NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 148, 20 December 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Forecast to 5 p.m. Friday:—

Moderate southerly winds tending north-westerly again tomorrow. Some brief showers tonight hut weather becoming fair tomorrow. Temperatures cool. Further outlook fair.

New moon, January 4. Temperature at 9.30 a.m., 49 degrees. Rainfall for 24 hours to 9.3G a.m., o.4in. , „„ , , ' Rainfall from November 20 to date, 2 99in. 'High water today: 5.49 p.m.; tomorrow, 6.14 a.m., 6.50 p.m. v Sun sets today 7.53 p.m.; rises.tomorrow 4.44 a.m., sets 7.54 p.m.

Mr. Seddon's Home. The late Mr. R. J. Seddon's old cottage at Eccleston nill, St. Helens, with its iron-studded door, was visited by Mr. P. M. Butler during his visit to England. Although private to the general public, New Zealanders are always admitted. It contains a book presented by the Reddon family, which is signed by New Zealand visitors. L^onsmp; Report. The period within which the Licensing Commission is to report is extended to May 31 by a notice published in last night's Gazette. The Commission vas appointed on January 31 last to- inquire into licensing matters in New Zealand, and by its original warrant of appointment was i to have reported by September 1. In August, the period in which it was to report was extended to December 31. Milk Station Extensions. Authority has been given to the Wellington City Council to raise a loan of £65,000 for building extensions at the Tory Street milk station and for the purchase of plant. The conditions of s the loan were gazetted last night. The term is not to exceed 20 years, and the rate of interest is not to exceed £3 5s per cent. The loan is to be repaid by the annual, redemption of debentures. Upper Hutt By-election. i Three nominations have been received for the vacancy on the Upper Hutt Borough Council created by the death of Councillor H. Lancaster. The noniinees are Messrs. J. Hayden, and A. Birkett and J. E. Hickey, both of whom contested the recent by-election to fill the vacancies occasioned by the resignations of Messrs. R. A, Row and J. A. Taylor. The Assistant Town Clerk, Mr. R. McKendrick, has been appointed returning officer. The byelection will take place on Saturday, December 29. Whitebait Season Ends. The whitebait fishing season officially closed last Saturday, but the absence of the fish in the Grey River in any fishable quantities brought the season to an unofficial close some time ago, states the Christchurch "Press." Good catches, however, had continued right through the season in the Buller district, while smaller catches were still being madt^ in South Westland. It has been estimated that about £10,000 , was paid out by the factory in Hokitika and other buyers for whitebait, and a similar amount by Canterbury and Wellington wholesalers. "Deathless Days." Not a single motor fatality was reported from anywhere in New Zealand between November 30 and December 18, a period of 17 consecutive days, That, said the Minister of Transport (Mr. O'Brien) last night, was easily the longest accident-free period since 1936. "Though not as long a spell of 'deathless days' as was experienced once soon after Mr. Semple began his road safety campaign, this break of 17 consecutive days without a motor fatality is noteworthy," added the Minister. "The spell was broken by the death of an unfortunate passenger who fell from a truck when it collided with another vehicle at Otaki on Tuesday. It is my hope that the latter part of the month, when so many holiday-makers will be out on the road, will be as free from serious accidents as the weeks that have Dust passed. Whether this will be the case depends almost wholly on the roaduser himself."

Paremata Post Office. Approval has been given for improved postal facilities at Paremata. Mr L. G. Lowry, M.P. for Otaki, in reply to his representations on behalf of the Paremata Ratepayers' and Householders' Association, has been advised by the Acting PostmasterGeneral (Mr. Jones) that arrangements have been made for the erection of an Army hut on a site being leased from Mr. G. N. Cook, so as to establish a post office with full accounting facilities, under the control of a full-time postmistress. The fitting up of the premises was already in hand, and it was hoped to have the work completed at an early date. "Some difficulty is, however, being experienced in securing the services of a suitable person as postmistress, and any assistance which the Paremata Ratepayers' and Householders' Associai lion could give by nominating a local girl or woman who would be willing to undertake the duties would be appreciated,'- said the Minister. "Pending the establishment of full facilities, the present telephonist, Mrs. Jenkins, has agreed to continue the conduct of the telephone office." Railway Service To Naenae. Initially it is not intended to run other than a peak service on the new railway extension from Waterloo to Naenae as from January 7 There will be live trains in the morning and five in the afternoon. The trains will leave Naenae on weekdays at the following times:—6.4s a.m., 7.4 a.m. (not Saturday), 7.15 a.m., 7.47 a.m., and 8.14 a.m., and will leave Wellington, for Naenae on weekdays at the following times:—4.4s p.m. (not Saturday), 5.9 p.m. (not Saturday), 5.20 p.m., 5.41 p.m., and 6.10 p.m. The extension of the line beyond Waterloo is part of the scheme under which this line will ultimately be extended to join the main line at Silverstream. Only one track of the new extension to Naenae will be used at first, as the second track has yet to be ballasted. There are only temporary stations at Naenae and Epuni. but once the double track is completed and permanent station buildings have been erected the restricted service will be replaced by a regular timetable.

Mapping- Basement Rocks. A party of young scientists has been engaged during the past few weeks mapping the basement rocks of the Canterbury Plains, states the "Christchurch Star* Sun." This explains the purpose of the men who have been operating with field instruments near Oxford. This work is an activity of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and is being carried I out under the executive control of the director of the Christchurch Magnetic ! Observatory (Mr, H. F Baird). Mr. Baird said the work was not of a "hush-hush" type as some people imagined. Nor was it, as others thought, a direct attempt to find oil in the Oxford district. The real aim, he said, was to find the nature and contours of the basement rock below the gravels, and around the volcanic outcrops going to make up the Canterbury Plains, To many, it would be a surprise that volcanic formations emerged or just tailed to emerge through the more common alluvial deposits" of the plains. "It needs no (light of imagination to realise that plugs of volcanic rock, which dp occur, will greatly modify the flow of underground water, or in other circumstances not always volcanic, limit and provide sources of artesian water supply," he added, To get these- problems in assessable form, one must tackle them from their very base, which is literally bed or basement rock." s