NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 103, 29 October 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Forecast to 5 p.m., Tuesday:— Moderate variable winds. Weather cloudy to overcast with periods of rain, heavy at times. Temperatures moderate to cool. Further outlook: Cold, showery southerlies likely. A depression is approaching New Zealand from the west. .

New moon, November 5. Temperature at 9.30 a.m., 56deg. Rainfall for 24 hours to 9.30 a.m., Rainfall from September 29 to date, 5.44 in. ,

High water 12.24. p.m. Sun sets today 6.57 p.m.; rises tomorrow, 5.11 a.m.; sets 6.59 p.m.

Tomorrow, 12.2 a.m.,

Egg- Rationing-

Mr. R. P. Fraser, Director of Internal Marketing, stated today that in addition to the normal delivery of priority eggs, there would be an issue this week of two. eggs to each butter registration.

Aii Expert Forger.

The spectacle of a Judge of the Supreme Court approving the statement of a self-confessed forger was awarded art lovers who attended the private view of the annual exhibition of the Otago Art Society, states the Dunedin "Star." "I am an expert forger," said Captain J. L. Mclndoe, but he went on to explain that in the prison camp where this talent was given rein,, such an attribute formed a valuable contribution to the work of prisoners of war. As an example, they had made a perfect copy of the "approved by censor" stamp in use in the camp, and this had proved invaluable in getting letters, exposes, and even books written to aid the British cause, out of the camp. "I hope your Honour will forget this," said the speaker in &n aside to Mr. Justice Kennedy, who was also on the platform.

Seatoun Beach Clean-up.

The clean-up of Seatoun beach by a working bee on Saturday showed what can be done and how quickly it can be done if enough turn to in community effort. In between five and six hours, fifty-odd Seatoun people, and a floating number of small boys, made a thorough spring-cleaning job of their main beach, and it should remain in fair order through the summer, depending upon the effectiveness of protective work along the face of a Bradford tip built by the council on Defence Department land a few years ago. Part of the bargain . over the reclamation of this .formerly waste beach area was that the waste ground .should be given a solid facing of rock, but during the war there were other things to do. Recently, the facing work has been recommenced, and the junk that has been swept round the point and along the beach during heavy weather may be held. The foreshore has changed very much since the tip was built, for the slight change in the beach currents has resulted in such an accretion of sand and shingle that, boat sheds, built in concrete some years ago, are a hundred feet back from the water now.

Prime Minister and Bowls.

"We do feel that if you could occasionally turn to this good old game of bowls it would in a measure help you along in those duties which you have to undertake," remarked Mr. J. Norrie in addressing an invitation to the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) at the Disabled Servicemen's bowling green opening on Saturday afternoon ,to take up the game. Mr. Fraser subsequently tried his hand, and, not falling for any wrong bias, he indicated that he knew what was meant by "Be up!" by sending his bowl just beyond the kitty. Pressing the invitation to take up the game, Mr. Norrie suggested that now that the committee responsible for providing the green for disabled servicemen was on the unemployed list members of it might perhaps march down on Parliament Buildings and find a job there. "We can do with a bowling green there," the Prime Minister remarked.

Training* of the Maimed

An assurance that the Government would always be willing to listen, learn, co-operate, and help in any matters for the well-being of those men "for whom we cannot do enough no matter what we do" was given by the Prime Minister at the opening of the Disabled Servicemen's bowling green on Saturday. The training centres already established in Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington for the disabled men were institutions of which everyone could feel proud, Mr. Fraser said, and he hoped that the work on a similar one in Auckland would be pushed on as speedily as possible. The Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr. Skinner), speaking previously, had mentioned that it was through no lack of drive on the part of the Prime Minister that there were not more of those vocational centres. Wartime shortages were the reason. The Minister said he hoped such centres would be established in every part of the Dominion where they were considered .necessary.

Train Ferry Service.

"The South Island Main Trunk railways is almost completed, but even at this stage it is questionable' whether it would pay to run a ferry," said the president, Mr. E. H. Andrews (Mayor of Christchurch), when the question of a train ferry between Wellington and Picton was discussed at a meeting of the executive of the South Island Local Bodies' Association in the Municipal Chambers, reports the "Otago Daily Times." The proposal originally came from the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association, and, following, representations to the general manager of railways (Mr. J. Sawers), a reply was received that in 1925 a committee was set up to report on the question of a train ferry between Wellington and Picton and the completion of the gap in the railway between Parnassus and Wharanui. The conclusions reached were that the goods offering for a ferry service would be practically negligible, that the establishment of a ferry for goods traffic was not economically feasible, and that a very considerable loss would result from an attempt to cater solely for passenger traffic. Mr. Sawers added that in 1931 the Railways Board reviewed the position and confirmed that the freight rates for goods forwarded by train ferry across Cook Strait, plus rail haulage, could not compete successfully with those for direct shipment between. Lyttelton and Wellington. As this view was still held, there had been no special research work in. recent years in connection with the matter, nor had^tne Department looked into the practicability of a train ferry being operatea between Wellington and any iPP r^ on the east coast of tiie South'lsland J