SHOPS CLOSING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25301, 7 September 1945, Page 8

SHOPS CLOSING

NORTHLAND BUTCHERS AN INDEFINITE PERIOD (0.C.) WHANG ARE!. Thursday The Northland Master Butchers' Association decided tonight to cease the sale of meat until satisfactory arrangements were made by the Government to adjust prices. Butchers' shops in Whangarei will be closed after tomorrow, Friday, and in other Northland centres after Saturday for an indefinite period. The association has asked .for an increase of 2d per lb on all meat sold. The suggestion made by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, that meat be secured from the Moerewa freezing works is not acceptable to the association, which states that the basic wholesale price of beef in the original price order, under which the retail price of meat is controlled, is fixed at 4d per lb, landed in the butchers' shops. The cost of boned frozen beef, quoted f.o.b. Moerewa, is 6Jd. with freight and handling charges to be added. At a special meeting of Labour organisations held in Whangarei tonight it was decided to request the Minister of Supply that, in the event of the Northland master butchers ceasing to sell meat, the Government in the public interest take over the shops and continue the sale of meat. A telegram embodying the above resolution will be forwarded to the Minister tomorrow. REMAINING OPEN THE TRADE IN AUCKLAND Suggestions that butchers should close their shops on Monday and hold J an all-day meeting wore not favoured | at a meeting of the Auckland Master Hoteliers' Association which was called last evening to consider proposals submit fed by their Dominion executive. About, 60 members attended. The proposal to close on Monday to consider problems at present confronting the trade evoked a lively discussion. It was pointed out that the trade had an obligation to meet the needs of the public, and agreement was finally reached that butchers would remain open and hold the proposed meeting in the evening. ESCAPE DENTED MAN IN IIYJAMAS INCIDENT AT HOSPITAL A sequel to an incident at the Auckland Hospital on August 2, when a prisoner receiving medical attention decamped in his pyjamas, was the appearance before Mr ,f. Morling, S.M., yesterday oi: Roy .lames W'helan, aged 35. labourer (Mr G. Skelton), charged with escaping from lawful custody. He was also charged with stealing a wringer and a iawuniowor value at £9 os, the property of H. G. Kitchen. Senior-Detective Trethewey called evidence to show that accused, who had been arrested the previous evening on a charge of theft, was under guard at the hospital on August 2. He was kept in a portion of the institution known as the cells. Early in the afternoon he was taken to the X-ray department on a trolley by male hospital attendants and accompanied by a constable. Accused, who was dressed in pyjamas, was left in a passageway awaiting his turn to he X-rayed, and a few minutes later he jumped off the trolley and disappeared, said Mr Trethewey. Owing to the position of some curtains the constable on duty did not see which way he had gone. Accused was seen in Grafton Road and then in Park Avenue, where he vanished between two houses. * Evidence was given by Constable R. E. Fell, of Takapuna, that he saw accused at Milford on August 21 and arrested him. He was brought to the Centra] Police Station and bad nothing to say. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. PENSIONS BREACHES PROBATION FOR OFFENDER (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Eight charges of breaches of the War Pensions Act were admitted by Walter John Butters, aged 34, married, lorry driver, of Commerce Street, Frankton, when he appeared before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in Hamilton today. Senior-Sergeant Coddington said that accused was awarded a disability pension of £8 9s monthly on his discharge from the services, and for the period in which he was not working he was allowed an economic pension of £7 lis 8d monthly. Accused, however, obtained employment as a driver and remained in it until this year, when after a short period, he was employed by another firm. On November 23. 1944. and on each subsequent pension day for eight months, defendant made an official declaration that he was not working and drew his full disability and economic pensions. The magistrate placed Butters on probation for one year and ordered him to make restitution of £6O 13s 4d. TRANSIT CAMP HUTS (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Permission was granted the' State Advances Corporation by the Hamilton Borough Council last evening to allot 50 per cent of the huts at the Whitiora transit camp to returned servicemen, irrespective of the number of children they had. The corporation asked the council for a definition of its policy with regard to the number of children to he allowed with their parents in the two-bodroomed huts. It was resolved that parents with three children would be permitted to occupy the temporary homes in the camp. SLY GROG CHARGE A charge of selling liquor without a licence was admitted by I'oier Nohua, aged 26, labourer, before Mr F. TI. Lovion, S.M., yesterday. He was sentenced to one month's imprisonment.