DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 18 November 1942, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS

CHRISTCHURCH E.P.S. P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 17. Persuasive efforts by the Mayor (Mr Andrews) have resulted in the organising committee of the Metropolitan E.P.S. agreeing to carry on until the resignations of members of the committee come before a special meeting of the Central Committee to be called by Mr Andrews when he returns from Wellington next Wednesday. This morning, the' organising committee met the Mayor at what was intended to be the last meeting of the Committee, which considered that acceptance of the members’ resignations could no longer be delayed nqw that the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr Wilson), had refused the request that the regional control system should be removed. 4 CHILD FATALLY SCALDED. P.A. ELTHAM, November 16. i An Indian child, Tharalkermir (Duke), son of Mr James Panchia, was playing with his brother and sister at home when he fell into a bucket of scalding water yesterday morning. He was rushed to the Hawera Hospital, but died later. .303 RIFLE AMMUNITION. P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 17. Ammunition for .303 rifles is to be made available for the destruction of deer, pigs, goats and dogs affecting pastures and fctock. This follows negotiations between the Army Department and the Department of Internal Affairs. A condition of applications for ammunition to destroy pigs is that a certificate be obtained from a stock inspector of the Department of Agriculture. Announcing this arrangement, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry), said that a further arrangement between the departments provided for the receiving of applications through the police for the return to former owners of surrendered rifles where they were required for the destruction of deer and wild pigs. PETROL fOR LAUNCHES. P.A. WELLINGTON, November 17. A limited amount of petrol will be made available in order to assist owners of private launches to maintain the engines in their craft in reasonable running condition, said the Minister for Supply and Munitions (Hon. D. G. Sullivan). DasPite the shortage of petrol, he said, the War Cabinet had decided that supplies should be made available if possible to enable private launch .owners to keep their craft mobile, and a small ration had been approved for this purpose. The Ministersaid that he fullv realised that the small ration would allow only a very limited amount of running, but the owners would accept the restrictions in the right spirit. AIR FORCE ACCIDENTS. P.A. WELLINGTON, November 17. A member of the Jloyal New Zealand Air Force, Sergeant John ward Dornbusch, lost his life in an aircraft accident late last night, when the aircraft in which he was flying solo, crashed. His father Is Mr W. A. Dornbusch, Upper-.Hutt Leading Aircraftcman George Maitland Doig Findlay received slight injuries and was admitted to the station hospital when the aircraft in which he was undergoing solo flying training spun into the ground early yesterday-. morning. father is TMr G. Findlay. Auckland.

Leading; Aircraftsman Norman Deans Porritt suffered severe injuries to his right leg while undergoing small arms training at a North Island air station yesterday afternoon. His father is Mr H. E. Porritt. Cambridge.

PERMITS TO LEAVE N.Z. P.A. AUCKLAND. November 17 A re-arrangement of the conditions under which permits to leave the Dominion were issued, was announced by Mr Parry to-day. Manv Australians had come to the Dominion under permits from the Commonwealth Gpvernment, said the Minister, and these permits could be endorsed for return within six months Such applicants included a large proportion of business men here for war production purposes. Other cases were those where persons found the New Zealand climate unsuitable, and were recommended by doctors to proceed to the warmer Australian climate. Permits were readily granted on production of medical certificates Permits were also issued in special cases to persons in New Zealand with property interests in Australia requiring urgent attention, or when relations in Australia were dangerously ill. Australian-born wives of New Zealand men on military service. many of whom found it necessary to return to live with their parents in Australia, were also issued permits. Mr Parry concluded that the Government’s policy under the travel restrictions was to meet cases of outstanding merit, particularly where great hardship would arise from refusing permits to leave the Dominion. MEDICAL RE-EXAMINATIONS.

P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 17. All Grade Two men not in the Army, and all Grade Three men. both in the Armv and not yet posted, and all temporarily unfit men are to be re-examined to check up on their medical gradings.' This was announced at the Army Records Office in Christchurch, this morning. Almost 9,000 men in this area will be affected by the decision. In addition, instructions have been received from Army Headquarters that all Grade Two men and Grade Three men and those temporarily unfit will be re-examin-ed every six months, except in cases, where their grading is not likely to alter, and the Medical Board can determine they will remain in their present grade permanently. Some time ago it was announced that all Grade Two men in the Armv were to be re-examined. This job has been pushed ahead, and is well on towards completion. A number of men originally graded two improved with Army life, and have been regraded one, so that they are now fit for overseas service. SHORTER BANKING HOURS? P.A. WELLINGTON, November 17. . The Chairman of the Associated Banks states that in view of the increasinglv acute staff position, banks may be compelled to close some of their branches, on one or two days of the week, which days according to the recently published Bills of Exchange Emergency Regulations, 1942, would be non-business days for the purposes of the Bills of Exchange Act, 1908. GOODS TRAINS COLLIDE. P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 17. Two goods trains collided head-on north of Rangiora station at 7.40 this morning. Both engines were derailed and left locked together, and five wagons also left the line. Nobody was injured. When the trains came

to a standstill both engines were off the line, and two wagons attached to the stationary train were at right angles to the track; It is believed the weather affected the distant signal, and by the time the driver of the train from the north picked up the home signal, he was unable to pull up. The collision occurred about 50 yards inside the home signal. E.P.S. DEFAULTERS. P.A, WELLINGTON, November 17. “Action is now being taken to secure compliance with the regulations,” said the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr Wilson), expressing surprise and disappointment at the fail-ure-of numerous persons to fulfil the obligations to enrol in the E.P.S. The Minister said that several statements on this urgent matter

have already been made, and warnings of penalties had been issued. As the defaulters had had ample notice of their obligation, the authorities were determined to prosecute in the case of failure to enrol, whether the