NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22356, 14 June 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The King’s Thanks The Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, has received the following telegram from His Majesty the King: “I send you my heartfelt thanks for the loyal message which you have sent me on the occasion of my birthday and on behalf of' the Government and peoples of New Zealand, its island territories, and Western Samoa— George, R.I.—P.A. Hexton Labour Party The monthly meeting of the Hexton branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, held recently at the home of Mrs. J. B. McGava. was well attended, with Mr. C. W. Cowan in ,the chair. Routine business was disposed of early in the evening and correspondence on branch topics was discussed, after which the remainder of the evening was spent in cards. A dainty supper was served by the hostess. Auckland Rates Reduced Estimates for 1947-48 which provided for a reduction in the city’s rates from 4s lid in the pound to 4s 9d were approved by the Auckland City Council at a special meeting. The water rates approved were the same as those tor last year, 5 per cent, and per cent on the annual value for residential and non-residential properties respectively. The estimated expenditure was £1.089,402. compared with actual payments last year totalling £1,076.422. A special meeting to strike the rates will be held in a fortnight. Puriri for London

A small quantity of puriri timber, made available by the Auckland Harbour Board has been forwarded to London by the State Forest Service for use in making two dispatch boxes for the new British Houses of Parlia r ment. A letter from .the Prime Minister’s Department received at a meeting of the board yesterday, thanked the board and explained that timber from all the Dominions would be used in the new Houses. The architect had particularly wanted puriri for the dispatch boxes, it was added. Joke Came True

“The joke came true —Switzerland had a navy,” said the Swiss Consul in New Zealand, Mr. E. Theiler. during an address to the Wellington branch of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand He explained that Switzerland bought eight Greek ships, which sailed under the Swiss flag. Eight other ships were chartered, and the Swiss cross painted oq their sides. None of the ships was harmed by belligerent nations. It had been necessary to have ships because before the war the country imported 60 per cent, of its food. Laundry’s Long Trip A parcel of clothing sent to a laundry in Paris in July, 1946, was delivered to its owner in Suva last month—an excellent illustration of the prooity of at least one Paris laundry. The owner is the chairman of the Suva Town Board, Mr. Alport Barker, and the parcel was sent to the laundry from a Paris hotel while Mr. Barker was touring the Continent with the Empire Press Union delegation last vear. The party left Paris for London before the laundry had been returned, but the parcel by devious shipping services ultimately followed its owner home. School Nursing Course Views of the principals of Auckland secondary schools on the proposal to make a pre-nursing course part of the school certificates curriculum were given in letters received at .the latest meeting o£ the Auckland Hospital Board. A report from the board's matron-in-chief stated that it aupeared that technical schools were willing and anxious to introduce the course. However, grammar schools and some private schools, while very interested in nursing, felt that it would not be wise to introduce the subjects laid down before the student had reached the sixth form, believing that the best preparation for a nurse was a good general education _ with the pre-nursing course in the sixth form.