NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25338, 23 September 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

rFHE spring equinox will occur at 10 J- a.m.. to-morrow, on which day the sun will be vertical over the equator, and day and night, expressed in apparent solar time, will be equal all over the world. For New Zealanders, as well as for all other countries _ in the southern hemisphere, the equinox will mark the first day of spring, for the sun is moving steadily southward, daily bringing greater warmth. Contrary to general belief, the equinox does not always fall on the same date/ Generally it occurs on September 21 or 22, but it can never fall later than the twenty-fourth, on which date it occurs this year. Cattle on the Move

There were approximately 1800 cattle in seven mobs on the road between Mohaka and Wairoa on Monday (says the New Zealand Herald), the largest of 560 head being on the way from Gisborne to Patea. One mob of 270 from Gisborne is bound for Palmerston North. It left Gisborne on September 1, and the drover expects to reach Palmerston North about the end of October. The other mobs of 250, 200 (three), and 130 are bound for Hawke’s Bay. Grateful Troops New Zealand troops at Tonga have reversed the usual procedure of being at the receiving end of patriotic activities by themselves sending a cheque for £25 to the National Patriotic Fund Board. The money has been forwarded in appreciation of all that has been done for the comfort and well-being of the men on the island, and it is a gesture which is appreciated by the board, which has sent a letter expressing thanks on behalf of the patriotic movement generally and its supporters in the Dominion. Voting a Sacred Duty

Speaking of the approach of the. general election, the Bishop of Auckland, the Right Rev. W. J. Simkuyin his charge to the Diocesan Synod last week, said the casting of votes was a sacred duty for the right discharge of which we were answerable not to man, but to God. The question of party allegiance on the one hand and the dictates of conscience on the other must cause everyone seriously to think. It was the duty of all to seek in prayer that one might be given a right judgment.

Shortage of Shearers “Farmers in Otago are facing a serious problem because of the shortage of shearers,” said Mr A. C. Leary, chairman of the Otago Primary Production Council, yesterday. In some districts there were no shearers available at all, and many farmers had decided to carry out their shearing operations early in an endeavour to overcome the difficulty. The Otago Primary Production Council hopes to confer'with the army authorities_ at an early date with a view to alleviating the position by obtaining the release of men from the army.

Interest in Local Option Polls The local licensing issue in Invercargill and Mataura is attracting considerable interest, and (says our special correspondent) the possibility of licences being restored, appears to be fairly bright. In 1938 Invercargill came within 299 votes of obtaining the required three-fifths majority, and the Mataura electorate was only 170 votes short. 'ln some quarters greater interest is being shown in the local licensing issue than in the political election, and, although no parliamentary. candidates are in the field at Mataura, it is expected that the licensing issue will attract a substantial poll, particularly in the urban areas. A Message from Canada

In the course of a few days a man in Whakatane will receive a message conveyed through a channel as unusual as it was uncertain. The message came inscribed on a small piece of wood which formed part of the packing on a reel of paper consigned from a factory in Canada to the Otago Daily Times, and it took the form of a request that the Whakatane resident should be asked to communicate with a young lady who is apparently employed in the Canadian mill. The message was discovered by the merest chance during an examination of damage to the reel, which might otherwise have remained in store for' several months before being used. The names of the sender and the recipient of the message suggest a common Scandinavian descent. Women for Industry

The possibility of a further group of women being called on to register with the National Service Department for work of national importance (states the New Zealand Herald) has recently been exercising the minds of many employers and many women who might be affected. No call-up of women has been made since the registration of the 18-19 age group in February, and it has been made clear on several occasions that the position with regard to the supply of female labour has deteriorated since then. At present a number of seasonal industries in and around Auckland are approaching a new season, an'd their demands for women workers are expected to be almost The figures show that as the age groups have advanced the percentage of the women available for direction into work has dropped markedly. This indicates that if a new group is to be called for industrial service it will cover a wider span of years and will probably go up to the age of 40. The indication also is that the yield from that age group would be comparatively small.