GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

Leased to the Army The Winter Show building in Wellington, which has been in use as a military barracks for some time past, has been leased to the Army Department at £2OOO a year for the duration of the war and six months after. The Bees Swarm After cruising over Nelson’s main street during the noonday heat of yesterday a swarm of bees came to rest on a Neon sign outside a theatre. They clustered symmetrically round the “J” in Majestic, thus bringing this letter full into the eye of the passers-by. In Two Ballots Among a considerable number of Auckland area reservists drawn in the recent overseas ballot who had previously been called up in one of the two territorial ballots, were 393 for whom appeals for postponement of territorial service had been lodged. When they come before the Manpower Committee, which deals only with territorial service, these appeals are being adjourned sine die. The appellants are told that if they wish to appeal against overseas service they must lodge fresh forms with the Armed Forces Appeal Board. Wellington. From statements in evidence at sittings of the Auckland Area Manpower Committee, it appears likely that many who have sought postponement of territorial training will not mak& appeals against overseas service. Parents’ Fear “Owing to a fear by parents that if they leave their children too long at school they will be too old for working, because of wage regulation, there has been a steady drain from the secondary schools in their first and second year,” said Mr T. Conly (vocational guidance officer) at a meeting of the Otago School Committees’ Association (reports the “Daily Times”). “The class legislation hits the working people hard, but of course it was designed to get better pay for the better educated. The wealthy man can make provision himself for his son, when he reaches 17 or 18 years,” he concluded. Old-Time Prophecy A prophecy in rhyme, which is to be found in a 500-year-old tombstone in a churchyard in Essex, was recently recalled by an Edinburgh woman as being particularly applicable to world conditions to-day. The quatrain reads: “When pictures look alive with movements free; when ships like fishes swim below the sea; when men outstripping birds can scan the sky; then half the world deep-drenched in blood shall be.” Tactical Exercises by Home Guard Tactical exercises by the Port, Tahunanur and Stoke sections of the Home Guard are to take place on 21st or 22nd December. The Port section, representing an enemy force of 200 men with two machine-guns, is to attempt to take the Tahunanui aerodrome, which will be defended by the Tahunanui and Stoke sections. In preparation for these exercises the Tahunanui section leaders made an inspection on Sunday of the country over which they will be working. Attendance at Sunday Schools Concern at the decline in the number of Presbyterian children who attend Sunday schools is expressed in the “Outlook,” the official paper of the Presbyterian Church. Of about 66,000 children of Sunday school age in New Zealand, about 28,500 do not attend Sunday school, and of 39,000 people of Bible Class age over 25,000 do not attend classes. The Church has 4030 Sunday school teachers and 1025 Bible class leaders, compared with 9489 primary and secondary teachers in State and private schools. Since 1927 the attendance at public schools has dropped, but that at Sunday schools has declined further. “We cannot be content to let this decline continue unchecked,” says the “Outlook.” “There can be no greater challenge to our Church in this generation.” Hot Day in Blenheim Sunday was the hottest day in Blenheim so far this summer, the temperature in town reaching 88.5 degrees (records the “Express”). Home Sold for £6600 That there is a firm demand in Auckland for homes of a good type was indicated at the auction of a two-storeyed, 14-roomed house in Auckland last week. The property was a well-known Remuera residence, “Muritai,” in the estate of the late Mrs I. Robertson, with an area of nearly two acres, fronting Remuera road. It was auctioned by C. F. Bennett, Ltd., in conjunction with T. Mandeno Jackson, and there was a large attendance. Bidding, which commenced at £SOOO, was brisk, and the property was sold for £66QO. The purchaser was Mr F. D. Mill. Industrial Efficiency Act “The Industrial Efficiency Act is the tightest strait-jacket into which industry has ever been placed by peace-time legislation in any British Dominion,” said Mr R. M. Algie, director of the New Zealand Freedom Association, it* an address to the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce. He described the principal provisions of the act as an insidious piece of socialist planning which was likely to create far more problems than it purported to solve. Mr Algie added that the act was alien and unBritish in its conception, that it savoured to a very great extent of the philosophy of Karl Marx as interpreted by Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, and other modern dictators, and that it tended to crush human initiative by placing private enterprise at the mercy of bureaucratic interference and control. Members of all organisations affiliated to the New Zealand Labour Party are reminded of a reception to the Prime Minister to be held in the Velma Hall on Friday, 13th December, at 8.15 p.m. Admission will be by ticket only. Tickets are obtainable from the secretaries of affiliated organisations on application. It is hoped as many members as possible will take advantage of this opportunity of meeting the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, P C., M.P.

Remanded A youth appeared before Mr W. Dee, J.P., in the Magistrate’s Court this morning charged with converting a car to his own use at Wakapuaka. On the application of Senior-Sergeant C. Petersen a remand was granted till Friday next. Firm’s Patriotic Gifts A New Zealand firm has presented the National Patriotic Fund Board with a case of powder in tins for the relief of tired and aching feet, believing that the board will be able, to distribute it usefully among members of the New Zealand fighting forces. It is intended to send the powder, together with other gifts, to the troops overseas. The same firm made a donation to the board of £l5O. Good Sprinting Ahead An important, if uncontentious, part of the war policy of the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, is that the men of the Services should be trained to run as fast as possible so that they will be able to catch the Italians, states “The Post’s” Australian correspondent. Mr Menzies announced it when he onened the athletic championships meeting of the Services at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He told the competitors that if they met the Italians it would probably be a running battle and they would have to be in good form to chase the foe. Circumstances Alter Cases The question as to whether a policeman is as sensitive to indecent language as the ordinary citizen was referred to by Mr R. Hardie Boys, who appeared in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington yesterday on behalf of a man who was charged with using indecent language to two policemen (reports ‘The Post”). “This is not the first time the Court has had before it cases of indecent language being used to the police themselves,” said counsel, “and I do suggest that that sort of language used in such circumstances, is not to be regarded as seriously as offensive and obscene language shouted out by drunken men within the hearing of women and children in the street.” Trend of Education “Reports from expert committees justified it on educational as well as on utilitarian grounds,” said Mr G. J. Park, principal of the Auckland Seddon Memorial Technical College, at the annual prize-giving, in stating that the trend in education before the war was towards the type given in that college. “Even Eton College, with its long tradition of classical education, is said to be building new and well-equipped engineering workshops on the extensive, newly-acquired area near Windsor. So it seems that in the future, even more than in the past, the demand for technical education will grow. Our rolls to-day are nearly four times what they were in 1923, and there is an additional technical school in the district.” Freak of Nature Marigolds growing in North Dunedin gardens are in some cases assuming a freakish form this season. The malformation of the blooms which has surprised gardeners takes the form of several stalks, each with its own bloom, growing from what at first appeared to be a normal bud on a thicker stem of the plant. To find six or eight blooms growing from what Nature apparently intended to be a single flower has in some cases been a common experience, and in one notable instance the number reached 16. Experienced gardeners say that no explanation can be given of the occurrence. It must simply be accepted as one of Nature’s freaks. Taxis on Time Basis Notice of its intention to introduce a higher rate of charge .for taxis hired on a time basis was given by the Auckland Metropolitan Licensing Authority at a meeting last week. The machinery motion will be taken at a meeting of the authority on I6th December when submissions from the affected parties will be heard. Coming into operation on 23rd December, the new rates will apply only to hire for scenic drives, weddings and funerals, the charge for other trips being by distance and at the present rate. Time hire at present is at the rate of 12s an hour, and Is for every five minutes thereafter. The new charges are to be 15s and Is 3d. Extras will be payable in special circumstances, such as for more than four passengers. Kid Glove Industry An application by an Auckland firm i to import machinery to start the; manufacture of kid gloves in New Zealand has been declined by the Department of Industries and Commerce (states the “N.Z. Herald”). Following the complete ban on the importation of kid gloves into the Dominion the firm obtained in Australia an option on a set of 35 machines of British manufacture required in the making of the gloves. A license was sought to import machinery, together with materials, as New Zealand tanneries do not produce the kid skins needed. It was pointed out that this was an entirely new industry in New Zealand, but that the Australian firm had offered to lend glove cutters and other expert hands to train a staff here. The secretary of the department, Mr L. J. Schmitt, has advised the firm in reply that under existing circumstances it would not be possible for a recommendation to be made supporting the importation of the machinery and materials. The Government was of opinion that the fullest provision possible under present conditions was being made to existing manufacturers and it would not be possible to justify the establishment of a new manufacturing unit in this industry.