Prisoners Departing Soon

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 269, 14 November 1945, Page 6

Prisoners Departing Soon

Former British prisoners of war ami internees of the Japanese, who arrived in Auckland early in October aboard the hospital ship Tjitjalengka, are expected to leave for the United Kingdom, some aboard the aircraft-carrier Indefatigable and others aboard the hospital ship Maunganui within about a month. Some of the 300 patients are at present accommodated at the Haventhorpe, Papakura Camp, Green Lane, Cornwall Park, and the Waikato Hospitals. V v Diplomats for Wellington The Prime Minister (Bt. Hon. P. Fraser) announced yesterday that the establishment in New Zealand of Bushian and French Legations at Wellington will be completed shortly with the arrival in tlie Dominion early next week of the Kussian Minister and his stuff. The French Minister will arrive a few days later, but his staff will reach New Zealand early next week. M. Ziabkin, the Soviet Minister, will have with him as First Secretary to the Legation, M. Pavel Yermoshin, and there will be three Attaches, all with wives and families. M. Arrnand Gazel, the French Minister, will be accompanied by his wife and the Vice-Consul (M. Costilhes) and Mine. Costilhes. Just a Possibility Inquiries made in Wellington yesterday indicate that at present there is no firm foundation for the hint given in Christchurch by Mr. C. A. Sexton, a member of the Goods Service Charges Tribunal, that motor tyres would shortly be reduced in price and that the price of petrol might also be reduced. Kfforts are apparently being made with a view to securing a reduction in the price of petrol and greater Bupplies of tyres, but so far as could be ascertained yesterday it is not known yet whether the efforts will be successful. The position appears to be that the stage has not yet been reached when it can be said that cheaper petrol and more tyres are anything more than a hope and a possibility. Transport Mergers Opposition to the Government’s change of policy in regard to road transport mergers is likely to be expressed by the New Zealand Hoad Transport Alliance and the New Zealand Carriers’ Federation. This was indicated yesterday by the secretary of the two organisations (Mr. H. «T. Knight) who said that the policy enunciated by the legal officer of the Transj)ort Department (Mr. B. T. Dixon)) at the public sitting of the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority at Nelson would be totally unacceptable to the industry affected. The department’s contention that additional licenses should be granted in competition with the amalgamations pf the private goods service operators, said Mr. Knight, was obviously an injustice to private enterprise as it did not apply to the State. He added that the matter would be taken up with tho Minister of Transport