NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 64, 13 September 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Forecast to 5 p.m. Friday: Fresh to strong north-westerly winds. Weather fair to cloudy and mild. Further outlook, similar conditions.

An anticyclone is stationary north of New Zealand, while westerly depressions are passing in the south.

Full moon, September 22. Temperature at 9.30 a.m., 55 degrees. Rainfall for 24 hours to 9.30 a.m., nil. •

Rainfall from August 13 to date, 2.56 inches.

High water today: 10.16 p.m.; to- ! morrow, 10.34 a.m., 10.56 p.m. Sun sets today 6.08 p.m.; rises tomorrow, 6.25 a.m., sets 6.9 p.m. Maori Gift To Achilles. -The Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones) said last night that Major Vercoe, on behalf of the Maori Patriotic Committee, Rotorua, would present a valuable carved Maori ink-stand to H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles in appreciation and admiration of the service of that ship during the war. The presentation would take place at 11 o'clock on Saturday on board • the Achilles at Auckland. Traffic Breaches. Resulting from a check by the Traffic Department throughout the Hutt Valley over a month ago, nearly 200 breaches of traffic regulations are to be heard at a special sitting of the Petone Court, over which Justices of the Peace will preside, on Monday, September 24. Most of the charges concern motorists driving without current drivers' licences or warrants of fitness. . I Through Fare Trams., "Through fare" trams to Island Bay were suggested by Councillor E. M. Gilmer at last night's meeting of the City Council. People who lived there could not get home on the late trams, i she said. Many people were only j short-distance travellers and when the trams reached Island Bay they were empty. She knew that such trams had been tried out unsuccessfully on another route, but asked that a "through fare" tram to Island Bay be put on at 5 p.m. and on the late night. The matter was referred to the tramway committee/ Elephant For Zoo. Authority for ihe expenditure of £600 to purchase a young female elephant for the Wellington Zoo to replace Nellie, who died recently, was given by the City Council last night. The chairman of the reserves committee, Councillor R. L. Macalister, said there was a chance of securing another elephant, also female, as a gift. Appointment Of Vicar. Difficulty has arisen in coenection with the appointment of a successor to the Rev. Canon G. A. Crossman, vicar of St. Aidan's parochial district, Claudelands, states a Hamilton correspondent. Two appointments have been made by the diocesan board of nomination, but neither has been accepted by the wardens and vestry, who in turn have submitted the name of another clergyman to the board. A largely-attended meeting of parishioners held on Monday night unanimously endorsed the actions of the wardens and vestry, and resolved to ask the Bishop of Waikato, the Rt. Rev. C. A. Cherrington, to approve of the appointment sought by the people of the district. Escapes From Custody. Fourteen prisoners and 68 Borstal detainees escaped from custody and five Borstal detainees attempted to escape, said the annual report of the Controller-General of Prisons (Mr. B. L. Dallard), which was presented to the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Two female Borstal escapees and one prisoner had not yet been recaptured. Of the 68 Borstal escapees, 56 absconded and five attempted to escape from the Point Halswell and Arohata Borstals early in the year, when there was a general condition of unrest due to exceptional circumstances. The inmates had now settled down and for several months there had been no escapes. The superintendent at Arohata reported that the behaviour of some of the inmates in the early part of the year was unsatisfactory, both before and after the transfer from Point Halswell to Arohata. Escapes were very frequent and windows were smashed at an alarming rate, and it became necessary to provide barriers over certain of the windows. Possibly that was the result of a very wet spell, preventing any. outside employment for months on end.

Money Lenders

The bringing of money-lending businesses under closer Government supervision was raised in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon by the Hon. T. O. Bishop (Wellington). He gave notice of his intention to move that it be a recommendation of the Council to the Government that the Money Lenders Act, 1908, as amended in 1933, be carefully considered with a view to deciding whether further amendments were necessary in the public interest to bring the businesses governed by the Act under closer supervision by a suitable Government authority.

Useful Lead Given

Though the Local Bills Committee had reported adversely upon the proposals of :he council's Anti-vandalism Bill and had recommended that it should not be proceeded with, most of the objections were of a technical nature and, in fact, the proposals had been received in a sympathetic manner, said Councillor R. L. Macalister at the meeting of the City Council last night. The council had given a really useful lead and the Local Bills Committee had recommended that the Government should take some general action about vandalism, so that the problem could be tackled in all parts of the Dominion. The committee, too, had said something about education of young people in that regard. "I think it is recognised that Wellington has made a real endeavour to meet a problem from which this city has suffered perhaps move than any other city or town in the Dominion," said Councillor Macalister.

Day In Parliament

Before the debate on the Financial Statement was resumed in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, some attention was given by members to acts of vandalism committed in various parts of the Dominion. The discussion arose from a report by the Local Bills Committee on a Bill promoted by the Wellington City Council with the object of obtaining greater powers for the checking of wanton damage to Wellington parks and beaches and public property generally. The House adopted the committee's report that the Bill be not allowed to proceed and that the Government give consideration to further steps being taken on a national basis to improve the present situation. Two more Ministers—the Minister of Transport and Acting Minister of Mines and Labour (Mr. O'Brien) and the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr. Skinner)—entered the debate, dealing with a number of matters of topical interest coming under their administration. The shortage of houses again received attention, both from the Minister of Rehabilitation and Mr. W. Sullivan (National, Bay of Plenty), The House adjourned at 10.25 p.m. until this afternoon.