NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Current Ration Coupons The current tea and sugar coupons, Nos. 5 to 8, in the new ration books, will expire on December 23. The value of each is 2oz for tea and 12oz for sugar. On submission of coupon Yl6 at any time up to January 31, an extra 31b of sugar for jam may be obtained. Butter coupons 5 to 7 will expire on December 23. The value of each is Boz, he four-weekly ration being.l|lb. Expectant mothers, nursing mothers, and persons who have reached the age of 70 years, are entitled to an extra Jib of butter for the four-weekly period ending on December 23 on production of coupon No. 5. Coupons may be used only when the corresponding numbers in the ration book are available. The additional Boz of butter which was granted to all consumers by making coupon No. 8 available may be obtained up to December 25. Meat coupon No. 7 will expire on December 23, an’d No. 8 will be negotiable from December 17 to December 30. The value of meat coupon No. 7 is Is 8d in the case of adults and lid in the case of children under five, the H and J coupons each having a value of sd. The value of coupon No. 8, however, has been increased by 6d for adults and 3d for children under five, making th coupon values for H 8 lid and J 8 Bd. Hosiery coupons XlO4 and X2Ol are both hvailable until further notice. Petrol coupon No. 5 will expire on December 31 and coupons No. 6, 7. and 8 are negotiable at any time in December, January and February. All petrol coupons are worth double their face value. The King’s Birthday » Flags were flown on Government buildings in Dunedin yesterday on the occasion of the birthday of King George VI, who was born at Sandringham on December 14, 1895. In New Zealand the official observance of the day is held on the first Monday in June. Gift to Health Camp Funds The Dunedin Headmasters’ Association has forwarded a gift of £25 from the proceeds of the recent School Musical Festival for the use of the school at the King George V Memorial Camp at Roxburgh. The money will be spent in the purchase of equipment, including sports material, handcraft material, and pictures. Women’s Rest Room In accordance with notice given, Cr M. Connelly. M.L.C., will move at the fortnightly meeting of the City Council on Monday night; “ That it be a recommendation from the council that estimates and plans be prepared to enable the erection of a modern rest room for women on the council’s property adjoining the present rest room for women in Princes street, the work to be proceeded with next year.”

M.U.1.0.0.F. Scholarships The successful candidates for the 1945 Sligo Scholarships, awarded by the Otago district of the M.U.1.0.0.F., have been announced. The first scholarship has been awarded to Farquhar D. Wilkinson, of the Otago Boys’ High School, who secured 3824 marks of a possible 450, a percentage of 85. Brian H. Beagley, of Sawyers’ Bay, also a pupil of the Otago Boys’ High School, won the second scholarship, with 380£ marks, or 84.5 per cent, of the possible 450. There were 14 entrants. and the standard attained was high.

A Sparrow’s Vigil A more than passing acquaintance with human frailties has given;sjnost of those people who are in regular attendance at the city law courts reason to be a trifle cynical in their general outlook. But even those with long experience of the courts must have been moved by a small scene that was being enacted in a corner of the main entrance to the building yesterday morning. A young sparrow had met its death and the mother bird was keeping vigil over the ruffled little body. With all her strength she defied any attempt at interference. Health Stamp Sales “It is expected that all the unsold health stamps will be disposed of throughout New Zealand by Christmas,” said the chief postmaster (Mr Ernest J. Smith) to a Daily Times reporter yesterday. Mr Smith added that at the present time a small quantity of the stamps was neld at the Chief Post Office, and several of the smaller offices in the Dunedin district, but if they were not sold within the next few days it would be necessary to send them ,to other centres where there was an increased demand. Tnere did not appear to be any possibility of a further issue of the stamps. The Value of Honesty An illustration of the value of honesty in retaining a person’s self-respect was given by the New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Mr W. J. Jordan, when addressing the boys of the Auckland Grammar School at their prize-giving ceremony. Mr Jordan said that about 40 years ago, shortly after he came from England, he worked in the bush about 500 miles from his employer. A foreman was the timekeeper and Mr Jordan asked him how the employer could be sure that the time was being kept honestly. “ Who is he that we should want to rob him? ” asked the foreman When a man robbed another person he immediately placed himself in an inferior position, said Mr Jordan. Duty on Airman’s Estate A reply to a complaint that interest had been charged on the death duty payable in respect of the estate of an airman who had died on active service has been received by the executive of the Auckland Returned Services’ Association from the Commissioner of Stamp Duties. The letter stated that the point raised had been taken up with "the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, with a view to an amendment of the Act. There was nothing in the Act to allow the Stamp Office not to charge interest, but applications made to the Minister for remission were invariably granted. Members of the executive agreed to forward the reply to the next-of-kin of the airman, but pointed out that the principle involved was important. There should be no need to make application for remission. Fleet Carrier’s Many Pets A monkey is among the unusually large number of pets to be found in H.M.S. Indefatigable. It rejoises in the name of Marine Stupid, and is the only female member of the Royal Marines. Stupid was obtained at Hongkong from an officer in another ship who was returning to Englan l and could not take the monkey with him. Since she came into the possession of her present owners, Stupid has been provided, among other things, with a marine tunic and a blanket jacket to keep her warm during cold weather. She spends much time at sea laboriously trying to undo marines’ shoe-laces and agilely climbing the safety net provided for deck landing officers who might have to leap away from swerving aircraft. In addition to Stupid the Indefatigable has one opossum, a present from an Australian, and more than 30 cats and kittens. It is partly due to them that the ship’s rat population is extraordinarily low. It is aiso unusually free from cockroaches. Cargo Accumulation Problem The belief that the interisland shipping space problem would be alleviated early in the New Year was expressed at a meeting in Christchurch this week of representatives of the Railways Department, shipping companies, and the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, which has appointed a standing committee to watch manufacturers’ interests. An assurance was given by the representatives of the department and the companies that everything possible would be done. It was stated at the meeting that through enemy action during the war, several vessels with a carrying capacity of 200,000 tons a year had been lost. During the war it was not possible to build vessels to replace this damage. One company, however, had been able recently to secure two small ships which had originally been intended for the navy. The recent “go slow ” policy in Auckland was the main cause of the accumulation of cargo at various New Zealand ports. Action had been taken for the transport of this cargo, and the space offering, it was expected, would soon return to normal.