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Evening Star, Issue 24990, 8 October 1943, Page 2

At n sale of household furnishings in the North-oast Valley yesterday a walnut banquet table was sold for £lO5 which is probably a record price for a tabic sold by auction in New Zealand.

A good deal of adverse criticism has been levelled at the supposed high wages paid to junior workers, and the demoralisation of too many of the young people through their having far too much money to spend (says_ the annual report of the Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association). While this might he so in a i'ow cases, the experience of those observing the labour market in Dunedin is that highly paid jobs for boys and girls are relatively few; but that there are still callings, particularly apprenticeships, in which the wages* are small when compared with the (remuneration offered to other positions which give equal prospects of future advancement. While much is heard of the large wages earned by juveniles, there is almost complete silence regarding those who receive low wages.

Members of the association, particularly Mr G. G. Adess, have assisted in finding employment for crippled children, so effectively, indeed, that at present there is no crippled girl or boy awaiting employment (says the annual report of the Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association). It is easy to ascribe this happy result to the general labour stringency; but those sympathetic employers who have opened to their less fortunate fellows a way to training, livelihood and lifelong independence are entitled to our warmest gratitude. Special mention should be made of the 1 action of the local representative of the Public Service Commissioner in making a place for a severely crippled man who, as a boy, acquired education under severe handicaps. To-morrow at 2.45 p.m. a demonstration will be given by the ' Evening Star ' gardening contributor in the garden of Mr J. S. Macartney, Scott street, Portobello. The subject will be ' Howto Mix a Compost Heap and to Compost All Refuse Into Nature's Plant Food.' All ,interested in this subject are invited to attend. The bus leaves the Queen's Gardens at 2 p.m., returning at 4.45 p.m. Tin's garden is four minutes' walk from the bus stop.

" I hear that a number of students are endeavouring, because of more attractive wages,' to secure work in the city during their vacation," said Mr John Andrew, of Hyde, at a conference held yesterday afternoon to discuss primary producers' problems. The man power officer (Mr E, A. Selman) replied that this was but natural, but went on to state that in cases where students were required for farm work they would be directed, and that, where necessary, financial assistance by the National Service Department would be forthcoming. Mr Selman added that all students would have the right of appeal to the Industrial Man Power Appeal Committee.

Members of the Otago Committee of the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society met recently in the local Joint Council packing department to witness the assembling and packing of the fivethousandth personal prisoner of war next of kin parcel to be despatched from Otago and Southland, and to show their appreciation to the voluntary workers for their splendid work during the past three years. Since the parcels office opened in October, 1941, all parcels from the next of kin of men from Otago and Southland who are prisoners of war in Germany and Italy have been despatched from this office. To give an idea of the amount of materials required for the wrapping of 5,000 parcels, the following have been used: —lo.ooo sheets of wrapping paper, three miles of calico, and eight and a-half miles of string. Under the guidance of Miss Marion B. Scott eight voluntary workers have been responsible for this remarkable achievement.

The following resolution was passed at a largely-attended meeting of the Wanganui Post and Telegraph Employees' Association and Officers' Guild: " That notwithstanding the stabilisation order this section is of the opinion that the question of' the lower-paid members' salaries should be urgently represented' to the Government owing to the financial difficulties they are in, brought about by their low salaries and the high cost of living." Probate in the following estates has been granted in the Supreme Court by Mr Justice Kennedy:—Jessie Pierce, widow; Frances Cochrane, spinster; Christina Henderson, married woman; Leonard Green, drainer (Dunedin); Matilda Elizabeth Farrant, married woman; Robert Somerville, farmer; Mary Markland, widow (Oamaru); Maurice Carso"i£follv, airman (Cromwell). ***■ The Reserves Committee of the City Council reports that the question of vandalism in the city reserves and Gardens has again ibeen considered, with a view to devising means of preventing this widespread destruction of civic property and amenities. As a preliminary step the Police Department and the council's traffic staff have again been requested to assist. It is also considered that the appointment of a number of honorary rangers in all parts of the city would assist materially in the matter, and the Dunedin Amenities Society and the Otago Native Bush Preservation Society have been requested to nominate responsible citizens who would be prepared to act in this capacity. It is hoped by this means to obtain voluntary supervision over the whole of the reserves, the honorary rangers reporting offenders to the superintendent of reserves for the necessary action.

During the week ended to-day three cases of infantile paralysis (all from Dunedin and the immediate district), three cases of scarlet fever (from Oamaru), and one case of cerebro-spmal meningitis (from Central Otago) were notified to the medical officer of health for Otago (Dr T. McKibbin).