DOMINION NEWS ARBOR DAY OBSERVANCE IN WELLINGTON

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 August 1946, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS ARBOR DAY OBSERVANCE IN WELLINGTON

With a complete lack of ceremony several members of the Legislature to-day planted trees in the grounds of Parliament House under the guidance of the head gardener, Mr, A. L. Cobbe, as an Arbor Day observance. The Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) planted pohutukawas, while the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) planted a pohutukawa and a golden kowhai. Mr. Parry has for several years past marked Arbor Day by planting trees in the grounds, and some of them have already grown to an imposing size.—(P.A.)

Heavy Fall of Snow, , , , A heavy fall of snow is reported at Mount Cook. Advice from the Hermitage indicates that several inches fell there on Monday night, and 18 inches at the Ball Hut. The Minister in charge of Tourist and Health Resorts (Mr. Parry) said this was good news for ski-ing enthusiasts, whose sport had suffered from the mild winter. It was anticipated that many skiers would take advantage of the good conditions. —(P.A.)

Missing Dinghy 1 The air search'for the dinghy and its three occupants, missing from Ohiro Bay since Sunday, was abandoned yesterday, after a wide area up the east coast had been covered Land parties under the control of the Wellington police combed the coast between Island Bay and the northern end of Makara for even the smallest piece of evidence'which might give a clue to the fye o\ the missing party. Negative results were reported when the search ended in the late afternoon. —(P.A.)

Cars for Returned Servicemen In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr G. F. Sim (Oppn., Rotorua), in conjunction with Mr A. S. Sutherland (Oppn., Hauraki) asked the Minister of Rehabilitation if it was a fact that motor-cars at present being made available through the War Assets Realisation Board were being allocated on the basis of 50 per cent, to Government departments and 50 per cent, to disabled returned servicemen. If this was the case, and in view of the number of disabled servicemen requiring motor vehicles, would the Government urgently consider increasing their allocation to at least 75 per cent, in future. — (P.A.)

Trades Council's Action. Ten tons of cement that came to a construction job in New ' Plymouth through unauthorised channels will, as a result of action taken by the Taranaki Trades Council, not be used on the job, but will be distributed for more essential purposes. Mr. G. A. Swanger, district building controller at Palmerston North, said he had no power under the regulations to take action in this question, but he had succeeded in getting the contractor to stop the job after - the trades council had stated that it would declare the job black. .Action taken by the building committee of the Trades Council has also prevented the use of ordinary building rimu timber by the New Plymouth Borough Council for a railing round a motor parking area. Finns insignis is being used instead. —(P.A.)

Record of Overseas Marriages. The Marriage Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives last night and read a second time pro forma, _ replaces in legislative form the Marriage Emergency Regulations under which a wartime record was kept of service marriages solemnised outside New Zealand. The Registrar-General is to keep a special record of service mar-

riages involving one or more members of the New Zealand forces. The validity of service marriages is made clear by another clause of the bill. The Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones) said that during the war chaplains had to keep records and forward them to registrars in New Zealand, but sometimes- those records were lost, and some other documentary proof was required.—(P.A.)

Police Protection on Wharves. Increased police protection of the Auckland waterfront and the reintroduction of the police night water patrol are to be suggested to the Police Department after the adoption by the Auckland Harbour Board of a subcommittee’s report. The sub-com-mittee, which had considered closed supervision of the wharves at night, said that police protection was inadequate, and should be considerably strengthened, and that a night water patrol was needed as a protection against pillaging and the unlawful removal of goods from wharves and ships during the hours of darkness. The board adopted further recommendations that the wharves should be closed to the public from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. on week-days, entirely on holidays, and from noon on Saturdays to 8 a.m. on Mondays. Entry to the wharves during the restricted periods will be only by passes issued 'by the board of shipping companies.—(P.A.)

Appointment of Chief Justice. The Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), replying to an urgent question in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. C. G. Harker (Oppn., Waipawa), who asked when was it proposed to appoint a • new Chief Justice because the present shortage of judges was eausing inconvenience to litigants and others engaged in the administration of justice, said that an announcement of the appointment would be nnade at an early date.— (P.A.)