LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1941, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Mayor (Mr. F. A. Kitchingham) stated that he intends to call a public meeting at an early date to set up a special'committee to attend to the welcoming of men on return from active service. This committee will coordinate the activities of the various bodies interested.

Possibly the forerunner of a general rise of similar proportions, the price of a popular brand of tea was yesterday advanced sixpence per pound, at Greymouth, making the cost to the consumer 4/4 per pound. The second grade of the same brand was advanced fivepence, to 4/1 per pound. -For some considerable time, the tea position has caused concern to grocers, who have been able to obtain only a proportion of their usual order and, as yet, there is no indication of an improvement as a result of the arrival of a large consignment of tea in New Zealand.-

Two accident victims were admitted to the Grey Hospital, yesterday, Miss Nola Kaye, aged 16, employed as an assistant at the fruit market of Mr. E. V. Arthur, suffered a fracture of the right legt, when she fell from a ladder in the market. After attention from Dr. J. W. Macfarlane, she was admitted to the hospital. As the result of a log rolling on him at his work, yesterday afternoon, Jack Johns, aged 43, married, a sawmill worker, of Kotuku, suffered injuries to a knee and abrasions. When she slipped down some steps at the Home on Saturday, Mrs. Elizabeth Parker, 76, a widow and an inmate of the Old People’s Home, suffered a fracture of the left hip. She was admitted to the Grey Hospital, and her condition remains serious.

A party visited the Government Forestry Plantation on the HokitikaRosfe road, last week, at the invitation of the Sawmillers’ Association. The party included Mr. J. A. McPherson, Curator of the Christchurch Gardens,, Mr. L. W. McCaskell, botanist, and Mr. R. G. Robinson, ex-Superinten-dent of the Selwyn Plantation Board’s reserves. The party was under the leadership..of Mr. G. H. Chapman, of Hokitika and others present included Messrs F. M. Dennehy, J. W. Caldwell, D. P. Stuart, A. R. Thompson and T. Daly representing the sawmilling interests, Messrrs E. V. Stewart and Ogilvie (Forestry Deparmtent), Dr. McKay and Mr. F. A. Kitchingham (Mayor of Greymouth). An inspection of the plantation was made and the successes and failures noted.

Since 1894 banks have been assumed for taxing purposes to earn profits in proportion to their total assets and liabilities, the rate varying from 7/6 per cent, when the system was originally introduced, to 30/- per cent, since 1915 (said Mr. Nash, in the House, last evening). It is obvious that the assessed income computed in this way bears no relationship to the true profits of a bank; in fact, during recent years some banks have paid more in income-taxation than they have actually earned in profits. The justification for imposing the existing system, has been the problem, owing to the banks trading in more than one country, of assessing accurately the profit earned in each, but by collaboration with the Governments concerned that difficulty has been overcome. Proposed legislation will authorise the taxing of banks on the basis of actual income earned in New Zealand, and make them also liable 'for full national and social security taxes.

Children’s Woollen Ankle Sox. A choice selection of shades. Sniall sizes 2/9 to 3/3 pair. Brown Marl in sizes 7to 10, 3/6 ad 3/9 pair.—C. Smith’s. —Advt. Furs are on the rise. We have a nice new stock at old prices in Coats; Capes; Boleros and Stoles. You can lay-bv any time.—White’s Corner, Your Fashion Centre.—Advt.

In regard to the provision made under vote “Health” for the cost of dental clinics, for some years past it has been the practice to require a contribution of £3O per annum from the local committees for each nurse employed. It has now been decided to abolish this charge.—Mr. Nash; in his Financial Statement.

“It is imperative that members of our fighting forces overseas should receive at the earliest possible opportunity not only money cabled to them, but also correspondence,” said Mr. W1 P. Endean (Opposition, Remuera) in the House of Representatives, in a note to ,a question addressed to the Minister for Defence (Mr. Jones), Mr. Endean asked if the Minister would inquire why £lO cabled on April 22 to a member of the Royal Air Force at Dunville, Ontario, Canada, was not received until June 9.

In his Financial Statement, presented to the House, last evening, Mr. Nash said that production for 1939-40 >,the latest available figures) amounted to £143,500,000, an increase of £8,700,000 over the previous period. Notwithstanding the withdrawal of men for the armed forces, the number of factory employees for 1940-41 shewed an increase ol 3,500, while aggregate salaries and wages paid during this period amounted to £ 123,500000, the total being £ 10,700,000 greater than for the previous period. Upemployment has been reduced to negligible proportions.

Reporting to last evening’s meeting of the Grev Electric Power Board, Mr. Sinclair Trotter (Engineer) statea that since the last meeting, 16 new applications for supply had been received, making the total to date 4960. Ten new consumers had bean connected, making a total of 4970. Extensions and alterations to 28 existing installations had been carried out. Five electric ranges and five washing machines had been connected. Mr. A. i. McKane remarked that one chairman had said he would put on a party when the Board reached 5000 consumers, and it looked as if Mr. Kent would be the chairman.

The Wellington Education Board yesterday rejected a motion that a list be compiled of all Training College student, supernumeraries and teachers in the board’s employ who have appealed for exemption from military service or are pacifists, and that the list be added to as appeals are heard. The only voters for the motion were Mr. T. K. Moody, who moved it. and Colonel T. W. McDonald, who seconded it. Mr. Moody said he intended to move at the next meeting that no teacher be appointed to any position of a higher salary than he was already receiving, or be raised in status, who has lodged an appeal against military service or is a pacifist, irrespective of whether the appeal is upheld.—Press Assn.

A suggestion that to meet farmers’ seasonal labour requirements affected by the war, country schools might close for their holidays about December 1, to allow the bigger bovs to assist in operations, came before the Otago Education Board yesterday. The chairmall suggested that the Education Department be asked to approve an amendment to the regulations that, where pupils were employed in essential labour, they should be marked present on the roll. This would obviate low roll numbers, with the possible loss of teaching staff. Any fifth and sixth standard pupils required might be granted a dispensation by the headmaster. It was decided to suggest this to the department. —P.A.

A “ballot” was held at a sitting of the Armed Forces Appeal Board at Gore after a request by an appellant that the board should decide which of his sons should go into camp. The appellant, a farmer, who appealed on behalf of his two sons,-said that only one was required to carry on the farm. Both sons, however, wanted to go overseas, and both had signified their intention of going into" camp unless the board made the decision which one was to stay. They considered that this would be the fairest method of making a decision. The board found that one son was required on the appellant’s farm. The chairman then wrote the names of the reservists on separate sheets of paper and irtstructed the clerk to make a draw. The clerk did so, and it was stated that the name drawn would be that of the reservist to proceed to camp..

Damages totalling £855 (£750) general and .£lO5 special) were yesterday awarded by a Nelson jury to Mrs. M. Bansgrove, West Coast (represented by Mr. W. D. Taylor, of Greymouth), who claimed £l5OO general and £2lB special damages from J. Gillespie (represented by Mr. G. G. C. Watson, of Nelson). Mr. Taylor stated the claim was in respect of a motor accident which occurred in the Buller Gorge on the south side of Murchison on Christmas Day, 1938. Defendant admitted full responsibility for the cause of the accident and the sole question for the jury was to decide the amount of the damages. Evidence was giv'en for plaintiff by Drs. Greenslade (Greymouth) and Low (Nelson) and for' defendant by Drs. Bird (Greymouth) and Jamieson (Nelson). The jury returned its verdict after a retirement of 75 minutes.