Australian Dried Fruits

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 23 March 1945, Page 4

Australian Dried Fruits

Licenses to import currants and raisins from Australia are to be granted to importers by the Customs Department. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has been advised that licenses will be granted to the extent of the amounts of the licenses for currants and raisins from Australia in 19411. Atkinson Observatory. If the sky is fairly clear, the Observatory will be open to the public to-morrow evening from 8 to 10. Conditions tor Anglers The Acclimatisation Society reports that all rivers are clear and low enough to be crossed at the usual places. Provided the weather remains fine, conditions for dry fly anglers should be good during the week-end.

Extensions to Telephone Exchange Alterations to the Nelson telephone exchange, which will enable the installation of additional switchboards giving accommodation for a further 300 subscribers will shortly be undertaken. While the extensions to the switchboard will make provision for a large number of new subscribers it will be some time before all those wishing to obtain telephone service can be connected, the delay being due to the difficulties of securing Supplies of cable, wire, .telephone equipment and fittings. As supplies of these materials come to hand, connections of new subscribers will bo able to be undertaken. Extensions to the toll switchboards are also contemplated. but this work will not be started until after the removal of the clock tower.

Imports of Sun Glasses Applications from regular importers for licenses to import non-optical sun glasses and smoked glasses are being considered by the Customs Department. The Commissioner of Supply (Mr F. R. Picot) has advised the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce that this is being done because optical sun glasses are the only type of sun glasses in the medical supplies programme of the Ministry of Supply.

Big Building Block The largest block of land capable of immediate subdivision placed on the market ,in Christchurch for several j ears was sold this week. It was a block of 56 acres in St. Albans. The whole area was sold» at auction for £13.500, the purchasers being the Paramount Building Company.

Record Swordfish A double strike, an unusual event in deep-sea fishing, occurred in the .Bay of Islands to-day. Fishing from the same launch, Messrs J. Taylor and H. W. Jagusch landed two striped marlin after a fight lasting 35 minutes. One weighed 3401 b and the other 2401 b. Another striped marlin was caught by Mr Taylor, making a total for the day of 8141 b. Yesterday Mr Taylor won the pinfish for catching a 3501 b striped marlin, a record for the season. In his second attempt at deep-sea fishing last week Mr L Monks, of Auckland, taught the heaviest black marlin of the season. The fish weighed 8361 b. During the last week Mr R. T. Simpson, of Dunedin, landed a black marlin weighing 3241 b and three striped marlin weighing. 3161 b, 2861 b and 2611 b. A hammer-head shark was landed by Mr C. Boucher, of Russell. Government’s Programme The time was not far distant when family allowances would be paid irrespective of the parents’ income, said the Minister of Health (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer) in an address at Hanmer Springs. He added that substantial increases were to be made in social security benefits. Legislation wduld be introduced at the next session of Parliament to empower the Government to acquire the Bank of New Zealand. Mr Nordmeyer advocated the acquisition by the State of all the coal mipes in the country. He deplored the action of some of the coal miners in striking on slight and flimsy pretexts. They were seriously sabotaging the war effort of the Dominion by so doing.