NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26771, 14 May 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Catchment Board The first election of representatives for appointment to the Otago Catchment Board will take place on Wednesday, September 15. The city is included in a combined district with the adjacent boroughs of St. Kilda, West Harbour, Port Chalmers, Mosgiel and Green Island, and will be entitled to three members out of a total elected membership of 10. As the city is the principal authority in the combined district, the council’s returning officer, Mr H. E. Lyon, will conduct the election of these three representatives. The cost of the election, including preparation of the rolls of the five boroughs, will require tc be paid by the city pending a refund of the total cost from the new board when constituted. This information is contained in the report of the City Council’s Finance Committee.

Freedom from Disease “ The city is still free from serious infectious disease, only four cases of scarlet fever having been reported.” states the report of the General Committee to be presented to a meeting of the City Council on Monday night.

Cause and Effect It would be simple to wrap a story about a small pile of crumpled papers noticed on a desk in the Dunedin Post Office Savings Bank yesterday afternoon. Amidst several discarded, halfcompleted withdrawal forms lay two totalisator tickets. Pensioners’ Travel Passes By an amendment to the War Pensions Regulations, 1945, gazetted last night, the free travel facilities granted to certain fully-disabled pensioners on full permanent pensions are extended to enable them to uSe their passes on certain bus routes. Hitherto these passes have been available only for rail travel. Extra Playing Areas

Because of increased entries in their competitions, the Otago Men’s Hockey Association and the Otago Football Association have been granted additional playing areas for the winter season by the City Council Reserves Committee. Both associations have been granted one extra ground each at Logan Park, on the usual terms The History Paper

The technical school teachers’ conference agreed yesterday that the history paper for the school certificate examination last year was unsatisfactory. A remit was carried recommending the setting up of a sub-com-mittee to report on the paper with a view to avoiding a repetition of its worst features.

New Pedestrian Crossing A proposal for a new pedestrian crossing from the entrance to the railway bus depot in Dunedin across Cumberland street has been made to the City Council by its General Committee.' The new crossing is suggested “as a trial, and the position will be watched,” the report of the committee states. The provision of a crossing over High street did not appear to be warranted. Currants and Raisins

Greater imports of currants and raisins from Australia will be allowed this year. The Customs Department has notified importers that licences will be granted to the extent of 120 per cent, of last year’s imports. Muscatel imports will be of the same extent as in 1947, as will .be preserved fruits in juice or syrup from Australia. Applications for licences to import tractors for agricultural puposes from North America, and spare parts for tractors from the same source will be considered. Modern Art

Despite its unique claims of being the only form of urban folk music, jazz is seldom regarded seriously or with favour outside its own circle of devotees. Evidence of an improvement of its status, or of a heartening degree of broadmindedness among the local library authorities, was given by a casual glance over the section labelled “Art” in the Dunedin Public Library yesterday. The two most striking dust covers in the section carried the titles “ Jazz ” and “ The Real Jazz ” respectively, and suggested that the subject was adequately covered.

Rural Reticulation Fund Advice has been received from the Rural Electrical Reticulation Council that the levy payable by the City Council to the rural reticulation fund for the present year has been assessed at 0.25 per cent, of the gross reserve for the year ended on March 31 last. The revenue is calculated on the gross revenue received from sales of electricity, less discounts actually allowed, and the amount payable by the council will be approximately £915 10s. This fund has been in existence for some years and contributions to it are made by each electricity supply authority. The purpose of the fund is to assist in financing the reticulation of electricity in sparsely-settled areas. The Cable Cars

Visitors to Dunedin are often taken to gaze in wonder at the cable cars, which, if not the only ones of their type in New Zealand, are sufficiently rare to attract the attention of strangers to the city. This is especially so at rush hours, when passengers are clinging precariously to the vehicles from any foot or hand hold, however small, as the car slowly climbs the hills. Two men travelling on the Rattray street line last night about 5.40 evidently found that hanging grimly to the rear of the car required too much energy, and were nonchantly strolling up the hill behind the heavilyladen car, which appeared to be having great difficulty in moving at all. Just a Penny!

Nearly 9901 b of pennies were collected by students of Otago University on Wednesday in their annual appeal on behalf of the Crippled Children Society. This amount, about two-fifths of a ton, was responsible fqr £2OO being handed over to the society, but the major effort was that of the women students, who collected about £6OO by selling immunity badges from an early hour. It is expected that the final gross returns will be between £I3OO and £I4OO, of which the procession expenses are estimated at approximately £250. Various laboursaving devices were used in counting the money, the greatest help being a sorting machine lent by a city store, so that the two bank tellers and student volunteers were able, to concentrate on the counting. Land Transfers Increased

A steady increase in the numbers of land transfers made.each year over the last 10 years is recorded in figures supplied by the Census and Statistics Department. For the year ended March 31, 1939, 5261 transfers were made, involving property valued at £4.997.983. During 1946-47 land transfers increased to 8023, valued at £9,514,755. The increase in transfers over the pre-war years is mainly attributable to the rehabilitation of exservicemen who have been buying properties of their own on* their return from overseas. In 1943-44 there were 6315 transfers, in 1944-45 the figure was 6179, and in 1945-46 the upward trend was again noticeable, when 7550 transfers were made.

For rings, watches and jewellery, try Peter Dick, Jeweller, 36 Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt.