GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 7 December 1940, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

Workers Withdraw Claims As Ui2 result of the workers withdrawing their claims from the Court of Arbitration hearing in Wellington, the current Dairy Employees’ award will continue in force until the Court makes an award based on new claims. National Savings Window Display A symbolic window display at Messrs Trathen and Co.’s shop, Trafalgar street, draws the attention of passers-by to the claims of the National Savings Scheme. A crown on a cushion in the centre of the window is surrounded by flags and red and white and blue ribbons, emblematic of the Empire, and coins and moneybags alongside investment forms emphasise the financial aspect. The Nelson School of Music term concert will be held on Tuesday next at 730 p.m.

Recording Judge’s Words “It is unfortunate,” said Mr Justice Johnston in the Supreme Court at Auckland on Thursday, “that in New Zealand Courts there is no one to take down a verbatim record of the Judge’s summing up.’ ’ His Honour was hearing a motion for a new trial which involved an allegation of misdirection by his Honour to the jury. “The Judges’ associates sometimes can write shorthand and sometimes they cannot, and there is never a complete note,” he continued. When a Judge’s summing up was called in question, the parties were thrown back on their own resources, and the Judge had a right to look to them for a note to compai'e with his own, he said. Rare and Beautiful Shells Rare, beautiful and delicate sea shells from tropical islands are included in a presentation collection which has arrived at the Dominion Museum from Mindanao, Philippine Islands. Breeding of Game Birds The Otago Acclimatisation Society’s game-breeding venture at its hatchery a f Waitati in recent years has met with a good deal of success (states the “Daily Times”). Pheasants, quail and mallard ducks have received the society’s main attention up to the present, but it is now proposed to extend the field of endeavour to include the breeding of chukor. A native of the Himalayas, the chukor has been established firmly in high country areas in Otago. Up to the present, however, it has been necessary to obtain the birds from outside sources. The North Otago Acclimatisation Society recently brought down a report on the breeding of the birds, and now the Otago Society has decided to undertake the work on its own if eggs or birds can be obtained. At a meeting of the Otago CYuncil last night the secretary was instructed to write to various possible sources of information with a view to obtaining data which would enable the scheme to be put into operation. Hitler’s Days Numbered “If we are amongst the fortunate survivors of this war we shall certainly continue to live in the country,” writes a resident of Surrey to a friend in Dunedin. “Of course we are in the south, and just occasionally an air battle happens somewhere in the neighbourhood, and fleeing Nazis jettison their bombs or waste them on innocent fields when they presumably think they are hitting military objectives. lam afraid many innocent people will yet have to suffer, but there can be no doubt whatsover that Hitler’s days are numbered. London at night must be unpleasant, but the way everybody just carries on is simply amazing.” Christmas in Britain The air blitzkrieg against Britain has not affected the people’s intention to adhere to customary Christmas celebrations, according to letters received in New Zealand. “I think we should make the usual festivity of it,” says one writer, “and it may amuse you to know that we have made our Christmas puddings and mincemeat.” The same writer, whose age is 72, tells how the British are finding amusement in air raid shelters. “They learn to know their neighbours by the snore instead of by name,” he says, “and you get Blaster, Speaker, Wheezer and Woodsawyer.” The Business of Farming “To-day more than ever farming is regarded as a business where capital and labour are organised for production, and land is worth only what it can produce,” said Mr D. M. Malloch during a talk on farm accounting at a meeting of the Invercargill Rotary Club (reports the “Southland Times”). He did not pose as a farmer or profess to know the technical side of farming, but his job over the last 20 years had convinced him that whenever a farmer got away from the main objective—the attempt to come out with a profit at the end of the year—there was trouble ahead. Aims such as making a model farm, getting top prices at the wool sale, gaining the record for butterfat or winning show championships were all very commendable, said Mr Malloch, but they should not be allowed tc distract the farmer from the main objectives of showing a surplus at the end of the year. “If any of us start to live off capital,” he added, “we must come to the end of it sooner or later.” Wild Life Under Bombing A certain lack of guns, ammunition and beaters has saved the life of very many game birds—grouse, pheasants, and partridges—in England this exceptional year; but one one farm at any rate the birds have not been so lucky, notes Sir W. Beach Thomas in the “Spectator.” A bomb that fell in an open field not far from two labourers’ cottages killed with the shock of the explosion the whole of a covey of 12 birds. It is the habit of partridges to “jug” in very close proximity, and this time a protective device proved their complete ruin. A considerable number of pheasants and rabbits have been killed, the birds only by shock. They seem to be peculiarly sensitive in this regard. About hares and rabbits I have little evidence, but in 1914 I came upon three hares in one Belgian field that had all been killed, so far as I could determine, by the shock of shellbursts the day before. Tax Department Pays Out Recently a Wellington citizen went to the Income Tax Department to pay his dues, which amounted to between £9 and £lO. At the time of his visit he had a fair sum of money in new, crisp Reserve Bank notes, which, when new, have a trick of adhering closely to one another so that at times it takes quite an effort to separate them. The taxpayer in the case actually commented on that fact when paying over his money. Some hours later he received a ring at his home, the voice from the other end inquiring whether he was short with his money. The man said he honestly could not say, as he had taken out a sum of money to pay several accounts. However, on thinking it over, he thought he might be £5 short and suggested that, if the numbers of the £5 notes he had paid in were consecutive, a satisfactory clue could be established. They were. It was found that, even as he was remarking on liability of the new bank notes to stick, he had paid in three £5 notes instead of two. It was then that the Tax Department paid out. Money for Soldiers Support was given by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at its meeting this week, to a resolution requesting that authority to transmit larger sums ot money to members of the New Zealand forces overseas should be granted by the Government. “There is no doubt,” the motion stated, “that it is the commercial community’s desire that all possible should be done by the Government for the comfort of the New Zealand forces overseas, even at some prejudice to the amounts available for imports into New Zealand.” After a suggestion that remittances up to £SO a year should be permitted to each soldier, it was pointed out that the money sent was always shared with those who did not receive so much.

Soft Fruit Season Though the soft fruit season in Wellington is backward, because of the abnormally cold weather in November, the prospects are said on the whole to be favourable, the Wairarapa having missed the late frosts this year. Red and black currants are coming forward in limited quantities already, sales being recorded at the markets yesterday at Is 3d a pound chip (reports “The Dominion”). A very few raspberries also made their debut at the markets yesterday morning. With the present warm weather these should come on rapidly during the next few days. Cherries, from Carterton, realised 11s 6d and 12s a 101 b box. Auckland strawberries, in good condition, brought 2s 2d and 2s 3d a chip, and tomatoes of outside growth brought 8d to 9d per lb. Early grapes from Lower Hutt have made their appearance on the market this week. They were sold yesterday in the Allen street markets at 2s lOd per lb. New Zealand Founders’ Society At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Founders’ Society it was decided by resolution to have the society registered under the Incorporated Societies’ Act, 1908. It was found on inquiry that it was necessary to gain the consent of a majority of the memj bers of the society before incorporation could be effected. That consent is now being sought. School Terms for 1941. The following opening dates have been fixed for school terms in the Nelson Education Board’s area for 1941: First term, Monday, 3rd February; second term, Monday, 26th May; third term, Monday, Bth September. To-night at 8 o’clock the usual dance will be held in the Oddfellows’ Hall. The object of these dances is to raise funds for the Children’s Christmas Tree. Bright music will be supplied by Mr H. Williams and Mr C. Reynish. Prizes will be awarded to the winners and runners up for the two Monte Carlo waltzes. The ladies will hand round supper about 10.15 p.m. Mr G. Lock will be M.C. Londoners and Air Raids The matter-of-fact attitude of the Londoners themselves towards the daily air raids to which they are subjected is mentioned in a letter received in Dunedin recently from a writer in England. “You will have read in the papers of all that has happened to our dear old London and its dearest people, particularly the poor of the East End,” the writer states. “Those of us who have lived amongst them are not in the least surprised at the splendour of their behaviour. The only people to be surprised at all the talk about their courage and good humour are the people themselves, and I think they rather resent it. ‘What did they expect us to do?’ is their attitude, but it has been a truly terrible time as you can imagine, and words are quite inadequate to describe it all.”