In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24116, 3 May 1940, Page 8

In the News

School Band Returns The Southland Boys’ High School Drum, Trumpet and Bugle Band returned to Invercargill last night after its triumphant visit to Wellington. Heralded by a burst of the school war cry, the boys arrived by train, accompanied by Major H. W. Slater and Lieutenant J. L. Napier, to meet a large crowd of parents and friends which had assembled to greet them. The trip had been a wonderful success, said Major Slater. The boys had been praised for their demeanour both on and off parade by many who had met them, and the principal of the Rongotai College had paid a special tribute to their playing and to their general behaviour. Riverton’s Easter Races “One of the biggest meetings in New Zealand, and certainly the biggest country meeting in the South Island,” was how a workers’ union representative described the annual race meeting of the Riverton Racing Club at Easter in the Arbitration Court yesterday. The representative was anxious to give point to his claim that the club was of sufficient size and importance to be able to pay a high rate of wages to its casual workers. Tire Magistrate (Mr J. A. Gilmour) expressed surprise at the remarks. Milk In Schools The milk-in-schools scheme is meeting with great success in Southland, especially in the country schools. In six schools—Otahuti, Pahia, Thornbury, Gorge Road, Morton Mains Siding and Hedgehope—every pupil on the roll takes milk. The distribution of milk to pupils is a little more popular in the country districts than in Invercargill, but in every school in the province at least 70 per cent, of the pupils receive the daily ration. The average percentage taking part in the scheme for the whole of Southland is 87. Farm Labour On the recommendation of its lands committee the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association resolved that in the investigation and use of the man-power of the Dominion provision should be made to ensure that adequate, efficient and intelligent farm labour is available for the national effort for increased production during the war. It was decided also that the association’s executive should confer- with farmers’ organizations to assist in effect being given to the resolution. —Press Association. Christchurch Milk Deliveries

With a view to saving oil fuel consumption, milk delivery services in the Christchurch district are to be controlled shortly by a board comprising representatives of local authorities, milk vendors and dairymen and the local transport licensing authority. Authority for the establishment of the board is given in regulations Gazetted last night under the Emergency Regulations Act and the board will operate for the duration of the war and six months after.—Press Association. Patriotic Work A well-attended meeting was held at West Plains last night, when Mr W. Grieve, chairman of the Metropolitan Patriotic Committee, delivered an address on the control and management of the patriotic fund. A committee was formed to organize patriotic activities in that district. Visiting Medical Staff The principle of the visiting medical staff being paid on a basis of an annual salary scale was reaffirmed by the Wellington Hospital Board last night and a proposed agreement for the future medical staffing of the hospital, recommended by a special committee which consisted of board members and the medical staff, was approved.—Press Association. R.S.A. Patriotic Donation A decision to give £2OO to the National Patriotic Fund Board for the rehabilitation of men of the new Army was made by the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. The conference had before it a proposal that the association make an interest-free loan to the Government for war purposes. Discussion was taken in committee. The conference reached a decision after it had decided that a donation to the Patriotic Fund for tire rehabilitation of men now serving would be within the objects of the association and would give a lead to the public to support a movement with which the returned soldiers sympathized.—Press Association.

Service Augmented To cope with the increased traffic expected at the week-end because of the closing tomorrow of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, the Union Steam Ship Company has arranged a special inter-island steamer crossing for Sunday. The crossing will be made by the Wahine, which will leave Lyttelton on the arrival of the 7.35 a.m. train from Christchurch, and will leave Wellington on the return journey at 7.45 o’clock that evening.