NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24450, 8 November 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

TUST two months ago the Government of India placed an order for 58,000,000 sandbags in Bangkok, states a letter received by a Dunedin merchant. Although no further explanation was given than that the manufacture must be completed before December 15, the nature of the order seems significant. With threats of the invasion of India in the cable news, such a supply of sandbags would bo extremely handy—if the threats developed into something more material. It seems that India is not running the risk of being caught napping. Meat tor Britain "We are still discussing the meat agreement in London," said the Minister of Marketing (Mr W. Nash) in Auckland, when asked if finality had been reached in negotiations between the Governments of New Zealand aTid the United Kingdom, for the purchase of the Dominion's exportable surplus of meat for the current season. "Cablegrams are still being exchanged," Mr Nash added. Solicitors on Service The Law Practitioners Emergency Regulations, 1940, were gazetted last night. They authorise the remission of practising fees in respect of law practitioners who become members of any of his Majesty's armed forces. A Press Association telegram states that the regulations also empower the remission of the annual contributions to the Solicitors' Fidelity Guarantee Fund in similar cases. A Late Frost A late and fairly severe frost was experienced by residents of the Lower Peninsula and the Taieri districts yesterday morning, and in several areas so severe was the visitation that the ground bore a thick white coating. On the Taieri, the frost was particularly heavy, and in many cases the owners of gardens in the vicinity of Mosgiel awoke to find their early beans and potatoes badly blackened.

Prices of Food An assurance that the recommendations of the Economic Stabilisation Conference would be implemented to the maximum extent possible without doing harm to New Zealand's economy was given at Auckland by the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash). He said the Government was moving towards working out the procedure. Mr Nash pointed out that, working on the resolutions of the conference, the Government would have to determine prices at which food and other essentials should be stabilised, and the effect of this on the economy of the Dominion. He was satisfied that, unless stability in costs and prices was achieved, New Zealand would meet difficulties far greater than those that followed the last war. There was, however, no reason why stability should affect access by all the people to food and other essentials that could be supplied from the Dominion's own resources.

No Forty-hour Week An illustration of how the people of Britain, are working long hours to bring about victory is given in a letter from a New Zealand woman living in London, whose husband is engaged in work for the Air Ministry. "The hours of work are from 8 to 7.30 p.m., Monday to Thursday, 8 to 5-30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9 to 5.30 p.m. on Sunday, and one day off in eight, if you are lucky," she says, adding the comment: "A 63-hour week —enough to make the New Zealand workers sit up. isn't it? " Air Force Parade The men in training at the Taieri Aerodrome, under Squadron Leader G. L. Stedman, will parade in the city tonight. This will be the first parade of these men in Dunedin. The men will commence their march at 7 o'clock, and will be led by the Royal Air Force Band, of 58 members, which has come from the Rongotai Aerodrome to take part in the parade. The Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, will take the salute from a stand, in the Octagon. The Mayor, Mr A. H. Allen, will also be on the stand.

Troop Ships Brigadier O. H. Mead, addressing the men who paraded at a public function at Burnham Cairp on Wednesday, commended to them the example set by the Ist New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and the men who had left New Zealand recently. He said that the captains of two ships who had taken New Zealand soldiers away had told him recently that after the men disembarked it had been possible to go right through their ships without finding any damage at all. He was sure that the men who went away in the next detachment from Burnham would maintain the military traditions set by previous detachments.

Need for Auditorium The necessity for an auditorium at the Museum for lecture purposes was emphasised by the director of the Museum (Dr H. D. Skinner) at a function held there last night. Explaining that the lecture hall was too small to permit all those present to see an interesting film dealing with bird life on the Otago Peninsula, which was to be shown, Dr Skinner said that one of the aims he had for the extension of the Museum was the provision' of an auditorium. This had been taken up by the Royal Society, which now had some £ISOO in hand for the purpose, but much more would be needed. An auditorium was urgently required for various gatherings and all kinds of lectures held in connection with the Museum.

City Police Court A story of domestic discord was told in the City Police Court yesterday when Albert Francis Cameron Duff, aged 51, pleaded guilty to a charge of using indecent language in the hearing of persons in a public place. Seniorsergeant Vaughan said that Duff arrived at his home in Maclaggan street in the early hours of yesterday morning and used insulting language to his wife. The police were called, and Duff was warned. He continued in the same strain, however, and was arrested. Duff said that he had met some friends during the evening and had too much to drink. He had not been before the court for eight years. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., entered a conviction and ordered Duff to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months.

St. John Ambulance Parade To-morrow afternoon Otago members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade will parade in the Queen's Gardens for their annual inspection. The march past will take place at 3.15, the reviewing officer being Colonel G. Barclay, Chief Commissioner for the Brigade in New Zealand. The parade will start from the Brigade headquarters in York place, the route to the Queen's Gardens being along St. Andrew and George streets, through the Octagon, and by way of Princes, Rattray; and High streets. Leading the parade will be the Brigade's official band, the Kaikorai Band. The first of its kind in the Dominion, a new unit, the Women's Transport Division, will participate, and will give a demonstration of its work. The treatment given several types of air raid casualties will be demonstrated by the Air Raid Precaution Division.

Christmas Cards "I think that this Christmas card business is overdone," said Mr C. Morgan Williams, M.P., when the issuing of cards for 1940 was being discussed by the Lyttelton Harbour Board. In spite of this protest, however, the board decided to issue cards, the design to be decided by the chairman (Mr F. E. Sutton). "It has become so much a matter of form for local bodies to send out cards that it has become almost a pest," said Mr Williams. In his youth he had worked in a post office, and knew the slavery the cards entailed, so that he might be prejudiced. There was. however, a shortage of paper, and the board would be setting a good example in war economy if it did not issue cards. "They are all right if half a dozen cigars come with them," said Mr W. J. Bowden, who supported the issuing of the cards, adding that they gave pleasure to a great many people.

Presbyterian Assembly The opening of negotiations with a view to approaching union with the Methodist Church, and plans for an increase of ministerial stipends corresponding with decreased money values, are two of the subjects for discussion at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, which will open its sessions at Palmerston North on Tuesday. An attendance of 250 ministers and elders is expected. The retiring moderator is the Rev. J. Lawson Robinson, of Christchurch, and the assembly will be presided over by his successor, the Rev. G. H. Jupp, of Anderson's Bay, Dunedin. A recommendation that the campaign for raising £300,000 as a centennial thanksgiving fund. which has been three years in progress, be extended for another year will be considered, and the assembly has also to appoint a successor to the Rev. Dr E. N. Merrington, who has retired from the charge of Knox College. The Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union conference will be held in Palmerston North at the same time.

Mine Disasters The last mine disaster in New Zealand prior to the West Coast tragedy on Wednesday, occurred little more than a year ago, when 11 men, all married, were Killed by gases generated in llie Glen Afton coal mine, in the Huntly area, op September 24, 1939. This was the worst tragedy in the Huntly area since 1914, when 41 men were killed by an explosion in Ralph's mine. The last mine disaster on the West Coast was in 192 G. when nine men lost their lives in explosions in the Dobson mine. The greatest loss of life in any New Zealand mine disaster occurred on March 26, 1896, when 65 men lost (heir lives in an explosion at Brunner, a few miles from Greymouth. The work of recovering the bodies took three days, and not a household in the neighbourhood escaped bereavement. Mr R. J. Seddon took an active part in the direction of the rescue work. An earlier disaster was in the Kaitangata mine, where an explosion occurred on February 21. 1879. Thirtyfour men were killed, most of them married, and 120 women and children were deprived of thc'Lr breadwinners.

Australian Airmen

Marching proudly in the footsteps of a fighting force which has won the acclaim of the world, members of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force paraded through Auckland on Tuesday. Entirely unheralded, the march nevertheless attracted large crowds, who lined the route as the men swung past. It was an inspiring sight. The parade was led by the Papakura Camp Band.

Holiday-makers from East As it is impracticable at the present time for them to take their usual vacations in Britain and on the Continent, an increasing number of British and Dutch residents from Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies are coming to New Zealand and Australia to spend their furlough. Over 50, including a number of children, are at present in Auckland. Some propose to spend nine months in the two countries, and others six months.

Central Otago Roads Advice has been received by the Otago Automobile Association that the heavy rains which fell during Labour Day week-end caused extensive damage, estimated at approximately £SOOO. to the highways in the Central Otago district. The Crown Range and Skippers roads are both in a particularly bad state, and it will probably be some time before they are fit to take their normal burden of traffic again. In the meantime none but experienced motorists should attempt to travel on either road. The big slip which came down on the Kawarau Gorge road is, being cleared, but at present there is only a very narrow passageway past the slip, and drivers are advised to exercise extreme caution when negotiating this section of the road.

Transit of Planet Mercury A transit of the planet Mercury across the disc of the sun will be visible in all its stages throughout New Zealand next Tuesday morning, and the Dominion's astronomers, both professional and amateur, are making their final preparations to observe an event which occurs only once every 13 years. About 25 astronomical parties throughout the Dominion will make accurate observations of the times when the tiny planet makes its contacts with the edge of the solar disc. Such observations are of value not only in improving knowledge of the planet's trbit, but also as a check on the rotation period of the earth, which astronomers know varies slightly. A campaign has been initiated by the Naval Observatory, Washington, and is being directed in New Zealand by the Carter Observatory, as a result of which it is hoped that some thousands of observations will be secured. Councillor Resigns Cr F. F. Boustridge, the only Independent member of the Greymouth Borough Council, resigned his seat lsst night (says a Press Association telegram) following the refusal of the council to order the immediate demolition of a small footbridge erected across Sawyer's creek by a number of residents who appropriated a quantity of the borough's timber for the purpose. Cr Boustridge, who has been chairman of the Works Committee for the past three years, declared that if the council allowed residents to remove its property for the purpose of erecting bridges and was not prepared to order their demolition and prosecution of the offenders its prestige es a council would be dragged into the street. When the motion was defeated by five votes to three Cr Boustridge walked out, refusing the request of the Mayor, Mr F. A. Kitchingham, to return by saying " I have nothing further to say."

Tenders are invited by the Public Works Department for the supply of oil valves and fittings, and lorry weighbridges. We have received from Phyllis Hall, Marion Hall, Margaret C. Hore, Valda Hore, Shirley Hore, and Dorothy Hore, of Naseby, the proceeds of a Guy Fawkes Day collection, amounting to 12s, with a request that they be given to the Red Cross Fund. Coffee for breakfast. Order from your grocer a tin of "Bourbon," the coffee of quality. Instructions in every tin. Prepared by Durie's, coffee specialists, 32 Octagon, Dunedin.— Advt. , . ~ For rings, watches, and jewellery try Peter Dick, jewellers, 59 Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt.