In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24864, 2 October 1942, Page 4

In the News

Electrical Display A crowd of bystanders at the Post Office about 8 o’clock last evening was dazzled by a display of light reminiscent of the pyrotechnic creations of pre-war Guy Fawkes days. Two tram-cars which travelled slowly to their stopping places were brilliantly illuminated by an intense violet flame which sparkled along a length of overhead wire. The tram-cars stopped for a moment, then moved forward, when another flame of even more blinding intensity, accentuated by the subdued overhead lights, lit up the front of the Post Office and surrounding buildings. The occupants streamed from the tram-cars with unusual celerity. The reason for the occurrence is believed to be that the poles of the tram-cars were not in contact with the overhead wire properly, and when a join was encountered in the wire the poles were dislodged, thus breaking the circuit. Alimony of £2OOO a Year After hearing legal argument extending over two days in the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Johnston has granted Nellie Maria Kain £2OOO a year of. permanent alimony from George William Reginald Kain, warehouseman and sole shareholder in Reginald G. Kain, Ltd. The alimony, which will be free of taxation, is payable quarterly as from June 2, when Mrs Kain was granted a decree for the restitution of conjugal rights, with which her husband failed to comply. Mrs Kain is the mother of the late Flying Officer E. J. (“Cobber”) Kain. The Judge said he would be on the safe side if he assessed the respondent’s income at £6OOO a year after paying taxation. —P.A. Industrial Drift Inquiries about the South Island . business men’s committee being set up to take action to arrest the drift of industry and commerce to the north are to be made by the Southland Progress League. At a meeting of. the executive last night a newspaper item was read about the setting up of the committee with proposed membership from all the principal centres in the South Island. The original move was made by Mr B. J. Masters, chairman of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. The acting chairman (Mr J. N. Armour) said great industrial progress was being made in the North Island and the South Island was being neglected. Industrial workers were being drawn away from the South Island to the North Island, where they were popular. Old Comrades Meet

In the course of official duties at Auckland this week the Minister, of Armed Forces and War Co-ordination, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, met, in the crowd, Captain R. S. Judson, V.C., D.C.M., M.M., who, when he won his remarkable series of decorations in the last war, was in a company commanded by the Minister, then Captain Coates. Mr Coates found time to inspect a post how commanded by Captain Judson, and in a few words to a platoon of old soldiers commended the work they were doing, and expressed his confidence in them should war come to these shores. In his reply, Captain Judson recalled the fact that Mr Coates had won the M.C. with bar in the last war, and had been an outstandingly courageous officer. Matches Through Post “The sending of matches through the post is a serious offence under the Post and Telegraph Act, and in future action will be taken against offenders,” said the Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. C. Webb, when referring to recent instances of the enclosing of matches in postal packets which had come to the notice of the Post Office. Mr Webb said that some persons appeared to believe that wax matches enclosed in tin containers or “safety” matches could be sent by post. Such an impression was erroneous. Explosive, dangerous, or ■destructive substances of any kind, including matches, came within the provisions of the Act, and for reasons of safety’must be excluded from the mails. Glass Containers Steps are being taken to standardize the manufacture of glass containers to eliminate unnecessary types and sizes, according to advice received by the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association from the New Zealand Federation. The New Zealand Standards Institute, in consultation with the New Zealand Glass Company at Auckland, has prepared an emergency standard schedule of sizes and types of containers considered to be the maximum range which should be permitted under present conditions for the duration of the war. It is stated that under arrangements made with the Government no final action will be taken until the industries concerned with the use of containers have had an opportunity to comment on the proposals. Assault Charges

John Frederick Hammerly, a farmer of Dunedin, was charged in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court with, assaulting James Torrance, a racecourse inspector. The offence was alleged to have occurred at Orari on September 26. On the application of Detective Sergeant E. M. Thomas, the Magistrate (Mr H. Morgan, S.M.) remanded Hammerly to appear on October 15. Bail was fixed at £lO, in accused’s own recognisance. Hammerly also proceeded against James Torrance, alleging that Torrance had assaulted the complainant. At Torrance’s request, the Magistrate adjourned the case until October 15. Went for “Race”

The news of his escape front a German prison camp and later recapture and imprisonment is told in a letter from a Christchurch sergeant-pilot now in Stalag Luft. 111. The story is not in plain language, as it would not have passed the German censor, but the wording is rather ingenious. His wife had written saying that she had not received any mail from him during August of last year, and his reply was this: “In August I went for a race and did 150 miles before I was overtaken. After I lost the race I was sent to a place rather like our Mount Eden. Others had trouble long before I did, and some were not able even to start. However, never mind, I might win. next time.” He is apparently hoping to make anothei* attempt. Dentist’s Wife Fined

As her husband, who is a dentist, was in the Army at the time and she had had 25 years as a dental assistant, Martha Kamey Cowper, a married woman, filled three teeth for a member of the W.A.A.F. As a result she was charged in the Magistrate’s Court at Christchurch before Mr E. C. Lewey, S.M., with practising dentistry and not being a registered dentist or holding a provisional practising certificate. She was fined £2. There was no suggestion that the work had not been done well, but Mrs Cowper was unqualified, said Mr A. W. Brown, who prosecuted for the Health Department. She used to assist her husband in his surgery and had some experience. There was a good deal of it going on throughout the country, but this was the first case brought in Christchurch, said Mr Brown. Mrs Cowper did not want to do the work, said Mr N. E. Taylor, who appeared for her, but the patient had been sent back to her and only a slight amount of work was necessary.