NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 134, 9 June 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Conductors in Wartime. The question of having tram conductors included among essential workers is under consideration by the Government. The Price of Oranges. Island oranges have arrived and are on sale retail at controlled prices. These range from 3s a dozen to 5s 6d a dozen, say 6d each, according to size. Threepence seems a high price to pay for one orange, but 5£d —if one can be bought for that —seems, and for many people will be, a peak price for the fruit. The orange appeal's to be emulating the egg (also controlled) as one of the things that used to be seen on the table. "Like the Moon." "As one man said to me, bonuses are like the moon," said a member at the annual conference of the South Canterbury Farmers' Union executive, in explaining the basis of the contract for the growing of linen flax. "They look very well, but it is darned hard to get your hands on them. That about sums it up," he added amid laughter. Back to South Island, "After the war we will have to get a 'Back to the South Island' movement going," said Mr. W. S. Mac Gibbon at a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, when there was a brief discussion on • the position of Christchurch as a city for establishment of new manufacturing industries. "We will not get the manufacturers back here until we get the population back," added Mr. MacGibbon. "Also, we will have to get better facilities to allow manufacturers to distribute their goods." Eoad Fatalities. In spite of the reduction in motor traffic, road fatalities during May more than maintain the average of recent years. They totalled 20 foi the Dominion, as compared with 19 in the same month of the two previous years. Half the victims were pedestrians, eight of whom were killed in town areas, and seven were drivers of vehicles. Six of the pedestrian fatalities occurred at night. Only three accidents were recorded in the South Island, and they were in rural areas Oi the 17 that occurred in the North Island eight were in rural areas. Late Mr. Seddon. Tomorrow is the thirty-sixth anniversary of the death of the Rt. Hon. Richard John Seddon, the great Liberal leader. Mr. Seddon had an unbroken record'of 27 years' service in the New j Zealand Legislature and was Prime Minister for 13 years. He died suddenly on board the Oswestry Grange when on his way back to the Dominion from Australia, just after the ship had passed outside Sydney Heads. The news of his death came as a great shock to the people of New Zealand jOn each anniversary of the death it is 'customary, on behalf of members of the family and West Coast friends, for a wreath to be placed on the late Mr Seddon's statue in Parliament grounds. Proceeds From Film. The provincial patriotic councils throughout New Zealand are benefiting from the screening of tne film "Target for Tonight." This film was made available to the New Zealand | Government by the British Ministry of Information and arrangements were made for it to be handled in the Dominion in aid of the patriotic funds by the 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation (N.Z.), Ltd. So far the corporation has paid intb the National Patriotic Fund Board two sums, representing the net earnings of the film, for allocation among the provincial patriotic councils on a quota basis The first amount was for £209 19s 3d. and the second, which arrived recently, was, for £509 Is lid, a total to date of £719 Is 2d. On Colonel's Pay. "The Army could get a colonel for the pay this man would receive," remarked the chairman at a man-power committee sitting when a married woman, appealing for the exemption from service of her husband, stated that there were seven children in the family. Appellant, in stating that she wished to have her husband in the home because of his influence tbere, mentioned that the eldest child was nine years old and the youngest five months. An adjournment sine die was granted. The case of a man with a larger family was mentioned during a discussion at the Nelson Farmers' Union conference on the calling up for service of married men with four or five children. "A man from our district who is in camp has nine or ten children, and is drawing a colonel's pay though he is only a private," a member remarked. A remit was carried suggesting that single men granted exemption because they are engaged in essential industry should, wherever possible, be replaced by married men. English Women Conductors. In a recent letter to Mr. M. Cable, formerly General Manager of Tramways and Electricity Department, Mr. C. A. Hopkins, general manager of the Sunderland Tramways System, states that women came on his staff over a year ago and there were (in March) about 200, conductresses, van drivers, bus cleaners, and bus greasers, and more were to be trained as mechanics and painters. "As a matter of fact," wrote Mr. Hopkins, "it appears to me that there is no limit to what a woman can do if she will only put her mind to it." Sunderland trams and buses ran right through the air raids, several of which had been severe. Many had had windows shattered, but none had been blown off the track; many had three-ply windows, for glass was not always obtainable. Tyres were likely to become a serious problem. In place of parking trams and buses over dispersed areas, Mr. Hopkins kept them grouped. Had they been dispersed, a number would undoubtedly have been blown up, but as they were, none were hit after the day's running, but, he remarked, it was just a matter of luck whether or not Jerry hit them.

The chief inspector of Lower Hutt, Mr. J. Fletcher, was last evening congratulated by the City Council on the satisfactory system of lighting he had devised for pedestrian crossings.