NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25881, 27 June 1945, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

TJORTY or 50 years ago it was the L age of fathers, and everything in homes was done with their comfort in view, declared Mrs W. J. Metcalf, kindergarten principal, when addressing the annual meeting of the Hawera Plunket Society on the pre-school child. In recent times, however, opinion had changed, she said, and it was now the age. of children. Everything possible was done to make comfortable the lot of the child, who was now carefully studied. She believed that in time the pendulum would swing, and the age of mothers would come. So great was the concern of mothers to see that their homes were comfortable for children that it imposed a great strain on them. The lower birthrate of to-day might be partly due to the much greater effort required to raise children successfully. Transit Housing Proposal

By 11 votes to 10, the Auckland City Council last night rejected a proposal of its Housing Committee to establish additional transit housing accommodation in the existing army buildings in the Domain and at Victoria Park. This decision (states a Press Association message) was reached after a three-hour debate.

Vegetables for Pacific Forces Substantial increases are expected in the quantities of vegetables which will leave the Auckland district next year for the Pacific. Contracts which have been signed by the Internal Marketing Division in Auckland for supplies of vegetables in 1946 (states a Press Association message) show an increase of about 15 per cent, over the present year’s figures. The division is expected to pack for despatch to the Pacific 28,000 tons of cabbages, 18,000 tons of carrots, about 8000 tons of cauliflowers and 2000 tons of celery and lettuce.

Ships for Americans The latest 114-foot composite powered lighter to be commissioned by the United States Navy in Auckland was built by United Ship and Boatbuilders, Ltd., in the record time of 23 working weeks. The average working time in the construction of these vessels is 32 weeks. The vessel was the sixth of 13 ordered here by the United States Navy, and was commissioned four days after launching, another record. With a similar vessel built at Port Chalmers, where three were ordered, and another 75-foot steel tug completed by Steel Ships, LtcL, the newly-commissioned 114-foot vessel will shortly leave for overseas.

“The People Expect—” In a letter to a relative in Dunedin, a London soldier who is serving in a famous airborne division pays a high tribute to the “home front” in Britain and succinctly expresses in the following extract a view point on the post-war situation: “ The 4 home front .ranks first with the army. It has fought back with hard work, courage, and above all, a jolly good sense of humour. Lord Nelson’s ever-famous signal, ‘England expects every man to do his duty,’ has been carried out to the letter. Now the people’s signal is ‘Every man expects England to do Her duty.’—Will she? I would not like the thought of having a son to carry on another unfinished war. It is going to' be finished this time.” Rehabilitation Project

To help to cope with the shortage of experienced painters, paperhangers, and glaziers in the country and at the same time provide suitable ex-service-men with a trade that will make a valuable contribution to residential building, the Rehabilitation Board is opening, towards the end of next month, a training establishment for these trades as an adjunct to the trade training centre for carpentry, bricklaying, roof-tiling, and plastering at present operating at Petone. It is hoped that additional centres will later be provided at Auckland and Christchurch. There are indications, states the board, that some hundreds of competent paperhangers, painters, and glaziers can be absorbed by the building industry within the next year or two.

Origin of “Akker ” The origin of the word “ akker,” which is applied by soldiers in Egypt to the small coins that vanish so swiftly after each pay day, is rather indefinite, states the N.Z.E.F. Times. This is the normal army term for these coins, and it is a term that seems to have little rhyme or reason about it, but it is precisely this rhyme that has changed the word “ piastre ” into “ akker ” in four moves. Tradition places the time of the change as during the last war. Few people like to use unfamiliar words, and when the soldiers found they would have to refer to coins as piastres, it did not .take them long to substitute “ disaster. ’ It may have been a concert party gag to carry things further, and to talk, for example, of owing; a friend “ five accidents.”' The abbreviation to “ aker or “ akker ’’—there seems to be no defined spelling—followed as a matter of course. A Wise Decision

An application involving the proposed sale of an old house in the city to a discharged serviceman was refused by the Otago Land Sales Committee yesterday after a report prepared by the Department of Health on the condition of the house had been considered. This report stated that the floor of the house, which was a very old buildiflg, was in some places below ground level. There was also evidence of dampness and borer. The house contained no bath, and the only hot water obtainable was from a small side boiler in the kitchen range. When the application came up for hearing the purchaser indicated his reluctance, in view of the Health Department s report to proceed with the transaction. "I think your decision is a very wise one,” remarked the chairman (Mr E. J. Anderson), in formally refusing the application. In the application before the committee the property was described as a five-roomed dwelling, age unknown, and the price at which consent to the sale was sought was £275. Visit of American Show

The Acting Prime Minister Mr W. Nash announced last night that an offer had been received from Viceadmiral Calhoun, commander of the South Pacific area, through his special representative in New Zealand, Lieu-tenant-colonel L.- W. Nickerson, USMC. for a visit to New Zealand of the Claude Thornhill Show. Ihis (states a Press Association message) is a party of famous American film and radio Stars and includes Tommy Riggs, radio star, Dennis Day, of the Jack Benny Show, and Jackie Cooper, screen and radio star. Mr. Nash said he wished to express his warmest appreciation of Admiral Calhoun’s offer, which had been gratefully accepted by the Government. The duration of the visit of the members of the party to New Zealand is limited, but during the time they are here they will visit the main centres, the principal service establishments, and some of the main provincial towns. No charges will be made for admission to any of the entertainments given by the party, which are intended primarily for servicemen and servicewomen. Arrangements will, however, be made to enable many discharged service personnel, including any repatriated prisoners of war, to attend.