AMERICAN ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25055, 20 November 1944, Page 4

AMERICAN ARMY

EELEASE OF BUILDINGS TRANSFER THIS WEEK The United States Army Forces and Service Command in New Zealand will vacate the Dilworth Building, at tl ccrrier of Queen and Customs Streets 6 early this week Most of' the offices vrili be transferred to Camp Hale, in front' of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, although some might be moved to the quartermaster and water division headquarters in Quay Street. It is also intended to vacate thr I Waverley Hotel in the near • future ! Most of the officers who have been I using it for meals and accommodation i will be quartered at Camp Hale. ! Nothing definite is yet knownjt.about the future of the 39th General Hospital in Cornwall Park. However it is believed that these buildings will also be vacated fairly soon. Although definition has now been given to the use of the Dilworth Build, ing and the Wayerley Hotel by the American Army, it was stated officially on Saturday that nothing is known about the future, plans of the forces I themselves. I The two buildings which are being vacated have been used by the American Army since 1942. A portion of the Dilworth Building, the fourth and fifth floors, was released some weeks ago. The fifth floor will return to the Dilworth Trust Board on December 6 but it is believed that the fourth floor is to be used for the accommodation of Government departments, possibly the Audit and Treasury Department and the Land Sales Court. It is not known what will be done with the sixth; and seventh floors ' which are those about to be vacated by the American Army. Their disposal i.-j in the hands' of the Works Department, which took over most of the building on behalf of the Government under the Emergency Accommodation Regulations. ■ , In the case of both the Dilworth Building and the Waverley Hotel, the American Army made few structural alterations, and it is stated that it should not take longto restore thek to their former condition. ■ , PURCHASE AGREEMENT "GIFT FOR NEW ZEALAND" BRITISH PRESS COMMENT LONDON, Not. 18 A plaintive note runs through London financial comment on the settlement with New Zealand in connection with the bulk purchase contracts, although many City quarters take the view that a fuller statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer would have created an altogether different impression, says the Associated Press. Typical of the financial press reactions is a heading in the Manchester Guardian financial article,- "Gift for New Zealand," and the Economist's professed difficulty in avoiding the conclusion that this is another evidence of "that single-minded mood of unlimited liability in which Britain has been waging the war." The settlement has certainly thrown doubts on the earlier claims for the advantages of bulk purchase agreements. Nevertheless, the press criticism is probably chiefly due to increasing London sensitiveness about Britain's £3,000,000,000 sterling of overseas war debt. -

Attention has been refocused upon the overseas war debt by the Indian delegates' demand at Rye for a discontinuance of the Empire exchange poo! and by the Wall Street Journal report of Washington talks of a £1,000,000,000 sterling American reconstruction loan for Britain. The stock markets have become irregular with business restricted. New Zealand bonds met a demand on the prospective reinforcement of. the Dominion's sterling balances, which on July figures amounted to £34,000,000 sterling. STORAGE OF WOOL OFFER BY RACING CLUB (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Snndsy A decision has been made by the Southland Racing Club to make available free of charge the maximum storage space for wool on its premises. The secretary of the club, Mr J. E. Cutmll, stated yesterday that storage charges on the New Zealand clip were paid' by the British people and not, as was commonly thought, by New Zealand. T»® racing club made this gesture as * mark of appreciation. LOCAL AND GENERAL Firewood from Fallen Tree . A pine tree on Mount Victoria which ■was blown over by the storm at tnfl week-end provided Devon port residents with an unexpected supply of urewooo. Large numbers of children from tn district busied themselves vesterday collecting cones from the fallen tree. Telegrams to France The service for personal and comrnei' cial telegrams between New Zealan and parts of liberated France has bee restored. The telegrams must be W W; lish, French, or one of four recognise codes and commercial messages are restricted to those ascertaining facts an exchanging information. Maav towns and provinces are still excluded iro the telegraphic service. Waterfront Pohutukawas An early pohutukawa has burst inW flower on the waterfront road. The tree usually do not commence to bloom tree until December and by Christm are at their best. The younger trees lining Tamaki Drive have made go growth in recent vears and the mass of flower buds which they nO T , c , give promise of a colourful sight tne height of their season. Cyclists Before Court , There has been a great deal o activity recently on the part or Hamilton borough traffic inspectors. » the first prosecutions taken by < tne for many months were heard m ■ Police Court on Friday. Nine cyclists were fined 10s each for tneir machines on the railway t> n °P. footpath, while 12 juveniles were monished for the same offence. City Hotel Fire Two machines from the Central m station and one from Ponsonby attena a small outbreak of firo in the v tral Hotel, Victoria Street, ab°u1 1 p.m. yesterday. The fire started in , flue used for taking off fumes rr the kitchen, and was confined to t rooms. It was quickly extinguished little damage was done. Some inc venience was caused in the prepara of tbe midday meal. Swanson School Fete , A sum of £4OO. was raised for general school purposes at a fete neia Saturday afternoon by the Swan School Parent Teachers' Assaciatio . Swanson. The function was opened the Minister of Education, Mr Mason, who gave a short address on the . and trend of modern education, congratulated the residents of tn trict on their _ initiative in improving the school environment. Old Telephone Directories . The provincial supervisor *°L p reclamation iof waste material, er P. Neale, states that the need for• pi* is just as pressing now as it na at any time during the war quests telephone subscribers to ti , „j their old directories to the n® are ?ii c ] e iin or other waste paper depot. ■ ai. paper handled by the.Vi asteß . j tion Division of the A uckland Pr .-jug Patriotic Council is sold and the patriotic fond MMWp*