NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26659, 3 January 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Current Ration Coupons Meat coupon No. 9 will expire on Sunday, and No. 10 is available until January 11. Butter coupons Nos. 9 to 11 will be available until January 18, and tea and sugar coupons No. 9 to No.' 12 will be current for the same period. Butter coupons are each valued at Boz, and each sugar coupon entitles the purchaser tp 12oz, while the value of each tea coupon is 2oz. A special six-monthly issue of tea coupons is made to persons who have reached the age of 70, and two such coupons each of Boz are available for the three-monthly period ending on January 31. Expectant mothers, nursing mothers, and persons who have reached the age of 70 are entitled to an extra Boz of butler a month on production of coupon No. 9.

Poetic Justice Mr Woodward, S.M., took an unusual course in the Magistrate’s Court, New Plymouth, in dealing with a young woman who admitted the theft of a woman's overcoat valued at £l2 12s. He entered a conviction and ordered her to come up for sentence within six months if called on, with a further condition that she present from what he described as her “ ample wardrobe," clothing to the value of £lO for some approved New Plymouth organisation. The stolen coat had not been recovered, but restitution of its value has been made.

Green Turtle Caught An 801 b green marine turtle, one of a species common in warmer waters but rarely seen in New Zealand, was caught on a set line at Whangaparaoa, 26 miles north of Auckland, recently. Two fishermen, who were inspecting the line, attempted to lasso the turtle, but it escaped and headed for deep water. The men followed it and managed to tie a line round its right front flipper. When the turtle was brought ashore it was kept in a dinghy of water for a few hours. It was later liberated, and swam away strongly. Green turtles are a type used for making turtle soup. Forest Fire Danger Several successive hot, dry days have created a very real fire danger in the State and privately-owned pine forests of the Rotorua-Taupo district, but no outbreaks have so far been reported. Low humidity and high temperatures, the ingredients of fire risk, have been general throughout the Rotorua State Forest Conservatory. The humidity danger line of 45 per cent, was passed on Thursday, with several readings of 32 per cent., in the district, and temperatures have been as high as 81deg. The State Forest Service fire patrol aircraft made an inspection of the Rotoehu forest blocks on Wednesday afternoon, but they have not been called out since. Forestry officers and lookout men are remaining on the alert. Missed New Year’s Eve

Passengers who arrived on the PanAmerican Clipper Kit Carson at Whenuapai on Thursday missed New Year’s Eve because of the time of their crossing the international date line. The aircraft arrived over the aerodrome punctually on the time set out in its time table, which was half an hour earlier than its first estimated time of arrival. No special provision for New Year’s Eve dinner was made on the aircraft. Roast beef, roast turkey, and york ham were choices on the New Year menu served by Tasman Empire Airways on the flying boat New Zealand on the trip from Sydney on Thursday. For dessert there was plum pudding with brandy butter, but no ice cream, as the dry ice to pack it in had been .forgotten. The trip was a calm one.

Turquoise Dye An entirely" new dye which will, for the first time, enable textile printers to produce a bright turquoise blue shade with good fastness to washing and light, has been discovered in the laboratories of Imperial Chemical Industries. Ltd., England. Known as alcian blue, it is the successful culmination of many years’ research by two chemists, Messrs N. H. Haddock and C. Wood, and a dyestuffs technologist, Mr R. Thornton. Their aim was to derive a fast dye for textiles from monastral blue, which was discovered several years ago. Being a pigment, and therefore insoluble monastral blue has had only a limited value for textiles, however, and its aplication has been confined mainly to the colouring of surface coatings of all kinds and paints. The evolution of a new blue dye is of the greatest significance throughout the textile world. Steps are therefore being taken to make alcian blue available to overseas markets. Costly Project

Architects in New Zealand are to be invited by the Melbourne City Council to enter a competition for plans for the development of what is known as the Western Market site—a project which is estimated to cost- as much as £1.900.000. The rewards which successful competitors will receive will be £6700 for the design placed first, £3400 for second prize, and £I9OO for third prize. The competitor placed first will have the right of appointment as designing architect for the scheme and will receive remuneration on a percentage basis, though up to £SOOO of the first prize will be treated as payment of his 4 fee. Portion of the building which it Is proposed to erect will be used as a post office and the remainder will be let for commercial purposes. Provision is to be made for the parking of between 500 and 600 cars in the area. Features commemorating the centenary of Melbourne are to be incorporated in the design of the building. Rang the Bell Wellingtons’ fire brigade turns out in force if there is the slightest suspicion that a call to a blaze indicates something potentially dangerous. For that reason (says the Southern Cross) the brigade has suffered to a certain extent from the lack of intelligence of those who consider calling out the brigade a suitable means of celebrating Christmas. There are, however, other false alarms which are termed “justifiable.” One such occurred a few days ago. The call came from an alarm box on the' Taranaki street wharf, and the central station turned out practically every man and machine available. The alarm box, on a post on the wharf, had been broken, and those responsible were standing nearby, ready with their explanation. They were seamen off a ship, kicking a football about on the wharf, when one man kicked too hard and too straight. “Ee, laad, we bust alarm,” said a seaman apologetically.