NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25277, 14 July 1943, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

rpHE last-minute rush of electors deJ sirous of making sure that their names were included in the main electoral rolls has kept the staff of the registrar’s office particularly busy, with the result that the work of compiling the rolls for the printer has been delayed considerably. The approximate figures for the various electorates in Dunedin show that there is a decided increase of enrolled electors this year, when a comparison is made with the figures for 1938 and 1941. The figures are as follows:—l943 (approx.), Dunedin North, 13,900; 1941, 13,642; 1938, 13,180. Dunedin West, 13.500, 12,985, 13,110; Dunedin Central, 14,700, 13,935, 13,370; Dunedin South, 13,300, 12,979, 12,748.

Air Service Dislocated Owing to adverse weather, the Union Airways liner did not leave Christchurch for Dunedin yesterday afternoon. The service will be resumed with the departure of the plane for Dunedin at the schedule time to-mor-row.

Clearing Sales in North The number of farm clearing sales in Northland this winter has caused comment. According to a Wliangarei stock and station agent, the number has doubled in the past year. Causes ascribed are the shortage of suitable man-power for dairying, the dry summer and autumn with consequent' scarcity of winter feed, and the exceptionally good prices for stock. Rates for sundries, especially farm requirements, have been abnormal. Many sales are in respect of properties the owners of which are going overseas. Maori Triplets

Believed to be the first Maori triplets to attend the same school in New Zealand, three boys recently began their education at Mangere Bridge School. They are Peter, Paul, and David Gerrard, aged five. Their teachers find it difficult to distinguish the children apart, especially as they are _ dressed alike. For purposes of identification, the initials P, PL, and D are worked on their jerseys. They are universal favourites at the school, but the teachers had some difficulty at first in keeping a watch on all three. Two of them could always be found together, but the third had invariably disappeared.

Overtime and Health Because of extended hours of overtime worked in factories there have been suggestions that fatigue is beginning to make itself felt, but, while some instances of excessive hours have come under the notice of inspectors, in no case has it been shown that there has been any ill effect on the health of women and boys, states the annual report of the Department of Labour The report adds that an inspector’s approval is limited to 90 hour? overtime in a year for each female worker or boy, although in exceptional circumstances he may permit an additional 30 hours to be worked. Further, with the approval of the Industrial Emergency Council, overtime beyond 120 hours has been permitted in 3936 cases, 3902 women and 34 boys. Lease-lend Machinery

Quantities of lease-lend agricultural machinery and equipment will shortly be made available for release to farmers throughout New Zealand, and details of the procedure have been communicated to district committees of the primary production councils. Committee members will be requested to report on each application for the use of machinery in their districts, so that it may be granted only to those farmers likely to put it to the maximum economical use. In the case of tractors it is considered that they should not be released unless it can be shown that they will be used for at least 2000 hours a year. The names of distributors have not yet been announced, but it is stated that in extremely urgent cases releases may be granted through the Department of Agriculture.

Factory Ventilation , Figures showing the effects of ventilation upon productive efficiency, sickness and accident rates, which have been proved in factories in Great Britain and elsewhere, are given in a bulletin issued by the Industrial Psychology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Wellington. Production on heavy work in hot weather, it is stated, has been shown to fall by as much as 50 per cent. Absence through sickness in badly-ventilated buildings has been found to be 34 per cent, greater and accidents 130 per cent, greater in hot, stuffy conditions. The Industrial Health Research Board of Great Britain, says the bulletin, has recommended that fresh air at a rate of not less than 1000 cubic feet per person be circulated throughout industrial premises each hour.

Bomb Bounces Over Ship Hazards encountered by naval personnel during intense aerial bombardments are illustrated by the experiences of Lieutenant Gordon Duff, R.N.Z.N.V.R., formerly of New Plymouth. . When his ship was off Pantellaria he saw a bomb bounce over the bridge and explode half a mile beyond. Describing the short sharp spasms of bombing by Focke-Wulfs off Pantellaria, Lieutenant Duff said that one German attempted to skid his bombs into the ship’s side by attacking almost from sea level. “ Releasing the pill he zoomed up and away,” continued Lieutenant Duff. “We saw the bomb strike the water and tensed ourselves for the inevitable explosion a couple of seconds later.” Such was the angle of impact, however, that the bomb literally skidded, bounced 100 feet over the ship’s bridge, and went on to crash into the sea, where it exploded half a mile beyond the ship.

Barrier Against Invasion “When the events of this war are seen in the • perspective of history there is’ one event that will stand out as crucial in the history of this country This is the battle of the Coral Sea,” said Dr G. Jobberns, professor of geography at Canterbury University College, in an address to the British-American Co-operation Movement at Christchurch. “So far this has been the most important single incident in our destiny as a South Pacific country, and I put it to you that, insomuch as it may fairly be presumed that at that time it was part of the grand strategy of Japan to occupy the island screen around continental Australia, we owe our salvation wholly to the navy of the United States of America. The American Navy is precisely all that saved us from invasion by the Japanese. What-, ever is now, or whatever at any future time may be our opinion of, or attitude to, the United States, we must in justice ’ acknowledge this completely and gratefully, just as most people in the United States would, I am sure, acknowledge now their debt to the people of Britain for those heroic days of 1940.”

for rings, watches, and Jewellery, try Peter Dick, jewellers. 59 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt