NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27165, 22 August 1949, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

What’s In A Name? “ I have been called many names apart from those from unsuccessful competitors.” said Mr W. Hutchens, vocal adjudicator, at the Dunedin Competitions Society festival which was officially opened in the Concert Chamber on Saturday night. “At one festival,” he added, “ I was called an ' adjudge-icator.’ At another I heard a little girl tell an official that a taxi was waiting for the ‘vocal agitator.’” Mr Hutchens added that if he were able to assist any competitor by his comments and criticism he would be satisfied. High Accident Rate

Concern at the increase in the number of accidents to departmental vehicles, which has risen out of proportion to the increase in the number of vehicles, is mentioned in the annual report of the Controller and AuditorGeneral to the House of Representatives. In 1947-48 there were 500 accidents. costing £6300, to 1405 vehicles. A committee has been set up to investigate. Boon For Businessmen Air travel has been a boon to businessmen in enabling them to Keep overseas associates up-to-date with the latest market trends. This was borne out by Mr B. C. Windeler, chairman of the Committee of London Woolbrokers, who is at present visiting New Zealand. He left London while wool auctions were in progress on a Thursday atternoon and, travelling via New York and San Francisco, was in Auckland on the following Tuesday. Students’ Executive Elections

A decision to accept two further nominations for the Otago University Students’ Association executive for 1950 has been made owing to some confusion in the dates published for the closing of nominations. The two other nominations were submitted before the end of the winter term. There will now be elections for the positions of lady vice-president and capping controller, and the first nominees will not be returned unopposed. as previously reported. Advice to Justices

For an address to members of the Southland Justices of the Peace Association at their annual meeting. Mr W. A. Harlow. S.M., took as a text, “ Justice must not only be done, but must manifestly be seen to be done.” He warned justices of the peace to guard against conduct that might invite comment or suggest that justice had not been “manifestly done” Often it was not the severity of punishment that deterred a criminal, but the certainty that it would follow, he said, adding that the fear of injustice was nearly as bad as injustice itself.

School For Baking A school for the training of baking apprentices is to be opened at the Wheat Research Institute at Christchurch, after a request made some time ago by the New Zealand Apprenticeship Committee for the baking industry. Approval had been granted for £I2OO for new equipment, and the Education Board would provide, £6OO for the first year towards salaries and £2OO to cover running expenses, said Mr E. W. Hullett, chief chemist to the institute, at a meeting of the Wheat Research Institute. it was expected that the first course would be held in September or October of this year, he added.

University Staff Opinions The University should serve the community by providing a forum for the discussion of urgent political, social, and religious questions of the day. said Dr H. R Hulme in an address in Christchurch. “Members of the University staff should be free — and consider it their duty—to interest themselves in current problems, provided always that they can keep thenown prejudices out and deal impartially and honestly with the problem at issue. Jf they cannot do this, it is much better for them to keep their mouths shut, as they will only draw discredit on the University,” Dr Hulme added Post Office Equipment

Financial provision has been made for the expansion of the Post Office telecommunication network, including the overtaking of arrears of work which accumulated during the war and immediate post-war years. Announcing this in his Budget speech, Mr Nash said that this provision covered estimated expenditure on new telephone switching equipment, both automatic and manual, outside telephone plant, machine printing telegraph apparatus and radio’ plant. “ Most of this equipment has been on order for a considerable time, and some has already been landed, while reasonably early delivery is promised for the remainder,'' Mr Nash said. Causes of Delinquency The major underlying factor causing delinquency was undoubtedly the broken home or unsatisfactory homeconditions, stated the superintendent of the Invercargill Borstal Institution. Mr H. C. Mathew, in his annual report to Parliament. He added that the death of a parent, domestic strife and divorce, the remarriage of one parent and the advent of a stepfather or stepmother and all the disturbing elements that arose out of such situations were found time and again in case histories. High wages, easy transference from job to job, weak control by parents and the increasing freedom being given to adolescents were other contributing factors. Matilda Tanks

“If we had had enough Matilda tanks on the Western Front at the time of the German attack in 1940, there would have been no Dunkirk." said Lieutenant-colonel D. R. Skinner, a retired British Army officer, in an interview in Christchurch. He considered the Matilda one of the best tanks produced bv the British in World War 11. In 1940 it was superior in fire power to anything the Germans had. their famous Tiger having not then come the scene. Of later designs, he thought the Churchill and Cromwells among the best. Colonel Skinner is visiting New Zealand to ascertain local tractor requirements sc that his firm may adapt its Diesel truck- tractors to New Zealand conditions.

“ Out In The Open ” “ One good result of the referendum campaign was that the Communist Party come fairly out in the open,” said the president of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association, Sir Howard Kippenberger, in a message to members thanking them for the part they played in the success of the military training referendum. “The Communists and their sympathisers were an .unholy alliance” he said “They made it perfectly clear that they wanted New Zealand to be disarmed and defenceless for their own traitorous purposes, or those of their masters. It is up to all associations to put their rules in order as recommended by the Dominion Council in June, so that we can purge our ranks as necessary, and I respectfully urge all executives to act accordingly and promptly.”