NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26114, 29 March 1946, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Depreciation Allowance An extension of the period during which the special 30 per cent, depreciation allowance for new buildings and plant can be claimed is being sought by the Otago-Southland Manufacturers’ Association. The secretary, ,Mr F. L. Hitchens, stated at the annual meeting of the Invercargill branch on Wednesday night that the association had written to the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation asking it to take the matter up with the Government. The 'period would expire in 1948, but as a result of the building restrictions announced recently, it was felt that some manufacturers might have their building permits delayed for an indefinite period and would thus lose the advantage offered by the additional depreciation allowance. Large Parcel Mail A large parcel mail of business parcels in 136 bags arrived in Dunedin from Vancouver on Wednesday night. It left Vancouver on February 6. Postal Facilities By a further extension of mail services, commencing on Tuesday next, all suburban post offices in Dunedin will close mails at 9 a.m. This will ensure that business letters will be available for delivery to the business portion of the city each afternoon as well as connecting with the 11.35 a.m. north express on Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday^

Mine Washed Ashore A German mine which has been washed up by the sea was discovered recently at Marsden Point, at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour. Upon the authorities being notified, a bomb disposal squad went from Auckland and the mine was destroyed. It is presumed to have come from the field laid at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour by a German raider early in the war. The Niagara was sunk by a mine in this field. Industrial Disputes Industrial disputes in New Zealand in 1945 involved 39,158 workers, and the estimated loss in wages was £92,581, states the Abstract of Statistics. This compares with 29,766 workers in 1944, when the wages loss was £74,012, and 10,915 in 1943, when it was estimated that £20,179 was lost in wages. There were 154 disputes in 1945, compared with 149 in 1944 and 69 in 1943, and 1255 firms were affected, as compared with 269 in 1944 and 114 in 1943.

Value of Ambergris A piece of ambergris, found some years ago on the beach by a resident of Orepuki, has been valued at more than £3OO. At first (says the Southland Times) the resident did not realise the value of what he had picked up, and it lay in his house for some time. Subsequently he accepted an offer of £lO for it, but the transaction was not completed because the purchaser did not have the money. This has turned out to be fortunate for the finder, who will now receive a sum more than 30 times as large. Warrants of Fitness

A recommendation to the Government that legislation should be introduced to prevent the owner of a vehicle applying to another testing authority when a warrant of fitness has been refused by the authority in his district was adopted after considerable discussion by the Municipal Conference on Wednesday. The remit was put forward by the Christchurch City Council, representatives of which said that cases were known to them in which a vehicle owner had gone to four other testing authorities in an endeavour to obtain a warrant of fitness for an unsound vehicle.

Taxis from Racecourse “It seems unreasonable that a taxi should have to pay 2s 6d many times on the same day to gain admission to a racecourse,” said Mr W. H. Nagle, chairman of the Auckland Metropolitan Licensing Authority, when reviewing an application by Mr W. G. Scott to have his taxi licence amended. The applicant proposed that taxi trips from the Ellerslie racecourse should start outside the course, and not from the stand, as a price of admission was charged every trip. The authority ap-. proved the application, to take effect from August, and intimated that all licences for taxi service from the city to Ellerslie would probably be amended similarly on their renewal. Desolate Darwin

Darwin is still a very disordered town, with civilian inhabitants only just beginning to drift back after the Japanese raids, reports a Christchurch soldier who visited the town on his way to Japan with the advance guard of the occupation force. Many buildings are still demolished, and most of them show signs of bomb damage or bullet holes from Japanese machine guns. There are still over 2000 troops in the area, dispersed in untidy-look-ing camps. The New Zealander added that he listened for a while to the trial of Japanese war criminals, but said that it was “ pretty dull.” Empty Dwellings

" The housing position is so grim that the sooner this is done the better,” said the president of the Auckland Returned Services’ Association, Mr A. P. Postlewaite, when questioned as to the attitude of the association to the statement of the Minister of Finance, Mr W. Nash, indicating that the State may seize unoccupied homes. A peak stage in the housing shortage nad been reached, as a large number of returned servicemen had married since their return home and were living either with friends or in rooms. If legislation on the proposed lines were made law dozens of unoccupied houses in Auckland could be made available to returned serviceman, who were more affected by the housing shortage than any other section of the community, Mr Postlewaite said. On investigation it had been found that many of the unoccupied houses were empty because the owners wished to sell, but would not let them in the meantime on account of the restrictions imposed by the Fair Rents Act.

Public Service Servicemen Returned servicemen who wish tc resign from their former positions in the public service are allowed 18 months’ leave without pay before they are required to make a final decision about continuing in other employment, but only about 500 or 600 men, including those availing themselves of rehabilitation bursaries, are at present taking advantage of the scheme, compared with thousands who have resumed work in the public' service. The Public Service Commissioner (Mr J. H. Boyes) says the system protects a man from having to re-enter the service at the bottom. The authorities do not want any man to take up another job and find, after six mpnths, that the job does not suit him or that he does not suit the job. If a man finds another job attractive and fully up to his expectations he can resign immediately. For several years there were some 7000 public servants in uniform, excluding post and telegraph and railway employees. War on Insect Pest

During.the drive to increase the production of potatoes in England, an anxious watch was kept for the Colorado beetle, said Mr J. P. Hudson, chief horticulturist of the Department of agriculture, in an address to the Dunedin Amenities Society last night. Mr Hudson, who arrived in the Dominion recently from England, said that the Colorado2 beetle was a pest which made production costly and difficult if it became established. It was found in America and on the Continent, but by a system of careful inspection of ships and aeroplanes arriving in England before the war it was kept out. On several occasions during the war, however, it was brought back to England by commandos and troops from the Continent, and it was found to be established in 13 different places. In all the places where the pest was reported. he added, a team of workers began operations, and before he left for New Zealand it was reported that there was not one Colorado-beetle in England.