NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 43, 20 February 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Rivers for Fishing.

Reviewing fishing prospects for the weekend the Wellington Acclimatisation Society states that all rivers in the district are in good order, except that the Manawatu and Rangitikei Rivers are slightly discoloured. Milk Department Employees. Notice is given in last night's Gazette that the suspension in respect of payment for time worked on holidays provided for in the Overtime and Holiday Labour Legislation Suspension Order, 1941, is not to apply to the workers coming within the scope of the Wellington City Council Milk Department Employees' Award. This provision has been made retrospective to December 17 last. Methodist 801 lof Honour. At the opening of the Methodist Con. ference yesterday a roll of honour of men who attended Wesley Church, Taranaki Street, Wellington, was dedicated and placed on the Communion table by the president of the conference, the Rev. W. Walker. The volume was presented by friends in memory of members of the church who did not return after the last war and is a beautiful work of art produced entirely in Wellington. Public Trust Office Hours. From Monday, March 2, the Public Trust Office will be closed to the public each working day at 3 p.m., instead of at 3.30 p.m. The Minister in Charge of the office (Mr. Mason) said .last night that this change was imperative because of the acute shortage of staff, due to men being called up for service with the armed forces. Mr. Mason added that the earlier closing hour would not involve any reduction in the normal working day of the staff. Equality of Sacrifice. "Is a small farm a more important matter from a national point of view than businesses that have been built up by years Of self-denial?" asked Mr. G. Fleming at a sitting of the Taranaki Man-power Committee. "It would seem that the policy of this committee is to send other men away to fight for some farm owners, forgetting that the farms will most likely be there when the men return, while privatelyowned business may disappear," added. Mr. Fleming. Barmaids for Milk Bars. On aesthetic grounds his Honour Mr. Justice Northcroft objected in the Christchurch Supreme Court on Tuesday to the use of the terms counterhand and dispenser to define the female employee in a milk bar, states the "Press." To the suggestion that the word dispenser might be preferred to the technical term counter-hand used to define one who prepared and dispensed milk shakes in a milk bar his Honour said: "No, I think that a horrid term, too. Why not call her the very pleasant name barmaid, a much nicer term?" Shellfish Bulletin. The Auckland Institute and Museum Council has authorised the publication of a bulletin on New Zealand shellfish. Mr. A. W. B. Powell is the author of the bulletin, which has taken ten years to compile. The work was carried out in connection with museum research. New material and notes made available by Dr. H. J. Finlay and Dr. J. Marwick, both of the Geological Survey Department, Wellington, are included in the bulletin. The bulletin will be illustrated by 14 plates of detail wash drawings, comprising over 200 figures. Mr. Powell was responsible for all the illustrations. They Asked to be Charged More. Expressions of almost incredulous astonishment came on several faces at the architects' conference this week when it was reported that some members of the institute wished to be charged higher fees. It was explained that at a meeting of the Wellington branch salaried architects (whose membership fee is much lower than that of architects in private practice) had recognised that their number was increasing and that the institute's financial position needed strengthening, especially during the war period, when the fees of members on active service overseas were remitted. "This is a splendid gesture," remarked the president, Mr. H. L. Messey, when the meeting had thankfully agreed to comply with the request. The increased rate would apply to a salaried person after five years of qualification as a member, retrospectively. Financing New Houses. It was reported at the architects' conference ' this week that building societies and other financing institutions in New Zealand had begun to follow an example set in older countries in connection with applications ; for loans for house-building. Several : of those institutions in Auckland and Wellington were making a condition that the plans must be either drawn : up or approved by a registered archi- : tect and the work must be done under ' his supervision. This stipulation was not intended to be a philanthropic ges- : ture to qualified architects, but was a precaution for the lender's own protec- ■ tion. ■ Soldiers' News from Home. ] It wOuld appear that the New Zealand Forces in the Middle East are getting a good coverage of news, from this country. It appears regularly inthe "N.Z.E.F. Times." One example of this was quoted last evening at a meeting of the executive of the Scientific Workers' Association. The president, Dr. W. B. Sutch, read a letter he had received from a soldier in the Middle East asking for information about the association, and saying that he had used his leave to make contacts with scientific research workers in n Egypt and elsewhere. In commenting J that the association had only been formed late last December, Dr. Sutch ( said that the publicity office was doing 1 very good work in keeping soldiers ; aware of happenings in New Zealand. j This in itself was a great morale ( builder. Furthermore the letter under '. discussion showed that soldiers them- ] selves were keen to pursue their peace- ] time interests while at war. That not ; only made better soldiers but it made < better citizens for the period of re- 1 construction when the war was over. 1