LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23953, 1 May 1941, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rush for Petrol Petrol filling stations open in the city last night did record business with motorists taking their last opportunity to use the April coupons. Because only two stations in the city are open at night, some congestion was caused by the rush of business and at one stage a line of cars uniting for attention at one garage extended for over 100 yards up the street. Many Divorce Actions A total of 112 divorce petitions has been set down for hearing at the quarterly Supreme Court sessions in Auckland which begin next week. Of these 99 are undefended, four will he defended before a Judge and jury and nine defended before a Judge alone. At the same sessions there are 16 civil actions to come before a Judge and jury and 12 to come before a Judgt} alone.

Weight of Army Tank While it will play a prominent part in the home defence preparedness parade to be held in the city on .May 10, a New Zealand-made tank is not to be allowed to cross Grafton Bridge with the rest of the parade, but will wait in Symonds Street until the column reaches that point. In view of its weight of 25 tons it has been deemed advisable not to take the tank over the bridge.

Meat Canning Operations Men are to carry out operations during a second shift at the meat canning department of the Westfield freezing works that during the main shift are chiefly performed by women. Eighty men engaged through the State Placement Service are to start next week on the second shift which will end each working week day at midnight. Even if sufficient girls were available for this shift it would not under present conditions be practicable to employ them during the night hours.

Women in Farmers' Clubs A recommendation that young women should be admitted to membership of young farmers' clubs in New Zealand was approved at the annual meeting of the western Southland district committee of young farmers' clubs. "New Zealand is the only country in the world where young farmers' clubs do not include women." stated the chairman, Mr. J. Middleiniss, after the meeting had been read a letter to one of the members from the woman secretary of the largest club in Scotland. which had a membership of 90,

Reaction Against Jazz "Apart from (lie Lease-and-Lend Act. one of (lie finest bits of news from America in recent days is that the craze for jazz and swing is passing away. I hope that, it "ill pass away in New Zealand," said the Rev. R. B. Gosnell in an Anzac service in the Karori Methodist Church, Wellington. "1 am in constant, fear." confirmed the speaker, "of going to the radio and hearing a certain man crooning 'Abide With .Me' or '.Nearer, My God, To Thee.' " He had always believed that there was a close and vital association between the people's moral condition and the songs and books and pictures that they valued.

Building in the Oity There was a sharp decline in the value of the building permits issued by the Auckland City Council during the past, month, when the total was £14,800, compared with the March figure of £78,444 and £69,586 for April of last year. The expenditure so far this year on building in the city has been £233,246, the amount for the first four months of 1940 having been £29t>,828. Among the 121 permits issued during April there were none for business or industrial buildings of any magnitude, although 25 new dwellings accounted for £31,986 of the month's expenditure. The erection of new houses has been a feature of the building activity in tho city in tlio past four months, tho total so far being 109, these being apart from the dwellings built by the State Housing Department. These private dwellings have accounted I'M an uiiii.iN ui nearly £IIO,OOO.