NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 8, 9 July 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Moderate north-westerly winds. Weather fine. Cool night, but moderate day temperatures. The further outlook is for mainly fair weather. The Moon.—Full moon, July 18. High Water.—Today, 10.5 p.m.; tomorrow, 10.31 a.m., 10.50 p.m. Naval Allowances. A marriage allowance and allowances for children under sixteen for personnel of the Royal New Zealand Navy were gazetted last night and replace the previous allowances. The new marriage allowance is £1 a week, with. 5s for each child, and, in the case of widowers 15s for the first child and 5s for each subsequent child. These rates are effective as from November 1 last. Fertiliser Ration. "The quantity of fertiliser for crops and toparessing grassland will be the same as was available to farmers during the rationing year which ended on June 30 last," stated the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Barclay) when referring to the 1943-44 fertiliser rationing year. The Minister appealed to all farcnei-s and. others associated with the distribution of fertilisers to comply strictly with the rationing regulations. ''While present fertiliser stocks allow for a continuation of the previous ration," said the Minister, "the Government is giving close attention to the future position of stocks which will be reviewed as considered necessary." Arbor Day Observance. Wednesday, August 4, will be observed in New Zealand as Arbor Day. In a notice .in last night's Gazette, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) states that, in view of the national importance of tree planting, local bodies throughout New Zealand are requested to organise suitable celebrations on that date. If local climatic conditions in any district on August 4 are deemed unsuitable, the local bodies affected are invited to observe some other suitable day in that month. Transport for Races. "Transport has again been a difficult problem," said Mr. H. R. Chalmers, president of the- Racing Conference, at its annual meeting today. "The issuing of petrol licences for horse float users has recently been curtailed, and if petrol is needed for the war effort then we must accept the position in the right spirit and with the thought that after all we are a'fortunate country to be racing as much as we are. I would like to pay a tribute to the Railway | Department for the services that it | has provided both for horses and lor j the public. We all know that .the Department has lost many men for the Armed Forces, that through the demands of the services its rollingstock is overtaxed, and that many of the staff ate inexperienced. I think the Department has, in the circurn- j stances, provided a wonderful service and the thanks of racing clubs and the racing public are due to it and its officers." I Fire-lighter Punished. | Arising out of a fire which swept through a pine plantation on the Church Mission Block at Matakawau in March and destroyed 8000 trees, Harold Marsden, farmer, of Matakawau, who entered a written plea of guilty, was charged before Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., at Pukekohe on Wednesday with lighting a fire near growing timber on certain lands of the Crown, states a Pukekohe correspondent. The prosecution was taken under the Crown Lands Regulations, 1941. A fine of £10 was imposed. Evidence was given that the defendant was burning blackberry on his property adjoining the plantation. The fire got out of control and spread through the plantation. On the following day, March 6, when the fire was at its height, the defendant went away and gave no assistance to the settlers and Home Guardsmen, whose efforts saved about a third of the plantation and the nearby school. A good deal of damage was done to two neighbouring properties. Hinemoa's Last Days. After at least fifty years of. active service the Government steamer Hinemoa is about to end her career, states the "Christchurch Star-Sun." Offered by the Navy Department for breaking up, she has been acquired by a salvage company. The Hinemoa is actually sixty-seven years old but for a number of years she lay idle at Wellington, and later at Stewart Island. With her clipper bow and raking masts and funnel, she was for many years the pride of those who sailed in her. She arrived in New Zealand in 1876, having been ordered in the previous year under Sir. Julius Vogel's £10,000,000 public works loan. Her builders were Scott and Co., Greenock. The ship was intended for special service as a Government and Parliamentary yacht. She was of 542 tons gross, and in her j prime had an average speed of 11] knots. Slaughtering of Pigs. The purpose of the Slaughter of Pigs Control Order issued last night is to regulate the slaughtering of pigs in the North Island by or on behalf of the holder of licence for a meat export slaughterhouse, the holder of a meat exporters' licence, or a person carry-' ing on business as a bacon curer. The order, which is to come into effect on August 2, does not apply to pigs delivered by producers for slaughter on their own account. Slaughtering quotas may be fixed from time to time and allocated to operators and other' persons, and where deemed necessary j similar quotas may be fixed for pigs to be slaughtered in a country butcher's slaughterhouse. In each case it will! be the duty of the manager of the slaughterhouse to see that the quota is not exceeded. It will be an offence to deliver pigs for slaughter, otherwise than in accordance with the allocation, and the owner of pigs may be directed to deliver them for slaughter at such place as may be appointed.