NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 82, 6 April 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Light to moderate and variable winds, but moderate north-westerlies prevailing tomorrow. Weather cloudy to overcast at first, with a period of rain tonight, but temporarily fair tomorrow. Moderate temperatures. The further outlook is for rather unsettled weather with some rain. Temperature at 9 a.m., 62.6 degrees. Full moon, April 9 High Water— Today, 3.10 p.m.; tomorrow, 3.31 a.m., 3.55 p.m. Sun sets today 6.6 p.m.; rises tomorrow 6.42 a.m., sets 6.5 pm. The "Evening1 Post." The "Evening Post" will not be published tomorrow, Good Friday. A United Body. Formal resolutions dissolving the New Zealand Home Services Associa-" tion and amalgamating its 3000 members in the Auckland district with the national body, were passed at a meeting of the association, states a Press Association message. The meeting decided that the national council of the present New Zealand Home Defence Association, which has its headquarters in Wellington, should be urged to adopt a name which would indicate clearly that the interests of women in the forces were an integral part of its programme. No Easter Eggs. Easter eggs, perhaps the feature of the season which made its biggest appeal to the younger generation, are once more not available. Some confectioners in Wellington are selling a variety of Easter egg of a sugar manufacture with a covering of icing sugar, but the familiar chocolate egg which used to be sold in a wide variety of sizes and with novelty contents is like so many other things "off for the duration." • Easter Closing- of Shops. Shops, with the exception of confectioners, fruiterers, greengrocers, and dairies, will close tonight and reopen on Tuesday, April 11. Tearooms, restaurants, refreshment-rooms, and milkbars are permitted by law to remain open on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Monday, but many will, not take advantage of the concession. Factories will observe the Easter holiday unless otherwise directed for important war work. Easter Meat Buying. The rush commenced early at Wellington butchers' shops this morning when housewives nocked in to purchase meat to cover the four days of the Easter holiday period. Well before 9 o'clock most butchers' shops were crowded, and at many there was considerable delay as purchasers tried to decide which cuts would be most suitable from the viewpoints of keeping and the supply of coupons. Many took advantage of the fact that next week's coupons are now available to cover Easter Monday's meat, and it appeared that some incautious buyers who expended many of those coupons will be; finishing the week entirely on unrationed meat. Tussle With Thieves. The Wanganui police are searching for two men who assaulted Sergeant Harold E. Dickie, of the Armed Forces, early on Monday morning when he disturbed them in an attempt to remove the spare wheel from j his car standing outside his home, states a Wanganui correspondent. Sergeant Dickie was rendered unconscious when hit on the head with a tyre lever and was taken to hospital, where he was discharged on Tuesday. Sergeant Dickie came to grips with one man and both rolled on the road. The soldier had the man down, but his companion appeared and hit Sergeant Dickie over the head with a tyre lever. The soldier's mother-in-law heard groans and discovered Sergeant Dickie lying on the side of the road. Motor Tow Boats. A further nine - kauri motor towboats built at the yards of United Ship and Boatbuilders, Ltd., Auckland, have been launched for the use of the Armed Services. Thirty-four | of these sturdy 45ft craft, constructed of New Zealand timber by local ship-1 wrights, have been built at the yards, another eight are ready for launching, and when the last batch is completed next month a total of 50 will have been constructed within a year. Really small tugs, the tow-boats are powered by Diesel engines, and are invaluable for hauling supplies and ammunition to forward areas in the Pacific. The ceremony of launching eight of the new tow-boats was performed by a party of schoolgirls from St. John's Convent, Parnell, friends of the daughter of one of the staff. Bottles of cordial were broken over the bows of the boats before they slid down the ways. Unlike the similar tow-boats built previously, which were all given Maori names starting with the letter "X," the newly-launched vessels have not been named, but will be given service numbers. Nearly 100 returned men from this war are engaged, at the yards where the craft are built. Rat's Strange Diet. An exhibit at the Auckland Town Hall is a sleek and contented-looking grey rat, which has thrived amazingly on a mixed diet, states the "Auckland Star." Eor six weeks the rat has been in captivity and during that time City Council officials have made various experiments on their visitor, with the object of ascertaining the best poison to use in connection with the metropolitan rat week, which will start on May 1. In view of authoritative reports that Epsom salts had considerable merit as a rat poison, these have been used in extensive experiments. The rat exhibited was given a full packet of Epsom salts, and ate them all, including the paper. The only effect was to make it livelier than ever.-Then it was given another packet. This also it consumed, paper and all. City officials came to the conclusion that it was a losing fight as far as they were concerned, and are now definitely of the opinion that a barium carbonate mixture, suitable for spreading on food, is the most effective. It was announced on Tuesday that another poison was to be tried on the rat, and it remains to be seen whether it will survive. In between times it is fed on bread and other foods appreciated by Auckland rats. So far it has stood up well to an ordeal beyond the resistance of an ordinary rat. Breaking- of Insulators. To induce children to realise the danger and inconvenience caused through the breaking of telephone insulators, the Education Department is preparing films for showing at schools. The suggestion came from Mr. Raymond Ferner, S.M., who, during his service on the Bench in North Auckland, has dealt with many hundreds of children charged with the offence of wilfully breaking insulators. He brought the matter before Dr. C. E. Beeby, Director of Education. Dr. Beeby has now informed Mr. Ferner that the films are to be prepared, states A Whangarei correspondent. Commenting on the position in North Auckland, Mr. Ferner said that at one Court sitting he had before him 47 children who had broken over 200 insulators in the Towai district. At two Court sittings at Kaikohe 42 and 36 children had been charged. The children concerned were chiefly Maoris, who rather took a pride in smashing white insulators (hitting the pakeha), while brown insulators (Maoris to the children) were generally left alone. At Towai the children appeared to enjoy their position, a holiday from school and a free bus ride, until he laid it down that they were not to visit the pictures for six months. That put a different complexion on the position The cost to the Post and Telegraph Department to replace wilfully damaged insulators in North Auckland was over £1000 a year. In one street in Whangarei recently 95 insulators were broken.