NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 7, 3 October 1944, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

City Housing Loan The Wellington City Council by way of special order resolved yesterday to authorize the raising of a city housing loan of £lOO,OOO for a term of 2o years. * A About ITS "was "collected for patriotic funds as a result of the exhibition of art and crafts by men and women of the fi'-htin- services, which has been on view at the Auckland Art Gallery for the last two weeks. During that time, over 7i>oo people have visited the exhibition, which closed last Sunday. U.S. Coins in New Zealand. An indication of the amount of Ameii can coinage in New Zealand at present, ilw. presence of a dime, a nickel and a quar in tlie £5l collected for investment in Victory Uian bonds by the ITswera district patriotic committee during the visit Of the Victory Loan bond wagon to Hawera.

Life-Saving , A total of 1271 awards were granted bv the Wellington branch of the Royal Life-Saving Society during the 19-12-43 season as follows i-Breas stroke certificate 73; elementary certificate, 231. hitemediate certificate, 2-10; bronze medallion 231; bar to bronze medallion. 82. instructor, 2nd class, 24; instructor. Ist class, 24; award of merit, 33; bar to award of merit, 10; resuscitation certificates. 322; diploma, 1.

Armistice Celebrations. Armistice celebrations in Wellington should commence with a combined service bv the various churches in the lown Hall «aid the mayor, Mr. Appleton. when the ’"enoral subject of celebrations was discussed by the city council yesterday. The mayor said that celebrations of_ a material nature could follow the service and he favoured those being ou a big scale The council decided to communicate 'with the Council of Churches concerning .t combined, service.

Telegraphed Loan Appeals. Minor shocks were administered to many people in Wellington on Saturday by the receipt of long telegrams signed bv the Prime Minister. In most cases people look at the foot of a telegram in order to ascertain who is the sender before perusing the contents, so that the signature of the Prime Minister was to some people with relatives serving in the forces a portent of bad news. As it happens these telegrams were simply an anneal to the recipient to dp all in his (or her) power to help the Victory Loan. Anzac Club in India. A joint residential club to be called the Anzac Welfare Centre for New Zealanders and Australians of all ranks of the services is to be opened by the Governor of Bengal in Short Street. Calcutta, on October 7, states a cable message from Mr. C. R. O. Gardiner, representative of the National Patriotic Fund Board in India Funds for the club’s maintenance are being provided by the Australian Comforts Fund and the New Zealand National Patriotic Fund Board.

No Sunday Dancing. c An application by the proprietor of the Majestic- Cabaret to conduct a special Saturday night dance, to conclude on the following morning, to raise £4OO to invest in the Victory Loan for the benefit of the Heritage movement, was rejected by the Wellington City Council yesterday. Ur. W. H. Stevens said that he had had a long experience with dances, but it was still his belief that Sunday morning dancing was unnecessary. There were five other nights in the week when dancing could be continued into the early hours.

New Patriotic Districts. Three more provincial patriotic dis-tricts—-Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty—have been constituted by the Minister of Internal Affairs. Mr. Parry, under the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations, 1939. The new districts were previously subdivisions of the Auckland provincial patriotic district. There are now 14 provincial patriotic districts in the Dominion. The new districts, the boundaries of which have been specified by Gazette notice, function as from September 30.

Tram Track Renewal. A start has been made in real earnest to renew the mid-city tram tracks iu Wellington. A gang of about 30 men commenced at the western end of Manners Street at 8.30 a.m. yesterday, and before knocking-off time in the afternoon they had cut clean trenches on either side of the northernmost lines ns far along as Sf,. Hill Street. With the displacement of the old rails the track bed will lie consolidated before new rails are placed in position. It will lie some weeks before this length of track is completed. All soutli-lKuind trams, which customarily use Manners Street, were diverted to Hunter Street and .Tervois Quay, rejoining the main tracks at. James Smiths corner. This practice will be followed till the northern track in Manners Street is renewed, after which activities will be continued ou the southern track.

Costs of Transportation. . . “Should wharfage facilities in the Petone foreshore area be feasible, with the ability to operate economically and without adding costs to the Wellington installation, it is clear that: a reduction in price of manufactured goods from industry in the Hutt Valley to the consumer could be expected,” said Mr. L. V. Phillips, tendering evidence for the Hutt Talley Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the Hutt Harbour Commission. ’ He added that comparisons of transport charges, on existing rates, as between the Wellington wharves ami the proposed Hutt harbour installation would show a cost saving of 6/- a ton for general goods in bulk to the southeastern industrial urea of the A’alley, 4/a ton to the Petone central area and 3/a ton to the Petone western area.

The Robot Terror. How Londoners appreciated the recent break in robot bombing is expressed in an airgraph letter received in Wellington this week. "You cannot tell the inexpressible relief it is to huge a quiet night, without having to rush downstairs to a shelter two or three times, to feel the luxury of a whole night in one’s own bed,” says the writer. “That sounds absurd to vou people, but not to anyone in London who has endureii the robot terror. I have been advised to leave London for a quiet place, but having stuck it. out so far I don’t feel inclined to do so, but you have to be lit to endure the awful suspense.of it all. Mother and father went to a cinema last night, and had just arrived home when a robot arrived and exploded right, alongside the theatre they hud been sitting in a few minutes before—it was a narrow escape.’

Tribute to London. The practical recognition of London s heroism was discussed by the M cllingfou City Council yesterday when the mayor, Mr' Appleton,'was authorized to frame a suitable remit on the subject for the annual munieijial conference. The mayor recalled that the suggestion arose from the “tribute to London” message of the Lord Provost, of Edinburgh, in which he had joined on behalf of Wellington. They should endeavour, through the various local bodies, to raise a fund for n suitable memorial hall or other building in the Lomlon County Council area. Cr. W. H. Stevens recalled Ibe death of the great 'musician, Sir Henry Wood, and su""ested that, n fund for the restoration of "Queen’s Hall would be u suitable method of recognition. The mayor replied that he understood that, the musical societies had some plans for this particular objective.

Shortage of Bowls. The impossibility of importing bowls threatens to prevent temporarily the expansion of the game in New Zealand. It was reported to a recent meeting ot the executive of the Now Zealand Bowling Association that representations had been made to all agents and to the Customs Department, and it had been found that licences for importation were available. but: bowls were not being made by the countries that usually made them, either because of labour shortage or rubber shortage. The association decided, to do what it could to have supplies imported as soon as possible. In Wellington the shortage does not appear to have prevented anybody playing. Bowls for use on the green under preparation at tlie Disabled Servicemen’s 'l’rnining Centre are being donated by clubs in the city and suburbs, most, of. which have collections of bowls of various qualities for which their members have no use.