LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23818, 20 November 1940, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Auditing Patriotic Funds - Provision" for the auditing either by the Audit Office or by an auditor appointed by it of accounts of all money and property received and spent by authorised collectors for the national fund is contained in an amendment to the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations, 1939, which has been gazetted. It is provided that all expenses in connection with the audits shall be paid out of the national fund. Pictures from Home One of the many signs that the people of Britain are not allowing themselves to be turned aside from their normal activities by the German onslaught is the receipt in . New . Zealand of the annual picture calendars. The only difference is that they are arriving somewhat earlier than usual. It is significant that a.typical one, the Scotsman Calendar, now issued for the tenth year, confines its pictures entirely to scenes of beauty and contains not a hint of wartime activities and destruction. "Fewer Nuisances" "I want you returned soldiers to support the Home Guard to the utmost. I don't want you to look down on its members because most of them were not at the front during the last war," said Major-General Sir Andrew Russell, Inspector-General of Military Forces in New Zealand, when he addressed the 4th Battalion of the National Military Reserve in Christchurch. "The more there are in the Home Guard," he added, "the fewer there will bo to get around and make nuisances of themselves. Even the women can help in this direction." Popularity of Carrie Hostel The popularity of the Carrie Hostel with members of the armed forces was shown by a report presented at a meeting of the executive and finance subcommittee of the Auckland Metropolitan Patriotic Committee last night, when Colonel T. H. Dawson, C.M.G., C.8.E., said that, while there was accommodation for 85 men, the average week-end call was 130. The financial report showed a very satisfactory position and Mr. J. A. C. Allum said many gifts of bacon, eggs and other goods had been received from the public. Private Letter Boxes The transfer of the private letter boxes from the ground floor of the Chief Post Office to the basement is likely to be made in the near future as a preliminary to the scheme of general reorganisation. Conveyor plant extending from the new mail building is now being installed in the basement to a point where the new posting boxes will be on the street level, and it is regarded as almost certain that the full reorganisation of the basement will bo put in hand. When the private letter boxes are removed from the ground floor to the basement, entrance to this section will bo from Tyler Street. Hamilton Mail Clearances A request from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce that the hour of clearance of letter-boxes in the .main street bo advanced from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. is considered by the Post and Telegraph Department to be impracticable, according to a reply received at a meeting of the chamber this week. The department stated that it was necessary to release as many men as possible for military service. Mr. A. M. Bisley commented that the chamber was getting less and less service from the Post Office, and he thought it should continue to press the department for improved facilities.

Police and Army Service Appeals from tho Director of National Service, Mr. J. S. Hunter, affecting 19 Auckland policemen who had been drawn in the second territorial ballot were dealt with by the Auckland Area Manpower Committee during formal business at Papakura yesterday. Tho secretary of tho committee, Mr. L. N. Harris, produced a certificate from the director to show that the calling up of the men would be against tho public interest. He pointed out, however, that the appeals were of a departmental nature and the men themselves wished it to be made clear that they were not appealing. Adjournments sine die were granted in each case. Large Hutt Valley Hospital Expected to cost more than £250,000, tho new Hutt Valley Hospital, on which work has boen begun, is expected to be finished, before the middle of next year. It will accommodate 210 patients, with provision for expansion to take 360 patients. The estimated cost is stated to be approximately £260,000. This estimate, however, was for 150 beds, and it has since been decided to build an extra storey on each of tho patients' wings, increasing the number of beds by 60. Tho work is being undertaken, by special permission of the Government, on a non-contract basis, -to expedite .its completion. It has been declared an emergency job, and shortly a large gang of men will be working long hours on it.

Stamps for Patriotic Funds A suggestion for the issue of special stamps for raising patriotic funds, received from Mr. L. A. Griffiths, provincial supervisor of the Lady Gal Way Guild, was considered by tho Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council last night. It' was agreed to refer the scheme to the National Patriotic Council for favourable consideration. Mr. Griffiths recalled past issues in Australia, and said that with tho help of tho Government this, scheme could be quite successfully launched in New Zealand. The issue would in. no way conflict with the health stamp, which by that time would bo withdrawn. Ho proposed that the stamps should cost Is and 2s, and'that the funds should benefit to the extent of lOd and Is lOd. respectively from eti.ch stamp.' Heavy Tourist Bookings '

* Judged by' the number of inquiries that have 'been dealt with by the Dunodin; branch of the Government Tourist Office, there will be a heavy exodus of holiday-makers from Dunedin during the Christmas and New- Year period. In spite of the existing conditions, bookings at the various tourist resorts in Otago and Southland are as numerous as they have ever been, the Southern Lakes district and Stewart Island being particularly popular. The Milford -track-will be oxiened on December 3, and the increasing popularity of this trip is indicated by the fact that the 'bookings :for parties who' iiropose to take tho»'overland route to Milford Sound, are exceptionally heavy. Mount Cook and the Franz Josef Glacier will also attract their full quota of visitors, on account "of petrol restrictions, it is probable that bookings at these resorts will not be quite so numerous as in past years.