NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24791, 16 December 1941, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

IN compliance with the Government's appeal to conserve petrol, a unanimous decision to withdraw all their travellers' cars from the road until the war situation improves was reached yesterday at a meeting of representatives of the Dunedin Wholesale Softgoods Association, Messrs Bing, Harris, and Co., Ltd., Messrs Ross and Glendining. Ltd., and Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen, Ltd. Travellers of these firms at present engaged on business trips in country districts have been recalled and are to have their cars withdrawn at the week-end. The decision will .be reviewed in the event of an improvement in the war situation.

Reward for Service A donation of £lO as a mark of appreciation for the work being done for the city by the Dunedin Amenities Society was received by the society from the Dunedin Rotary Club yesterday. The cheque was regarded by the society as a welcome Christmas gift. By-election Coincidence To record exactly, the same number of votes in one town in the electorate as were gained at the last general election by the.winning candidate was the unusual achievement of Mr W. Sullivan, successful. Nationalist candidate in the Bay of Plenty by-election on Saturday. In the town of Opotiki Mr Sullivan polled 639 votes, the same figure as that recorded by the former Government member, the late Lieutenant A. G. Hultquist, in 1938. A Mean Theft

During the week-end the Salvation Army's depot in Crawford street was broken into, and nearly half a ton of waste paper, valued at £7 or £B, was stolen. The theft was a particularly mean one, since the paper had been . collected for patriotic purposes and had been stored in the depot pending its sorting and removal. Between Saturday night and early yesterday morning thieves also entered the office of Messrs J. R. Brown's bakery- in Cargill road, and made an unsuccessful attempt to break open the safe.

Cocksfoot Shortage A world shortage of cocksfoot seed exists at present, said the Directorgeneral of Agriculture (Mr A. H. Cockayne) during a visit of inspection of Banks Peninsula last week. Danish production, he said, had stopped, and the grass was in great demand in many countries. Cocksfoot seed producers on Banks Peninsula, therefore, had good prospects for some years to come. Mr Cockayne also gave consideration to some of the problems on the peninsula, including the incidence of weeds. Addressing Soldiers' Mail

Some confusion has arisen in the delivery of mail to members of the National Military Reserve mobilised in Dunedin on Thursday and now stationed in various fortress areas. Relatives and friends writing to these soldiers, are advised to address their letters, giving the rank, full initials, the name of the man, and his company, as follows:—" Private W. J. Smith, C Company,. 4th Battalion; N.M.R., care Chief Post Office, Dunedin." , Mail will be collected by the unit and distributed twice a day, and clear addresses will considerably facilitate this work.

St.- John Ambulance An instance of the keenness of some of the young people in the community to do their best to help the nation in the present time of trouble has come under notice. A lad in one of the Dunedin secondary schools, who had been sitting his matriculation examination, finished at 5 o'clock one afternoon, and, instead of taking what might have been considered a wellearned holiday after a somewhat trying jperiod, presented himself at the St. John headquarters at 9 o'clock the following morning for service in the St. John Ambulance Brigade. Needless to say, he was at once enrolled^ Tribute to Army Drivers 7 -j.- >

Favourable comment has reached the army authorities from Peninsula ; residents regarding the careful driving of army convoys using the waterfront road. The large transports, which would constitute a real danger on such a road if not capably handled, are said to maintain an even speed, fast enough for .traffic which has to precede or follow a convoy. But it is on the sharp corners where the best driving has beerf exhibited. The army, drivers in convoy, it is stated, drive well over on their own side, and allow plenty of, room for other traffic which they may encounter on the corners. Discovery of New Zealand The 299th anniversary of the discovery of New Zealand by Abel Tasman occurred on Sunday. The first European to set foot in New Zealand, Tasman arrived at Westland, rounded Farewell Spit and anchored in Golden Bay. This inlet was named Murderers' Bay by the navigator, because four of his crew were killed by Maoris during the stay there. He next called at Cape Maria Van Diemen, which was given its name in honour of the wife of the Governor who had appointed Tasman on his mission. The Dutch made no attempt to colonise New Zealand and in their opinion Tasman's voyage was a complete failure.

Divorced Wife's Obligation "It is ah obligation on the wife, on a divorce being obtained, to use her best efforts, according to her ability, to support herself," said Mr Justice Fair in the Auckland Supreme Court when hearing an application for maintenance by a divorced wife against a husband who had just remarried. His Honor said the fact that permanent maintenance had been agreed to .when the parties separated was not a reason for imposing a life-long liability on a husband to support someone who was quite able to support herself. That, however, was nor quite the position in the case before him, as the wife had a mother to care for, and he made an order for £1 5s a week in her favour. The " Blood Bank "

We haVe keen asked to say that additional donors of blood for transfusion purposes are required. An appeal that was issued some months ago produced a gratifying result, no fewer than 'BOO persons expressing their readiness to be registered as donors. But recent movements in the population have rendered it difficult to trace a number of these, and the need for the provision of an adequate "blood bank" is emphasised now that the Emergency Precautions Service is being firmly established. Those citizens who are willing to register as donors are invited to communicate/in the first instance, with the secretary of the St. John Ambulance Association, York place, where facilities have been made available for registration.

Judge and Conscience Cases Conscientious objection, and the dangers of school teachers misusing their positions. by disseminating among pupils the doctrine of disservice to the State, were topics touched upon by Mr Justice Blair at the annual prize-giving of Wellington College. The judge classified conscientious objectors who wouid not do anything for the State, even in a non-combatant capacity, as enemies of the country, and teachers who taught lack of service as putting forth a pernicious doctrine that might have very grave consequences. He had come across some honest conscientious objectors, but he confessed that he could never follow their arguments; but every honest conscientious objector was always prepared to go to any lengths to provide a corresponding service.