In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24533, 6 September 1941, Page 6

In the News

Writ Pinned to Mainmast A writ giving notice that the crew intended to claim £1342/10/3 in .wages from the owners in an action in the Supreme Court of New Zealand in one week was pinned on Thursday to the mainmast of a Greek-owned ship now at Auckland. The crew, of many nationalities, are being paid 70 dollars a month, which includes war risk bonuses, but have been on strike for several days, demanding an extra 50 per cent, for war risk. Representatives of the crew stated that they originally signed on for 70 dollars a month. When at Manila they learned that they would be sailing in dangerous waters, and an agreement was signed with the captain and the Panamanian Consul there last June providing that an extra risk bonus of 50 per cent, would be paid. Senor Quiros y Quiros, the Panamanian Consul at Auckland, said that the agreement signed by his country’s consul in Manila was invalid. Well Known In London, a young fellow asked for a job and gave his name as Herbert Morrison. “That’s a pretty well-known name,” said the clerk. “It ought to be,” the lad replied. “I’ve been delivering groceries in this neighbourhood for nearly 2 years.” —TIME (New York). A Ready Response The centenary thanksgiving fund inaugurated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand in 1939 had as ’ts objective the sum of £300,000. The money was required for the wiping out of congregational debts incurred during the years of pioneering and expansion and for the provision of funds for future development. To date the sum of £252,132 has been subscribed, and it is confidently anticipated that the required balance will shortly be forthcoming. Conscience and War “When a man has a conscience against this war, there is one thing he must not do,” writes Dr J. J. North in an editorial written for the New Zealand Baptist. “He must not expect his country to provide him with a soft, safe job. To keep an exact conscience costs many a man in commerce a thousand a year and extras. Why should it cost a man less on an issue that involves the fate of the country? A conscientious man will not whine when he pays the bill. ‘lt is worth it,’ he says, as he faces public scorn and private poverty.” Wooden Ice Cream Spoons In anticipation of the ice cream season, an Auckland factory is turning out between 150,000 and 200,000 small wooden spoons and sticks, made from New Zealand white pine. The spoons were formerly imported from Finland, and although there was some shortage last year, there is no likelihood of a repetition this season. The firm also is sending a trial shipment of 1,000,000 spoons to Sydney to test the possibility of developing an export market for this young industry. It is estimated that at least 15,000,000 spoons and sticks are wanted each year by the Dominion’s ice cream factories. Bishop Selwyn’s Chair A treasured possession in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Church (Auckland) is a chair formerly used by Bishop Selwyn. It was occupied by the Primate, Archbishop West-Watson, at services during his recent visit for the centenary of the church. The Archbishop refers humorously to the incident in a letter addressed jo Bishop Simkin and published in The Church Gazette. “It was a great privilege to be allowed to share in your memorial act and also to sit in Selwyn’s seat in St. Paul’s,” he writes. “I remind myself that those who ‘sit in Moses’ seat’ do not necessarily share his spirit, but perhaps it may help a little.” Oldest Bank Account

Eighty years ago, on September 1, 1861, the Bank of New South Wales opened its doors for business in the city of Wellington. On that day it took over the account of the Loyal Antipodean Lodge, No. 4320, M.U.1.0.0.F., and today it is the oldest account on the bank’s books. Mr G. Read, trustee of the lodge, has received a letter from the manager of the bank expressing the hope that such a close association over a long period of years will Le continued. Before opening its account with the Bank of New South Wales, the lodge dealt with the Oriental Bank Corporation. Damage by Flood

Reference to the damage caused by water to goods in trucks in the Christchurch railway yards was made by Mr J. Roy Smith, secretary of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting this week. Mr Smith said the Railway Department had refused to accept any claims, because the weather was considered to be an “act of God.” The question was by no means settled, however, as certain claims had been put to the Railway Department, which so far had not accepted or declined them. Bust of Captain Cook

Mr A. R. C. Carter, of “The Year’s Art” (London), has presented to New Zealand a marble bust of Captain Cook. Mr Carter is King Arthur’s champion in the Knights of the Round Table Circle. At one of the gatherings of the circle he met the High Commissioner, and said he would like to make the presentation. The bust is by Bacon, and Mi- Carter bought it at Sothebys. Mein Kampf

In the course of an interview the other day an Invercargill bookseller revealed the interesting fact that during one of the big Nazi air raids on London a whole consignment of Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, which had just been printed and was on its way to the binders, was destroyed. There may be a measure of ironic humour in this, but the loss may also be regarded as unfortunate for, except to purblind Nazis, there is no more complete exposure of Nazism than Hitler’s “masterpiece.” This is realized by Hitler himself. For a long time the only edition available in English was carefully expurgated, and a few years before the war Hitler began an action in the French courts for an injunction to restrain a Paris publisher from issuing a complete edition of the book in French. False Alarm

When a warden called on a Dunedin resident one evening recently to point out that the slats of a Venetian blind were not correctly adjusted the householder recalled an incident of the last war when he was living at Anderson’s Bay. It appears that members of the St. Kilda Battery thought they detected the signals of a flash lamp in the vicinity of Tomahawk road. Forthwith a party set out to bring to- justice the “enemy within” who had the audacity to signal to some prowling raider at sea. The astonishment of the sleeping residents of what was then the only house in that vicinity can well be imagined upon hearing the demand: “Open, in the King’s name! The house is surrounded!” Two soldiers stepped inside when the door was opened and taxed the man of the house with being in league with the enemy. It was some little time before the intruders would allow themselves to be convinced to the contrary, and eventually withdrew with the promise of an official apology, which has yet to be received. The source of the alleged signals was an ordinary street lamp, before which the branches of a gum tree were being moved by the wind.