NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 118, 15 November 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST Forecast to 5 p.m. Friday:— Variable winds. Weather fair to fine and mild. Further outlook, fair. Situation: An anticyclone in the central Tasman Sea is slowly approaching New Zealand. Full moon: November 20. Temperature at 9.30 a.m.: 56 degrees. Rainfall for 24 hours to 9.30 a.m.: Rainfall from October 15 to date: 223 inches. High water: Today, 12.26 p.m.; tomorrow, 12.54 a.m. and 1.17 p.m. Sun sets today: 7.18 p.m.; rises tomorrow 4.52 a.m., sets 7.20 p.m.

Sunday Tram Concessions.

In addition to the special one shilling transfer return tram ticket now available between any tram termini on Sunday afternoons, a special family transfer ticket is to be issued for 2s 6d, to cover Sunday travelling for two adults and up to four children under 12 years of age.

"Garden City of Dominion."

Reporting to the City Council last evening on the visit which he and other councillors paid to Christchurch recently to inspect the parks and reserves, Councillor R. L. Macalister said that they had seen a great deal of interest, much.of which would be of use in Wellington. "It can justly be said," he added, "that Christchurch can claim to be the garden city of the Dominion." Sunfish Ashore At Ruby Bay.

A big sunfish, estimated to weigh two tons, was washed ashore at Ruby Bay, near Nelson, on Sunday, and since then it has been inspected by hundreds of visitors to the beach. It is almost circular in shape and measures approximately ten feet across and two feet high. The fish has a round mouth and a peculiar fin with a "porthole" in it.

State Lottery Request

The Government is to be asked to discontinue the present system of art unionsoand to institute a State lottery. This decision was reached yesterday at the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party, which agreed also to a proposal that a Royal Commission should be appointed to investigate the gaming laws.

Veteran Climber's Feat.

Exactly 50 years after he had made what is believed to be the first winter ascent of Mount Egmont, Mr. A. P. Harper, well-known New Zealand alpinist, revisited the mountain at the weekend to attend a committee meeting of the New Zealand Federation of Mountain Clubs. Now over 80 years old, Mr. Harper climbed almost to the top of Fantham's Peak before returning to the hostel at Dawson Falls.

Power-house Agitation,

There has been increasing agitation for some time over the' continuing nuisance from smoke and fumes from the Evans Bay power-house, but the tramways and electricity committee recommended to the City Council last night that no action should be taken at the present time in connection with a suggestion that the council should remove the station, the station being entirely under the control of the Public Works Department.!

Newton Bequest Seats

There remains unexpended £2238 of the John Newton bequest fund, and the City Council last night instructed the City Engineer to proceed with the manufacture of more "Rest and Be Thankfu'" seats as materials became available. The council expressed its appreciation of the generous offer of Mr. W. A. J. Dutch to supply, free of charge, aluminium patterns to enable castings to be made for seat ends. These patterns will considerably reduce the cost of making the cast iron framings required for the seats. Message From H.M.S. Empress. The captain, -officers, and ship's company of H.M.S. Empress, the aircraftcarrier which visited Wellington recently, in a message to the Mayor (Mr. Appleton), through the Navy Office, express their "gratitude to the people of Wellington for the hospitality extended to them during their yisit; for the efforts made to ensure their happy memories of the occasion when they had the privilege of transporting home New Zealand comrades from overseas." Adult Population. In view of the passing of the Electoral Amendment Act, would the Minister in charge of the Census and Statistics Department give instructions that details of the adult population be given in all immediate releases of census figures? asked Mr. R. G. Gerard (National, Mid-Canterbury) in a notice of question in the House of Representatives yesterday. He also asked that such details be released for districts the census figures for which had already been announced. Mr. F. Hackett (Government, Grey Lynn): Are you gettirig anxious? Warning To Fare Dodgers. The chairman of the tramways committee, Councillor F. W. Furkert, reported to the City Council last night that as additional tramway inspectors Were now available more time was being devoted to the checking of cars to discover fare evasion, and it was the intention of the department to prosecute passengers who evaded payment of fares. Councillor Furkert said that there had been a marked diffei*ence already. On one day alone 100 passengers had, been found not to have paid their fares. An eye was being kept upon certain people who were regarded as rather regular free travellers. Newspaper Services. The annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party last night approved the following resolution, moved by Mr. F. L. Combs on behalf of the education and publicity committee: "That this conference direct the incoming executive to set up a committee to report to the next conference on the Press of the Dominion, the reliability or otherwise of the news service it gives, and its performance in general of the functions it at present monopolises; and also to make recommendations as it deems advisable to safeguard the interests of the public in regard to the news service it has to accept." Maternity Home Charges. The time had arrived for the Government to imake a fairly close and searching investigation into the conduct of maternity homes and the fees, levies, and charges made in those institutions, said the Hon. T. F. Doyle (Bluff) in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon ' during the second reading debate on the Social Security Amendment Bill. Mr. Doyle said that many mothers were dissatisfied with having to pay excessive fees at maternity homes, the charges for which varied considerably. He quoted figures of grants paid to maternity homes under the Government scheme, and said that while he did not agree with excessive fees being charged, he did not want to see the proprietors of some ' homes running them at a loss. The time had arrived when the whole question should be carefully examined. Nurses Should Form Union. "I have come to the conclusion that there is very little chance' of the nurses having their conditions improved in the public, private, or maternity hospitals of New Zealand under the present local body administration," said the Hon. T. F. Doyle (Bluff) in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon during the second reading debate on the .Social Security Amendment Bill. Mr. Doyle said he was satisfied that there was no more loyal and noble band of women in the country than the nurses, but they had recently expressed dissatisfaction with the long hours and low pay and the conditions generally existing in public hospitals. His advice to the nurses was to form a union of some kind—they need not call it a union if they did not want to—and go to the Arbitration Court and have their hours of work and holidays and conditions defined by an award, said Mr. Doyle. His experience had told him that the majority of men on hospital boards were more concerned with keeping taxation down than they were with increasing nurses' salaries and removing causes of dissatisfaction.