GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 25 October 1941, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

! War Concessions for Examinees A petition for an improvement of the j war concessions available for accoun- ! t.incy students in their examinations j was received at a recent meting of the ! Educntifm Committee of the New Zealand Society of Accountants. Members of the sub-committee in charge of this matter stated that all cases were considered on their merits and every possible precaution was taken to ensure equitable treatment. Approval of this procedure was expressed, and it was agreed that it was not advisable to extend the present scope of concessions. War Affects Hearing. The scope for such service as is rendered by the League for the Hard of Hearing had been greatly widened by the war, said Mrs G. A. Hurd-Wood in an address in Wellington this week. One result of the last war was that 34,000 men were so seriously deafened that they obtained pensions or allowances from the British Government. Many New Zealand soldiers also suffer, ed in the same way, and it was highly probable that the number of deafened or partially deafened would be greatly increased by the conditions of the present war, with its tremendous blasts of bombs and shells. The league would do its utmost to assist in a satisfactory rehabilitation of the men or nurses who would return deafened or partially deafened. Big Catches of Whitebait. There have been some big runs of whitebait in the West Coast rivers, particularly in the Hokitika river, and it is expected that reports will disclose | very big hauls in the rivers further j south (states “The Press”). On one day i during the last week-end fishermen secured fine hauls on the main beach jof the Hokitika river, on the northern I side, near the town. They simply held ! their nets open and each wave literally | swept shoals of whitebait into them. [One man secured half a sack of while- ' bait, equivalent to four kerosene tins, and others secured two and three tins apiece. In little more than an hour and a half a few men caught approximately !20 tins. Their catch was soon attract- ! ing many other fishermen to the river. 'The canning factory at Hokitika secured I a fair proportion of the big catch, j Other supplies were put into cool store, j Altogether the big hauls were reminiscent of the days when, in West Coast towns, whitebait was so plentiful that it | could not be got rid of. Market For New Zealand Seeds. , The possibilities for marketing New Zealand certified seeds in Australia I were very great indeed, especially in ; Victoria, said Mr R. McGillivray, former l Fields Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture, speaking to the | North Canterbury district executive of the Farmers' Union (reports "The i Press"). Mr McGillivray, who has been jin Australia since his retirement from | the department, gave impressions of his .study of pastures in many parts of the i Commonwealth. If the use of New Zealand seeds were to be extended in Aus- ! tralia, he said, it would have Lo be done !by private enterprise, as "official life” ! was not interested. He had met farmers j who had been told by officers that if ! they used New Zealand seeds they would fill their pastures with weeds. ! This idea was nonsense, and he had j taken care to point out that it was only a prejudiced view of New Zealand [seeds. “I feel sure that, with the groundwork already done, there will be, after the war, a wonderful exten- ■ sion in the market. You should make [every endeavour to keep your pastures right so that you will be in a ; position to meet this demand,” said Mr j McGillivray. Asked bv Mr G. C. Warren about the prices of New Zealand i seeds in Australia, Mr McGillivray said that they were "something awful.” He gave instances of “fabulous prices.” j Akaroa cocksfoot was known to the i majority of Australian farmers, and where it had been grown it had done j very Well indeed. He had seen the farm of one man who had used New Zealand | certified seed for years, and it was “an i oasis in the midst of practically derelict pasture.”

Childless Marriages v “It is astonishing the number of i undefended divorce cases we have in winch ihe parties have no children.”! " said tin' Chief Justice, Sir Michael i c Myers, in Hamilton on Thursday during! the hearing of petitions for divorce. "Ii is an interesting commentary and gives* some food for reflection." News of the War A question whether Australia and I New Zealand were putting out too n many 8.8. C. broadcasts as such was I raised by Sir Keith Murdoch, managing l director of the Melbourne •‘Herald," who visited Auckland this week. "1 it think the BBC. gets the basic new.; _ across very thoroughly," he said, “but j there is always a slight accent of sue i cess, and it is questionable whether we e I should rcbroadcast the services all di-I reel or whether we should not put on | r 'the air matter that has been sifted, j j. | There i: a grave danger of over-confi-j deuce. There is no effort that anyone . s can make that should be left undone, I - whether it is a question of adjusting i n one's own living to the war effort, or taking up arms." e Marlborough A. & I'. Show e ‘ A decrease of almost £3l compared! [with last year was registered in the j G 1 gate takings for the Marlborough A.! -land P. Association's annual show this' y j week. The actual receipts were £257. compared with £287 13s a year ago. Beer Strike on West Coast It is understood that Denniston hotel-i keepers have now decided to serve 12- j ounce glasses of beer instead of 10- j ounce glasses as formerly (states "The; Press”). The extra two ounces will not; be provided, however, till supplies of I 12-ounce glasses are to hand. This j should end the miners’ strike. The first i - hotel to be blacklisted by the miners; 1 ! was at Burnett’s Face, but it is now ex • peeled that Burnett’s Face will cornel ’ mto line with Denniston and Westport. ; ’ In Westport 12-ounce glasses have been j served ever since the custom of each | j third 10-ounce glass being free has been i r, abolished. The Denniston publicans’ [ 1 main objection to serving 12-ounce j j , glasses was that freight charges to j - ! Denniston were higher and the turnover! . | smaller. 1 Gills In Insurance World. t : “In 20 years’ time it is possible that j shareholders will be confronted with a ■much more attractive board of direc-! tors, and they may even be addressed j by a female chairman and general man- j . ager," said Mr James Morton, general j manager of the South British Insurance j ;! Company, Limited, at the annual meet-' ' ing in Auckland this week, when pay j ing a tribute to the work of the women i " i employees of the firm. “Do not think | ’ that a girl's work in an insurance office consists merely of hitting a typewriter.": s ihe said. "Insurance work is not all 1 i [ brawn, and already women are doing ! i | very good work indeed. > Living the I*ast Down. The suggestion frequently made that . I men who have once been in gaol do not [ i ! get a chance to resume normal life i t again was denied by Mr Justice Fair | I when sentencing prisoners at Auckland ; • on Thursday (reports the "Herald”). 1 "People in New Zealand do not shun J ■ a man because he has had a bad record , •j in the past,” said His Honour. "My. ' , experience has been that the great M majority are anxious to assist him as soon as he shows that he desires to live an honest life and regain his place in ’ the community.” N.Z. Forestry Units. Although photographs have reached | the Dominion showing members of the New Zealand Forestry Units lustily ■ | using axes or cross-cut saws in the ■j United Kingdom, they have not been, » in the news to the extent that other! bisections of the New Zealand Forces' - j have. That does not mean, however, : 'that they have not acquitted themselves! 5 j well or that they have been forgotten j -in the distribution of comforts (says - “The Post”). A letter received - recently from the officer commanding! ; the 14th Forestry Company expresses] i appreciation to the National Patriotic; . Fund Board of the receipt of gift! (parcels. The letter was written on 20th ! August, ju after each member of the; ! company had received a parcel, and i ■ I the letter refers to notes which were l f 1 sent with the parcels showing that! /1 they had been forwarded through the' Üboard by the various provinces. "Last • Christmas,” the letter continues, “part cels were also received from your I 1 [ board and we should like to say how -•much we appreciate these gifts and the! • . good wishes that go with them. Please i - i convey to all responsible our thanks I y [for their dispatch and accept from us i Hour best wishes and the hope for a; y j speedy termination of hostilities and ‘ i return to you all.” S ! :1 Soldier Accountants y About 350 members of the New Zeas land Society of Accountants are on , - full-time war service, mostly overseas. ; The council of the society has decided [ t.Y send parcels of suitable goods to all the members overseas.