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Evening Star, Issue 25770, 17 April 1946, Page 6

There will be no publication olf the ' Star ' on Good Friday. According to a message from Canberra, the Minister of Labour and National Services, Mr E. J. Holloway, has announced that the last remaining manpower control would cease to operate from April 30. This was the power to control the engagement or women between the ages of IS to 45. After a visit olf nearly two months to Auckland for refitting a't Devonport naval * dockyard, the British Pacific Fleet sloop Alacrity has left to call at Gisborne, Timaru, and Bluff before sailing for Sydney to rejoin the fleet.

Opposition to a proposal to increase the number of taxi licenses in Wellington Citv was expressed on behalf of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Taxi Proprietors' Federation before the Wellington Metropolitan Transport Licensing Authority by Mr H. J. Knight and by Sir William Perry on behalf of 71 licensees who are returned servicemen from World War 11. It was reported that in response \o the authority's earlier statement that it would consider applications, more than 60 applications for licenses to operate, additional taxis had been made. The authority adjourned until May 15, when evidence will be heard relating to the applications.

The Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Baking Trades industrial Union of Workers, at a special meeting endorsed the action of the national executive of the Bakers Union in placing the dispute over Easter Saturday baking in the hands of the Federation of Labour for its recommendation. The meeting unanimously accepted the recommendation of the federation to work on Easter Saturday, in accordance with the terms of the- award, the decision to coyer the whole of the Canterbury industrial area from Kaikoura to Waimate.

A cheque for an undisclosed amount, believed to be substantial, representing the sum collected to date for the Lady Newal Cathedral Gift Fund, was presented to Her Excellency before representatives of the women's organisations contributing at a function held in; Wellington. The presentation was made by Miss M. G. Havelaar, Dominion president of the National Council of "Women, a body which represents 110 organised women's societies, and to which 264 women's societies are affiliated. The cheque and an inscribed address were handed to Lady Newall as an expression of the love and gratitude of women throughout the_ country for the interest she has taken in the affairs of women's organisations. Lady Newall, handing over the cheque to Sir Charles Norwood, the executive chairman of the Mayor's Cathedral Memorial Fund Committee, asked that the amount, together with additional sums which sho understood would be coming in, should be applied to some portion of the cathedral to be decided later.

National Savings quotas were obtained last week at 265 places—four more than in the preceding week. All the principal centres were successful, and in each of the 20 postal districts the full district quota was attained. A noteworthy achievement _ was recorded at Waimauku, a farming centre to the north of Auckland, where the whole of the year's quota of £1,612 was obtained on April 1, the opening day of the new national savings year. Many other country places as well as the cities responded with appreciable investments;

An appeal for the correct pronunciation of the words " centennial " and " centenary " was made by Mr A. C. Cameron at a general meeting of members of the Otago Centennial Association last night. The pronunciation cen-tenn-ial was correct and cen-ten-ary. Mr J. W. Heenan, the UnderSecretary of the Internal Affairs Department, liad campaigned for the correct usage during Wellington's celebrations in 1940, but without much success. " I think we should endeavour to obtain uniformity," urged Mr Cameron. Subsequent speakers at last night's meeting adopted the suggestion, and particular care was taken by many to emphasise the second syllable of " centennial."

Truancy had been a problem this year, stated the principal of the Technical College, Mr W. G. Aldridge, in his report to the Board of Managers yesterday. It occurred among two small but clearly defined groups of pupils—namely, those in their second year who should not have sought admission originally, and immature entrants whose home circumstances were in some way unusual. Mr Aldridge added that he was convinced that there need not be any, refusals of the right kind of entrant if only those unable or unwilling to accept school discipline could be induced not to enrol at the school.

How money travels is shown by the experiences of two residents of Christchurch who frequently initial notes before cashing them. One, a young man lately discharged from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, initialled a 10s note before spending it in an hotel in Christchurch. Two years later, he received it in his Air Force pay at Ohakea. The other instance, too, showed a trend of money to flow north. A man who initialled a £5 note in Christchurch got Jt back in an hotel in Wellington.

A total of 22,950 ft of hose had been laid by the City Fire Brigade in attending to fires in buildings and properties in the metropolitan area in the year ended March 31, and 12,100 ft had been laid at grass and bush fires, making a total laying of 35,300 ft, said the report of the officer in charge of hose, Mr J. H. Cartwright, _ at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Metropolitan Fire Board last night. The figures for last year were 13,150 ft and 12,100 ft respectively, or a total of 33,100 ft — 2,200 ft less than this year. Less hose had been needed at bush fires this year because of the wet summer. The brigade at present held 24,500 ft of hose in good condition. Disappointment with the standard of navigational aids on the New Zealand coast was expressed to a Christchurch newspaper man recently by Captain R. R. Hill, master of the tanker Elk Basin. The vessel was prevented from berthing at Lyttelton for more than 36 hours by fog on the coast, and Captain Hill claimed that if he could have obtained at least one bearing from a radio beacon be would have been able to berth the previous day. Bad weather had been experienced, and he had not been able to take a sight for some time, so it was deemed safer to lie off the coast until conditions improved. The suggestion that a pool of nonunion labour be established at all ports to be called on when the supply of union labour on the waterfront was insufficient to handle the work, was made at a meeting of the Provincial Executive of Federated Farmers yesterday. " It is absolutely deplorable." said Mr J. S. Hunt (chairman), "that the Government should allow food ships to bo held up by watersiders. I understand the Government has refused to use free labour." The discussion was rjrovoked by a remit from the Milton branch, suggesting the Dominion Executive should approach the Government about the delay in the shipping of meat to Britain caused by the action of the waterside workers.

According to a Press Association telegram the ketch La Phare will continue to shelter at Napier until the present southerly abates when the voyage to Wellington will be resumed. The ketch will probably be at Napier for another two days. A 27-year-old machinist now working in London has written to a local firm inquiring whether she could obtain employment in Dunedin at her trade. " For the past six months I have been helping in the Fernleaf Club, and as a result my desire to work in New Zealand has been strengthened by the congenial fellowship existing among New Zealanders I have met," she states A fellow machinist also intended_ applying for a position in the Dominion, added the letter. The manager of the concern to which the application was addressed immediately sent an air mail reply, assuring her that vacanices here will probably be open for some time to come.

Before Mr J. It. Bartholomew in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, John Wedlake Thomas, retired butcher, who was represented by Mr J. P. Ward, proceeded against G. F. Fraser, restaurant proprietor, for whom Mr E. J. Anderson appeared, claiming the sum of £G4 18s lid. being the, balance owing for goods sold and delivered to the defendant. The defendant stated that an arrangement had been entered into that he should cook the plaintiff's dressed meat, in return for which service the plaintiff would supply him with bacon. Giving judgment for the plaintiff, the Magistrate stated that he was not satisfiied with defendant's evidence. Judgment would be for the plaintiff for the full amount, with costs (£2 10s), solicitor's fees (£4 ss), and witness's expenses (19s Gd).

An Auckland Association message states that interest at treble the < ordinary savings bank rate is proving a strong attraction to ex-servicemen and women who are being credited with gratuity money for war service. Since the rush to draw on these funds occurred early in April the demand has slackened in Auckland, and the indications now are that the likely to leave the money in the bank as long as possible, and perhaps for the full term of three years. A wallet lost in Christchurck a few days ago by one of the Dutch refugees from the Netherlands East Indies was returned to the headquarters of the refugees' welfare organisation. Officials at the headquarters -were prepared to congratulate the unknown person who returned it on his or her honesty until the wallet's contents were examined. An art union ticket and a nonnegotiable cheque had been left, but the whole of a considerable sum of money was missing.

Plans and draft specifications for a new cargo shed on the Birch stroet wharf were put before the Otago Harbour Board last night. The specifications, drawn up by Mr W. Swanson, the. board's engineer, do not provide for built-in overhead cranes, as it is intended to do the work with mobile gear. The chairman, Mr W. Clarke, commented last night that cranes costing £6,000 were installed in one shed, and when tho shed was not in use the gear represented idle money. Another innovation provided for an asphalt floor, instead of concrete, so that, if through faults in the filling there is subsidence, repairs will be cheap and easy. It is cheaper than concrete, and there will be no necessity to remove the original floor if sinking should occur. Mr George King, an active member of the Invercargill Civic Band, is in his eightieth year. He • celebrated his seventv-ninth birthday last week, and members of the band honoured the occasion bv a special toast and congratulations. '. Mr King has rarely missed a concert or open-air programme by the band in tho last 40 years. He plays a baritone. It is claimed on his behalf that he is the oldest active bandsman in Australasia.