NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 52, 2 March 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST Fresh to strong south-easterly winds. Weather cloudy to overcast, with some periods of drizzle or rain. Temperatures cool. Further outlook improving.

Custody of Children. "I have a rooted objection to giving the custody of children to an adulterous wife," said the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), when dealing with a matrimonial dispute in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon. "I don't say that it should never be done. There may be circumstances when it is justifiable, but in my opinion the circumstances must be most exceptional. At least they must be so in any case that comes before me before ■ I will be prepared to give the custody of children to an adulterous wife. . . . That is my view, and I hold it very strongly." Extremely Acute. Palmerston North's water supply has reached an extremely critical situation and the Mayor (Mr. A. E. Mansford) has made a special appeal to householders to save every drop possible, states "The Post's" correspondent. Showers which fell last week have , had no effect on. the rapidlydiminshing supply. It is remarkable that while Hawke's Bay and other neighbouring districts have been deluged, eyen to flooding, Manawatu has remained virtually dry. The soakwell in the bed of the Manawatu River is producing approximately 700,000 gallons, but the city's requirements are still short by 1,000,000 gallons daily. Yesterday a break in the main from the Tiritea reservoir shut off that supply for the time being, so that the city is now dependent on two artesian wells and the soak-well. Paper for Rationing. The sheets of new meat ration coupons now bulking in housewives' handbags have been likened to the old-fashioned Chinese 'laundry tickets. It is not surprising that they bulk, because in very round figures and assuming that 1,500,000 persons each claim a full-length sheet, the area covered by the sheets if they were placed side by side would be 57,000 square miles or 36,480,000 acres. Each sheet is approximately 20 inches long and 5 inches wide, and in the aggregate they would be 475 miles long and 120 miles wide. The territory covered ■would be only 1093 square miles less than the South Island and 12,719 more than the North Island. If one knew the exact number of unrationed oxtails flicking unrationed ' flies off rationed oxen one could compute what portion of an ox's fly-swatter was available per meat-hungry head of population. Russia and Japan. The question of what would happen between Russia and Japan a|ter Germany had been forced to surrender was raised in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon by the Hon. B. Martin (Auckland) when seconding the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne. He said that although practically the whole of the world was at war there was the strange paradox of Russia and Japan being at peace with each other, yet it was fear of Japan that caused Russia to build her great war machine, and each country maintained an army on her side of the border. It had been decided that when Germany was forced to surrender all the United Nations would turn on Japan. The Hon. T. Bloodworth (Auckland): "Russia was not in that conference." Mr. Martin said it appeared as if Russia would have to join in with the rest of the Allies and be one of those who fought Japan. ______