Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 November 1942, Page 4

Local and General

The following have been appointed to the Grey Rehabilitation Committee: Messrs G. R. Harker (representing business interests), J. Stokes (local authority), T. P. Ryan (R.S.A.), ‘.T. Scott (labour organisations), Mrs. A. H. McKane (W.W.S.A.), and Mr. J. O’Brien, M.P. The first meeting of the committee will probably be held next week.

The Dominion conference of patriotic bodies to-day overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to raise patriotic funds by taxation, and passed a resolution asking the Government to pay to Patriotic Funds the money required for prisoners of war food parcels, huts in camps, and such other matters that may be decided on.—P.A.

A start was made to-day on the removal of the accumulation of shoaling deposits at the Greymouth wharves. The dredge has been operating in the river channel, but the clearance of the berthages has now enabled it to begin, work alongside the wharf, where the shoaling has been heaviest. The Minister of Civil Defence (Mr. Wilson) yesterday issued a reminder that regulations make it quite clear that no employee shall have his wages reduced or be otherwise penalised because of any actual loss of working time caused by compulsory attendance at E.P.S. parades and assemblies or compulsory dispersal trials. Mr. Wilson said that instances recently brought to his notice indicated that some employers were not fully aware of this obligation and of the penalties for non-compliance.—P.A.

A budget providing' for a total estimated expenditure of £1,129,500, to meet the requirements of the National Patriotic Fund Board for the year ending September 30 next, was submitted to the annual conference yesterday of patriotic bodies. This is £127,000 greater than the total amount budgeted for last year. Some idea of the need for increased expenditure, said the secretary and treasurer of the board* (Mr. G. A. Hayden) could be gauged from the fact that when the last conference was held only 80.000 men were under arms, both overseas and in Nev,'’ Zealand. The number increased to 140,000 in April, 1942, and was now about 160,000. — P.A.

To accommodate and service the additional railcars which have been placed in operation on the West Coast, a depot has been erected at Greymouth. Built to accommodate two vehicles, it has just been completed. A similar structure has also been built at Westport.

The Postmaster-General (Mrf Webb) announced last night that health stamps sold during October realised £5162, compared with £3115 last October. The Auckland district led with the sales; then came Dunedin, Invercargill, and Wellington.— P.A.

Four young women in the Greymouth district have lodged inquiries respecting the Women’s Land Service with Mrs. L. McGlashan, Secretary of the Women’s Wai' Service Auxiliary. So far, however only one actual application for membership has gone forward to headquarters, though it is hoped that more will shortly be received.

The Army Department at Greymouth, has received advice that the next recruit training course for members of the W.A.A.C., will commence at a W.A.A.C. mobilisation camp on November 30. So far three applications for enrolment in the Corps to commence training this month have been received in the Grey district, but there are further vacancies, and applications will be welcomed.

“A farmer in England was asked by a Land Girl if he could tell her which was the correct expression: ‘A hen. was setting or a hen was sitting.’ ” said Mrs. A. N. Grigg, M.P., in her address at Rangiora last evening. “All I care about,” said the farmer in reply, “is, when a hen is cackling is she laying or is she lying.” E.P.S. Wardens in Greymouth have received instructions to check all business premises for breaches of the lighting regulations. Under recently amended regulations it is an offence to permit any light source in business premises to be seen during the hours of darkness from outside the premises. Partial screening of all light sources in shops or shop windows is required under the regulations.

The fact that .Home Guard unit commanders are prepared to cooperate with farmers who find it difficult to attend full parades was mentioned by the Chairman of the Armed Forces Appeal Board in Greymouth (Mr. W. Meldrum) this morning. He stated that farmers who could not arrive at the starting time of parades or who wished to leave earlier than usual to carry out the milking operations could arrange to attend between hours agreed upon with the commander.

The following West Coasters appear in a list of passes in Stage I subjects of degree examinations conducted by the University of New Zealand: Section 8.A., John Mathias Horrack, economics. First B.Sc., Maxwell Len McGlashan, pure mathematics, applied mathematics, physics, chemistry. Section LL.B., Desmond Kevin Bonisch, history. Edmund James Dennehy, history, pol. sc.B., phil. (psy.). Medical Intermediate, Jeremiah Alfred Chunn, zoology, chemistry.

Reporting to a meeting of the Grey Electric Power Board, last evening, the Engineer (Mr. Sinclair Trotter) stated that since the previous meeting of the Board six new applications for supply had been received, and that four new consumers had been connected, making the total number of consumers 5,163. One baker’s oven had been connected. He added that permits to carry out wiring extensions on existing premises could be obtained only in very special circumstances, and subject to the consent of the Building Controller, but new residences were not affected by the order.

A surprisingly large number of farmers who tender evidence before the No. 2 Armed Forces Apneal Board in Greymouth are unable to supply information as to the value or quantity of the butterfat supplied by them to dairy factories. In some cases they state that their wives attend to the business side of the farm, and in others they profess plain forgetfulness. At yesterday’s hearing the Chairman (Mr. W. Meldrum) announced that the Board required to have in the case of all appeals by dairy farmers such relevant information to enable it to determine whether it was worthwhile carrying on the herd.

The North Canterbury Methodist Synod, in session in Christchurch yesterday, recorded deep concern at what was described as the growing incidence of juvenile delinquency. This, it was stated, was due largely to defective family relationships, weakened parental discipline, inadequate conditions of leisure and work, and, fundamentally, to a lack of that religious basis without which legal and moral codes lacked meaning. The Synod called upon the Government to take steps to alter the law, so as to remove conditions which fostered delinquency, and urged that all sympathetic organisations take effective action to awaken the public conscience. Particular reference was made to the alleged sale of contraceptives to school children, and the Government was requested to confine such sales to licensed persons only.

Before Mr. J. M. Bunt, J. P., at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, at Greymouth, this morning, Stephen Francis Llewellyn Neary, 43, labourer, alias James Driscoll, allias James Foley, faced three charges as follow: That he was found drunk in a public place, High Street, Greymouth on November 19; that on November 19 he was deemed to be a rogue and a vagabond in that he was found without lawful excuse on the premises of the Old People’s Home, Greymouth; and that he was found in possession of gelignite and detonators, without lawful excuse. Chief Detective H. E. Knight said accused had been arrested about 12.20 a.m., to-day, and he asked that he be remanded in custody until Monday next. The third charge could only be dealt with by a Magistrate. Accused objected to being remanded in custody, stating that he was to have commenced work at Kumara this morning. The remand was granted.

The challenge chops and dance at Nelson Creek on Saturday night are attracting a lot of attention, —Advt.

Strong exception was taken by members of the Invercargill City Council to the provision of the Finance Act, 1942, by which employers may be required on demand by the Commissioner of Taxes to deduct from an employee’s wages such sums as the Commissioner may direct for the payment of income tax. The Finance Committee reported that the Commissioner of Taxes had required the town clerk to deduct 15/1 a week from the wages of a man working on sewer drains, such money to be forwarded to the Commissioner on account of the man’s income tax. Failure to comply with the Commissioner’s instruction could involve a penalty of £lOO. There apparently being no option in the matter, the Town Clerk had been directed to comply with the demand. It was pointed out that the man concerned had five children under the age of 16 and his income was about £275 a year. Clearly he had no obligation to pay income tax, but apparently he had not furnished a return and a default assessment had' been made of £l5/1/-. The Town Clerk was re-’ quested to make representations for i review of the case, ... /