NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 49, 27 February 1945, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Forecast to 5 p.m., Wednesday: Light to moderate north-easterly winds predominating.

Weather cloudy and mild, with scattered rain slowly developing from the north.

Further outlook: Unsettled.

Situaiion report: An anti-cyclone remains east of the South Island, but an extensive system of depression covers the western Tasrnan.

Temperature at 9 a.m., 67 degrees. Rainfall for 24 hours to 9 a.m., nil Full Moon.—Tonight. High Water.—Today, 5.23 p.m.; tomorrow, 5.47 a.m., 6.19 p.m.

Sun sets today, 7.9 p.m.; rises tomorrow, 6 a.m., sets 7.8 p.m.

Pishing at Taupo.

Fishing in the Taupo area during the past week has been difficult, states a correspondent. Fish on the western side of the lake are considered by experienced anglers to be not quite up to the condition they were in at this stage of the season last year, but show promise of improved condition later in the season. Visitors Enjoy Pig-hunting. Two young Englishmen who have been holidaying in the Waikato had an unusual experience when they were taken pig-hunting with experienced men on Pirongia Mountain slopes, states the "Waikato Times." With trained dogs, a large boar was bailed up, and the visitors were thrilled to witness the final stages of capture and the kill. No firearms were used, the knife being the most useful implement. A dog held the pig while one of the hunters stepped in and applied the coup-de-grace. Five-day Week. "Although the vote taken among the members of our associations outside the scope of the Auckland award revealed that the five-day week was not favoured by the majority of traders, it cannot be denied that some adjustment of shopping hours will be made, either by us or for us, at some perhaps not very distant date," remarked Mr. W. A. Armstrong in his presidential address at the New Zealand Retailers' Federation Conference at Nelson today. "You have heard that the Minister of Labour proposes to bring down a Shops and Offices Amendment Bill next session, and I trust that the officers of our federation will have an opportunity of discussing the provisions of this Bill with the Minister before it is brought down, in order to secure terms acceptable to the majority of the trade, and to our customers. After all, we are in business for the purpose of supplying goods to the public, and we must endeavour to provide adequate shopping facilities for the people, while at the same time giving reasonable hours to our staffs." Government Bulk Purchases. "During the. year, we have had examples of bulk buying from overseas by Government departments, and we trust that the lessons learned by those Departments will prevent any further bungles of this sort," said Mr. W. A. Armstrong in his presidential address at the New Zealand Retailers' Federation Conference at Nelson today. "Had the advice of reputable members of our federation been sought when these purchases were contemplated, I am convinced that the public would have been better served, much money would have been saved both by the Government and the trade, and we would have been spared the annoyance and loss caused by having to put into our stocks goods that were practically unsaleable, even at a fraction of their cost. It is worthy of note that almost the whole of the loss connected with the tea towel purchase has been borne by the retailers." Import Control. In his presidential address at the conference of the New Zealand Retailers' Federation at Nelson today Mr. W. A. Armstrong said that strong representations should again be made to the Government for a long-overdue revision of the Import Control Regulations. "While most of us would agree that some measure of control of importations will be necessary in the immediate post-war period," he said, "the present regulations could be amended to provide for a more equitable distribution of licences, and to take into account the disability of those traders whose importations were small i» 1939. or who have entered into business since that year. In order to allow traders to supply to their customers the best value goods, the regulations could be more elastic, to allow us to import items which cannot be manufactured economically in this country, thus releasing much-needed labour for items that are so 'much in demand, yet for which insufficient labour is available." . ■ Australian Stamps Issue. Three special postage stamps have been issued in Australia to commemorate the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.. Measuring 31.25 mm by 25mm, they are of simillar design and in three values—2id red, representing ordinary domestic and Empire postage; 3|d blue, representing foreign postage; and 5Ad blueblack, for ordinary domestic rate, plus registration fee or air-mail fee. The design features the portraits of the Duke and Duchess wearing military and Air Force uniforms respectively! in titled over-panels, between which in an elevated position is shown the Crown. "Australia" in white lettering is across the top, superimposing a joined spray of British oak leaves and Australian gum leaves. The word "postage" in white lettering is at the foot between the values, which are shown at the two corners. The stamps were available to the general public in Australia on February 19, and will remain on sale for approximately three months. Taranaki Bananas. An intriguing novelty for Taranaki as well as New Zealand is a bunch of bananas which has grown and ripened in the garden of Archdeacon F. G. Evans, Rogan Street, New Plymouth, states the "Taranaki Herald." Bananas have usually been claimed as essentially a tropical fruit, but in New Zealand's cool atmosphere this bunch has grown without any special cultivation and practically no attention. Over 15 years ago the tree was planted by Archdeacon Evans in a dell of native bush in his garden. Because of the sheltered position from the wind, and the warmth, the dell was possibly a near approach to the natural surroundings for banana growing. Unlike the bananas that are to be seen in fruiterers' shops, these bananas are crude in shape and only about two or three inches long. On one side of the bunch, which is in a sunnier position than the other, the bananas are a bright yellow or orange shade. These are fully ripe, while on the other side the bananas are still green. Others are still in the formation and flowering stage. The malformation may be due to the climatic conditions or the seeds For the time the tree has been planted the growth has been exceptionally slow. Back to Bows and Arrows. After discussing early English prowess with the bow and arrow when officially opening the new Auckland Archery Club on Saturday afternoon the Mayor (Mr. J. A. C. Allum) said that since those days the wheel of history had turned a full cycle. He had been informed that British commando troops in their raids on enemy territory during the present war had used a form of bow and arrow for the silent killing of sentries and patrols The shoot was held in a small bowlshaped valley on the side of the hill. About 20 men and women took part in the several competitions, which included shooting at a variety of targets Long bows up to 6ft from tip to tip and chiefly made of American hickory were used by the archers. Their arrows, from 25in to 28in long, were made of spruce, cedar, or Oregon and were fletched with turkey or goose feathers. Circular targets, 4ft in diameter and ringed in different colours, were used in several contests but the competitors, in the William Tell tradition., also tried, without success, to slice an apple on the head of an effigy. There was greater accuracy in a Robm Hood competition, which required the splitting of a 2Mn wand at 40 yards, and in a clout shoot in which arrows were shot into the air to fall on a, large ground target