GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 22 June 1940, Page 6

GENERAL ITEMS

Restricting Court Reports “There is a tendency on the part of some people to agitate for further restrictions. on publication of reports of Court proceedings; this is an exceedingly dangerous principle,” said Mr Perry, M.L.C., in an address to a general meeting of the Wellington branch of the Royal Society of St. George. “We must, even at the cost of hardship ir certain cases, avoid a return to the iniquities of the Court of Star Chamber,” said Mr Perry. War Risk Insurance A sharp increase from £7.10 per cent to £lO per cent is reported to have taken place in the war risk rates of insurance on cargoes both to and from New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It is expected that details of the new schedule will be announced shortly. Rates for the Mediterranean have been withdrawn, and there are no quotations for French ports. The new figures are in effect limited to cargoes to or from New Zealand which are despatched via the Cape or Panama. The rates are of a general nature, and consequently, it was stated yesterday, they were not the result of the disaster to the Niagara off the New Zealand coast. Nelson Successes At the recent Waikato Winter Show held at Hamilton, Miss Marjorie Naylor, of Nelson, was successful in gaining two first prizes. In the professional section her oil pprtrait “Mr Thorn” and her oil landscape “Riwaka Valley” were both awarded first place in their respective class. Miss Margaret Smith, of the Nelson School of Painting, was awarded first prize in the students’ section at the Waikato Winter Show, for her original water colour study “The Studio Doorway.” Knitting Wool “Some relief to the famine in knitting wool is in sight, according to Auckland importers. British suppliers who have been unable to ship wool recently transferred orders to Australian mills in which they are interested. Doubts that wool would be obtainable f? om this source have now been dispelled, and Australian supplies are coming on the market. Arms and Ammunition Considerable quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives were brought into New Zealand during April, according to figures given in the latest Abstract of Statistics. The figures were well : n excess of the same period for last year. Arms, arrfinunition and explosives valued at £513,630 were imported in April, compared iwth a value of £40,315 for April, 1939. For the first four months of 1940 the total imports under those three headings were valued at £718,290, compared with £157.869 for the same period in 1939. The abstract, in its general comments, indicates that these heavy imports played an important part in boosting up the value of the total Dominion imports in April to an unusually high figure in recent months. Speeds of Caravans Having received notification that the Road Safety Council has recommended to the Transport Department that the maximum speed for trailer caravans be 35 miles an hour, the committee of the Manawatu Automobile Association, briefly discussed the subject. Mr R. R. Morton (representing the Caravan Chub) termed the restriction ridiculous and said that no person with a £l5O of L2OO caravan, wished to smash it up by speeding, but attention should be given to open trailers Some had wheel-tracks even wider than those on the car and some were over-loaded. The president (Mr W. H Brown) said the North Island Motor Union had consistently opposed the proposed limit, and the subject would be discussed at the next meeting of the union, in July.