NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 64, 15 March 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Counterfeit Coupons. •'I have heard that people are printing their own petrol coupons," said the secretary, Mr. P. Harvey, at a meeting of the executive of the South Island ; Motor Union, reports the Christchurch "Star-Sun." During a discussion on petrol restrictions members pointed out that the numbers on the coupons presented' no difficulty in reproduction. "If they can do it with banknotes they can print coupons," remarked Mr. Harvey, and the discussion lapsed. Family Doctor Service. Speaking at a public meeting at Allanton, Dr. D. G. McMillan, M.P., said with reference to the family doctor service under the Social Security Act that he still believed that if the Government finally established the doctors' rate of remuneration and scope of service, and gave all doctors the j opportunity to work the scheme, aj satisfactory solution of any real or make-believe ' difficulties would be reached as quickly as it was in the case of the maternity benefit, and the full scheme would be available to all in a very short time, states the "Otago Daily Times." New Bee Disease. The worries of Canterbury beekeepers have been increased by the appearance, this season, in their hives of a disease hitherto unknown in New Zealand, states the "Christchurch StarSun." It appears to be "European foul-brood," but though the infected brood-combs sho,w all the symptoms consistent with this diagnosis, definite identification of the disease has not yet been announced. Specimens of infected brood are being examined by experts. Like "American foul-brood," which has long plagued apiarists in the Dominion, the European variety is a fungoid disease, but it is more easily eradicated. Caterpillars Ruin Maize. It is feared that crops of maize in Matakaoa County, East Cape, have been ruined by caterpillars, states the "New Zealand Herald." Under development schemes at East Cape and Tokata, over 100 acres of newlyploughed land were sown in maize, but before the corn matured the leaves were stripped. The caterpillars appeared first in a crop of millet at East Cape and soon they attacked tho young maize. After the maize had been stripped they turned their attention to pumpkins without doing any great harm. Thousands of starlings have come on the scene, and are now attacking the pest vigorously. Memorial to Law Professor. To be used as a memorial to the late Professor James Adamson, former professor of law at Victoria University College, the sum of £30 was received by last night's meeting of the college council from the Studen.'s' Association. This gift was accepted with thanks, and Professor Sir Thomas Hunter said the suggestion was that books on the subjects in which the late Professor Adamson was interested should be bought and placed in the library, with special plates attached to them. The meeting also placed on record its deep appreciation of the work of the late Professor Hugh Mackenzie and passed a motion of condolence with his relatives. i New Thermal Area. The discovery of a new thermal area four and a half miles from Rotorua, on the Taupo highway at Waiotapu, was made by engineers engaged on the new Waiklti Valley road from : Waiotapu to Ngakuru, states a Rotorua correspondent. There are a number of springs apparently of au alum nature, and two of these feed a stream [ which flows for some distance along the valley aft a temperature not far below boiling-point. At one point in : its course it is bridged by a natural silica formation, which lends an un- : usual touch to the valley. When completed this road will open up a new trip for visitors to the district, providing a link between the Atiamuri { and Taupo main highways. New Zealand Soldiers in Scotland. ( When New Zealand soldiers visit ; Scotland they will receive a warm welcome from the Empire Societies' j War Hospitality. Committee, which has ( opened a hostel in Edinburgh at 12la ■ Princes Street for non-commissioned : officers and men. Here, for 5s 3d a i day, they can have bed, bath, and all l meals. News of this has been re- < ceived from a member of the commit- ; tee by the Rev. L. M. Rogers, who made i it known at a meeting of the Christ- j church Presbytery, states the "Press." At Overseas House, 100 Princes Street, . Edinburgh, officers on leave will be 3 entertained-: Similar hostels will also \ be established in. Glasgow, and the Overseas League is arranging for hos- ' pitality to soldiers in all the chief Scottish towns. Unusual Church Memorial. j A stone tile of uncertain age, which j once formed part of the roof of Whitby £ Church in England, has been set up j as a Centennial memorial in the Angli- £ can Church in Whareama, which is m j the Tinui parish. The tile, which i bears the coat of arms of the church ; whence it originally came, was pre- < sented to Mr. James Andrew when he i was in Whitby last year, and has been c used as a memorial to the Rev. John i Chapman Andrew, the first preacher 1 Df the district, whose father at one i time was vicar of Whitby. There is s a distinct link, therefore, between t Whitby in England and Tinui in New £ Zealand. The dedication service was recently performed by the Bishop of c Wellington, the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe i Holland. 1 A. Sporting Gesture. j A fine sporting gesture was mada by the Petone Rugby Football Club at < its annual meeting last evening when, E on the motion of Mr. J. King, second- s sd by Mr. L. Pointon, it was decided * that the club should lend the Govern- * tnent £250 free of interest for the duration of the war and for six months afterwards. Mr. King said he hoped that what the club had done would give a lead to sporting bodies and Dthers. Mr. Pointon said such an act would be a fine gesture to the men who had enlisted from the club. The chairman said he was glad of the suggestion, which had come from one of the oldest players for the club, and I rxe was sure the management commit;ee would associate itself heartily with ;he proposal. The motion was passed with acclamation. Napier Sailplane. A sailplane has been successfully flown in Napier and when its owners, ;he Napier Aero Club, become profi- c :ient in its control, it is expected to c nake flights of considerable duration, i: states a Napier correspondent. The i ralcon, as the machine has been named, t was built in six months by the club c nembers from materials imported from t England just prior to the war. Spanling 44ft, the Falcon is graceful in t light and behaved well on recent trials. C Although conditions were unsuitable n 'or long nights, several good efforts vere made. On one occasion an alti- c ude of 200 ft was reached, the sailplane ]i aeing aloft one minute 20 seconds. / Phis flight gave an indication of the r sailplane's exceptional gliding angle t: jnd slow sinking speed. At the conrols during the critical test period was t: Mr. N. Oliver, the Napier Aero Club's p lying instructor. f c