DOMINION NEWS 27,000 APPLICANTS FOR TELEPHONES

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 July 1946, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS 27,000 APPLICANTS FOR TELEPHONES

During 1945-46 the number of telephone subscribers in the Dominion increased from 191,189. to 197,513, stated the annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department, which has been tabled in the House of Representatives. Although all war-time restrictions on the provision of telephone exchange services had been lifted, little could yet be done, particularly in the main centres, to provide service for many waiting applicants totalling 27,000. This was clue to lack of switching equipment and congestion in the telephone cables.

Second Tow Begun. Steaming out of Wellington on Saturday morning in fine weather and wjth the trawler Awatere in low, the Government steamer. Matai began the second of her towing voyages over the Tasman. The ships were accompanied by the . trawler Aroha, which will steam in company with them to Sydney.—(P.A.) Motorist Gives Himself Up

Following a collision betwteen a motor car. and a bicycle in Harewood Road, Christchurch, on Friday, as a result of which the cyclist, Robert Dennis Peters, aged 14, of Papanui, died of injuries that evening, the motorist concerned gave himself up at the Christchurch police station on Saturday.—(P.A.)

Trade With Brazil. Hope-for future trade between this country and Brazil, when the European situation improves, was expressed by Dr. Mario Santos, Consul for Brazil, at a meeting of the English Speaking Union in Wellington. He hoped to be able to divert a Brazilian cargo ship from the Australian route to include New Zealand and to offer about 20 return passages free to representative New Zealand students or educationists—(P.A.)

Award for Valiant Escape. A Royal Air Force pilot, Flight Lieutenant A. Sloan, who escaped from under the rifles of a German firing squad, has been awarded the D.F.C. He was shot down over Sicily in 1943. When he was captured by the Germans he was charged with spying and put in front of a firing squad. He broke away as the squad fired, although he was badly wcunded. He was recaptured, but escaped from a train that was taking him to Germany. He spent some time with partisans.—London, July 26.

Child Falls into Quarry. Falling 30ft over the side of a disused quarry at Port Chalmers on Satuirdaj, Winifred Selma Olsen, aged three years, who lived with her parents at 32 Belle Vue crescent, Port Chalmers, suffered injuries which resulted in her being placed on the dangerously ill list when she was admitted to the public, hospital at 1.30 p.m. It is stated that the child was walking to join her two brothers, who were picking pine cones near the quarry when the accident occurred. It is believed that she may have a fractured skull.— (P.A.) Individual Food Parcels.

The number of food parcels being sent by individuals to friends in Great Britain has greatly increased since the “Food for Britain” campaign commenced. The increase has not got out of hand in Wellington, but in Auckland, where as many as 6000 parcels have been received by the Post Office in one day, accommodation for parcels awaiting shipment is becoming a problem. The chairman of the National Famine Emergency Committee (Mr. T. N. Smallwood) said that the committee does not encourage the dispatch of such parcels because of the uneven distribution of food in Britain and because they took more shipping space than food sent in bulk, as part of the national effort. The wish to help was easily understood but the committee did not encourage sending parcels, although it would not try to stop it.—-(P.A.)

Mr Hyde will be Reinstated In a special statement to newspapers on Saturday afternoon the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) said that on learning from a morning newspaper of the reported suspension of Mr W. Julius Hyde, who interrupted the proceedings of Parliament in a badge-throwing incident, he got in touch with the Public Service Commissioner and requested him, on behalf of the Government, to cancel Mr Hyde’s suspension, and have him reinstated without any disadvantage or disqualification. Mr Fraser said that he was present in the House of Representatives when the brief interruption took place, and he was of the opinion, which was supported by others who witnessed the incident, that Mr Hyde was under great emotional strain at the time. In the circumstances it would be most unjust to penalise him in any way whatsoever.—(P.A.)

Ohakea to Cloncurry. What is probably the longest flight ever made from New Zealand vtas accomplished by the Lancastrian of the R.A.F. Transport Command, taking New Zealand delegates to the Peace Conference in Paris. The aircraft, which is under the command of Squadron Leader A. J. Bradshaw, left Ohakea at 7.20 on Friday night and flew non-stop to Cloncurry, in North Australia, a distance of about 2100 miles. It was originally intended that the Lancastrian should make Darwin its first stop, but although the aircraft left New Zealand with petrol for 19 hours’ normal flying, it had to land at Cloncurry to refuel after only 13 hours in the air. Fairly fast time was made across the Tasman. Cloncurry is 900 miles from Darwin. The aeroplane took off again later in the morning, arriving at Darwin at 3.30 p.m.— (P.A.)