NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25866, 9 June 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

rpEA and sugar coupons Nos. 83 to A 36 will be negotiable from June 11 to July 8. The value of each is 2oz for tea and 10oz for sugar. Butter coupons Nos. 33, 34. and 35 will become available on June 11, and will remain valid until July 8. The value of each of these is Boz, the four-weekly ration being ljlb. This is the equivalent of 6oz a week. It should be noted, however, that butter is not being made up in 6oz pats, but will continue to be sold in lib and Jib lots. Meat coupons No. 32 will expire on June 17, and No. 33 will be available from June 11 to 24. The value of the meat coupon is Is 6d in the case of adults and 9d in the case of children under 10, the value of the “ H ’’ coupon and the “ J ” coupon being 3d each. Expectant and nursing mothers and persons holding priority certificates are entitled to three eggs on surrender of coupon No. 33 for the week ending June 17. The current hosiery coupon is XlO4. Petrol coupon No. 11, worth half its face value, and No. 12, worth one and a-half times its face value, are available until June 30.

Garage Entered Garage premises in Moray place were broken into on Thursday night by forcing the door. A sum of money and a number of petrol coupons were stolen. Magician at Disadvantage

The R.N.Z.A.F. on Bougainville (states a war correspondent) has a dental officer well known in Wellington. He is a good amateur magician and card manipulator. But before he joins in a game of poker he always demonstrates what he can do with cards. He is so honest that fellowofficers never refuse to play with him. But the other night, after demonstrating his skill, he had the first deal and got a royal routine flush. He threw in his hand!

The Dominion Pres# The press of the Dominion, and Dunedin in particular, was praised by Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand, at the reception tendered to him and Lady Batterbee yesterday. Sir Harry said that he recalled all the help the press had given him on his two previous visits to the Dominion, and that help had been increased during the time he had been here as High Commissioner. He added that Dunedin had every reason to be proud of its press. Hamilton Man’s Offer

An offer to give £SOO for the relief of distress in Britain caused by the further reduction in food rations has been made by Mr F. W. Burley, of Hamilton, with the condition that £SOO worth of unused current issue coupons for butter and meat be collected by some Hamilton organisation. Mr Burley said that a big share of the work of collecting would be done by the women of Hamilton and that by consuming a little less meat and butter no great hardship would be imposed on anyone and health would certainly not suffer. Price of Petrol

It was stated at a meeting of the council of the Automobile Association (Wellington) that in Australia last month the price of petrol—2s 64d wholesale and 2s lOd retail—was reduced by lid a gallon, and lighting kerosene—ls 6£d wholesale and Is BJd retail for lowest grade and up to 2s 2d retail for highest grade—was reduced by Id a gallon. The Commonwealth Prices Commissioner, Professor Copland, explained that with the improvement in the war situation the landed cost of petrol had fallen. Members expressed the hope that a similar reduction would be made in New Zealand.

Municipal Organ Recital An interesting programme of organ music will be given by Dr V. E. Galway at his after-church recital in the Town Hall to-morrow evening, when the following compositions will be performed: —Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E minor. Allegretto in B minor (Guilmant), Sonata in A minor (allegro, andante and allegro con fuoco) by Borowski, “Sea Surge” (Julian Nesbitt), “Adoration ” and “ Moto Perpetuo ” (Edgar Ford), and Finale in B flat (Wolstenholme). Dr Galway will be assisted by Mr E. J. Carr, who will play three Debussy compositions—“ La Terasse des Audiences du Clair de la Lune,” “Bruyeres,” “La Soiree dans Grenade.” There will be no charge for admission.

2106 Regulations Since 1930 A survey of war-time regulations to see whether it is possible to prepare a case for the revocation or amendment of some of them is to be made by committees of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. This was agreed upon by the council of the chamber after it had heard a report by Mr L. J. Hensley on behalf of the committee which had given the question preliminary consideration. He said that 1621 regulations had been issued since 1939, and 2106 since 1936. To examine all these and their implications would be a long and complicated job. If the various committees of the chamber would, consider important regulations affecting their particular interests his . committee would co-ordinate their opinions.

Power Supply Deficiency “ We have been in touch with various hydro-electric authorities and it is quite clear that a serious deficiency in electricity supplies will continue until 1950,” said the president, Mr H. J. Lichtenstein, at a meeting of the copncu of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. It was reported that a survey was being undertaken by the chamber of the undeveloped hydro-electric resources ot the North Island other than those on the Government’s scheme for development. The view was expressed by members that there had been undue tendencies on the part of the department to centralise supply in its own hands, as exemplified by its disinclination to permit the development of Lake Omapere by the Bay of Islands Power Board and in the department’s insistence on closing down the Te Teko plant supplying the Bay of Plenty. Production of Vitamin Oil By the end of July, New Zealand should be producing all its own requirements of high vitamin oil. Extensive additions are nearing completion at the fish oil factory operated at Island Bay by the Karitane Products Society, Ltd., which has invested about £20,000 in the venture. With the plant in full swing, it is expected to increase production to 10,000 gallons of high vitamin oil a year. This is equivalent to the Dominion’s prewar importations of cod liver oil. Experiments in the production of these high vitamin oils began in 1939 in an iron shed at Melrose. They were initiated by the society, and the prospects of a complete cessation of imports of cod liver oil during the war years led to the estaDlishment of a small factory at Island Bay in 1941. With the co-operation of fishermen it has been highly successful in the production of an essential food for nursing mothers and babies. The Karitane Products Society, Ltd., which operates the factory, is not a commercial concern, inasmuch as it has no shareholders, pays no dividends, and has a board of honorary directors. Coffee Drinking

The number of coffee houses in Wellington continues to increase. Not many years ago it was difficult (states the Dominion) to get a cup of coffee in any public restaurant in the city. Tea held almost undisputed its position as the national meal-time drink. To-day coffee houses flourish in almost every city street, and at least one suburban' picture theatre is serving coffee to its patrons during the interval. The first of the coffee houses made their appearance not long before the war, probably, in the first place, to meet a demand from Europeans then coming into the country as refugees from the Nazis. The influx of American troops, many of whom had never drunk tea at home, gave a stimulus to the business, and gradually many native New Zealanders have adopted the custom of coffee drinking. It remains to be seen whether the business will continue to flourish, or whether it will go the way of the many orange drink stalls, which some years ago sprang up all over the city. They disappeared long before the current shortage of oranges, to be succeeded by the equally mushroom-like growth of milk bars, which show no sign of losing popular favour.