NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26773, 17 May 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Reaction Against Communists The Dominion-wide reaction against Communist infiltration into key positions in trade unions is leading to a showdown in the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Carpenters and Joiners’ Union, which represents one of the most important groups of workers in the Dominion. Arising from dissatisfaction with the recent go-slow strike, a group of members has formed an action committee to campaign for a. change of officials at .the annual elections in September. Within a few days the committee’s organisers will visit building jobs to enlist the support of the carpenters. It is understood that similar campaigns are likely throughout the Dominion. Police Conference A conference of senior police officers from throughout New Zealand, which commenced on Wednesday at police headquarters in Wellington, ended on Friday. The Commissioner of Police. Mr J. Cummings, said on Saturday that police matters during the past year were discussed and tentative arrangements made for the royal tour. Best Farming Country

“ For farming give me New Zealand every time,” said a Hawke’s Bay farmer, Mr W. N. Waldin, who returned by air after a holiday in Australia. “Australia is not so well farmed, extensively or intensively, the dairy herds do not equal, ours and I did not see one decent Jersey herd. The homesteads all need coats of paint.” Elements Well Mixed The elements that went to make pleasant men and women were well mixed, a historian had said, Mr Justice Fleming told members of the South Canterbury Justices’ Association last week. There were not too many Scots in Timaru to make it stodgy, nor too many English to make it dull, nor too many Irish to make it wild, he said. Onions on Highway Onions were strewn oyer the Great South road near Ellerslie on Friday evening when a collision occurred between two lorries, one of which was loaded with onions and the other empty The empty lorry overturned, while the loaded one continued across the road and through a stone wall. Both drivers escaped unhurt, but the vehicles were badly damaged. The New Education

A possible example of the “ new education,” a letter received by the editor of the New Zealand Herald on Friday: “Dear Sir,—Could you please furnish me with • this knowledge on whales. (1) Has any whales (not blackfish) be sighted between duders spit buoy and up harbour in the last 20 years? (2) Where abouts. (3) The date. Hoping this has not caused you too much trouble Yours Yatchie.”

Newspapers Praised Cardinal Spellman chatted informally to reporters before leaving the Auckland airport on Saturday. _ He gave each a packet of American cigarettes and wrote a note of thanks and goodwill to the editors of the Auckland newspapers. With smiling friendliness, Cardinal Spellman said he was greatly impressed with New Zealand newspapers for their world coverage and fair presentation of news. Power Consumption

For the six days ended on Saturday night, Dunedin exceeded its power consumption allocation by 4.97 per cent: Yesterday’s figures will be known this morning, but even if they were low it is not likely that Dunedin will escape being on the wrong side of its quota. After the quota had been exceeded for the previous four days, Friday marked the consumers’ best effort, when the power used was '3.47 per cent, below the allocation. On Saturday, however, it was 4.15 per cent, too high. Sailors and Liquor Laws

Charges of having liquor in their possession near a dance hall which were brought against two English naval ratings were dismissed under a section of the Justices of the Peace Act by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., in Auckland, when it was explained that the sailors had recently arrived from England and were not conversant with New Zealand licensing laws. After the magistrate expressed doubt that anyone in New Zealand was conversant with all the licensing laws, he suggested to a naval officer that orders explaining the laws be promulgated for the benefit of ratings from England. Strain on Queen Wilhelmina

“The proposed abdication of Queen Wilhelmina does not came as a surprise to me,” said the Charge d Affaires at the Netherlands Legation, Dr W. Arriens, on Saturday. “The stress of the war years which she spent m London and the intense pressure of work in those days have,-1 think, been a considerable strain on the strong .h of her Majesty during her advancing age.” Dr Arriens considered that Princess Juliana's assumption of the regency should generally be considered a wise decision, enabling her mother years of quiet retirement, whilst her 50 years’ experience as monarch would always be available to Juliana. Rehabilitation by Work

“ The people in Holland are working hard because they believe that the only way to get out of the hole that Europe is in is to work their way out, regardless of assistance from the United States,” said Mr Peter C. Storm, a member of a Dutch bulb-growing firm' “ Conditions in Holland with regard to the food position are good, and far better than the situation in Britain,” added Mr Storm. “Clothing, however, is one of our weakest spots and causes us continued anxiety. It will take the country several more years to get back to pre-war conditions, because one-third of the country was devastated or damaged by warfare. Yet we believe that we will manage to get back.” Court Crier Praised “I don’t think there is any emergency that you are not capable of coping with,” commented Mr Justice Cornish, referring to the court crier, Mr R Cargill, in the Supreme Court at Wanganui last week. The remark was made after Mr Cargill had promptly responded to a request made by his Honor to provide the accused in the dock, a Maori girl charged with murder, with a sweet. ’The girl was coughing and before he began his summing up to the jury the judge asked that she be m-ovided with something that would relieve the cough. Mr Cargill promptly produced a tin from within the folds of his gown and relieved the situation.

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