NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26689, 7 February 1948, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Investitures at Dunedin During his term of residence in Dunedin in connection with the celebration of the centenary of the city, the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C., will hold two investitures in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall at which insignia, decorations and medals awarded for war service will be presented to recipients residing in the Otago Province. The first ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. on March 10, and the second at 8 p.m. on March 19. Both investitures will be open to the public.* Any ex-servicemen - decorated during the war and now residing in Otago who have not received notification to attend either of these ceremonies are requested to communicate immediately with the official secretary to the Governor-General. “ Corstorphine,” Dunedin. Land Sales Court

The Land Sales Court will hold its first Dunedin sitting of the year on Monday, February 16.

Butter Coupons Butter coupons Nos. 13 to 15 expire on February 15. The ration per person is Boz and each of these coupons obtains Boz.

Grocery Prices The Price Tribunal has granted increases in prices on the following grocery lines: —Kerosene, Id a gallon; increase from January 23; toilet soaps, id increase for 2.joz cakes, and Id increase for 4oz cakes from January 27; all bar soaps, ljd increase on small bars and 3d increase on large bars from January 27; rennet, 3d increase on a 4oz bottle from January 28; tinned cheese, lid increase on a 12oz tin from February 2.

Own “ Death ” Advertised Hcrw a man advertised his own “death” in a newspaper, after which his wife, from whom he was legally separated, received telegrams and letters of condolence, was told in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland yesterday when Harold Edwin Worboys was charged with publishing his own death notice on January 2. Worboys was convicted and discharged, the magistrate, Mr J. H. Luxford, saying that his greatest punishment “ was making a fool of himself in front of his friends.” Wheat Acreages

An area of 350,000 to 400,000 acres of wheat was needed to make New Zealand self-supporting in wheat, said Mr G C. Wood, at a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. He was' replying to a statement by the president, Mr E. T. Beaven, that there was a determined effort to lift the wheat acreage to between 250,000 and 300,000 acres, and that all members could help individually. Mr Wood said it was time that the acreage aimed at was increased. Action Against Steamer

An announcement that he had given definite instructions that action was to be taken against the steamer Ruawai, which arrived at Auckland on Thursday after a four weeks’ voyage from Helensville, has been made by the Minister of Marine,. Mr Hackett. He said he presumed that the issue would come belore the Supreme Court. Two orders detaining the Ruawai from putting to sea from Helensville and Opononi without a proper certificate of seaworthiness were issued by the Marine Department under the Shipping and Seamen Act. High School Pupils

Advice has been received by the Otago High Schools’ Board that the Health Department has agreed that Fifth and Sixth Form pupils may visit their respective high schools once by appointment only to enable them to discuss their courses and to obtain their text books. Mr C. J. Martin, secretary of the board, emphasised yesterday that pupils should not go to the schools without first making an appointment, as the Health Department requested that all congregations of pupils be f avoided, both at the schools, in tramcars. buses, and other public conveyances.

Presidential Insignia When Mr E. J. Harvey, of Blenheim, had yesterday been elected president of the South .African War Veterans’ Association at'the association’s annual conference, he was duly invested with his novel badge of office, a bandolier with silver bullets, by the chairman of the executive. Mr E. Porter (Timaru). With the passing of the years, however, Mr Porter had forgotten on which shoulder the bandolier should be worn, and it was only after considerable discussion among the delegates that a satisfactory decision was leached and the bandolier was correctly placed.

Municipal Organ Recital The city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, will give, an after-church recital in the Dunedin Town Hall to-morrow night, when the following programme will be presented:—Concerto in F major (Handel); Choral Prelude, “By the Waters of Babylon” (Bach); Introduction and Allegro from the First Organ Sonata (Guilmant), Largo from the “New World” Symphony (Dvorak); Suite Gothique—Prelude and Minuet Gothique, Prayer. Toccata (Boellmann), “The Curfew” (Horsmann), Finale in B ’ flat (Wolstenholme). There will be no charge for admission.

War Gratuity. Accounts The special arrangement which lias been operating for nearly two years under which a bonus payment of 5 per cent., apart from interest accrued, is allowed in advance on withdrawals from war service 'gratuity accounts Cor certain purposes, such as the purchase of permanent assets or use in businesses will not be continued for the third year. The great, majority of the war service gratuity accounts were opened on March 31, 1946, and these bonus payments will cease as from March 31. Making this announcement, the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr Skinner, said that ex-servicemen whose discharge took place after March 1, 1946, and whose war gratuity accounts therefore did not open until after that date, would be able to operate on the present arrangement until two years from the date on which their accounts were opened.