth). E. C. Day (Hamilton), A. Corson (Gisborne). Auckland’s Night Clubs. A great change has taken place in many of Auckland’s night clubs in recent weeks. Places which, a short time ago. were thronged night after night and reaped a great harvest from servicemen, have been practically deserted by their patrons and, for the most part, open their doors to a very meagre sprinkling of people. Observations in a number of the clubs during the last, few weeks indicate that their hey-day is over and that the next few months will probably see a number of them out of business.

Destruction in Church. Senseless destruction was perpetrated in the Presbyterian Church at Wadestown a few days ago. It was discovered in the morning that some time during the previous night or evening the church had been entered by what is presumed to have been a gang of irresponsible youths. They had scattered the contents of the flower vases over the floor and thrown the water about, and, what was worse, they tore pages from the big Bible on the lectern, fortunately being content to do little more damage than that. Coal for 100 Years.

“Though rumours to the contrary are numerous, there is sufficient coal on the West Coast to satisfy New Zealand for the next 100 years.” This statement was made at Greymouth recently by Mr. J. M. B'urf. at the first meeting of the Westland District Progress League. Mr. Burt said bis information had been obtained from a reliable source. He added that if the areas iu South Westland were opened up and reafforestation measures carried out, there would be enough timber to last the province for years.

Shipwreck Relief Society. “It reflects great credit on the master mariners and navigational controllers of ships, in spite of the many dangers that have confronted them, due to war conditions,” stated the chairman at the annual meeting iu Dunedin of the Shipwreck Relief Society of New Zealand, when referring to Hie small demands for assistance from the society made during the year. Tim balance-sheet showed the society to be in a strong position, and, though the amount of relief was low, in comparison the running costs might be regarded as high.

Training a Husband. A young woman who was to be married on Saturday appealed to the Auckland Industrial .Manpower Committee against not being allowed Io leave her employment. She said she was unable to continue shift work ami look after her husband. “If 1 get home from work about 11.30 p.m. I will still have to get up at 6 a.m. to get my husband away to work.” said appellant. The chairman, Mr. J. 0. Liddell: “I think you will have to train your husband when you get married.” The appeal was allowed, appellant to be directed to other employment. Public as Policemen.

“Inspectors from the tribunal are travelling continually throughout New Zealand, even in backblocks areas, but it remains for the public largely_ to police the regulations themselves.” said Mr. 11. L. "Wise, a member of the Price Tribunal, in an address to the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants. “There is a section of the public which is unreasonable, but many of their complaints have been justified, and prosecutions have followed. It is the policy of the tribunal to investigate all complaints which reach it.” Rationing Rumour Denied. An ' assuranee that 11)e Governnient had not considered rationing of bread liml been given to tlie North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee by the Minister of Supply. Mr. Sullivan, said the secretary of the committee, Mr. G. W. Dell. There had been fairly widespread rumours that the Government intended to ration bread and the committee had asked the Minister by letter if the rumours were correct. The Minister had replied as follows: “Up to the present rationing of bread has not been contemplated by the Government. Furthermore, no reason is seen at this stage for consideration of any such action.” —I’.A.

Safety Test for Firemen. An exjierimcnt which proves that a fireman can play a hose on live electric wires without receiving a shock was carried out in Invercargill. It was the first time that such a test bad been made in New Zealand, and its purpose was to show that firemen had nothing to fear when they played hoses on live wires. The crux of the test is that before the stream of water reaches the live wires it is not solid, as it is just when it leaves the nozzle of tlie hose, but is broken into particles with air between them. The firemen, therefore, has to see that liejs far enough away to allow the solid jet of water to break before it reaches . the wire. Mrs. Roosevelt and tlie Hongi.

When -Mr. Janies Thompson photographed Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt receiving the traditional Maori hongi (rub noses) from Guide Rangi, in Rotorua last September, he little thought that his picture would become world famous. It has been reproduced all over the United States and Canada, and a Government official informed ‘‘The Dominion” yesterday that the same photograph had been seen by his son I prisoner of war in Germany). in a German illustrated paper. I'ot its news value, plus clarity, eompositi.m. mid hitman interest this photograph has been selected by the '‘Encyclopaedia Britannica” as the outstanding I’re.ss photograph of Jast year.