NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26424, 31 March 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

After Nine Years A member of the Police Force on duty at the Central Police Station, Wanganui, last Thursday answered a ringing phone and heard a slot phone click at the other end and a voice say: “ I would like to tell you that a motor cycle that was stolen in Auckland nine years ago may be found abandoned in Montgomery road. I am not going to give you my name or address. That is all.” Then came the click of the phone as the speaker hung up. Investigation proved that there certainly was a motor cycle abandoned in Montgomery road. It was a 1938 model English machine but there were no registration plates with it. Reference to police records showed that machine had been removed from Queen street, Auckland on March 26, 1938. Excellent attention had been given the motor cycle for it was in good running order and spotlessly clean.

Tram Traffic Delayed At about 7.30 p.m. on Saturday a section of the tram service between the Oval and the centre of the city was disorganised by the breaking of an overhead cable in the vicinity of the tramway depot. Trams were immobilised on that section of the service for approximately half an hour until repairs were effected.

Fish Washed Ashore A four-foof shark, a small swordfish and a live sea snake of a poisonous variety were left stranded along the the tidal wave experienced along the coast near Gisborne receded. The snake was subsequently killed and saved for a specimen bottle. Many smaller varieties of fish and a large number of shellfish, some of them unusual, were also picked up in the Pouawa area.

Eye to Business A novel view of the relative value of the sexes was disclosed by a small boy who called at an Invercargill house the other day with kittens to sell. Asked by and intrigued householder what the prices were, he explaned that the males were 6d and the females Is. “And why the difference?” 1 was the next question. The lad airily explained that the females would produce more kittens for the fortunate purchaser. Prosperous Southland “After two years here, I am satisfied there is no more prosperous part of New Zealand,” said Mr C. B. L. Kyngdon, manager of the Gore branch of the Bank of Australasia, who will leave on Tuesday for Hastings, replyin® to speeches in his honour at Gore. “ It was not long before I realised the amount of money that could be made here through hard work. The grass seed industry was an eye-opener to me. While I know that Hawke’s Bay is a prosperous district, I cannot see that it can be a richer province than this.” Blondes in Parks

The Auckland University College is at present colourful with posters asking for billets for members of southern teams coming north for the Easter tournament. The drawings range from beautiful blondes sitting alone in parks to downcast male students being arrested for sleeping in the open. All the posters carry the question “ Can you billet southern students?” With just over a week before the tournament begins, more than 100 billets are still required, and an appeal is to be made to the public for assistance.

Demand for Candles There is an unprecedented demand for candles, hurricane lamps, and primus stoves in Wellington because of the cuts in electricity. One wholesaler said that the demand has never been greater, and the supply never less. A representative of the only candle manufacturing firm in Wellington explained that there was a world shortage, of paraffin wax. All New Zealand’s supplies came from Assam, and the allocation was barely sufficient to cope with the normal seasonal demand for candles. The United States, a former source of paraffin wax, now had no surplus for export. Radio Play Competition A radio play competition open to all New Zealanders at present serving in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces, has been instituted by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service in collaboration with the Army Education and Welfare Service. New Zealand broadcasting rights of the prize-winning plays will be retained by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service, but (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) it is hoped that it will be possible to have the successful plays produced in Japan for broadcast from the Second N.Z.E.F. radio station, WLKW. Million Mark Reached

Recovering from the influence of the holiday period in January when they dropped, to £791,851 for the month, rehabilitation loan authorisations made during February were valued at £1,090,470. This figure brings the current total of authorisations to £34,369,471. The current totals of loans for various purposes bringing up the £34,369,471 now authorised are as follows: Housing £16,405,977 (£8,681,746 for .the purchase of existing dwellings mid £7,724,231 for the erection of. new homes); for the purchase or establishment -of farms £13,481,897; for the purchase or Establishment of businesses £2,570,313; free-of-interest . furniture loans £1,826,971; free-of-interest tools of trade loans £33,155; miscellaneous advances £51,158. Training of Engineers

Provision for more New Zealand engineers to study in Britain was strongly advocated yesterday by Ur Percy Uunsheath, immediate past-pre-sident of the British Institution of Electrical Engineers, who. (says a Press Association telegram) is visiting Nelson in the course of a goodwill tour of the Dominion. “You have a very high standard of engineering in New Zealand, and it is largely due to British influence,” he said. "That is a good thing and I hope means will be found for sending more and more young men to Britain to take engineering training. Even with the best possible university facilities in New Zealand the absence of big industries means that you cannot give men as good an engineering training as would be possible in the large universities at Home.”

Air Force Association The Dunedin branch of the Air Force Association now has a membership of about 250, and the figure is increasing steadily. A member of the executive told the Daily Times that the difficulties which had been raised regarding the constitution of the association had now been settled and the constitution had been adopted. It provides for representation by membership on the Dominion Council. Although the Dunedin branch has been principally concerned with social activities since its inception, it is taking a keen interest in matters affecting the welfare of ex-Air Force personnel, and advice on problems concerning them has been given on occasions to the Dunedin branch of the Returned Services’ Association. It is intended to provide club rooms should the membership increase sufficiently to warrant them.