NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST

Forecast to 5 p.m. Saturday:—

Moderate north-westerly winds becoming fresh to strong tomorrow. Weather fair to cloudy. Moderate temperatures. Further outlook, rain developing Saturday night.

New moon, January 4. Temperature at 9.30 a.m., 62 degrees. Rain for 24 hours to 9.30 a.m., 0.13 in. Rainfall from November 21 to date. 3.12 in.

High water: Today, 6.50, p.m.; tomorrow, 7.15 a.m., 7.48 p.m. Sun sets today, 7.53 p.m.; rises tomorrow, 4.44 a.m., sets 7.54 p.m.

Destitute Persons Order.

Authority is given by the Destitute Persons (Crown Moneys) Order, 1945. gazetted last night, for a Magistrate to make a charge order under the Destitute Persons Act in respect to money due to a defendant by any Government Department. A .serviceman's pay and all money due to a serviceman on his discharge, such as mufti allowance, deferred pay, and gratuity, however, are excluded from the scope of such orders. Motor-truck Drivers The Minister of Transport is authorised to waive the minimum age limit of 18 years for the driver of a motortruck in respect of any person- employed on a farm or market garden. Provision for this is made in an amendment gazetted last night. The Minister may approve the issue of a licence in such case's to persons not less than 15 years of age.-- A similar provision was contained in the emergency regulation recently revoked. The Longest Day. The astronomical event which determines the "longest day," the summer solstice, occurs at 5 p.m. tomorrow, and the actual times of sunrise and sunset make Sunday the longest day. It needs an astronomer—or a reference book—to make sure of the occasion, for it is quite beyond ordinary observation. People who expand their Christmas greetings by saying, "The days are beginning to draw in, aren t they?" can be smiled at sympathetically. Tinned Foodstuffs. Regulations were issued last night to facilitate the sale to civilians of substantial surpluses of tinned foodstuffs not now required for the New Zealand or American- Armed Forces. Tinned foods normally cannot be displayed for sale unless labelled in accordance with the terms of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act. The regulations'gazetted last night authorise the sale to the public .of tinned foods prepared originally for consumption by the Armed Forces. Such tins are in many cases not labelled in accordance with the requirements of the Act. Condition Of Rivers , Owing to melting snow on the Tararua Ranges all the big rivers m the Wairarapa district- are in high flood except the Waipoua, says a report from the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. The smaller streams in that area are also clear. The Hutt River is discoloured, but all the smaller waters in Hutt district are in good order. The Waikanae and Otaki Rivers are muddy. The Manawatu River is slightly discoloured, but all other waters in the Manawatu district are clear. Auckland Trolley Buses. Tenders for 50 large singie-do'ck trolley buses are being invited by the Auckland Transport Board as the first step towards replacing the present tramway system in the city. Although it was difficult to estimate a time for delivery of the new buses, it is expected that it will be 18 months or perhaps! longer before the first of them are available, a great deal depending on the supply position of essential parts from overseas. The board is endeavouring to install the new syste as soon as possible to. relieve the present transport position.

! Nelson Tobacco Workers. A recent agreement between the New Zealand Tobacco Growers' Federation and the New Zealand Workers Union relating to wages and conditions of work of agricultural workers employed in the tobacco industry in the Nelson industrial district is given efiect to in the Agricultural Workers' Extension Order, 1945, gazetted last night. The order affects some 300 Nelson tobacco plantations. It incorporates new wage rates, which became effective on October 1, whereby male adult workers in the field and shed sections had their wages increased from 2s 3d to 2s 7.id hourly, and female adult workers had their wages increased from Is 4£d hourly to Is 7sd. There Were corresponding increases for juniors. The field workers are Entitled to 15 minutes morning and afternoon smoko, this to be counted as working time. Pacific Air-mail Service Although regularity of air transmission could not be guaranteed, it was hoped, for the time-being at any rate, to maintain a thrice-weekly mail dispatch to Fiji, a weekly dispatch to Norfolk Island, Western Samoa, New .Caledonia and New Hebrides, a fortnightly dispatch to Tonga and possibly also to the Cook Islands, said the Acting Post-master-General (Mr. Jones) last night. As from January 1, civilian correspondence which senders desired should receive air transmission from New Zealand to Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, and the Cook Islands,- would require to bear airmal postage at the rate of 5d a half-ounce. The airmail rate on postcards and lightweight air letter-cards would be 3d. Those rates would not. however, apply to correspondence for forces personnel in the islands mentioned. Such correspondence prepaid at ordinary surface rates would continue to be forwarded as hitherto by airasopportunity offered.