Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 24409, 22 January 1943, Page 2

The I'euiiisula County Council nt a meeting yesterday afterwi.i decided to declare Wednesday as the day for the statutory half-holiday for shops in ihe CQUtitj".

Referring to the number of_ motor vehicles the number plates of which had been rendered illegible, chiefly by rust, the Minister of Transport, Mr O'Brien, said to-day that the use of such plates was an offence which might result in a prosecution. The Minister, after mentioning that the illegibility wns due partly as the result of the use of old plates to save steel, said duplicate plates could be purchased from a post office, or. on the other hand, no objection would be raised to the plates being repainted in the same colours as at present, provided the painting was done satisfactorily.

Concern at the evasion of the coupon system for clothing by itinerant traders has resulted in drapers and clothiers throughout the Dominion compiling records of door-to-door salesmen. These have been sent to the Rationing Controller, Mr J. E. Thomas, with the suggestion that some checking system should be introduced, said the secretary of the New Zealand Drapers' Federation. Mr 6. L. Riley, to-day. Coupon returns were made each month to the controller in Wellington, but there was no check to ascertain whether sales corresponded with the returns, he explained.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay, to-day stated that every occupier of a commercial garden on half an acre or over, or occupier, of a glasshouse covering an area of not less than 2,500 square feet, or occupier of a commercial garden comprising glasshouse and open land which together aggregate an area of half an acre or more (the area under glass being computed at the rate of 5,000 square feet per acre), is directed to furnish to the primary industries controller particulars of crops at present under cultivation and those crops to he planted before July 31 next. The returns should include all vegetable crops with the exception of potatoes. The statistics are considered essentia] hi order that the Government may be in a position to know that adequate supplies are available for ' the armed forces as well as the civilian population. —Press Association.

"1 think there is a call for us to take some keener interest in our local problems, to foster and encourage the establishments of manufacturing concerns in this city," said Mr M. E. Lvons. National Party candidate for the Christchurch East by-election. " I believe the first thing we should do is improve the port," said Mr Lyons. " The second thing is to see that the stranglehold the Railway Department has on the port is definitely broken. Third, we should see that we have better access to Lyttelton, and I think that the ultimate solution is on the lines of a tunnel road. I think these things must be done if Christchurch is not to be a back number, and once I am in Parliament (laughter and applause) I think 1 will see to it that Christchurch is re-established as the leading manufacturing centre. . . • There is a need for it, if only on the score of the rehabilitation of our soldiers." .-,! "

Kit- bags, rushes, and an ordinary tarpaulin were the materials used by gunners of a South Island anti-tank battery to make a raft for ferrying their guh across a river (reports the Christchurch 'Press'). The gun and its crew weighed about a ton and sihalf, and a similar raft could be used to transport a motor vehicle across u river. The exercise was based on t-lio supposition that the only bridge in the neighbourhood had been partly destroyed, and that no engineers were available to repair it or provide alternative means of crossing the river to deal witli enemy armoured vehicles.' The time taken to assemble the raff and get it across the river was surprisingly short. First the gunners spread their tarpaulin, 18ft by 13ft. on the ground. Then kit bags were tilled with rushes. A piece of planking to provide the bottom was commandeered (it could have been easily made from branches of trees if nothing else had been available). This was placed on the tarpaulin, and the kit bags were placed round the edge. Then the outsides of the tarpau.in were folded in over the kit bags and lashed to the planking iiit'-the" bottom of the raft, which was then complete. Kit bags lashed over the ends of forked branches made paddles. Assuming that part of the bridge was usable, some of the men used ropes lo' work the raft towards the cither hank. Then they east off, and, the six men in the raft paddled to the shore. The gun was quickly unloaded, ready for action.

Through the cable on the Stuart street tram service becoming strained and requiring adjustment, the service on that line was interrupted at 10.10 last night. This interruption was of short duration, and the service was resumed at 10,42. Buses were used for the transport of passengers during tho delay. The medical examination of men gazetted for military service in the nineteenth ballot—the 41-45 age group —will commence locally at the beginning of February. Tuesday, February 2, lias been set down a.s the tentative beginning of the examination, but this date may yet be changed. The first posting to camp of men called in the eighteenth ballot will take place on February 9. when the majority of those available will be drafted.

" It is a mistake to suppose, as sonic people do, that a substantial sentence means punishment again for previous offences," commented the Chief Justice . (Sir Michael Myers) when sentencing prisoners in the Wellington Supreme Court. "It does not," he continued, " although the court must necessarily take into consideration a prisoner's previous record, because the character of the offender is a factor in the determination of the quantum of sentence. The court has always to take into account the inherent gravity of the particular offence, and that may be greater by reason of the character of the person by whom it is committed."

" Nothing f can say is too good for the merchant sailors." said the master of an overseas vessel in Auckland. " Whether officer, deck hand, fireman, or {jreaser, they have been splendid. During the war .1 have been in some hot corners, and I could not wish for finer crews. When bombed there is no fuss. They go straight through with the work they have to do. and have shown;as fine discipline as could be found in the services. ' Merchant Jack ' is without doubt a gentleman. When his ship is sunk he si<rns on sin-, other and carries on." The captain, said it was not generally realised that the crews manned the guns of merchantmen. Usually they carried a nucleus of trained naval gunners-, but when action came most of the firing was done by the crew. Notwithstanding the ninny ordeals most of the men of the merchant navy had been through, lie added, he had seen no evidence of nerve strain among them. Returns issued by Tasman Empire Airways Limited show that from the commencement of the service in April, 19-10. to December. 1942. the number of passengers carried was 5.09-">, freight carried amounted to 112.7131 b. and the mail carried to 326,2151 b. The miles flown were 527.760. tho hours flown 3.489.10. the trips scheduled 401. and the trips flown 394. the high ratio of 97.."2 per cent of trips flown to those scheduled being reached.

Notifiable diseases in Otago reported to the medical officer of health for the week ending to-day were one case of scarlet fever, two cases of tuberculosis, one case of erysipelas, and one case of cerebro-spitial meningitis. Two cases of tuberculosis were reported from the Southland district. A freak in the form of a four-legged White Leghorn chicken was hatched out in Claudelands, and has since made healthy progress. Oiie of a clutch of nine to survive, it walks normally, the extra legs, perfectly formed, growing behind the other two. The chick uses, only two legs, and the extra pair do not appear to hinder its normal progress. New Zealanders in the forces in the Pacific, some who are with British units in Ceylon, some who are in Britain, and others who are prisoners of war, will benefit from the decisions yesterday by the Standing Committee "of the National Patriotic Fund Board. An endeavour will be made to procure for troops in the Pacific area an ice cream plant similar to the one sent to the Middle [Cast; to provide the eight recreation huts in the Pacific area with generating plants for lighting them; to provide a motor truck for -canteen purpeses in Fiji; 33 radio sets for various places in New Zealand and 70 for the Pacific; three billiard tables for a naval base; a complete football outfit to Ceylon; a further £20.000 to the High Commissioner. London, for comforts and'goods for New Zealanders on service there; and a grant of about £3,000 to the international Red Cross, Geneva for work for the prisoners of war This grant is made on the recommendation of the Joint Council of St. John and the Red Cross. The board wi'l be glad to hear from anybody who wishes to dispose of an electric lighting plant.—Press Association.