NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27166, 23 August 1949, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Petty Crime At Week-end There was a minor outbreak of petty crime in the city at the week-end, when three offences were committed. The shoe store of R. Hannah and Co., in George street, was broken into some time between 10.15 p.m. on Friday and 4.30 p.m. on Sunday, and a small sum of money was stolen. Nothing was reported stolen when the offices of Mr' W. McAlevey, solicitor, in Dowling street, were. entered. The theft of some petrol from a truck at Speight’s Brewery was also reported.

Gift To Amputees The gift of five acres of land at Taieri Beach for the purpose of a holiday resort was made to the OtagoSouthland War Amputees’ Association by Miss Joan Green, of Taieri Beach. Miss Green is the descendant of one of the oldest settlers in that district. Brilliant Meteor An exceptionally bright meteor, with a blue head and a long pinkish tail, appeared in the northern sky about 8 o’clock on Sunday night. Seen first in the east, it flashed across the sky towards the west at an estimated speed of about 50 miles a second and at a height of about 60 miles. The journey lasted only a few seconds. Warmer Weather Now that spring is here, not only are the days in Dunedin lengthening but the weather is also becoming noticeably warmer. Yesterday Dunedin experienced its warmest day for nearly four months. After a morning frost of 8 degrees the temperature rose to 64.9 degrees, the highest recording since April 25. The highest temperature in July was 63 degrees, in June 54.7 degrees and in May 62.1 degrees. Too Young! “Love songs were scarcely suitable choice for young competitors to sing,” said Mr C. L. Martin, instrumental adjudicator and assistant vocal judge at the Dunedin Competitions Festival after he had judged the boys’ song for those under 12 yesterday afternoon. “Some of the young competitors sang love songs,” he said, but most have not had the experience to comprehend them—or they should not have! ”

The Latest In Hats A woman who returned to Auckland last week from the United States was wearing a topee-shaped hat, shell pink in colour and fitted with a small radio. Protruding from the front were two small valves and a tuning knob. The coil sat jauntily on top. There was a headphone inside, and a pocket battery supplied the power. Priced at eight dollars (about £2), the hat is said to have become extremely popular in the United States, and the manufacturers expect to sell at least 2,000,000. Wage Payments Rise Weekly wage and overtime payouts in all industries, except seasonal work, covered in the National Employment Service’s survey, continue to rise. The total paid out in wages and overtime in April was £3,247,132, compared with £3.036,497 in April, 1948, and £2,652,078 in April, 1947. The average weekly payout in April this year, including overtime, was £7 12s 4d, compared with £7 5s 5d in the previous April, and £6 11s 8d in April. 1947. The figures relate to the total payout, including males, females and juniors. Immigrants Due Sixty-two of the 900 immigrants on board the Atlantis, en route from England, are due in Dunedin on September 13. Thirty-nine males and 23 females are expected, and positions have been found for all of them. The men will live at the St. Kilda hostel, and the women who are unable to live at their place of work will be boarded privately. The women will be taken by woollen mills, clothing factories and domestic work, whilst most of the men will take up trades. There are also two male attendants for positions at the Seacliff institution.

No Strikes In Russia Strikes were unheard of in Russia because everyone was afraid to say a word against his employer. If he did and was overheard, the factories were so full of spies that he would be immediately reported and would probably face a firing squad, said Bronislaw Boguschwit, a Pole, who arrived in Invercargill in a party of displaced persons last week. He had been forced to work in a Russian coal mine in 1940, he said. A Russian worker toiled for six days of the week and all his leisure hours were spent in attending compulsory political meetings or seeing political films. Carpet Imports Decline One of the worst shortages for the home decorator is the scarcity of carpets. Even if carpets were plentiful, the price might automatically ration them, anyway. But there has been a big drop in the imports to New Zealand of carpets from Britain, according to the British Carpet Review. In the first four months if this year New Zealand imported 197,400 square yards of carpet from Britain. The carpets were valued at £191,384. This is a considerable drop when Compared with the first four months of last year, when 303,000 square yards of carpet were imported. It was valued at £276,906. 207 Unemployed With 19,390 vacant jobs throughout the country last month, unemployed persons totalled 207, according to the monthly review of the Department of Labour and Employment. There were 9952 positions available for men and 9438 for women, while 196 men and 11 women sought work. During the month, 1261 men and 245 women were placed in work. Of the 9952 vacancies for men, more than 7000 were for positions in Auckland, Lower Hutt, Wei lington, Christchurch and Dunedin districts. The same districts accounted for more than 8000 of the 9438 positions available for women. Police Rewards Rewards and expenses up to £3OO for members of the Police Department are provided for in this year’s Estimates. This sum is intended to be used in suppression of sly-grog selling and the introduction of liquor into prohibited districts, and also for the detection of offences against the Dangerous Drugs Act and breaches of Revenue Acts. The sum of £312 was spent under this head last year. The vote for rewards to members of the force for meritorious conduct is £SO last year’s expenditure being £2l. Another provision is £SOO for a reward for information concerning murder. There was no such item last year. Admitted To Probation The total number of cases admitted to probation last year was the highest Since probation was instituted as an alternative to prison (1886 for first offenders only and 1921 when the scope was widened). This is stated in the report of the chief probation officer, presented to Parliament. The report said that as committals to prison last year were more than 300 fewer than in 1947, the amount of serious crime in New Zealand was less ‘in 1948 than in 1947. Seventyfour per cent, of the admissions to probation related to persons convicted of offences against property and 52 per cent, for cases of theft. Ninety-one persons were given probation for ship desertion and 48 (six less than 1947) for unlawful conversion of, motor vehicles.