NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25173, 13 March 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

IN accordance with the Government’s emergency regulations dealing with economic stabilisation, which were issued on December 15 last, the first of the new war-time price indices showing any movement in prices since December 15 is due shortly. According to the Gazette notice covering the regulations this new index is to be published at the end of every quarter. So far as rates of remuneration are concerned, the Court of Arbitration will make a general order if an increase of not less than 2\ per cent, is shown in the index, and thereafter a general order as soon as there is an increase or reduction of 5 per cent, in the index. The regulations also apply to incomes, rents, and farm products. \ War Loan Subscriptions

Up to the end of February the Reserve Bank had received 197 applications, totalling £1,836,270, as advance subscriptions for the next war loan. The greater portion came from national institutions which function in all the main cities and towns in the Dominion, and their subscriptions are not credited to any particular district. Deciphering Signature "A man of education should* at least be able to write his name legibly. You can tell the person whose signature this is that I made that observation,” said the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, to a witness in the Supreme Court, Wellington. His Honor said that if a signature of that nature came before him to be deciphered, he would send it back and require an affidavit as to its authenticity.

Strange Sleeping Quarter* Visiting servicemen cannot always find sleeping accommodation in Wellington. Two foot-weary soldiers, made sleepy by their potations, noticed in a furniture display window in Manners street some comfortable chesterfields. The sight was evidently too much to resist, for the heavy plateglass window was smashed, the men crept in through the jagged gap, and were comfortably disposed on the chesterfields. A few minutes later they were discovered and removed to other quarters. Determined Sculleryman An unusual method of securing his release from an essential position was adopted by a sculleryman in a large hotel at a provincial centre. Refused permission to leave by the management, which successfully appealed against his application for transfer to another job, the sculleryman went to the length of taking out a prohibition order against himself. Under the provisions of the order he was prohibited from entering licensed premises, and the management was forced to release him.

Aid for Discharged Soldier* Pleasure was expressed by members at a meeting of the Dominion Executive Committee of the N.Z.R.S.A. regarding the new scheme of financial help for discharged members of the forces which was recently announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. According to h Press Association message from Wellington, the executive says Mr Fraser’s announcement constitutes the result of a conference between its representatives and representatives of the Army, National Service, and War Pensions Departments. Price Control Penalties

The monetary penalties that could be imposed for inconsiderable and innocent breaches of the Price Control Regulations were regarded by members of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at a recent meeting as too severe, while the difference in the sums for which individuals and companies were liable was considered too great. It was pointed out that the minimum fine for a person was £SO and for a company £250, the maximum being 20 times those figures. The council decided to ask the Associated Chambers of Commerce to take the matter up with the Government.

Municipal Organ Recital The city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall to-morrow evening. Of the interesting items to be submitted, special mention may be made of Bach’s brilliant Toccata in D minor and a Toccata in F by Widorj Other interesting compositions to be performed are “Con Spirito ” (Frank Bridge), “Harmonies du Soir” (Karg-Elert), “Andante from a Concerto” (Mozart), Larghetto from the Violin Con'certo (Beethoven), and “Pavane” (Bernard Johnson). Dr Galway will be “assisted by Miss Jean Nelson, who will play “ Scherzo in. B flat minor ” (Chopin) and “The Sea” (Palmgren). There will be no charge for admission. “ Men in Funkholes ” A denial that he had cast a slur on the public service in referring to grade I men in funkholes was made by Mr H. G. Dickie (Opposition, Patea), speaking in the House of Representatives. The men he had referred to, he said, were those who had been ordered by appeal courts to go into camp, but had got jobs in the public service, and by some means or other were evading service. The Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) said he was glad Mr Dickie had removed the impression that such a practice was widespread. If Mr Dickie would submit names of individuals the cases would be investigated. Mr Dickie: “I shall be glad to do so,” Diamonds in War Industry Some interesting facts regarding the use of industrial diamonds in the manufacture of war weapons were given by the Consul for Belgium, M. Armand Nihotte, in an address to the Optimists’ Club in Wellington on the war effort of the Belgian Congo. The Congo, he said, was the most important producer of industrial diamonds. The present yearly output was about 12,000,000 carats, representing more than 80 per cent, of the world output. Copper and tin could be replaced to' a certain extent by other metals, such as aluminium, zinc, and lead, and rubber and petrol could be manufactured artificially, but the diamond knew no substitute. Yet, in the manufacture of all resisting metals in the fabrication of guns, machine-guns, rifles, tanks, motors, etc., the use of diamonds was indispensable for rapidity and precision. Because the Germans had no industrial diamonds they had to use carborundum tools, with which, for instance, they took two hours to adjust the valves of- each of their aero and car engines. With the diamonds of the Belgian Congo the British and American industries did the same job in two minutes.