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Evening Star, Issue 23129, 1 December 1938, Page 12

A plea for the licensing of bookmakers was made by Mr D. M. Dickson In the Petone Court when appearing for one of three men charged with breaches of the Gaming Act. Mr Dickson said that the gaming legislation treated as law-breakers people who were regarded by the majority of the population as decent citizens. A bookmaker could exist only with the custom he got. Customers had to seek out bookmakers, and the principal offenders were the people who went to them. He suggested that if bookmakers were licensed the whole thing would be on a business footing. The Government would get • a certain revenue and the underhand aspects would be eliminated. He knew that nothing could alter the offence, but if the position were submitted to the court it might get to the authorities. Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., said that much could be said on both sides. The law was well known, and the courts habitually imposed large fines on men convicted. These men were agents, and probably the men who were behind them helped them with their fines.— Wellington Association message. A public radio-telephone office opened on November 28 at The Brothers, a lighthouse in Cook Strait, in the Wellington postal district, operating with the call sign ZLPH. It communicates with the Wellington radio at 9.10 a.in. and 3.25 p.m. on all days except Sundays and holidays.

The Government’s decision to advance the price of first-grade patted creamery hutter to shopkeepers to Is 4£d a pound as from to-day_ means a corresponding increase in iprice to the consuming public. Retail prices locally showed an advance to-day. The cash price for first-grade butter will bo Is 6d, and if booked or with a coupon the charge will be Is 6sd. Whey butter has also been advanced in the same proportion, the new price being Is od lb instead of Is 3d.

Yesterday was the most successful day experienced since the local “ Learn to Swim” campaign began this week. There were increased attendances at all sessions, and it was particularly gratifying to, find, very large numbers of school children seeking_ instruction in the late afternoon session, many also attending the evening session. It has been noticeable that many of the young children seeking instruction are at least able to get their feet off the botton of the pool, so that by the end of the week many of these youngsters as well as some who were completely nonswimmers at the beginning of the week will be able to qualify for the title of “ able to swim,” by covering 25yds at the end of the week. Last evening, at an interval in the “ Learn to Swim ” session, exhibitions of swimming and life saving were given by Miss C. Garvin, H. D. Gillies, P. D. Young, R. B. Ingram, A. Thomas. A. Williams, and C. Kidd, and Williams, Thomas. Kidd. Ingram, Young, J. Stewart, and M. M‘Gregor gave a display of diving. The instructional classes will be held for the remainder of the week.

A short, sham shock of earthquake was felt in Wellington at about 11.20 yesterday morning. It took the form of two ’distinct tremors separated by a short interval. They were sufficient to rattle china and windows and cause pictures to swing and impart a swaying feeling to high office blocks in the city. No damage, however, was reported. A first offender for drunkenness was fined £l. the amount of his bail, by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. Two officers of the criminal registration branch, police Wellington, in Senior-sergeants E. W. Dinnie, finger-print expert, and G. G. Kelly, arms expert, have been making a tour of the principal southern towns lecturing on finger-prints and ballistics to the staffs of the various police stations. These two officers have been in Dunedin for the past two days lecturing to the staffs of the central police district, their addresses being accompanied by lantern slide illustrations. Both officers returned north by the express to-day, and will continue their instructional work-at all the main towns en route to Wellington. Australian Scots will meet Dunedin clansmen next January when a party of 43 from Victoria will visit the Pominion. The Councils of Dunedin Scottish Societies and the Australian Society are assisting the Tourist Department in the entertainment of the visitors. The party will disembark at Bluff, and after a visit to Queenstown and the Lake country will arrive in Dunedin on January 12. On that night they will be entertained at a social function by the two Dunedin organisations, while Friday will be devoted to sight-seeing. Evidence of the interest of Great Britain in New Zealand’s Scottish activities is contained in a recent issue of the London ‘ Sunday Mail ’ on the proposed formation of Highland Territorial units in New Zealand. The report, although brief, is well displayed, and surmises that Colonel L. D. Henderson, ex-Seaforth Highlanders, and officer - commanding the London Scottish, Scotland’s crack London regiment, who is expected in New Zealand shortly, is connected with the scheme. The promoters of the movement, which originated in this city, have not heard of Colonel Henderson, but any assistance he could render they would welcome.

The Mayor of Mosgiel (Mr W. P. Hartstonge). accompanied by members of bis council ami corporation officers, visited Port Chalmers to-day and inspected the cleaning and cement lining of water mains now being carried out at the port. The Mosgiel Council is proposing to carry out similar work in its borough.

A few years ago there was no dearth of applicants for positions on the nursing staffs in hospitals, but it is becoming increasingly evident that there may soon he a shortage that would constitute a big problem. Reports from Auckland indicate that the Plunket Society there has far more requests for nurses than it is able to fill. Inquiries made in Dunedin show that the position is not so severe here, and that the society is not under-staffed in this area. The same conditions apply to the Public Hospital _ and most of the private hospitals, which have full staffs at the moment, but the trend over the last year points to an increasing difficulty for these institutions in filling the vacancies for young nurses. The long and short of the trouble is plainly the fact that this profession is certainly not overpaid, and that other occupations for young women offer much more attractive conditions in the form of better wages, less strenuous work, and shorter hours. _ One medical man spoken to this morning considered that the only solution of the problem was for the nurses to form a union of their own and so improve their conditions. From to-day the retail price of coal has been increased as follows, so far as marginal trade is concerned: —3d per quarter-ton, and 3d per_single bag. No increase is registered in ton or halfton lots The Otago mines, Kaitangata and Kaipoint, have increased charges ex the mine by 2s per ton. and ex the Wangaloa mine by Is 6d per ton. No increase has. been notified by the Southland mines, but these mines raised their prices previously, when the Otago mines did not. The increase is due to the fact that wages to yard ■workers have been greater by 7s 6d a week since January 1, and drivers’ wages by 5s a week since October 31. The City Fire 'Brigade was called to Lambert's Pottery, Bridgman street, at 10.21 this morning, when a kiln liacl become overheated. The roof was slightly damaged before the outbreak was extinguished. ■