NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26485, 12 June 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Family Generosity It is worthy of mention that the large bequest made to the Dunedin Returned Services’ Association by the late Mr Cecil Fenwick Mitchell is not the only instance of his generosity to the association. His sister, ,Miss Grace Lilian Mitchell, who died a number of years ago, also made a large bequest to the association, which now receives an income from the trust fund in her name Her bequest, like that of Mr Mitchell, was for the benefit of soldiers or their dependents affected by war, but in her case the funds were to be used for the men who served in the 1914-18 war, whereas Mr Mitchell’s is for the men who served in the 1939-45 war. Mr Mitchell aided his sister’s effort to assist the soldiers or their dependents by supplementing the gift made by her, and the income from this amount has been received by the association for a number of years. He has now further helped the association by his latest bequest. Mr Mitchell, who was a member of a well-known Dunedin family, spent most of his life in this city. Tea and Spirits A substantial increase in the quantity of tea imported into New Zealand last year, compared with 1945, is shown in the latest Abstract of Statistics. The respective totals were 4839 tons and 3573 tons. Imports of spirits were also higher. 310.000 gallons against 258,000 in 1945. but there was a reduction in wine imports from 207,000 gallons to 155,000. The fact that imported cigarettes had fairly constant sale throughout New Zealand during the year is reflected in the total for this item being shown at 454 tons, compared with 45 tons in 1945. In the same period tobacco imports rose from 3129 tons to 3223 tons. Electrically Heated Glasshouses Growers with electrically heated glasshouses would be seriously affected by the South Island power cuts, said Mr C. E. Pope (Christchurch) at the conference of the Dominion Council of Commercial Growers in Wellington on Tuesday. There were about 500 .glasshouses in Canterbury, many with tomato plants in an important state of development, said Mr Pope. He appreciated that local authorities had a say on how cuts should be imposed, but the matter was so serious to growers that he hoped there might be Ministerial intervention on their behalf, or there could be an honour systeru whereby citizens, except those needing power for urgent purposes, switched off their power at a set time. Low Rainfall in May May was a pleasant month, says a review by the Meteorological Office, the weather being dominated by a succession of large anti-cyclones. Mean barometric pressures were accordingly unusually high. Pasture growth was maintained in the North Island, until checked by frosts in the latter part of the month, Stock is in good condition, feed being in abundance dxcept in Otago where unusually dry conditions have prevailed throughout the summer and autumn. Rainfall totals were slightly above the average in Hawke’s Bay. and in the Kaikoura and Ashburton districts. The remainder of the North Island ayeraged about half the normal rainfall' for May. In the South Island the deficiencies were in general not large, although Nelson received barely one quarter of the average amount. Death While Waiting “It is frequently found that when the relatives of a patient are informed that a bed is available we are told that the patient has died while awaiting admission,” stated the medical superintendent of the Cornwall Hospital, Dr J J. Valentine, in a report received by the Auckland Hospital Board at its meeting on Monday night. Referring to the long waiting iist of patients, he said the situation concerning women was becoming progressively worse. Dr Valentine said his practice had been to keep all available beds full and to try to make some arrangements for the domestic care of the patient while admission was awaited. The position was further complicated by the shortage of district nurses, who were unable to add extra cases to their already long lists. An extension of that service would definitely ease the strain on the beds for chronic cases.

Mental 111-health “We are increasingly brought up against the multitude of complex human factors that are involved in this disruptive era. The major problems of mental ill-health are still unsolved. They cry for study and for co-operative action.” This statement is made in a report from the organising committee of the International Congress on Mental Health, explaining the reason for the congress b'Tng called in London next year. “Resocialisation and reconstruction are urgent, and this is largely a problem in which human relations and considerations of mental health are predominant.” said the statement. “All • workers in the field of mental health, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, clergy, teachers, anthropologists, are confronted to-day by issues such as they have never faced before. Without their help it will be hard for the principles laid down by the World Health Organisation to lead to action. This is why the congress is being held.”

Import Control Policy “We have reached a stage so for as our London funds are concerned where the Government could reasonably abolish import control.” declared Mr' M. G. C. McCaul at last week's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. “We are manufacturing goods, under the protection of import control that are hopelessiy uneconomic, and at the same time we are importing at high cost goods that could be made here economically. Mr McCaul said that in some cases goods of inferior quality had been imported and sold at 50 per cent, more than the price of the locallymade article, simply because local manufacturers of Economic lines could not get the labour. The reason was that import control was protecting certain luxury lines that could not be made economically in this country. Under import control, however, they could afford to pay high wages. ‘ Cut out import control and industry will soon sort itself out,” added Mr McCaul. No Rice From Australia

The price of new season's Australian rice which is being supplied to hospitals. Asiatics, and other priority users in New Zealand, will now be brought into line with the approximate sterling price of £32 per ton f.0.b., (£39 Australian). This price increase has been permitted by the Australian Prices Commissioner following a rise in cost of production. It will relieve the loss which has been borne by the Australian industry during the war years Neither the New Zealand nor the Australian public will be able to obtain rice from the present harvest. After hospitals, rations for Asiatics and the other priority consumers have been supplied, the entire surplus is purchased by the United Kingdom for the starving countries of the Empire which use rice as a staple diet. The world's supply for export to-day stands at only 40 per cent, of normal. According to an estimate by the Rice Association of Australia, it will be seven years before production catches up with the demand. It is hoped, however by re-arrangement of world allocations, that some rice will be available to the New Zealand public from the next season’s harvest.