NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25386, 18 November 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

rpHE Dunedin Hospital, in common with similar institutions in other parts of the Dominion, is experiencing difficulties as the result of a shortage of domestics. A staff of about 40 women is normally required, but yesterday it numbered only 25. The work is stated to be no more exacting than similar employment in public buildings or private homes, and the workers have the same award conditions. It was pointed out that the essentiality of hospital service was perhaps not sufficiently emphasised. Hyde Railway Disaster

The Board of Inquiry constituted under the Government Railways Act to investigate the circumstances of the derailment of the Cromwell-Dunedin passenger train near Hyde on June 4 last, will commence its public sittings at Wellington on Monday next. Heritage Movement

The Auckland branch of the Heritage movement (says a Press Association telegram) was formed at a public meeting yesterday. The purpose of the movement is to assist war widows in the education and general upbringing of their children. It was stated that there were over 200 widows in Auckland alone whose husbands had lost their lives while serving in the present war. Included among these were two mothers with five and seven children respectively. Business Acumen

A well-known Dunedin business man decided recently to lay down a brick path in his garden, and such necessary ingreditents as sand and bricks were delivered outside his residence. The day was warm and the heap of bricks looked formidable, so he approached bis small son with an offer of 10s to carry the bricks into the garden. The offer was accepted with alacrity. The boy- immediately rounded up his friends and made a sub-contract with them for the bricks to be carried at the rate of a penny a dozen. The business man’s son cleared 5s 3d on the contract and did not himself carry a brick. New Surf Pavilion A new and roomy pavilion is being erected for the St. Kilda Surf Lifesaving Club adjoining the present clubhouse, which for a considerable time past has been quite inadequate to meet the growing needs of the club. By a voluntary effort on the part of the members, a sum of money was raised which made possible the construction of the new pavilion. The building is now nearing completion, and the opening ceremony will be held on Sunday, December 5, when a lifesaving competition will be arranged between teams from the South Brighton and St. Kilda Clubs.

Auckland Tunnel Scheme Representatives of Auckland local bodies at a conference yesterday viewed with favour a proposal that a traffic tunnel as a new outlet from the city should be constructed under Albert Park, where there is atpresent an extensive tunnel shelter. The Mayor (Mr J. A. C. Allum) submitted a comprehensive report recommending that the City Council seek Government authority to construct the proposed tunnel at an estimated cost of £276,000. The delegates decided to recommend the scheme to their local bodies as a reasonable one.

Adrift in Open Boat After being adrift in an open boat for two days and a night off Whakatane, two local residents, Messrs Norman Dawson and W. Waikato, arrived at Matata safely after a 12-hour pull against a strong offshore wind. The men, for whom serious fears were entertained and for whom aircraft from Tauranga kept a constant patrol of the coast, said that heavy seas put their engine out of commission and they exhausted the battery 4n trying to restart it.. For long periods they were forced to anchor owing to the high wind and sea. Apart from fatigue and hunger, however, they were none the worse for their experience. Heavy Holiday Bookings

“The indications are that the traffic on all the transport services will be as heavy as in any previous year, if not heavier,” said the district manager of the Government Tourist Department, Mr R. G. Sincock, when commenting yesterday on the unusually large number of bookings already made for the approaching holiday period. It was now almost impossible to obtain accommodation at any of the main holiday resorts and in the cities, and a number of the larger towns, he added. Accommodation in Dunedin was already heavily booked for the Christmas and New Year period; and would be almost unobtainable in January, when there would be a large number of visitors for the New Zealand bowling tournament.

Production of Cycle Tyres The production of cycle tyres to meet South Island requirements has now begun in Christchurch. Seven thousand tyres a month will be produced at the Woolston factory of the Barnet Glass Perdriau Rubber Company of New Zealand, Ltd., and provided that labour is available, the company will be manufacturing inner tubes by next month. * Previously all cycle tyres were supnlied by a factory in the, North Island. Special machinery was imported from Australia for the manufacture of cycle tyres, and the company’s factory, which was established three years ago, has been considerably extended for. the purpose. Because of the shortage of crude rubber, the tyres are made to a war-time formula, and contain a certain proportion of reclaimed rubber. The tyres will be distributed to cycle dealers, and will be obtainable in the usual way through the local tyre control committee.

Population Peak The belief that New Zealand had almost reached the peak of its population and was unlikely to attain a population of 2,000,000 within the next 50 years, was expressed by Mr Stewart Morrison, Victoria University College lecturer in adult education, addressing the Hawera Chamber of Commerce. “ Much has been talked about population increases in New Zealand,” said Mr Morrison, “but I do not believe that in the next 50 years we will get 500,000 migrants in New' Zealand. I believe that, if we attain a population of 2,000,000, we will achieve it only with great difficulty. The natural reproduction rate of New Zealand’s population has almost reached its peak and is about to decline. The world supply of migrant labour will be closed for the next 100 years.” In spite of the efforts made by Japan to increase her birthrate, it was estimated that within, 15 years she would reach a peak population of between 84,000,000 and 85,000,000. “ I have no doubt that after the war there will be many people who will want to come to New Zealand from Britain,” he added, “but, if they are permitted to come, Britain will only hasten the process of becoming a fifth-rate Power in three generations.” Duty of the Police

During the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court at Auckland, strong exception was taken by Mr I. J. Goldstine, counsel for the accused, to the omission from a statement made by a witness to a detective of something said which might have been in favour of the accused. Commenting on this, Mr Justice Callan said it was an immemorial tradition both in England and in this Dominion that in presenting a case against accused persons the police should bring to the notice of the tribunal all the circumstances they had discovered in the course of their inquiries which were relevant and might assist the tribunal in arriving at the truth, whether the circumstances told against the accused or in his favour. That was the duty of the police, and in his experience of many years at the Bar and on the Bench he had found it the practice of the police not to suppress relevant evidence because it might help the accused. In fairness to the detective concerned in this case his Honor said he was not at all satisfied in his own mind that the detective was knowingly doing anything of the kind suggested. The inquiry had taken on several different aspects, apparently resulting in someone in higher authority deciding that changes in attack should be tried, and the detective, in following instructions, had not been conscious of doing anything wrong.