LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25179, 17 April 1945, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Graduation Ceremony

The Auckland University College graduation ceremony will take place in the Town Hall on. Friday, May 4, according to a recommendation adopted at a meeting of the college- council yesterday. Mr Justice Cornish will b;? invited to give 'an address at .the ceremony.

"Rat Week" in City A decision to co-operate to the full extent of its power in the Auckland City Council's "rat week" campaign was made by the Auckland Transport Board yesterday. The chairman, Mr W. H. Nagle, said that in view of the great need of food in the world everything possibly should be done to exterminate the vermin. Mr Nagle thought the campaign, which commences on Monday. April 30, should be carried on indefinitely. Mail to Yugoslavia Postal services between British countries and Yugoslavia have been resumed for private and business letters, not exceeding two ounces, according to advice received by the acting-Royal Yugoslav Consul at Auckland, Mr J. Totich, from the Postmaster-General. It is four years since Yugoslavs in New Zealand have been able to communicate with people at home. The business letters are restricted to communications exchanging information and ascertaining facts. Requests lor Donations "I think this is definitely beyond our limits altogether," stated the chairman, Mr W. H. Nagle, when the Auckland Transport- Board decided yesterday to take no action in regard to a request from the Metropolitan Canary, Budgerigar and Cage Bird Society for a donation. A similar request was received from the Onehungs and District Returned Services Association, which pointed out that the board had declined a previous application, but had since eeen fit to donate £IOO to the Auckland Returned Services Association. The matter was referred to the finance committee for a report. Costs of Building While building costs were higher, housing standards were better in New Zealand than in Australia, said the director of the Commonwealth experimental building station, Mr D. V. Isaacs, when he met representatives of building trades in Auckland,.last night. Costs in Australia had risen by about 45 per cent since the beginning of the war, but they were about 20 per cent lower than in New Zealand. Bricks were sold in New Zealand at rather more than double the price in Australia. Mr I. Langlands, who is accompanying Mr Isaacs, said that sales tax had_ been removed from the prin6ipal bnildinyr materials in the Commonwealth. Political Censorship "One of the first acts of the National Partv when it assumes power next year will he to abolish the present iniquitous political censorship," said Mr K. JHolyoake, M.P. (Pahiatua), when addressing members of the Grey Lvnn branch of the National Party last night. "In England, where people have been .living within range and sound of the enemy, censorship has been pr a 9" tically non-existent, matters being lett to the common sense and good judgment of individual editors. But here, during the war years, our Government has grown increasingly reluctant to submit itself to the whiplash of public opinion, and now in New Zealand—surely the most distant' of all countries from actual conflict —we are living beneath one or the most rigid press censorship® in world*"