NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20379, 16 October 1940, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Low Proportion FitOut of 76 men examined by the medical board in Rotorua last week for national military service under the first ballot of conscription, 66 passed as fit. Street Appeal Permission was given by the Gisborne Borough Council last night to the Heni Materoa Home Committee to conduct a street appeal during the first week in Dec°mber. River Regatta In order to assist the Sports Queen Committee in its river regatta on October 28, the Gisborne Borough Council last night agi-eed to a request from the committee that a portion of Read’s Quay be closed to the public on the occasion. Youth Remanded Charged that on October 9 he broke ana entered the premises of Gisborne Fisheries, Limited, and stole therefrom 14s in money, a labourer, Ronald Speight Somervell, aged 19, appeared before Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., in the Police Court to-day, and was remanded until October 23. Homeless in England A donation of £lO was agi-eed to by the Cook County Council to-day towards an appeal made by the Counties’ Association to assist homeless people in the United Kingdom. The Counties’ Association advised that it was asking each county council to contribute £lO and hoped by that means to raise £I2OO in the Dominion. Motu Hall Committee The annual meeting of the Motu Hall Committee, held recently, was poorly attended. The report and balance sheet, read by the secretary, Miss P. Twisleton, showed that the past year had been satisfactory. A motion of thanks was passed to Mr. T. Jackson for acting as caretaker. Officers were elected as follows:—Chairman, Mr. R. S. Fisher; secretary and treasurer, Miss P. Twisleton; committee, Mesdames A. W. Thomson and H. L. Twisleton, Messrs. W. J. Reed and T. Jackson.—Special. I Inadequate Funds The inadequacy of financial arrangements made for remitting funds to New Zealand soldiers serving overseas was the subject of a brief discussion at yesterday's meeting of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce. Mr. H. H. De Costa raised the matter and contrasted the treatment of New Zealand soldiers with those of Australia, for whom the limit was £4OO a year, as against New Zealand’s £2O per annum. Other numbers agreed with Mr. De Costa, and supported unanimously his motion that the Minister of Finance be ui’ged to make a moi-e liberal allowance for remittances to soldiers abroad. Gaseous Fuel A proposal that some effort be made to develop the natural-gas sources of the district to relieve the country of part of the cost of petrol, and to enlarge transport facilities, was placed before the Gisborne Chamber )f Commerce at its monthly meeting yesterday in a letter received from Mr. Hugh Patterson. The writer cited an opinion given by a leading officer of the New Zealand Geological Survey, recommending use of the district’s gaseous fuel. An attempt to discover the most usable sources was strongly advised by Mr. Patterson, who pointed out that suitable drilling gear now in the district might become available later. The letter was not discussed at length. R.A.F. Recruiting Grounds The continuance of engine-exhaust noises on the streets and rivers of Gisborne, despite the regulations which are supposed to limit such noises, was the subject of complaint at the monthly meeting of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, held yestei’day. Mr. L. Miles drew attention to the exhaust noises of motor-boats, and other speakers referred to motorcycle exhausts, there being general agreement that some mitigation should be sought. Messrs. W. D. Morley, D. E. Chrisp, K. W. Bull and R. W. J. Edwards deprecated any action which would suppress the natural ebullience of young men, pointing out that the motor-boating and cycling groups had made valuable contributions of personnel to the R.A.F. and other fighting forces. The subject was not pressed further.