NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25457, 11 February 1944, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

“ /YUR laymen’s conference asked U when we are going to stop talking about things and do some of them,’’ >said the Rev. James Baird to the Presbytery of Christchurch on Wednesday, when some reference was made to the Campaign > for Christian Order. Mr Baird asked that, the Life and Work Committee might have an hour at the next meeting to present some simple, practical proposals to the. presbytery. “ For instance, we are failing in our duty if we do not go into every Presbyterian home in our district regularly,” said Mr Baird. He said it was now proposed to hold a laymen’s conference just before each presbytery meeting in an effort to obtain complete accord in the action to be taken. Extra Expresses

A number of visitors to Auckland who have, because of the railway restrictions, not yet been able to return to their homes, will be accommodated on special expresses leaving for Wellington this evening and next Monday. There will also be expresses from Wellington at the same time. Shortage of Lodgings The shortage of boarding accommodation for students is being experienced elsewhere than in Dunedin. There is every indication that university students planning to go to Auckland for the winter sessions are going to have the utmost difficulty in securing lodgings. There will be at least 300 of them to be placed, but three advertisements recently published bV the Students’ Association asking for accommodation brought 'only three replies. The Life of Bracken'

Admirers of the New Zealand poet, Thomas Bracken, whose centenary occurred in December last, will be pleased to learn that the event has elicited some interest in Australia. Mr Bernard Magee, of Oamaru, the writer of a script on the life of Bracken, has received a cablegram from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney, that his script will be broadcast from 2BL Station, Sydney, at 5.5 p.m. Australian summer time, on Sunday. Damage to Telephones

Considerable loss gnd inconvenience has been suffered by the Auckland taxi service recently through the destruction of receivers attached to telephones at street stands. The damage is attributed to disgruntled customers who have rung the central taxi exchange and have been told that no cars were available. A few days ago several receivers were destroyed within a few hours, making it impossible for the central office to direct the service satisfactorily.

Cooking and Mechanics “Is she something of a mechanic?” asked counsel in the Supreme Court in Auckland of a witness whose wife was said to have bought a motor car for £25. “She cannot even cook,” came the scornful reply. “I don’t know that that ought to be accepted as an answer to the question,” commented Mr Justice Callan. “Perhaps if she paid more attention to domestic duty she would not know so much about cars.” Later witness said his wife was a good driver and knew the. value of a car engine. Carrying of School Bags, Attention was drawn at a recent meeting of the Wellington branch of the Physical Education Society of New Zealand to the fact that the posture of many schoolgirls was'being adversely affected by the carrying of school bags, always on one side of the body, either by hand or slung over the shoulder. “ Many people do not realise that when a weight is carried on one side it tends to pull the spine into a curve and to alter the level of the shoulders and hips,” states the society. “ When this is done day after day, particularly by growing children, posture suffers, for one side of the body is developed at the expense of the other and there is a tendency for the abnormal position to take the place gradually of the normal.”

Sale of Health Stamps The sale of health stamps in January brought the total sales for the present campaign to £51,500, said the Post-master-general, Mr P. C. Webb, last night. The highest sales were again made in the Wellington postal district (£536), followed by Auckland (£471), Hamilton (£359) and Dunedin (£328), but the outstanding contribution for the month was that of Rotorua (£142). For the whole campaign (says a Press Association telegram) Auckland is still leading, with a total of £6623. followed bv Wellington (£5224). Dunedin : P. 3543). Christchurch (£3490), Hamilton (£2519). Palmerston North (£2198) Tnvercargill (£1318). and Napier (£1308). Mr Webb said that the siamos would be withdrawn from sale on February 29.

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