NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Made to Army Measure,

Members of the Army are, at some time or other, glimpsed attired in denims, which is the name given to the shapeless soldiers wear while working when' no one is supposed to be looking. In a certain military camp a quartermaster's store (from which the aforesaid denims originate) bears the following mark of soldierly wit: "Clothes Vender. Only Two Sizes, Too Large and Too Small." Horses and Road Rules. The sudden increase on the roads of horse-drawn vehicles has given traffic inspectors new work to do. In a report to the Waimari' County Council, the traffic inspector (Mr. G. E. Stokes) stated: "Confusion exists in the minds of drivers of horse-drawn vehicles as to their duties at intersections. Regulation 25, clause 5 of the teaffic regulations, directs that the driver of a horse-drawn vehicle shall give way to all other vehicles approaching from any direction, if there is a possibility of collision. Very few i, persons are aware of this requirement, and as horse-drawn vehicles are now more numerous f owing to petrol restrictions I consider that publicity should be given to the matter." Music in Wartime. It would be interesting to know how many people in Wellington would welcome an opportunity to sit quietly in a comfortable hall for half an hour lor so at midday, once or twice a week, (listening to string music or song, remarked Mr. Stanley Oliver last evening, when addressing the annual meeting of the Royal Wellington Choral Union. "It would," he said, "do much to calm down frayed nerves, thereby j strengthening the determination of the spirit and increasing efficiency. The English experience proves this to be true." He added that at the present time there was an almost unprecedented demand for the services of music teachers, who, therefore, need have no misgivings about the importance of their calling during time of war. ! Accommodation for Young Girls. "I have been pleased to find that in spite of the ease in obtaining positions j for young girls at the present time a number of parents seem more willing to keep their daughters a reasonable time at secondary schools," reported Miss P. L. Jull, principal of the Wellington East Girls' College,, to the Wellington College Board of Governors yesterday. "The problem of finding adequate accommodation in Wellington for young girls is an extremely difficult one at present," said Miss Jull. "I am loath to advise any young girl to come to Wellington to work unless I know that she has a suitable place to live. This has meant that on many occasions, in the case of country girls, we have had to refuse positions in town because they could not afford to pay the board charged by satisfactory I places, and because their parents wise- j ly would not consider anywhere else." Books in Wartime. The value of an efficient library service in times of war was stressed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Library Association. "Such a service," said a memorandum, "must be maintained and even increased. No step can be neglected which by better organisation can put at the disposal -of the public the information and the knowledge which is required. Any national effort requires Information. Total warfare depends on maximum use of natural resources, human and material. Technical, industrial, and military efficiency all depend on accurate information. The best access to information is through a good library system. We have a responsibility to see that the libraries have, not merely books, but the trained personnel for providing such information, not only for the public but for the specialist. This involves still greater coordination of the country's book resources, a reconsideration of bookselection policy, and an immediate stocktaking of certain categories of periodicals and byoks, and a survey of library personnel."

When Mr. Biss applied to be allowed to treat the witness as hostile, Dr. Mazengarb submitted that the witness had shown no evidence of hostility.