RECORD TOTAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24875, 22 April 1944, Page 6

RECORD TOTAL

I'OPI'Y DAY COLLECTION ABOUT £4700 IN SIGHT Year by year since the outbreak of the war, new records have been established in the annual Poppy Day collection in Auckland and district. In 194(1, the appeal realised £2418; in 1941, £2516; in 1942. £3176; and last year £4062 was reached. At a late hour last night, the Returned Services Association reported that £4333 had been counted, and the final amount anticipated from yesterday s collection was in the region of £4700, or nearly £7OO more than last year's record. The interim total returned by the Eden-Roskill branch was £470, and the Devon port Association ; which also is an assessment. To the Devonport total, a naval unit subscribed over £l2, the sum in which its mess fund was in credit. Funds collected by individual branches are retained, except for certain small levies. -The collectors this year were very well organised, and nobody who ventured out of doors could claim that ho or she had not had an opportunity of buying an emblem. While no very large donations were reported, at least one £5 note was contributed, about £3O in pound notes, and the proportion of silvgx' coins of higher denominations aas strikingly evident. This fact was noted by several early collectors in -he suburbs, who made the confident prediction that, if the weather continued fine, another record collection would bo recorded at the end of the day. Servicemen were noticeably generous givers, and by the early afternoon those in uniform or in civilian atiiro who did not display a poppy were in a conspicuous minority. The president of the Auckland li£tured Services Association, Mr. A. i . Postlewaite, and the executive ot the association, last night expressed their thanks to the Mayoress, Mrs. J. A. U A Hum, for organising the various societies for the collection, to the stallkeepers, their helpers and to the public for its handsome response. A record Poppy Day collection was also made by the Onehunga a.nd District Returned Services Association yesterday With two small amounts to come, the total was £272 9s 6d, compared with the previous record of £253 7s id established last year. RESPONSE IN HAMILTON LARGE AMOUNT REALISED (O C.) HAMILTON. Friday A record amount of over £6lO was collected in the Poppy Day street appeal in Hamilton to-day. Members ot the women's section oi the Waik&to lieturned Services Association were assisted by other women's organisations in making the collection. There was no hesitancy on the part of the public m supporting the appeal, and American servicemen also contributed freely. WELLINGTON COLLECTION SUM OF £4815 RAISED ( P A .) WELLINGTON, Friday The Wellington city and Poppy Day resulted in £4815 being collected, against £6osf last J ear, when visiting servicemen giving generously substantially augmented the fund. To-day's is the total best ol normal years. WHANGAREI SHOPS SATURDAY OPENING DESIRE FOR RETENTION (O C.) WHANGAREI, Friday | A decision that Whangarei retail | establishments should retain the present shopping hours, opening on Saturday morning, was made at a well- j attended meeting of retailers last night. It was generally considered that m a community such as Whangarei, hav- i rng a large rural population, service ( could not be rendered to the public without the extra trading on Saturday morning. However, if Saturday closing became a Dominion-wide principle the Whangarei retailers considered that they had taken what steps they could to retain Saturday shopping hours tor the benefit of the community. FINES TOTAL £IOO SALES TAX NOT PAiD Four charges of breaches of the Sales Tax Act were admitted by Maurice Joblin (Mr. Wheaton), belore Mr. J. Morling, S.M., yesterday. Mr. Cleal, who prosecuted, saul defendant was a contractor of Henderson. During the latter part of 1942 and in 1943 he dealt extensively in wine, lie bought from the growers and sold to retailers and in the cases before the Court he sold as principal and not as an agent. When he sold to a retailer | he was liable to pay 20 per cent tax ! and 20 per cent should also be paid by I the grower. In connection with the tour ! charges four lots of wine of a total : value of £IOOS 13s were sold and on ; this taxes amounting to C2Ol <d !should have been paid. Mr. deal said it was known that deI fendant had been making large profits from the sale of wine. In reply to the ' magistrate he said the taxes ueie ie- | coverahle. , i Defendant was fined £2o on each j charge. UNUSUAL CHARGE i THEATRE MANAGER FINED j (0.c.) NELSON. Friday ! "This is an unusual charge," commented Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M., when John Patrick Whitehead, manager of the State Theatre, pleaded guilty to causing to be displayed in the theatre an advertisement relating to intoxicating liquor contrary to the Licensing Act emergency regulations. Sergeant J. It. Corston said it was the first charge of the kind in the district. lie knew of one other in New Zealand —in Auckland. When defendant was interviewed he admitted that a particular slide had been shown periodically and seemed under a misapprehension. . . , Counsel for defendant said the offence was due to a mistake by an operator. A nominal fine of 10s and costs was imposed. The maximum "fine under the regu'ations is £IOO. SCHOOL CARD SYSTEM OBJECTIONS RAISED (I>.A.) CHRTSTCHURCH. Friday "This card system should not exist and I am going to fight to prevent our children being made like those in Germany. Reports on this matter are alarming and it is making me wonder where our democracy is," said Mr. F. L. Tnrley at a meeting of the Canterbury Education Board this morning, commenting on a statement that the new cards to record the progress of children were to be introduced in the schools. On the cards the history of the parents as well as that of the child would be recorded. When the child left school the card would lie handed to what Mr. Tnrley described as "a new outfit known as the vocational guidance centre." A definite statement had been made that parents and 'children would not have access to this card and if that was the case the card should not exist, I added Mr. Tnrley. Mr. A. E. Lawwrence said that the ; matter should be submitted to the educational questions committee for con- : si deration, and this course jra® agreed 1 on.