NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25456, 10 February 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

■DECAUSE of the improvement in the war situation, the army authorities are now able to devote more time to the military training of cadets in secondary schools, which, before the war, were regarded as good training grounds for officers and noncommissioned officers. This year cadets will receive a weekly period of instruction, in addition to the training in barracks undertaken at many schools. A greater degree of specialisation is being introduced into the training syllabus, and suitable cadets are to be chosen to study signalling and the use of all automatic weapons, the latter including a knowledge of plane and range tables. Cadets for specialist instruction will be chosen from those pupils who are likely to attend a secondary school for at least two years. Competitions in rifle shooting are expected to be reinstituted throughout New Zealand this year, and schools will have an opportunity to enter teams for the Islington Challenge Shield and the Imperial Challenge Shield. Butter-fat Decline

An indication of the heavy drop in the production of butter-fat during January is given in the returns of the Auckland Herd Improvement Association. The association tested 77,744 cows last month, the average yield being 5651 b milk and 27.51 b fat. For the corresponding month last year the association handled 76,070 cows, the average production of which was 6401 b milk and 31.21 b fat.. The Mokauiti and Ngakuru-Guthrie groups tied for first place, the cows in each group averaging 341 b fat, while the best herd was at Matakana, 25 cows there yielding an average of 471 b fat. A Pessimistic View

A pessimistic view was taken by an appellant before the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee on Tuesday, when he opposed the man-power officer’s decision not to grant him permission to leave his employment as a labourer at the city abattoirs. The appellant said that work on concrete floors affected his legs and he could not continue working on concrete. “If I am sent back to the abattoirs I will be dissatisfied,” he said. “A dissatisfied worker is no good. If I do not go to work I will be fined. I will not have enough money to pay the fine and I will go to gaol.” The deputy chairman, Mr H. Campbell: “Then you will be on concrete floors again.” The decision was reserved until the appellant had been medically examined. Bequest for Benefit of Servicemen

Provision for servicemen who are from time to time resident in the Ashburton County, and have returned from service overseas during the present war, is made in the will of Mr Adam Nicholas (Ashburton), who died on December 19. The three trustees appointed to administer the trust are the Mayor of Ashburton, the chairman of the Ashburton County Council, and the president of the Ashburton Returned Services’ Association for the time being. The money, which is the residue of the estate, is to be applied at the discretion of the trustees for the maintenance, medical attention, training or studying for any trade or profession, or otherwise for the personal benefit of the men. It is estimated that the trust fund eventually available for this purpose will be about £2OOO. Municipal Organ Recital

The city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, has arranged an interesting programme of organ compositions for presentation at his after-church recital in the Town Hall on Sunday evening. Special mention may be made of “ Triumph Song ” (Baynon), Bach’s Toccata in D minor (a request item), and Suite Gothique (Boellmann) (a) Prelude and Minuet; (b) Prayer, and (c) Toccata. The Overture to “ Ruy Bias ” (Mendelssohn) will be played for the first time at these recitals. Other interesting pieces to be performed are “ Larghetto from a Concerto ” (Mozart) and Rachmaninov’s “Prelude in C sharp minor.” Dr Galway will be assisted by Mr Geoffrey de Lautour, who will sing “ In Questa Tomba” (Beethoven), “I Will not Grieve” (Schumann), and "Within These Sacred Bowers ” (Mozart). There will be no charge for admission. Falling Food Production Deep concern at what was described as an apparent swing towards wool production instead of the production of necessary foodstuffs was expressed at a meeting of the Central Taranaki Primary Production Council at Stratford when Mr W. J. Poison, M.P., prophesied a serious position in future unless the trend away from food production was checked immediately, states the Taranaki Daily News. Lengthy discussion followed, and a resolution was passed “ that a subcommittee comprising the executive of the council and Mr Poison be set up to communicate with other Taranaki production councils and Farmers’ Unions with the object of calling a joint conference of delegates in an endeavour to formulate a scheme for arresting the alarming decline in primary production for the consideration of the National Council of Primary Producers and the Government.” Shortage of Wireless Sets

During the past 18 months no new radio sets have been placed on the New Zealand market and no domestic type of set has been manufactured in the Dominion. Since the importation of radio sets was prohibited five or six years ago New Zealanders have been forced to depend on local manufacture. Normally the industry would have to supply about 40,000 sets a year. “Second-hand radio sets are fetching high prices,” said one dealer in Wellington. “ Many owners are selling privately at very high rates. Small sets are in great demand. The price of new radio sets is controlled by the Price Tribunal, and in most cases they have a guaranteed life. All firms are obliged to obtain sets wherever they can for resale second-hand. There appears to be no control of second-hand prices. Moreover, the spare part situation is by no means satisfactory. Many secondhand sets are obtained by dealers for the parts they contain.” Silent Propaganda New Zealanders who were prisoners of war in Italy did their best in silent propaganda among the Italian people, who were not slow to respond., From time to time prisoners were marched through towns and villages on what might have been termed an exhibition tour, but the results were usually the reverse of what the Italian authorities had intended. Private J. M. Pullinger, of Gisborne, when speaking of this, said that the New Zealanders spruced themselves up as well as they could, and made a point of shining their shoes with as much polish a? possible. The prisoners therefore looked as smart as the best Italian troops, and the people v/ho lined the road could not help noticing the polished shoes and comparing them with their own poor quality. Women frequently threw to them fruit and flowers, remembering, no doubt, their own sons or brothers or husbands who were prisoners of war. When at large, trying to reach the British lines after their escape, the prisoners found the Italian women always ready to help. The Austerity Suit

“I have been informed that the emergency specifications mean to New Zealand an overall saving equivalent to 30,000 suits a year,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr D. G. Sullivan, when he was asked if the enforcement of “ austerity suit ” specifications was to continue. Mr Sullivan’s attention was drawn to a report that the making of “austerity” suits was to cease in Britain as from the beginning of this month. Mr Sullivan said he was always ready to examine the question, but he. had been advised that the adoption of the austerity specifications had made another 30,000 suits a year available to New Zealanders. It was true that in the case of bespoke tailors adherence to the specifications meant an actual waste of some material, but there was a big saving in clothing made by manufacturers. If the bespoke tailors were exempt, trade would go to them from the manufacturers, with the result that the saving of material would be reduced. The difference between the position of New Zealand and that of Britain was that New Zealand was an importer of material and Britain a manufacturer.