NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26043, 5 January 1946, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Current Ration Coupons The current tea and sugar coupons, Nos. 9 to 12, will remain valid until January 20. The value of each is 2oz for tea and 12oz for sugar. On the surrender of coupon Yl6 at any time up to January 31 an extra 31b of sugar for jam may be obtained. Butter coupons Nos. 9 to 11 will be negotiable until January 20. The value of each is Boz, the four-weekly ration being lilb. Expectant mothers, nursing mothers, and persons who have reached the age of 70 years are entitled to an extra 41b of butter for the four-weekly period ending on January 20 on production of coupon No. 9. Coupons may be used only when the corresponding numbers in the ration book are available. Meat coupon No. 10 will expire on January 13, and No. 11 will be available from January 7 to January 20. The value of the coupons is Is 6d in the case of adults and 9d in the case of children, the H. and J. coupons each having a value of 3d. Hosiery coupons XlO4 and X2Ol are both available until further notice. Petrol coupons Nos. 6,7, and 8 are negotiable up to February 28. All petrol coupons are worth double their face value. Highways Board Tour

The annual tours of the Highways Board, which were not carried out during the war, are to be recommenced shortly. It is expected that the board will visit Otago later this month.

Sand Drift at Cemetery High winds during the past week have blown sand from the area recently levelled at the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery and deposited a considerable quantity on graves in one section of the cemetery. Prompt steps have been taken by the Reserves Department to remedy the position, with a view to preventing any further drift that may take place. As soon as the drift has stopped, the sand will be cleared from the paths and plots.

Early Fire Pump After a varied career, which included service during two wars. “Alice. Pride of Dunedin,” the second fire pump to be operated in this city, has been placed among other honoured relics in the Early Settlers’ Museum. Built by a London firm, this manual pump was bought by the Dunedin Volunteer Brigade in September, 1863. In 1910 it was sold to the army. It was transported to the Trentham military camp in 1917, and remained there until the camp authorities recently offered it to the Dunedin Metropolitan Fire Board, which approached the Early Settlers’ Association with the suggestion that “Alice ” should be housed in that body’s museum.

Dutch Child Visitors Dunedin children seem anxious to welcome the Dutch children who are due here in thfe middle of this month. An appeal was recently made for toys for the small evacuees, who had lost everything when the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies. So far the response has been very encouraging. One of the firms whose premises serve as collecting depots for toys reports that several large packets are already in hand. In some cases, where the toy cupboards proved bare, parents have bought new toys and presented them for the pleasure of the young Dutch guests'. Visitor’s Appreciation

Many expressions of appreciation have been made to members of the Town Hall staff by visitors who have taken part in the observation tours arranged by the city Transport Department during the holiday period. The courtesy and civility of the bus drivers has been the subject of comment, and visitors have also been highly appreciative of the fact that an opportunity for afternoon tea has been included in the tour. A large number of visitors this year have inspected the organ at the Town Hall, and several of them received official sanction to play it. -

Electoral Changes The opinion that under the Electoral Amendment Art the South Island would lose two seats to the North Island, and that instead of 28 there would be only 26 European seats in the South Island, was expressed by Mr T. L. Macdonald, M.P. for Mataura, in an interview. Mr Macdonald thought also that the redistribution of seats in the South Island would resuit in Christchurch and Dunedin getting one more seat each. That would make four fewer country seats in the South Island. He thought that altogether from seven to ten country seats would be transferred to the cities, although that was only a surmise. Distinguished Visitors

In the early part of the present year a number of distinguished visitors are expected in Dunedin, said the Mayor (Mr D. C. Cameron) yesterday. The international leader of the Salvation Army, General George L. Carpenter, and Mrs Carpenter will arrive on January 18, and. Mr W. J. Jordan, High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, is also expected at an early date. The Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, and Lady Newall will pay a farewell visit to Dunedin, and a welcome will be tendered to the Governor-General-designate, Major-general Sir Bernard Freyberg, and Lady Freyberg. Another distinguished visitor expected shortly is Lieutenant-general Sir William DoblJie, formerly Governor of Malta.

Desire to Settle in Dominion Several letters have been received by the secretary of the Dunedin branch of the Imperial Ex-servicemen’s Association (Mr P. Ramsay) from discharged British servicemen expressing a desire to settle in the Dominion. A Scottish serviceman in a letter written on December 8 stated: “ Some time ago, while serving in Burma, I noticed a small article in the Otago Daily Times. I am rather interested in the prospect of immigration. I am 33 yeais of age, married, with one child, and am a compositor by trade. I served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for five and a-half years, three years and seven months of which were spent in the Far East.” The writer of this letter, as well as other servicemen who have written to Mr Ramsay, seeks information as to the prospects of employment.