In the News

Southland Times, Issue 25335, 11 April 1944, Page 4

In the News

Cartridge Supplies Though there is no definite commitment, it is hoped that there will be about 340,000 cartridges available tor the coming shooting season, opens on May 6. It is expected that every sportsman who purchases a [ licence will have attached to it a coupon [which, on presentation to a dealer, will enable him to buy a box of cartridges, says The Dominion. This is, however, all subject to the number of cartridges available when the season opens. Very , careful inquiry has been made and, on the assumption of last year’s sales, with a possible increase, it is considered that every sportsman should receive his allocation of cartridges. Presentation of D,F.C.

In response to a request by the Mayor of Lawrence, Mr W. J. Suters, the Gov-ernor-General, Sii’ Cyril Newall, has consented to present Mrs R. R. North the D.F.C. won by her son, Flight Lieutenant H. L. North, who was reported missing over France in May 1942. The ceremony, which will be of an informal nature, will be held at the Commercial Hotel, Lawrence, on Friday, April 14. Dictatorial Powers Dissatisfaction with a clause of the Education (School Age) Regulations 1943, by which the Director of Education is empowered to exempt children aged 14 who have passed Form II from enrolment at any school and the provision in the clause for this power to be delegated to a senior inspector of schools was expressed in a lettex 1 from the Southland Education Board received by the Auckland Board at a recent meeting. “It is felt that it is wrong in principle to give dictatorial powers in such matters to an individual,” the letter stated. “It is felt that final decision should rest with education boards, which could consult with senior inspectors, and that the regulation attacks the system of local administration by properly-constituted authorities.” The Southland Board considered that the recommendation of a head- teacher should be sufficient to guide an education board in making a decision on exemption from school. It was decided to support the views expressed in the letter. Transport Control All transport systems in the world are overburdened by the strain of war, and it is accepted by all that in the railage and transhipment of supplies to the armed forces, civilian requirements and ordinary manufacturing and commercial requirements must take second place. In such circumstances, too, it is not always expedient or possible to carry out trade on a basis of normality, says a statement issued by the Ministry of Supply. New Zealand has experienced programming, bulk purchasing, consolidation of imports, and Government to Government purchases. All these arise from circumstances overseas, and where the Ministry of Supply has cut across customary practice, the Ministry claims it has been the outcome of the exigencies of war. Under lease-lend also therp has always been, as with the other systems of supply adopted, an effort to retain the goodwill and associations built up by commercial houses with their suppliers. Ihe Ministry of Supply has not desired to intervene in these matters, but intervention is, it asserts, “thrust upon it. Prosecution Dropped A nolle prosequi has been entered by the Crown in the case in whifcn George Brownlee Isdale, medical practitioner, of Ngaruawahia, was charged on a number of counts of unlawfully using an instrument to. procure miscarriage and of conspiring to procure abortion. This means that the prosecution has been abandoned. Juries twice disagreed on these charges, and at a second trial acquitted the accused on six out of nine charges. The Crown has also abandoned’the prosecution of Edna Mary Kirman on two charges .of procuring abortion. In her case juries at three trials failed to agree. Whisky Offered for Pram As examples of the scarcity of whisky in Britain a woman advertising in a provincial paper offered a bottle of liquer whisky in exchange for a small ruby to replace one miss- 7 ing from a ring. Another advertisement in a London paper offered a bottle of whisky in exchange for a pram. “Legislator and Lawbreaker An admission that he was a “lawbreaker” as well as a legislator was made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland, M.P.), at a meeting of Canterbury primary producers in Christchurch. Mr Holland said 'he had lunched in the city with Mr W. Bankes Amery. (British Food Commissioner in Australia and New Zealand) and had given him one of his meat coupons. This was a breach of the law and subject to “a severe penalty.” “I would like to see the, Government take me on, though,” smilingly added Mr Holland, burning toward Mr C. Morgan Williams (Government member for Kaiapoi) who . was present. • Canadians’ Visit Advice has been received by the secretary of the New Zealand branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association, Mr C. M. Bothamley, that a delegation from the Canadian branch of the association, which it is expected will be accompanying a similar delegation from the United Kingdom on a visit to Australia and New Zealand, will leave Canada about the middle of this month. The delegation will consist of Senator Aristide Blais (St. Albert, Edmonton), Mr John G. Diefenbaker, M.P. (Conservative, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan), Mr Angus Maclnnis, M.P. (Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, Vancouver, 8.C.), and Mr J. Gordon Ross, M.P. (Liberal, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan). Greek Volunteer Labour

How Greek volunteer labour was obtained for Germany was related by Major G. H. Thomson when speaking to the New Plymouth Returned Services Association. In one of the poorer working class suburbs of Athens he was told that S.S. men threw a cordon around an area and stopped any food from coming in. When the men in the area had no more food, having eaten even dogs and cats, and their children had died, they were asked to volunteer to go to Geiinany to work, where they would be fed. “So here we are,” added the Greek, who told the New Zealanders how he and his companions came to be volunteers in Germany. Postings Cancelled The posting to camp of three employees of the Liverpool State coalmine, who had previously declined to sign an undertaking to abide by the union’s agreement with the Minister of Mines, has now been cancelled. The men have signed the undertaking, and have returned to work at the mine.