NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 52, 29 August 1940, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Three Sections To Be Raffled.

A handsome gift for patriotic purposes by Mr. H. L. Nathan was discussed at the meeting of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday afternoon. Mr. Nathan has given three sections adjoining the Paekakariki golf links to be raffled in aid of the funds and has asked that the transfer of the property should be undertaken at once. The chairman, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said that the gift was a very fine one and from the raffle a very large return indeed should be forthcoming. Censorship of Letters. Replying in the House of Representatives yesterday to an urgent question by Mr. W. A. Bodkin (National, Central Otago) relating to the censorship of overseas letters, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) stated that comment or criticism of Government policy and public affairs was permitted by the censorship, which was only interested in removing from letters any references to defence matters and the movements of British shipping. In the first stages of censorship some confusion in regard to its scope arose, and letters were cut unnecessarily, but this was dealt with by himself many months ago, and since then he had been informed that nothing had been cut out of letters except references dangerous to the war effort. Grants for Soldiers' Comforts. The Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday • afternoon approved a further grant of £25—making £100 in all—for sports and other recreational facilities for the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Levin. Mr. P. W. Goldsmith, Mayor of Levin, said that the personnel at the • station was now considerably larger and the grants already made had been put to very good purpose. The Salvation Army asked for financial assistance towards the extension of the soldiers' hut at the Wellington Railway Station. The council was favourably inclined to the request, but as the hut serves men in camp from a wide area it was thought that the National Patriotic Fund Board should be approached with a request that it should provide part of the required finance. Historic Terraces. Miniature replicas of the lost Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana are to be ,a feature of the ornamental gardens surrounding the Rotorua municipal buildings, states a Rotorua correspondent. It is proposed to construct these near the trees at the back of the building and to use the excess steam from the bore used for the thermal heating system in the building to give the effect of a geyser. The water flowing down over the terraces, however, will not be hot, and it is suggested that goldfish may be placed in the miniature pool. The exact plan for the terraces has not yet . been prepared, but it is likely that they ; will stretch up to a height of about 6ft. All Raffles to be Audited. Definite regulations are laid down regarding the issue of permits to hold functions, raffles, etc., for patriotic purposes, though it is at least highly probable that many smaller functions go ahead without compliance with all the formalities, of which their promoters may not be aware, and the proceeds are duly paid into one fund or another. Yesterday afternoon the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council resolved that accounts in connection with raffles conducted by zones for prizes under £5 in value should be audited by members of the Accountants' Society. Such auditing, it was remarked, would be done voluntarily, no great demands being made upon the person checking tickets, small expenses, and the like. Bread for Christmas. The Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council's quota of Christmas parcels to be sent to soldiers overseas is 6100 —Christmas puddings, cake, tobacco, and cigarettes. The honorary secretary, Mr. E. M. Bardsley, reported to the council yesterday afternoon that arrangements were well ahead. A very satisfactory arrangement had been made as regarded supplies of cigarettes and tobacco in the metropolitan area and a contract had been let for the making of puddings by a Wellington firm. Samples had been obtained from those who might supply the puddings and these were taken to the Government Analyst for report. The analyst asked for the name of one maker and when the reason was asked stated that the pudding would not pass muster under the Pure Foods I Act—it was 75 per cent, breadcrumbs! Big Drop in Car Sales. "New car sales in Wellington City during last month were only 18 per cent, of what they were for the corresponding period of last year," said Mr. ,W. A. Fraser, president of the Wellington Motor Trade Association, when quoting figures at. the annual meeting o$ the association last night to show the effect on the trade of petrol restrictions and war conditions. "The figures for January to June, 1940, compared with those for January to June, 1939, show a drop of 65 per cent, in new car registrations," he said. "That is approximately two-thirds and in July (last month) there was a further drop of 15 per cent. That will show you the effect of general conditions and war conditions to some extent, but to a large extent the effect of petrol restrictions on the motor trade." New Materials Not to be Bought. Emphasis was laid by the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, as chairman of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday afternoon, upon a circular advising all committees and others working in connection with the Lady Galway Patriotic Guild pointing out that new materials are not to be purchased. "In regard to finance," stated the circular, "all moneys collected must be paid to the Provincial Patriotic Council. The council will make grants to the guild for out-of-pocket expenses. Please note, however, that it is not desirable at the present stage to purchase new material as sufficient second-hand goods are on hand for the guild's purposes for some considerable time to come. It is realised that some new material will be required to renovate certain of the garments, but no new material should be purchased for the making of new garments." Marriage of Soldiers by Proxy. A puzzler which the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council discussed only shortly, and then put aside for. further consideration, was before it yesterday afternoon in a reminder from the secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board that previously an opinion had been sought of a proposal made by the East Coast Provincial Patriotic Council, that an amendment should be made to the marriage laws to permit of marriage by prox3 r in the case of soldiers serving overseas. The chairman, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said that there was more in the proposal than met the eye at once. It was possible to transact most important business by correspondence: why not marriage as well? From one angle the proposal was good, for it would remove difficulties which might arise when soldiers were overseas, said a member, but what if the soldier married the wrong girl or the girl the wrong soldier at the distance? The council thought that it should have the benefit of others qualified to advise.

Effect of Liquor on Drivers. • Regret that doubt on the statement that small quantities of alcoholic liquor were harmful while driving had been cast by defending counsel in court was expressed by the New Zealand Alliance in a resolution adopted at its annual conference in Wellington yesterday. The conference decided to draw the attention of the Government to the report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the. prevention of road accidents, and to ask for action on the lines of those suggested in the report. Rugby in Rarotonga. In asking the New Zealand Rugby Union's executive by letter last night for a supply of footballs for the Cook Islands, Mr. R. H. Barron, of the Medical Department, Rarotonga, stated: "My work up here is in connection with the organisation of a dental service for the whole group of islands. The physical development of the natives concerns me in my work, and their keen interest in Rugby and their eagerness to play the game is my reason for asking for footballs. #He added that the natives were not ma position financially to purchase balls, and used ones would be most acceptable. There was some excellent material among the players, and some, with practice, had the capacity to develop into first-rate exponents. "The Grand Old Game." An indication that the New Zealand Rugby Union's influence extends beyond this country was given at a meeting of the union's executive last night, when a letter of appreciation was received from the Newcastle (Australia) Rugby Union. The, letter thanked the New Zealand Union for sending a supply of books on school football to the Newcastle Union. They would be of very great assistance m training the boys in how the giand old game pf Rugby Union' should be played, it was stated, and, what was more important, the spirit m which the game should be conducted. The Newcastle Union had for some years been trying to get the Rugby Union code played in its schools, but without success. This season a most determined effort was made to interest the schoolboys in the game, and a successful Saturday morning competition naa been conducted. Soft Drinks for Soldiers. "In view of the need for the provision of other cool drinks than liquor in the canteens in the military camps, we urge upon the Government the desirability of providing equal facilities in the canteens for the sale of such drinks as are customarily sold at the city milk bars, and that, if it prove impossible for such facilities to be provided in the existing accommodation, permission be granted to the Church huts and the V.M.C.A. to install plant for the sale of these milk or fruit drinks," said the New Zealand Alliance in a resolution adopted at the annual conference in Wellington yesterday. Conference also decided to ask the Government to arrange for educational lectures on personal hygiene to be given by experts to men in military camps and that included in such course of lectures there should be courses showing "the harmful effects of alcohol on both body and mind, such course being in line with the procedure of the British Army." Imposing on Charity. Overlapping in the granting of relief in Christchurch, and instances in which applicants were said to have imposed on the North Canterbury Hospital Board, were mentioned in the report presented to it by the benevolent comjnittee yesterday. After reporting on a number of cases in which it was said the board was misled,' Mrs. T. Green, for the committee', .asked for an instruction as to whether the persons concerned should be prosecuted, but the discussion lapsed without any opinion having been expressed by the board. "I wish to make it perfectly plain that on a needy person making application for help the measure of assistance given is adequate," said Mrs. Greeni "This being the case, it is not necessary for further help to be asked from other charitable sources. Unfortunately, we find that certain people go from one to < another, and this plainly shows needless overlapping and unnecessary organisations." Mrs. Green gave three specific instances of j women having falsely declared their I incomes; and these, she said, were but three among many. . Maori Memorial. Replacing the hurricane lamp which has hitherto served as, a warning to night-flying aircraft, a powerful light has been installed on the top of the obelisk on One Tree Hill, Auckland, which is the Centennial memorial to the Maori race, states the "New Zealand Herald." For 9ft from the top, the four sides of the obelisk have been sheathed in a stainless. steel cap containing the powerful lights that are set behind portholes of red glass 3ft from the apex. There is a porthole on all four sides and behind every glass are two 60-watt lamps that are controlled by automatic switches from the well' of the tower. The lights are at present controlled to operate from 5 p.m. until 6 a.m. Reflectors or'lenses have yet to be fitted to improve the light, which was switched on for the first time on Monday evening. By day the stainless steel cap provides a warning, the reflection of the sun's rays having already been seen clearly from Waiheke Passage and from the Razorback deviation. It is expected that the obelisk will be ready in about a fortnight's time. The bronze figure of the Maori which is to surmount it has arrived from England and will be placed in position as soon as the cleaning of the obelisk and surroundings has been completed.