NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1940, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Earthquakes at Opotiki. Numerous earthquakes have been felt in Opotiki during the last few days, another shock being felt at 5.48 on Thursday morning, states an Opotiki correspondent. Some of the shakes have been fairly lengthy, but have not been heavy. Stamps for President Roosevelt. As a gesture of good will from New Zealand to the United States, the Mayor of Auckland, Sir Ernest Davis, lately sent a set of Centennial commemorative covers and stamps to President Roosevelt, states the "New Zealand Herald." Sir Ernest has received an acknowledgment from one I of the President's secretaries, who wrote: "The President is most appreciative of your kindly interest in sending him those commemorative covers and the booklet. He is glad to add these covers to his collection, and asks me to thank you for your thought of him." Bullet Pierces Throat. An amazing escape from fatal injury was experienced by a young Wairoa man, Mr. Kenneth Simmonds, when a rifle bullet pierced his throat and then shattered a mirror which was hanging on a wall near him, states a Gisborne correspondent. Mr. Simmonds, a single man employed at the freezing works, had been out deer stalking with his brother at Mahia and, on returning home, he placed his rifle on the kitchen table. The rifle was still loaded and Mr Simmonds had just sat down when, it exploded. The injured man was taken to the Wairoa Hospital. His condition is not serious. Navy League Street Day. , j The biennial street day appeal made by the Wellington branch of the Navy League and the British Sailors' Society on Thursday resulted in £896 12s 2d being collected. The two bodies divided the city for collecting, the Navy League taking the part from the Bank of New Zealand corner in Lambton Quay to the north and the Sailors' Society the southern part. The Navy League collected £332 2s sid, and the Sailors' Society £564 9s B£d. They will share equally in the proceeds. Darning Needles Wanted. Darning needles are an important item in the contents of the hussifs being made by women and girls working under the various patriotic committees for the Army and Navy. It is not always easy to meet promptly requests received by the National Patriotic Fund Board for supplies of these needles, and it has been suggested that there may be persons who would be prepared to give some darning needles as a patriotic contribution and so assist the work of the National Patriotic Fund Board and the provincial patriotic councils. Gifts of this kind may be left at the office of the board in Brandon House, Featherston Street, or at the board's gifts depot in Howden's Building, Farish Street. | Memento Aids Fund. The memento of the visit to Dunedin of the Finnish barque Penang for extensive repairs in 1938, which was auc-tioned-at the band concert in the Town Hall this week by Mr. Gladstone Hill and was knocked down to a bandsman for 255, was handed in at the National Patriotic Fund Board office earlier in the year for disposal in aid of the fund by an anonymous donor. On June 1, 1938, the Penang was struck by a violent squall off the coast of Tasmania, and her mainmast was rendered useless. Her master. Captain K. V. Karlsson, decided to make for Dun<>lin for repairs and the vessel was in Dunedin for some time while this work was done. The memento of this event took the form of a compass face, suitably framed, bearing the signatures of all on board the vessel. Loan Not a Gift. A decision of the Supreme Court that a loan free of interest could not be regarded as a gift liable for gift duty has been upheld by the Court of Appeal on a three to one majority. The question was whether such a loan was, within the provisions of the Death Duties Act, 1921, a gift of the principal moneys lent, and liable to gift duty accordingly. The Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) said the answer in the negative given by Mr. Justice Johnston was, in his opinion, unquestionably right. He could see no foundation in either justice or reason to support the assessment of the Commissioner of Stamp Duties. As a matter of common sense, apart from any special statutory enactment, one would have thought that, if a free-of-interest loan involved any element of gift at all, the gift would be limited to the interest in each year which might have been, but was not in fact, contracted for and charged. Cripple's Wonderful Work. A rug 42in wide and 66in long, to make which 14Jlb of wool was required, depicting the city coat of arms, has been presented to the City. It is the work of Mr. Sydney Elliott, a cripple. Making the presentation to the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, Sir Charles Norwood, the president of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society, stressed the wonderful work done by Mr. Elliott, who was early stricken with infantile paralysis, and for 20 years was unable to use his hands independently. With the help of the society and Mr. R. G. Ridling, director of the Technical College, he had been capable of this work. The idea of working the City coat of arms was Mr. Elliott's own. The Mayor expressed his pleasure in receiving the gift on behalf of the City. The work would be an incentive to others who were afflicted, and would receive a prominent place, he said.