News Of The Day

Northern Advocate, 2 October 1943, Page 4

News Of The Day

Poor Spring Weather The. advent of October is usually regarded as the beginning of really spring weather but this year Whangarei failed to receive such a happy .augury. Heavy localised showers were experienced throughout yesterday and last night, with intervals of cold winds of gale force, and for the 24 hours to 8 a m. today the rainfall was .19 inches.

Trent Season Opens • The trout-fishing season throughout New Zealand, with the exception oi' the Rotorua and Taupo districts, opened yesterday. Unfortunately in the districts adjacent to Auckland the bad weather has been against favourable prospects and most of the best rivers and streams were reported yesterday to be running high and discoloured./ Owing to war conditions inquiry for licenses and tackle also has been quieter than usual, but several parties of visiting servicemen have been preparing to try their fortune. The season in the Rotorua and Taupo districts does not open until November 1.

Pigeongram Pell Results Telephone and telegram and even pigeongram were the means used in the Eastern Maori electorate to secure a prompt return of Friday’s polling in the widespread electorate, in which' the large number of 190 booths were operating. A carrier pigeon was used to take the results from Motiti Island, off the northern Bay of Plenty coast, to Tauranga to ensure prompt recording with the returning officer in Gisborne, where the figures were ultimately received by telegram. This method, tried for the first time in the electorate in, at least, recent years proved so efficient that- the Motiti Island return was recorded in Gisborne during the first hour after the closing of the poll.

First Word Since Singapore The first direct word she has had from her son. a bombardier with the A.1.F.; since Singapore fell was received by Mrs. Flora Commins, Onerahi, this week. It was an undated postcard with Malayan inscriptions and read: “Dear Mother: I am a prisoner of war. I am well. Love. (Signed) John.” Last March Mrs. Commins was informed by. the Australian authorities that her son was a prisoner in Borneo.

Billets Wanted For Kiwis

The appeal for billets for members of the Kiwi Concert Party, which will arrive in Whangarei on Sunday, October 17,, and depart on Tuesday morning, has so far been disappointing. Members of the party are all members of early N.Z.E.F. echelons who have travelled extensively throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean theatre. Anyone prepared to offer hospitality to these boys for two nights is requested to communicate immediately with Peter Butler, phone 2159.

Help for the Blind In furtherance of his campaign on behalf of the New .Zealand Institute for the Blind. Mr. George Mairs left for Kaikohe this morning. He will attend stock sales in that district and at Kaitaia during next week, and will be back in Whangarei on Saturday next. Mr. Mairs has been busy this week, attending sales at Dargaville, Mititai and Kamo, where, he reports, he met with most gratifying response from farmers, who appreciate the fine work which is being done for blinded people in the Dominion.

Holiday Positions For Girls "The two girls who have gone to office positions have done so as a result of filling positions which were meant to be holiday ..positions only, and of being persuaded by employers to stay on,” reported the principal of Wellington Girls' College to the Board of Governors, the reference being to the present state of the school roll. "Both girls were to be examination candidates in about two months' time, and had excellent chances of leaving school, with good qualifications,” continued Miss North. "I consider that this practice of taking holiday positions should be discouraged. It is against the girls’ best interests, in the matter of health, and in the matter of preparation for future advancement."

Real Estate in Wellington "Country members report there is a very keen demand for land of all classes, but very few owners are willing t 6 sell, as they consider that farm-land is as good an investment as any for their money at present,” says the president of the Wellington branch of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (Mr R. A. Large) in his annual report. “Some of the better-class farms have changed hands at prices from £7O to £BO an acre. Buyers arc plentiful for small sheep areas, but these places are also difficult to obtain. Town property has sold very well throughout the year where possession can be got. and in some cases investors have bought tenanted houses. Building sections are also in fair demand.” * * * * New State Building Another large Government Departmental block is being constructed at thereat- of Parliamentary Buildings,' on the corner of what was Museum Street (beioro that thoroughfare was closed) and Sydney Street, immediately to the north of the “Bowen Street Lake” (the site of New Zealand Broadcasting House). This building will have a frontage to tire west (Museum Strcc-t) of 125 feet and one of 85 feet to Sydney Street. Barring two light areas at the rear, the structure will cover the entire block to a height of two storeys. The type of building is not new to Wellington.* 'To builders it is known as a temporary-permanent structure, similar in almost every respect to the building the Government erected for the R.N.Z.A.F.’s former headquarters in Bunny Street. « * • • Christ’s Reign on Earth for a Thousand Years is the subject of a Free Fublic Lecture to be delivered, God willing, by Mr. K. R. Macdonald, in the Kamo Hall/Sunday, October 3. at 7 p.m. 851 # 2* ** *

Patrolmen for Detention Camps In an advertisement in this issue applications are invited for appointments as Patrolmen in the Detentioh Camps under the control of the Naiional Service Department, at a commencing salary of £303 per annum.