NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24793, 18 December 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

A LARGE crowd gathered on the Railway Station yesterday afternoon to welcome a party of 21 members of the Middle East Forces. Though invalided, all the men were walking cases, and on the arrival of the train were speedily taken to their homes by voluntary members of the transport section of the Red Cross Society. A number of Southland men also travelled by the express, and the majority of these continued their journey.

Swimming Championships Advice has been received by the Otago Centre from the council of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, which met in Christchurch on Tuesday night, that the national women’s, intermediate and junior swimming championships have been abandoned owing to the present state of emergency. The meeting was to have been held at Nelson from January 14 to 17.

City Rate Payments With only one day remaining for the annual payment of city rates, the city treasurer (Mr H. H. Henderson) said last night that the total payments amounted to £275,600. or 80 per cent, of the total amount levied, leaving £67,300 to be paid. Last year the total payments, with one day remaining, were £253,700, or 74.5 per cent, of the total levied, leaving £87,000 for payment on the final day. Desecration of Church Swastikas marked in ink on the vestry walls greeted the Rev. T. W. Armour when he entered Knox Church, Christchurch, during last week-end. The church had been broken into, and considerable mutilation of property had been done. The pulpit Bible was found marked in several places with large swastikas and smears of ink. Two other Bibles were found to be in a similar condition.

Additions to Hospital Intimation has been received by the Otago Hospital Board from the Director-general of Health (Dr M. H. Watt) that the War Cabinet has approved of a grant of £2OOO in respect of additional expenditure by the board in the erection of hospital accommodation for sick and wounded soldiers. The grant is subject to similar conditions of repayment to those governing the original grant of £4OOO. Traffic Signals Discontinued The City Traffic Department has announced that the set traffic lights at the junction of Stuart street and Cumberland street have been discontinued because of the reduced volume of traffic on the roads, and to save petrol for motorists who will not now have to wait until the light is favourable. An inspector will be stationed on point duty at this intersection during rush hours, and motorists are urged to exercise great care in crossing this area at ■ other periods of the day.

Voluntary Aid* Steps have been taken by the Order of St. John to augment the number of members who are training as voluntary aids, and Colonel Barclay, Director of Ambulance, reports that the Commandery is making arrangements for a considerably increased personnel for service either in the Dominion or overseas. Those women, who through domestic or other reasons, are not able to undertake the obligations involved in brigade service, will, upon qualifying, be posted to a special V.A. section, which will be called upon for this work only. . Sligo Memorial Scholarship

The annual scholarship examination •held under the auspices of the M.U.1.0.0.F. (Otago district), on this occasion the Sligo Memorial Scholarship, was conducted by Mr W. A. Sproat, and was won by Joyce Olive Youart, of Maraeweka, North Otago, who gained 3914 marks out of a total of 450, equal to 87 per cent. She is a pupil of the Waitaki Girls’ High School. The competition is open to both city and country . schools, and it is of interest to note that the second and third places were filled by pupils of the Bannockburn School.

Bicycles Being Sold I Bicycle dealers in Invercargill have received no advice from the Government ordering them not to sell their stocks, and are continuing to meet the heavy demand caused by the restrictions on petrol. The order affecting men’s new and second-hand bicycles was applied by the Industries and Commerce Department, and an explanation was given that the army required a certain number of men’s bicycles. No such orders have, however, been received in Invercargill. ??he rush for bicycles continued in nvercargill on Tuesday, and all dealers had a busy day. One dealer said that since Monday he had sold 70 bicycles, and there was no indication of an easing off in the demand.

Covering Shop Window* “ The proposal to cover shop windows with strips of -gummed paper did not emanate from me and has jfet been officially approved,” said tmr chairman of the Auckland E.P.S. Central Committee, Mr J. A. C. Allum. “It originated with a section of the retailers. My technical advisers state that it is of no practical value in strengthening the resistance of windows to blast or fragmentation by high explosives.” . Sandbagging was considered the most effective protection yet adopted. Other measures against flying glass splinters included the use of wooden shutters, close-mesh wire netting and heavy curtains behind the window. Surgical tape, closely applied, somewhat reduced splintering. Shop windows, of course, might be removed and the openings boarded up. Letter from Governor-General The Governor-general (Sir Cyril Newall) has written to the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) expressing regret that he had found it necessary, owing to the serious state of affairs in the Pacific, to postpone for the time being the projected visit of Lady Newall and himself to Dunedin. Sir Cyril said that he and her Excellency were naturally very disappointed at missing this opportunity of meeting once again the people of Dunedin, more particularly as all arrangements for the visit ,had been completed. At the same time'they wished to thank the Mayor and those associated with him for all the time and trouble taken in the matter. They assured him that they were looking forward to the visit, which they hoped to undertake as soon as circumstances were more favourable. Stamp* Withdrawn

Certain stamp issues of New Zealand and Island dependencies will be demonetised after December 31, and will no longer be available for posting purposes. These include the health stamps issued in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936, the Silver Jubilee series which was issued in 1935 to commemorate the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King George V, the Anzac stamp of 1936, which commemorates the twenty-first anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, air stamps of 1931 and 1934, and various denominations of the issues bearing the portrait of King George V. The Anzac stamps which are to be demonetised were issued on the suggestion of Mr O. L. Ferens, secretary of the Dunedin Returned Services’ Association, and most of the actual design, the making of the dies and inks, and the printing were done by Australian and New Zealand ex-servicemen.

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.