NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 76, 26 September 1941, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Record Street Day.

The street day held yesterday in aid of the Homes of Compassion was an . outstanding success and easily established a new record for this collection. Although the final figures are not yet available, it is known that the proceeds from the collecting-boxes, stalls, and donations will be over £2000. .

Public Administration Course.

Changes in the regulations governing the Public Administration diploma so as to provide a suitable course for those engaged in local government work were made by the Victoria University College Council at its meeting last night. The changes provide alternative studies for employees of local bodies. .

University Terms.

Victoria University College terms tor 1942 were fixed as follows by the meeting of the College Council last night:—First term, March 2 to May 2; second term, May 25 to August 22; third term, September 7 to October 10. All the dates are inclusive.

The R.N.Z.A.F. Band

"During the year," states thg annual report of the Air Department, "the band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force tias played an important part in the air-crew recruiting campaigns. It has also been of material assistance to patriotic funds. On two tours of the Dominion the band raised approximately £30,000 for patriotic funds. Through out its tours the band has been responsible for much favourable publicity for the Air Force."

Air Casualties.

According to the ,k annual report of the Air Department, presented to Parliament yesterday, casualties to New Zealanders serving with the Royal Air Force from September 4, 1939, to March 31, 1941, totalled 318, the total being made up as follows: —Killed 156, missing, believed killed, 20; missing 59. seriously wounded, etc., 33; prisoner? of war 50. In New Zealand, from April 1, 1940, to March 31, 1941, there were 19 flying accidents, involving the loss of 29 lives. • Thirteen others lost their lives in New Zealand through other mishaps and natural causes.

Air Force Recruiting.

"The central organisation set' up to deal with the provision of personnel for training has continued to function efficiently, and the response has been most gratifying," states the annual report of the Air Department. "For the year ended March 31. 1941, a total of applications was received for aircrew training and 8538 for maintenance (ground staff) training. Since the outbreak of war the corresponding totals are 12,162 and 12,974."

Racecourse Hospital,

Hospital furnishings will be available for transfer1 from the Trentham Racecourse Hospital to the Anzac Hall, Featherston, until the emergency ward at Lower Hutt is ready for occupation. Stretcher beds, blankets, and other bedding will be sent, a condition being that they must be returned in good order as soon as they are required at Lower Hutt. This information was given at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board last evening.

Hospital Administration.

A reproof to members of local bodies who criticised the administration by the Wellington Hospital Board was given at a meeting of the board last evening by the chairman, Mr. F. Castle. He said that some persons were using their positions on local bodies to give their opinions on things in general and hospital matters in particular. He would not say more, but the assumption of superior ability to govern hospital affairs was extremely prominent in some .local body members.

Early Morning Deluge,

Very heavy showers —thunder showers since they were accompanied by lightning—fell in the city and suburbs early this morning. At Kelburn the rainfall up to 9 a.m. totalled 69 points, but in the Hutt Valley falls were' heavier. September's rainfall now totals nearly 4| inches, or over an inch more than tb<e average, although it has not been such a wet month as its immediate predecessors. Some temporary flooding and minor slips) resulted from this morning's deluge, and many people got thoroughly wet while on their way to their places of business.

Trees Near Power Lines.

At successive conferences of Power Boards and Supply Authorities trees and power lines are discussed. Yesterday again the Dominion conference had this question before it in a series of remits. The Thames board made several suggestions: that tall-growing trees of over 15 feet, should be prohibited from being planted within two chains of a public road or power or telephone lines> and that existing trees should be removed, if considered dangerous or offending, by their owners by 1957. seedling trees being supplied by the authority concerned; the remit proposed also that the power board should, under certain circumstances, fell and remove such trees without cost to the owner. The Cambridge board considered that where notice had been served upon the owner of a property to remove trees or hedges likely to cause damage, the power authority should have power to enter on the property, on the failure of the owner, do the work, and charge him with half the cost. The remits were adopted on the voices, but objection was made that if such proposals were given legislative effect they would give power boards too much power.

Less Frequent Inspection,

In the opinion 'of the electric boards and supply authorities, meeting in Wellington yesterday, the 1935 Electric Supply Regulations, requiring reinspection of consumers' installations every fine years, should be amended to lengthen the period to ten years. Supporting its remit, and a similar remit from Hawke's Bay, the Grey board said that in a widespread district, the cost of re-inspection was considerable and its value was doubtful. Inspectors had gone into a house knowing that sub-standard apparatus was in constant daily use, but by the time the door was opened to them there was no sign of it. "So long as there is no bar to the sale by departmental stores of cheap equipment, it will be used," said the Grey board, "and it is suggested that the consumer would be better safeguarded by being allowed to buy only good appliances than by the enforcement of this costly rule."