NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24828, 30 January 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

rpHE decision of the High Schools *- Board that High School pupils may continue in orchard work during the month of February has been followed by a decision by the Education Board that the same privilege may be extended to the secondary pupils of district high schools. In each case, however, application for permission must be made to the headmaster of the school by the employer or the parents of the pupils. War Deaths Regulations enabling certain formalities in connection with a burial to be dispensed with in cases where persons were obviously killed by enemy action are contained in the War Deaths Emergency Regulations, which were gazetted last night. For instance, an inquest and coroner*s certificate in such cases will not be necessary.

Patriotic Committee A meeting of the new Dunedin-St. Kilda Sub-zone Committee, which was held yesterday under the chairmanship of the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen), elected as its chairman Mr A. C. Cameron, with Mr G. W. Lane as deputy chairman. The committee decided to ask the Y.M.C.A. and the St. John Ambulance Association to appoint members to the committee.

Case Against Miners The informations against the employees of the Grey Valley Collieries at Dobson for an alleged illegal strike on December 12 have been issued for hearing at a special sitting of the Magistrate's Court at Greymouth on Friday, February 6. It is expected that 128 summonses will be served. The informations are laid under the Strikes and Lock-outs Emergency Regulations, 1939, covering an alleged illegal strike. Zoning Of Milk Deliveries The delivery of milk in Dunedin, under a system of zoning, was to have been commenced on Sunday, but because of the large amount of work entailed in putting the scheme into operation it has now been found impossible to start before March 1. The decision to deliver milk under such a system was reached by a meeting of vendors at the end of last month as a means of conserving supplies of petrol.

Married Recruits Since the married men's ballot, which contained the names of 2196 Otago reservists, was announced last week, hundreds of appeals, changes of address, and Air Force transfers have been notified. Two members of the records staff at the Kensington Drill Hall have had their time fully occupied dealing with such notifications. So far 36 reservists have notified their intention of undertaking alternative service with the Air Force. Army Medical Examinations

Another 100 of the men called in last week's ballot were medically examined at the Dental School last night. Further sittings of medical boards have been arranged for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights of next week. Each night between 90 and 100 reservists will be examined. So far the records office at the Kensington Drill Hall has sent out notices to attend medical examinations to all Otago reservists whose surnames come within the category of the initials A to D inclusive. De Luxe Delivery

What is described as the " criminal laziness" of a tradesman is referred to by an indignant Mount Albert correspondent of the Auckland Star. He states that the tradesman, in delivering bread, makes a practice of driving his van as near the back door of the houses he visits as possible. Even if there is a driveway only 10 yards long, it is stated, the man drives the van in, delivers his bread, and backs out. driving then the few yards to his next port of call. "It is the most absurd thing I have ever seen, and the people round here are amazed that at a time when petrol is so severely rationed it should be possible for such a thing to happen," states the writer. Counterfeit Money Dropped

Counterfeit money is being dropped by Japanese airmen with the object of winning favour with the natives at Singapore. A letter received from Sergeant Pilot V. Arthur, Inglewood, who is stationed in the Far East with the Royal Air. Force, states: "Lately the Japanese have been dropping pamphlets. They have also been dropping a bit of counterfeit money with the hope that they will win the natives over to their cause. This is a crafty piece of work, for most natives value money more than anything else. Some of the pamphlets have something in them about 'burning the white devils with the sacred flame of victory.'"

Labour for the Harvest "I have been asked by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr J. G. Barclay, to broadcast next week asking the farmers to grow more wheat for next year, but we cannot get our own wheat in, so how can I broadcast to the farmers? It just cannot be done. I will have to tell the Minister I cannot do it," said Mr H. F. Nicoll, chairman of the Wheat Committee, when he was an appellant in a case before the Man-power Committee at Ashburton on Wednesday. He was seeking an extension of leave for a farm hand to enable farm work to be done. The chairman of the committee, Colonel K. MacKenzie, expressed the opinion that the Government should give authority to go a bit further and release some of the men now held in the camps.

Optical Glass Australian optical glass, produced in a Sydney factory, is claimed to be equal to, and in some cases superior to, the best optical glass made in Britain, America, and Germany. Optical glass is the most difficult of all glass to make. The cooling alone occupies 14 days. It is one of the'war's most urgent ordnance materials. It is needed for the lenses and prisms of telescope gunsights, dial sights, rangefinders, anti-aircraft gun predictors, prismatic compasses, stereoscopes for deciphering aerial pictures, binoculars, and tank periscopes. Since the Sydney factory came into production last September all these military optical instruments have been made in Australia with Australian-produced optica] glass.

Wet Canteens Favoured A decision to recommend that the military authorities should provide wet canteens at all National Military Reserve camps in the Dominion was made at a conference of delegates from Otago and Canterbury branches of the Returned Services' Association, held at Timaru on Wednesday afternoon. It was contended that as the National Reserve consisted mainly of returned soldiers the men were entitled to have wet canteens made available as in mobilisation camps throughout New Zealand. The following resolution was carried: —" This conference of South Island branches of the Returned Services' Association unanimously urges Dominion headquarters to request the Government lo urovide wet canteens in all National Military Reserve camps." In an interview after the conference, which was held in committee, Mr E. F. Wilcox (secretary of the Christchurch Executive) said that a similar telegram had already been sent following a meeting in Dunedin, and he expected similar action to be taken by the Christchurch Executive

Coffee for breakfast. Order from your grocer a tin of " Bourbon," the coffee of qualify. 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.