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Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 4

The Prime Minister stated on Saturday that, as previously announced, the scales of wages and salaries for all public servants other than railwaymen are being revised. The work was receiving the attention of the departments concerned and of the Uniformity Committee, which was making recommendations to the Government. Matters had now reached a stage where the Government was issuing through the Treasury Department instructions for the preparation of wages and salaries covering the period to June 30, Mr Fraser added. It was desired and expected that payment back to that date would be made before March 31.

Mr Justice 'Kennedy has granted probate in the following estates:— William Griffen Dowling, farmer, of Ranfurly; Alfred Mears, labourer, of Nightcaps ;, Catherine Keenan, married woman, of Green Island; George Greig, retired railway official, of Dunedin; Francis Edith Reynolds, widow, of Diinedin; George Williamson, homosopathist, of Dunedin; William Johnson, dairy proprietor, of Dunedin; Peter Pilkington, retired carpenter, of Dunedin; John Henry Stackman, woollen mill employee, of Milton; David Spencer Finlayson, • soldier, of Dunedin ; Richard Cummiug Davey Wright, miner, of Brighton. Letters of administration were granted in the estates of Margaret Patricia McCauley, married woman, of Lumsden; James Elliot, retired sheepfarmer, of JJunedin; William Alfred King, pensioner, of Dunedin.

At a meeting of the Waipiata Sanatorium Committee the medical superintendent, Dr A. Kidd, reported that, during January 91 patients had been admitted, 4 were discharged, and 149 were in the institution at the end of the month. The Secretary stated that on February 26 the associated boards had patients in the institution as follows:—Southland 74, South Canterbury 31, Ashbm-ton 9, Waitaki 14, South Otago S, Vincent 8, Maniototo 2—a total of 146.

Although the quinnat or Californian salmon—its official- name is onchorhynchus tschawytscha—is well established in South Island rivers, *it is rarely caught in North Island streams. While fishing for kahawai at the mouth of the-Tukituki River in Hawke's Bay, a Mr McLean landed a male quinnat salmon in splendid condition, and weighing 141 b when cleaned. The angler was using an otter board, a float which will work across a current in much the same manner as a paravane. The first lot of quinnat salmon ova was hrought to New Zealand by the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society in 1875.

Saying that members should know more of what was proposed before they committed themselves, Prolfessor A. H. Tocker, discussing regional planning at a meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, recalled some of the things that had happened when marketing in New Zealand was planned. " The Internal Marketing 'Department was set up to deal with tho problem," he said. " Before then, we had surpluses of fruit and eggs. Where are they now?" Mr F. W. Freeman said that all the controls introduced and proposed savoured of too much harness for the horse.

Top price of lOOgs was secured by .Mr Peter Campbell, Wyndhani, for a Romney March rain at a recent ram fair in Christchurch. Oilier Southland breeders were well represented, and they secured good prices. There were several sales at Ifrom 40gs to 70gs.

Nine district conferences have so far been held to establish regional planning councils in association with the work of the Organisation for National Development. Seven districts—Taranalki, Otago, Oamaru, Timaru, Nelson, Southland, and West Coast —have adopted the principle of regional planning as an essential basis for post-war reconstruction and national development. In six of these districts, provisional committees have , been appointed to make recommendations so as to ensure the best possible organisation and selection of personnel for the working committees. In Otago, the full Planning Council and Executive have already been selected and appointed. Although action was deferred in North Canterbury and Ashburton, it is expected that the full 25 planning councils will be established by April. The formulation and examination of projects designed to provide employment for returned servicemen and war workers in their own districts from the end of the war until the operation of longterm development plans will be one of the most important functions of these regional councils. •

The- possibilities of using aircraft for sowing seeds and spreading _ fertiliser and insecticides over inaccessible country is discussed in the latest Journal of Agriculture by Mr A. M. Pritchard, of the Public Works Department, which carried out experiments along these lines. Flights carried out over the Molcsworth-TariKlnlo area showed that it was not easy to fly over such country, owing to wind and weather conditions, and costs for distributing fertiliser worked out at 5s 4d an acre, mm pa rod with a normal fls. Tho pilot reported that at Moleswoth Nature was doing the job of renewing the land with vegetation after it had been freed of stock and given the annual burn-off.

I Although the New Zealand Society of [ Accountants was not concerned with I party policies, it was highly desirable that it should help to give a lead in certain national matters, said Mr AVill I Appleton at the Society's annual meeting at Wellington. He declared that the present method of presentation of the national accounts was "a perfect scandal." Nobody could get a grip on them. It would take an expert weeks and weeks to unravel them. He thought that the society should investigate the position, which was now befogged. Taxation had become an enormous burden, the cause of a great deal of the increase in the cost of living. The people should know what tho various subsidies meant, for the general effect was to make them live in a fool's ,paradise... The" society should co-opt members to bring down a report which would give the people a clear insight into the whole position. The societv was a body to which the peciple should look for a lead iu a field which was so foggy. In regard to the proposed State acquisition of tho Rank of New Zealand. Mr Appleton held that it was absolutely detrimental to' public welfare for any Government to interfere with properly-conducted banking. Such interference would upset public confidence. Tho following is the position as at the end of the (forty-eighth week of tho present financial year in respect of those offices. (11 in number) which have sitill to obtain their annual National War Savings quotas for the current year:—Clinton, £485; Cromwell, £1,329; Heriot, quota now oversubscribed ; Kelso, £177; Middlemarch, £469; Milton, £733; Naseby, £328; Otufeliua, £543; Outran), £7l;Owaka, £1,850; Waipahi, £496; Waitahuna, £753.

A varied collection of stamps from world war zones, ranging from the Philippines to Europe, and including the Middle East, is now the prized possession of a Dunedin philatelist. One of the most interesting sets is a beautifully printed Italian war propaganda series which depicts on the left half King Victor Emanuel, and a phase of the war machine on the right. Odd Vatican issues, unprocurable since the outbreak of war, such as the Rcssini and Galeli oomineinoratives are among other Italian stamps. Issues authorised by the Allied Military Government are arresting in their representation of the tide of war. A.M.G. was apparently prepared for the occupation of Sicily, for it issued its own postal authority, with an explanatory wording engraved above a simple design, but in Naples A.M.G. was content to overprint the current issue. Military discipline seems to begin with the salute (says a recent Melbourne ' Age '). Historians point out that the salute is given not to the man, but to the uniform. This is probably a good thing for morale, especially when recruits are inclined to statistical habits, as are two particular voung men of the services. One, a cadet at Duntroon, reports that recently it took him Go salutes to evacuate himself from the traditional [parade ground under Mt. Stromlo. The other, a young sailor, states that the average number of salutes 'per day at the Flinders Naval Base is about 40. The R.A.A.F. does not figure in this report, but it can be safely assumed, that the officers of that organisation hold the uniform in similar regard and like nothing more than to see continual respect paid to it.

Two Welsh youths are believed to have survived longer in an open boat than any other sailors torpedoed during the' war, according to advice received by an Invercargill woman from a friend "in Wellington. The latter had been told the story by two members of the crew ol an overseas ship. The Welsh lads were afloat for 70 days before being picked up near the Bahamas. For days they had neither food nor water. They were cared for by tho Governor of the Bahamas, the Duke of Windsor. After recovering from their terrible ordeal they joined a passing ship, but lost their lives when it was torpedoed.

A party of about 20 young New Zealand students will begin a course of study and training at Sydney University early this month to obtain a degree, in veterinary science. These students hold bursaries awarded annually by the New Zealand Dairy Board, the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, which contribute two-thirds of the fund, and the Department of Agriculture, which provides the remaining one-third. On graduation two-thirds of the students are required to enter the service of farmers' veterinary clubs and one-third will enter the Civil Service in inspection or research work. Many of the women of France did not collaborate with the Germans during the recent occupancy. In an address to the Wellington Rotary Club, Flight-lieutenant F. H. Greenaway, M 8.E., who was a prisoner of war.in. France and spent nearly three months on his escape journey, said he heard ot one story illustrating the point. -A German soldier, passing a French girl, said "Hullo!" Without turning her head, the gjrl replied, "You'll be dead soon'" She was arrested, and, when brought before the court was given 10 days' imprisonment " for attempting to lower tho morale of the troops of occupation." At 10.20 a.m. to-day the Central Fire Brigade was called to a chimney fire at 21 °Asquith street, Caversham. At 1.1.22 there was another call to a gorso fire at Cargill's Castle. The rabbit problem was one of the subjects which came up for discussion during the hearing of evidence to-day at the sitting of the Select Committee which, has been set up to report on local government reform. Mr John Bennetts, of Roxburgh, said he was a believer in the " killer policy " in dealing with rabbits, the eradication of which he thought should be the concern of rabbit boards. The operation of. a board in his area had had remarkable results. In one place the improvement in the pasturage had enabled 100 more sheep to be run, enabled all the sheep to be kept in better condition, and improved the lambing percentage. Contiguous rabbit boards were necessary, however to enable the killer policy to be properly operated. In answer to questions, Mr Bennetts said there were few settlers who liked to keep rabbits for the sake of skins. There was a temptation to engage_ in rabbit farming because of the subsidy that was pnid on skins.