NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26349, 2 January 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Dental Benefits Dental treatment benefits under social security will be" available on and after February. I, states an announcement in the Gazette. The scheme provides lor the treatment of adolescents to the age of 19. The Social Security Dental Benefits Regulations were gazetted last month and at the same time the Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, stated that a commencement would be made with children leaving school and passing from the care of the school dental clinic. He stated that arrangements were being made for the continuation of their dental treatment at State dental clinics or by contracting dentists at the cost of the Social Security Fund. It would not be possible to extend dental attention at once to' all children up to 19, said Mr Nordmeyer, and provision was made in the regulations to fix from time to time age groups in which children would be accepted for treatment. As further dentists became available and further State dental clinics were established, the age group would be raised until all children up to 19 were included. It was estimated that about 30,000 children would be included in the first age group to be accepted for treatment. Phenomenal Peach Prices Small quantities of Hawke’s Bay stone fruit which have been sent to markets outside the province have been bringing phenomenal prices, compensating growers to some extent for the light crop. Prices obtained in Auckland, Taranaki and Wellington are reported to have been extraordinarily good for early peaches and plums, peaches bringing up to 50s a half case wholesale. >* Strange Uniforms Youngsters in smartly-cut uniforms of contrasting shades- of blue have aroused the interest of Dunedin residents during the past two days, and speculation as to the identity of the uniformed boys could be heard as they passed by in the streets. They were bandsmen from the Wellington Waterside Junior Band, which gave performances in the city on Tuesday evening and yesterday afternoon. Promises to Britain Appreciation of the work that is being done by the United Kingdom Manufacturers and New Zealand Representatives’ Association is expressed in a letter received by the secretary (Mrs B. Schloss) from the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. "We hope,” the letter adds, “ that as United Kingdom industry gradually overcomes its reconversion problems and achieves its maximum productive capacity the New Zealand Government will fulfil with generosity the promises made on its behalf by Mr Nash.” Mormon Missionaries Twelve young Morman missionaries, the third party to come to New Zealand since the end of the war, arrived at Auckland by the Marine Phoenix from San Francisco on Monday to undertake mission work throughput the Dominion. The missionaries are mainly from Utah. One of them, Elder Sheldon Baker, visited the Dominion in 1944, when he was on leave from his duties in the Pacific war. He was a Corsair fighter pilot of the United States Marine Air Corps. The party was met by Mr A. Reed Tlalversen, president of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latterday Saints, of Auckland. Fitness Certificate for Bicycles The common bicycle, so often taken for granted by most people, is regarded quite seriously at the Whau Valley School (Auckland), and although licences are not required, as yet, certificates of fitness are. Each machine at the school is regularly examined by a monitor or head boy who checks the brakes, white strip, seat height, bell, head cone, handle bars, reflector, axle cones and tyres. Having cofnpleted his examination the boy reports the cycles fit or unfit, and the machines are checked by the teacher. If any defects escape of the monitor they do not escape the eagle eye of the master. This scheme is sponsored by the Auckland Automobile Association and has created great interest among the children. v Those Were the^Days A tribute to the durable quality of British products a century ago is a document turned up by an Auckland resident in the course of a springcleaning. It is a paybook of a gunner in the British Royal Marine Artillery, showing that he enlisted in August, 1825, over 121 years ago. The paybook is in an excellent state of preservation suggesting an almost imperishable life. According to the document a naval gunner’s pay in those days was 16s a month. However, the cost of clothing was in proportion, and in the list of requirements for the man’s kit, a greatcoat is listed at 10s, a pair of boots at 12s, a shell jacket at 12s 9d, and a chp at 4s Id. Trousers range from 3s 2d to 5s lOd, socks run to 2s, arid braces to 6d. Municipal Organ Recital On Sunday night the city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, will give a recital on the Town Hall organ. The programme will be drawn, from those pieces' which have found particular favour during the 1946 recital series, and will consist of the following items: —Allegro Giocoso (Handel), Gavotte from “ Iphigenia ” (Gluck). Toccata in D minor (Bach), Sonata No. 1 in F minor (Mendelssohn), “Offertoire sur deux Noels” (Guilmant), Entracte from “Rosamunde” (Schubert), march, “ Pomp and Circumstances ” No. 4 (Elgar). Patrons are requested to note that during the months of January and February the organ will be dismantled for cleaning and overhaul, and there Will be no further recital until the second Sunday in March.

Interisland Service The new steamer Hinemoa is expected to start on the interisland run on February 10. Her first run will probably be from Wellington to Lyttelton on that date, which is a Monday. The Wahine will make her last trip to Wellington on February 10, after which she will be withdrawn. The Rangitira, instead of making her usual run to Lyttelton on the Monday, will wait in Wellington until the evening of the following day. The crew of the Wahine will transfer to the Rangatira, and the Rangatira’s crew to the Hinemoa. A new system of one-class bookings will apply on passages from Wellington on and after February 10. and from Lyttelton starting from February 11. From these dates onwards, the Rangatira will leave Lyttelton on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the Hinemoa on Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday. There will be two double gangways on to the ship, one forward and one aft. These will be lettered A and B. At the bottom of each ticket issued to passengers will be the letter A or B, indicating which, gangway is to be used.