NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 24, 28 July 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST Fresh to strong southerly wind moderating tonight. Winds tending northerly again tomorrow. A shower or two at first, but fair t< fine weather tomorrow. The further outlook is for freshen ing- north-westerly winds, with Xaii and cool weather. The Moon.—New moon, August 1. High Water.—Today, 2 p.m.; tomor row, 2.25 a.m., 2.45 p.m. Land for Plunket Society. A clause in the Reserves and Othei Lands Disposal Bill, introduced in the House of Representatives last night authorises the Lower Hutt City Council to grant a lease of a recreation reserve to the Plunket Society. The area comprises a little over one-quarter of an iacre. i Big1 Cheque for Butterfat. A distribution of £1,158,840 will b« made to suppliers of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited at the end of this month. To supplier; of the company's butter, cheese, milk powder, and evaporated milk- fac tories, the return permits payment oi 17.1568 d per lb for butterfat to butter makers and 19.0179 d per lb for cheese makers. Thunder and Kail. With a complete disregard for the official forecast, the weather early this morning gave a fine display of winter freakishness. Yesterday's strong northwesterly died down towards the evening and the early part of the night was calm and fine. But shortly after 3 a.m. the wind suddenly changed to the south and accompanying the change was a vigorous thunderstorm. Very heavy hail and rain showers fell at the same time as the southerly came up, and showers continued on until the latter part of the morning, conditions being cold and bleak. Bulk Petrol. Bulk consumers of petrol will continue to be given the bulk consumer rate of 3d a gallon less than the urdinary retail price, even though the annual amount purchased is lower than 3600 gallons. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr. Sullivan) explained in Christchurch yesterday that the effect of the recently gazetted Motor Spirit Prices Emergency Regulations, 1943, would be that bulk consumers who formerly qualified for the bulk purchase rate would not have their oil fuel costs increased merely because the wartime restrictions on petrol consumption had reduced their annual purchases below the stipulated level, states a Press Association message. Alcohol as Fuel.

Grain sugar and other vegetable products of Australia are going into fuel instead of human consumption. The objective is 14,000,000 gallons of alcohol yearly—already the rate is 11,000,000 gallons. A Commonwealth-owned grain distillery will commence operations soon, and three more distilleries in the course of erection in Victoria, South Australia, and West Australia will increase the total alcohol production to 23.000,000 gallons. These figures were quoted recently by the Federal Minister of Supply and Shipping (Mr. Beasley) as an indication of the steps which had been taken during his term of office, in addition to the enforcement of petrol rationing scales, to reduce Australia's demands for imported fuel, and so conserve tanker tonnage. The greater part of this production is distributed as a blend with imported fuel. E.P.S. Compensation. "The decisions to reduce the number of persons serving or the amount of training involved in the vulnerable areas and the action of placing E.P.S. in other areas on the ordinary peacetime footing do not in any way prejudicially affect the statutory rights of members of the Emergency Reserve Corps or their dependants for compensation for any injuries received or for death arising out of service in the corps," said the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr. Wilson) last night: "Those members performing voluntary service under the jurisdiction bf E.P.S.: will continue to be covered in the same I way as those performing compulsory service both in the vulnerable and non-vulnerable areas. All E.P.S. are being notified to this effect." Empire Air Mail. A question as to whether there was' any indication that the Empire air mail service was likely to be reopened was asked by Mr. F. W. Doidge (National, Tauranga) during consideration of the Estimates in the House of Representatives last night. The time had surely arrived, he said, when New Zealand should be in a position to establish a better air-mail service with Britain and overseas. It had been stated in the British House of Commons that the Imperial Government was awaiting the results of consultations with the Dominions on future policy. The Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) said that the question was under consideration by the Government. New Zealand was working in co-operation with the United States, and British interests were being looked after. City Property Values. Interest in Wellington city properties continues to be keen, notwithstanding war conditions—and their aftermath. Two properties in popular shopping areas came under the hammer yesterday, when S. G. Nathan and Co., submitted, first, three shops on Lambton Quay, nearly opposite the Law Courts and numbered 102, 104, and 106. The buildings are of two storeys and the land frontage is 44ft 6in with an irregular depth up to 71ft 3in. Government valuation of the property is £12,500 the land and £3500 the buildings, in all £16,000. Bidding started at £8000 and reached £10,500, at which price the property was sold. The other property is situated in Courtenay Place, Nos. 128, 130, and 132, and consists of three shops. The land fronts Courtenay Place for 55ft sin and has a depth of 88ft lOin. Government valuation of the property is £16,100. Bidding started at £10,000 and reached £12,000, at which price the property was passed in. Cheerful Prisoners. ' "I have never in my life seen such a cheerful crowd of prisoners," said the master of a Dutch merchantman who took back a large number of Italian troops after landing American forces in Sicily from North Africa. ! "They were just like children," he ■stated in an interview. "They came on board unkempt, and with their suitcases packed. While on board they washed their clothes, shaved, and tidied themselves for the landing in Africa. We gave them three meals of American rations daily, about which they expressed surprise, as they had' received only . two meals a day in Sicily. Many had saved large portions of their lunches, not expecting an evening meal." Mutton and Mutton. The reason why American servicemen in New Zealand at first expressed a dislike for New Zealand mutton was explained by Mr. W. G. Simpson, of the Internal Marketing Department, at a meeting of master butchers in Invercargill. He said that in America mutton was very seldom eaten because practically the only mutton available was old ewe mutto: . Nearly all the wether lambs were slaughtered for food, and practically the only adult sheep were ewes, which were kept for lamb production until they were too old for that purpose. Then they were killed, but their mutton was naturally not of high quality and was eaten by the poorest of the population. Mr. Simpson said that some Americans who had been induced to sample New Zealand mutton had declared: "That is not mutton, it is lamb."