NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27504, 26 September 1950, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Gramophone Library In the six or seven weeks since the gramophone library was opened in Dunedin 1200 records had been issued: • This was reported by. the chairman of the Library Committee, Cr Sidey, at the meeting of the City Council last -night. He said that it augured well for the future of this section of the Public Library.

Drainage Board Loan The Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage 'Board decided last night to raise a loan of £200,000 to provide and extend sewerage facilities in the board’s dis--trict. The currency of the loan is 15 years. No work is to be done under the authority of the loan until final plans and specifications have been approved by the city engineer. 'Not Enough Children V A continued and largely unsatisfied ’demand existed for children for adop.tion, said the Minister of Education, Mr Algie, commenting on the work of the Child Welfare Division, in his annual report. It was gratifying to realise that no child need usually be deprived of a normal home life solely because there was no one willing to “treat the child as his own. ;Tramway Tickets * Was it the intention of the Transport •Committee to introduce a universal -’’concession ticket for city transport in ' view of the increased fares? asked Cr - Armitage at the meeting of the City Council last night. The chairman, Cr E. J. Anderson, said that his committee had had this proposal before it for some years, but it was not possible yet to provide universal tickets. Drainage At Waverley When Cr Jolly asked at the meeting of the City Council last night whether something could be done to improve ->the drainage at Waverley, where the \ citizens paid half drainage rates, Cr •Ireland said that this was a matter for •■‘the Drainage Board. Its proposed ‘-loan of £200,000 would not include - drainage at Waverley, and even the works planned under this loan would -hot be completed for five years with .''the labour at present available. New Cargo Vessel # The fourth of a class of inter- ; colonial ships built for the Union Steam Ship Company since the war, ’the Kawaroa arrived at Auckland on 'Friday at the end of her maiden voy- • age. After discharging at Auckland the ship will go to Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. Built by. Alexander - Stephen and Son, Ltd., of Glasgow, the Kawaroa is of 3550 tons gross and -»has a cargo capacity of 5170 deadweight tons. A fifth ship to complete the class is expected to be launched soon.

Novel Chain Letter Something different from the usual '’.type of chain letter has been received by a Daily Times reporter. It does not demand that money be sent to a number of people to ensure a bounteous harvest by return post, but claims to bring good luck. This good fortune is to be obtained within four days—through the post—if four copies are sent to friends as well as the original. The latter must not be kept ' more than 24 hours, and the stern warning to breakers of the chain is a promise of bad luck. Blatant Hoardings 7,: He had no objection to hoardings in their proper places, and in some parts x they could cover untidy sections, but . there were other hoardings that were beyond the pale, said Mr P. F. Harre :. (Otago) at the annual conference of 1 the South Island Motor' Union in Christchurch. He proposed a motion, which was carried, that the union again make the strongest possible protest against the continued * spoliation of New Zealand’s scenic attractions by the erection of ill-placed and blatant hoardings. When it was suggested that the matter was one calling for - control in the counties, Mr Harre said the counties could not control the Railways Department, which was the principal offender. Hotel Standards

“ The commission is more and more satisfied, upon the evidence brought before it from time to time, that accommodation will not be sought by the public in many hotels because of the poor furnishings and inadequate comforts and amenities provided for guests,” says a statement of the Licensing Control Commission after an inquiry into hotels in Nelson and parts , of Marlborough and Buller. .“Those -.licensees and owners who provide v -good service, good meals and comfortv' able bedrooms and lounges enjoy in their hotels a much higher occupancy . rate than those who do not,” the commission continues. “This tends to , throw an unfair responsibility on the - former class and leads to many complaints, particularly in city areas, about lack of accommodation."