NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 30, 4 August 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Fresh to strong north-westerly winds. Fair to fine at first, but a brief period of showers likely tomorrow. Moderate temperatures. The further outlook is for mainly fair and cooler weather. The Moon.—Full moon, August 16. High Water.—Today, 7.26 p.m.; tomorrow, 7.55 a.m., 8.11 p.m.

An Apt Quotation,

I A grey haze tinged the atmosphere lof a Timaru church during the service j on Sunday morning. It was not an in- i cense breathing air—the chimney of the heating furnace had become ] clogged—hence the haze and the j odour. The gloom was relieved, how- \ ever, when the minister, reading out the first verse of the opening hymn, came to these words, "Before the world with smoke is dim, we meet to offer prayer." Great War Anniversary. Today marks the 29th anniversary of Great Britain's entry into what is historically known as the Great War —the war to end all wars, it was fondly thought. Hostilities had actually begun before that date. It was on July 23 that Austria sent her ultimatum to Serbia. Five days later Austria declared war on Serbia, and the conflagration started. From the circumstances it was inevitable that Great Britain would have to enter the lists. At 11 p.m. on August 4, 1914, her ultimatum to Germany expired, and within an hour of that time all parts of the British Empire knew the decision and acted without hesitation. E.P.S. and Epidemics. On the question of the utilisation of the E.P.S. in an epidemic, the DirecI tor of National Service (Mr. J. S. Hunter) has advise the Timaru E.P.S. executive (which had communicated 'with him on the subject) that he had discussed its suggestion with the Department of Health, and it would appear that in the event of a local epidemic the Hospital Boards would control the situation, and, if necessary, call for suitable volunteers from the voluntary E.P.S. "In the event of a national epidemic the Department of Health would act similarly," Mr. Hunter stated. "The hospitals' E.P.S. is well organised to meet such occurrences, so that no general permanent training of the members of local body E.P. Services in preparation for epidemic conditions is considered ! necessary." Sise of Crayfish; j There should be a minimum size for crayfish taken for sale, said Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Independent, Ricearton), speak--1 ing to the Marine Department estimates in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Mr. Kyle declared that crayfish hardly any bigger than shrimps were being sold in Christchurch, and he was surprised that the I Government allowed it. The Minister lof Marine (Mr. O'Brien) said there was at present no minimum size for crayfish sold in the shops, but the matter would be looked into. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) declared that there ought to be a closed season for salt water fish in New Zealand to protect the country's fishing resources. Weight of Bread. "I think the matter should be cleared up," said the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon when the Acting Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Poison) asked whether the House would have a further opportunity of discussing the question of the weight of bread. Mr. Fraser said that when I the matter was before the House last i week he had suggested that there j should be a report from the Minister j of Labour and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, and that after the report had been presented there could be a discussion on it if it were thought necessary. Ample opportunity would be given for this to be done. Orchardists' Costs. A suggestion that, in view of the recent Government decision of a reimbursement of costs to tfie dairy industry, orchardists should be placed on the same equitable footing, was con-! tamed in a notice of question given to the Minister of Marketing in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. H. Atmore (Independent, Nelson), in conjunction with the member for Central Otago (Mr. Bodkin), the member for Napier (Mr. Bar-nai*d), and the member for Hawke's Bay (Mr. E. L. Cullen). The question stated that all, costs in the production of apples and pears had steadily increased so that those fruits were being supplied today for prices which barely covered the cost of production. Pyjamas—at a Price. The complaint of a returned serviceman that he had been charged by a Hamilton firm £3 13s 3d for a pair of pyjamas has brought a reply from the firm which sold the goods. The material was vyella, made by a Manchester firm and. is not controlled, though exceedingly difficult to obtain. The cost was 45s 6d a pair wholesale, plus 10 per cent, freight and landing costs, bringing the cost to 50s 9d a I pair. The retail price allowed by the Price Tribunal was £3 13s 3d. The I retailers state that at no time in the past 15 years have this quality pyjamas sold at below 37s 6d,a pair. The first j consignment received for this season sold at 54s 9d, the second at 64s 6d, j and the latest price is 73s 3d. Pyjamas ] of heavy double-warp cloth which ! formerly sold at 16s lid and 18s 6d are now 25s 9d. The average price of other pyjamas today is about 18s 6d, compared with 10s 6d in 1937-38. All material has to be imported from England. Church and Tax Defaulters. There had been much talk among the churches about a new Christian order, but perhaps they had been a little in the clouds, remarked Mr. D. V. Bryant from the Hamilton Methodist pulpit on Sunday in making an appeal to every church in New Zealand irrespective of creed, to challenge public conscience on the subject of tax evasion. Here, he said, was something practical/for them to take up. The speaker had asked the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) the position of anyone who had been influenced by the churches and who wanted to make full restitution for what he had deliberately defrauded. The Minister replied that the Department's general practice was to do everything to encourage the people in the payment of their obligations, and where a taxpayer had been influenced through the churches or from any other quarter to make restitution the more stringent penal clauses were not applied.