NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27386, 11 May 1950, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Freight Surcharge Auckland representatives of the Conference Lines carrying cargo to New Zealand from the United Kingdom have issued a joint reply to public statements regarding the estimated cost to importers of the proposed 7J per cent, freight surcharge, the imposition of which has been postponed until July 1. “It has been confirmed that the additional cost on cargoes from the United Kingdom and Continent, including Sfax and way ports, would not exceed £200,000 a year,” said the representatives. Power Saving For Monday and Tuesday of this week Dunedin exceeded its two-day allocation of electricity by 4.2>per cent. Land Valuation Committee The first sitting of the new Otago Land Valuation Committee —Mr J. D. Willis, S.M. (chairman) and Mr W. J. Crawford —will be held in the Dunedin Courthouse on Friday morning. Totaiisator Fractions The Labour Party conference in Auckland decided that totaiisator fractions should be distributed to amateur sports bodies. This was an amendment to a remit asking that 1 per cent, of the income from racing and trotting clubs should be allocated to all amateur sports bodies. More. Aliens

An increase of 1596 aliens on the New Zealand register was shown in the total as at April 1, compared with the figure for April 1, 1y49. The total taken out recently was 8384, made up of 5769 men and 2615 women. In 1949 the total was 6788, made up of 4908 men and 1880 women. The latest Abstract of Statistics lists tne countries contributing the major portion of the increase as China 299, Poland 271, the Netherlands 220, Latvia 166, Lithuania 121, and Estonia 87. Education Boards’ Powers

“ I am a profound believer in wider powers for our education boards for the very practical reason that I want to interest the best men in the community in the discharge of this function,” said the Minister of education, Mr Algie, when he met members of the Canterbury Education Board on Monday. “ I want you to feel that you matter, tha* in education you count. I think you are quite capable of managing your own affairs in the interests of your districts.” Automatic Tyre Pump

Samples of an automatic tyre pump for bicycles have been received by a Christchurch cycle dealer. The pump consists of a small device which replaces the usual valve. As soon as the tyre becomes flat enough the rim presses on a plunger each time the wheel revolves. When the pressure on the plunger is relaxed a small puff of air enters the tube. The dealer considers that the device would be effective for slow punctures, but of course the cyclist would need to keep pedalling to keep his tyre up. The device will retail at about 15s. Church Union Question

Because of the large minority vote cast in the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches against the union of the Presbyterian, • Methodist and Congregational Churches, and because of a clash of opinion in the Auckland Presbytery’s Church Union Committee itself, the Auckland Presbytery decided that time should be given for the idea of union to spread more widely before any other proposals were put forward. A motion urging the Church Union Committee to promote co-operation with the other churches to build up a better understanding between them and a desire for ultimate union was lost. “ Gassing ” Of Rabbits

A small engine unit producing a carbon monoxide exhaust for use in rabbit extermination work has been developed by the Industrial Development Department at Canterbury University College. The unit can be transported easily by packhorse. and it is expected that it will be found useful for rabbit extermination in hilly country. Several of the units are to be manufactured by a Christchurch firm for use by rabbit boards. The department had been investigating the question of the destruction of rabbits in warrens by the use of toxic gases for the last 12 months, said the director of the Industrial Development Department. Mr T. R. Pollard. The work had been carried out for the Rabbit Destruction Council of New Zealand. He added that the idea owed its origin to a similar device which Mr D. J. Craighead, an experienced rabbiter at Kurow, had experimented with some time ago.