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Evening Star, Issue 24376, 12 December 1942, Page 4

All cricket and bowling fixtures set down for this afternoon were cancelled.

The note of uncertainty continues to bo strongly emphasised! in the weather conditions in Dunedin, tbe past week having provided another spell of “ mild and bitter.” A mild, dry spell of a ■few hours was brought to an end soon after the luncheon hour yesterday when ■rain began and continued more or less steadily throughout the night and this morning. It is, of course, by no means a novelty for tbe elements to bo so mixed during our spring and early summer that all the citizens can stand up and say, “This is the usual!” The really fine weather invariably comes after. Christmas and 1 continues until the next cricket season begins.

Grapes were offering in Wellington fruit retailers’ shops at 11s a pound last week. There were many inquiries, but few buyers, among the astonished public, some of whom engaged in.arithmetical exercises to determine the cost of each fruit on a lib bunch.

An agreement on the rationing of lime for 1943,- which had been requested by the Government, was reached at a conference at Gore this week. Making a statement on the position, the secretary of the Otago Primary Production Council (Mr E. H. Calder) said that the conference had been attended by members of the primarv production councils in Otago and Southland, representatives of the stock agents and lime companies, and of the Department of Agriculture. The ration agreed upon provides for' lOcwt per acre for new grass, lOcwt per .acre for forage crops, 2cwt per acre for other crops, and 4cwt per acre for top-dre.ssing. It will apply both to carbonate and ground-burnt lime. A sub-committee consisting of Mosers Milton Green (secretary of the Gore Primary Production Council) and S. D. Bloomfield, 'of the Department of Agriculture, has been appointed to supervise the operation of the scheme. “ In spite of the war, sport in the United States is being kept going in full activity,” said Mr S. J. Robinson, Auckland, who has returned from a protracted business trip to North America. “This year’s football'season has been one of the biggest ever.” The authorities believed that a reasonable amount of sport was necessary to public morale, because, when people were working hard, it provided healthy recreation.

‘ Knickerbocker,* the bilingual Dutch-English weekly in the United States, gives a story from its correspondent “ somewhere in Europe.” A Jew in Holland was recently forced out of his house in a country town and sent to Amsterdam. He was allowed to take with him only one small handbag. A week later he returned to his home to see whether he could remove a few of his belongings, but found the house completely emptied—even the sinks were removed. _ The same treatment had been experienced by many other people, and after a few days they saw dozens of railway trains piled with furniture and other household goods leaving for Germany. And grotesquely enough, the trains bore huge placards reading: “ Gifts from the people of Holland for the poor Gormans, who have been bombed out of their homes by the English.”

The city organist. Dr V. E. Galway, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall to-morrow night, when an interesting programme will be presented, including items suitable to the Christmas season. Special mention may be made of two compositions by Bach, ‘ Arioso ’ and ‘ln Thee is Gladness,’ a study on two Christmas themes by Guilmaut, and the overture to ‘ The Barber of Seville ’ (Rossini). Other compositions to be performed are Fantasia on ‘ Veni Immanuel ’ (Harris) , ‘ March of the Wise Men • (Dubois), ‘Fanfare’ (Waters), ‘Rove Angelique ’ (Rubinstein). Dr Galway will be assisted by Mrs Olive Campbell, who will play the first movement of Schumann’s Concerto in A minor, the orchestral accompaniment being played on the organ. There will be no charge for admission.

The Netherlands delegations to the Tasman tercentenary celebrations, headed by Dr Van der Plas. arrived at Hokitika,'last evening, accompanied by tho Hon. W. E. Parry. A civic welcome was extended by tho borough and county councils in the Soldiers’ Hall, where there • was a largo gathering of townspeople. The Hons. It. Semple, P. C. Webb, and J. O’Brien were a’so present. The proceedings proved very happy.’ The Mayor, Mr Elcock. presided, and addresses were given bv Mr O’Neil, the county chairman, the Hon. Mr Parry, and the Hon. Mr O’Brien. Dr Van Der Plas replied, expressing appreciation of the warm welcome extended and pleasure at being in the district to assist in celebrating this notable anniversary. This afternoon the formal celebration of Tasman tercentenary is taking place at Hokitika, when 1 a 'large gathering of town and country folk is assured. To-morrow the delegation will travel by plane to Okarito and Waiho. This morning Dr Plas placed a wreath on the South African memorial.—Press Association.

The recently-imposed restrictions on the issue of permits for long-distance railwav travel in the North Island after December 19 . have been lifted and the normal procedure for the issue of permits for journeys of more than 100 miles will again” operate from to-mor-row. Extra trains will run botli ways between Wellington and Auckland on December 19 and 20. It is also possible that additional extra trains will be run on subsequent dates.

The wage paid to waterside workers for overtime work unloading cargo at the wharves is often the subject of comment. It is on record that in the unloading operations of a phosphate boat at Dunedin the wage costs were £lsl Gs lOd for handling 115 tons, or well over £1 a ton. The men worked on a. Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight, their rate of pay rising after noon and again after 6 p.m. The ordinary rate of pay for phosphate (for which the men get»additional rates because of the dust) is 4s Bid. The phosphate in the present instance, however, was slightly damp, which was all in the men’s favour, but because it was damp they demanded an additional 4s an hour, and got it. This, of course, was over and above the ordinary overtime rate for Saturday afternoon and evening. The men’s wages, a total of 20 being employed between the wharf and the ship, worked out at £7 ]ls 2d per man. It took them 1G hours —and cost £lsl 6s lOd—to handle 115 tons!

Referring to the activities of an operational training branch under the civil defence division of the National Service Department., the establishment of which bad been decided upon by the War Cabinet, the Minister of Civil Defence, the Hon. D. Wilson, stated this morning that these would include the study and preparation of plans for improved training in the E.P.S. One departmental officer of the branch would bo stationed in each of the four main centre. It was hoped to train large numbers of the personnel for more than one task, so that their services would be available in several capacities should the occasion arise. It was not desirable that, hi an emergency, any of the personnel should be standing by with nothing to do.

Manchester Unity members are advised of an advertisement in these columns relative to lodge meetings for the coming week.

The loca l branch of the Second N.Z.E.F. Association is sponsoring a children’s Christinas party next Saturday afternoon, All children, including younger brothers up to primary school age, of prisoners of war are invited"to this party. Parents and guardians are asked to register their children by telephoning 11-816. Further details will appear in these columns next week.