NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25309, 20 August 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

TjUGHT kauri motor tow-boats, which L have been built for the United States Armed Forces by United Ship and Boatbuilders, Ltd., Auckland, will be launched by Mrs Sullivan, wife of the Minister of Supply, Mr D. G. Sullivan, to-morrow morning. Forty-five feet in length and powered by Diesel engines, these sturdy craft, which are really small tugs, are the first boats to be built in New Zealand for another country’s Government. Additional craft will be constructed. Under the heading of reciprocal aid to the United States, of reverse lend-lease, New Zealand’s 1943 Budget provides for a shipbuilding programme estimated at £2,000,000 for the South Pacific and South-west Pacific areas. Although they will not be launched simultaneously the tow-boats will all be moving along the slipways at the same time. The ceremony of breaking bottles of wine over their bows will be performed by children. The boats have been named after famous Maoris. South Dunedin Burglary

A quantity of clothing (which was thought to have been stolen by thieves who broke into the South Dunedin shop of the D.S.A. on Tuesday. night was later found in a fixture in the shop packed in a bundle and apparently ready for removal. A small sum of money, however, is missing.

Thefts of Cutlery The proprietor of a restaurant in Dunedin which has been open for approximately 13 months has been caused great inconvenience by losses of cutlery. During that period, and more especially in the last six months, a large quantity of silver has been stolen, including over 200 knives, 500 teaspoons and more than 200 forks. Many of these articles were engraved with the name of the restaurant. Woman Missing

The police have received advice that Mrs Mary Maxwell Kay, who lives at Gloucester street, Anderson’s Bay, left her home shortly before 7 o’clock on Wednesday morning and, up to a late hour last night, had not returned. The missing woman, who is 35 years of age, has dark hair and is sft 4in in height When last seen she was wearing a blue overcoat over her night attire and black shoes and stockings. The New “ Old Soldier ”

An ingenious proposal for improving his finances, which was made to the Rehabilitation Board by a newlyreturned serviceman, was related by Mr W. E. Leadley to the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association at a recent meeting. The man had been established -in a country hotel. After he had settled in. he wrote asking the board for more assistance. If the board would see that the local constable were removed, he suggested, he would be in a much better position to repay his debt. “He is not an old soldier,” said Mr Leadley, “but at least he must be the son of one."

Rescue Operations “ Is it a common practice that rescue operations are not undertaken where human beings are in danger until security is provided to cover the cost of the rescue? ” asked Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Oppn., Waitomo) in notice of a question to the Minister of Justice (Mr H. G. R. Mason) in the House of Representatives. Mr Broadfoot, who quoted from a press report about four men being adrift in a launch for two days and nights near Kawhia, asked if the conditions of rescue were as he had outlined, and said that if they were they should not obtain in the future.

Advances to Egg Producers Authority for the Internal Marketing Department to make advances to producers or producers’ organisations engaged in the production of eggs, egg pulp and egg powder is given in an amendment gazetted last night to the Marketing Department Advances Order, 1942. This order (states a Press Association message) enables the department to lend money on the security of goods with which the department can deal, the purpose being to foster the production of a particular commodity. Previously such advances were made only to producers of kumeras. Fish Research

During the stripping operations, which were carried out in the Leith Stream by the curator of the Otago Acclimatisation Society (Mr W. H. Claringbold), a female brown trout weighing Bilb was trapped, and scales taken from the fish were sent to the fisheries’ laboratory in Wellington for reading. A reply received by the society, stated that research had revealed that this fish was five years old, having spent the first two -years in a freshwater stream. It then migrated to the ■sea for the next winter and a summer. It returned to fresh water for spawning and spent the following summer at sea. In its fifth year, it was running up the Leith for spawning when it was trapped. Lengthy Chairmanships

The claim that was made in an Auckland telegram, published in our issue of yesterday, that Mr E. W. Alison’s record of nearly 60 years of public life is “probably unparalleled in the Dominion ” is one which is likely to be contested in many parts of New Zealand. The fact that the term of Mr Alison’s chairmanship of the Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., extended over 43 years was the subject of congratulatory reference upon his retirement from it this week. But, remarkable though it was, Mr Alison’s tenure of this position was considerably shorter than Sir John Roberts’s occupancy of the office of chairman of the Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company, Ltd., for Sir John held this office for 61 years —a period that is regarded as an Empire record for the chairmanship of a public company. Idling in Camp “These men are not getting the discipline they should. They have been left in this camp as custodians and are just idling about,” said his Honor Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court at Christchurch when two soldiers appeared before him for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering. Counsel said that the two men belonged to a party left in a camp and they had been without cigarettes for 10 days. It was then that cigarettes were seen going into the canteen. Admitting both men- to probation for two years, his Honor said: “If these , men are left' in the army they will lack discipline, and that will be bad for them on probation. Unless they are held in the army under strict discipline they ought to be discharged. I hope this will be done.” Linen Flax Fibre

In making reference to the increasing number of partly processed stacks around the various flax factories, Mr G. S. Paxton, addressing the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce at Timaru, warned the Government of the risk of having a large quantity of undelivered fibre, at present worth £270 per ton, plus an undisclosed bonus left on its hands at the conclusion of its agreement with the Imperial Government. Owing to the quantity of linen fibre, beyond normal requirements, that was being grown this year throughout the Empire and America—exceeding 8,000,000 acres in all—the post-war open market values, he said, must crash exactly as had occurred in 1920, when the world price fell from £2OO per ton to £BS within 12 months. Attention was directed also to the danger of the flax straw being irretrievably damaged by rodents while lying indefinitely in the stack.

For rings, watches, and jewellery, try Peter Dick, jewellers, 59 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt.