LOCAL AND GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23113, 30 January 1945, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Helping the Blind.—There are 20 blind persons living in Timaru, and to create amusement for tnem, the Mayor (Mr A. E. S. Hanan) is asking the public for 18 gramophones to enable them to hear specially prepared records. Next month, said the Mayor, it was hoped to form a club for them and devise means of entertaining them. Property Prices.— -“ When the proposed sale of a property comes before the committee for a second time the committee cannot approve a higher price than that previously approved,” said the chairman of the Canterbury Rural Land Sales Committee (Mr W. H. Nicholls) at a sitting of the committee in Timaru yesterday. “An exception to this rule,” Mr Nicholls explained, “is where work done to improve the property between the two sales justifies an increase in the price of the property.” Spread of Hemlock. — The Pareora riverbed, once a mass of lupins, was fast becoming a mass of hemlock, said Mr H. B. S. Johnstone at a meeting of the Waimate County Council yesterday. He added that the lupins were being killed by the hemlock. At the suggestion of Cr. H. J. Stowell, it was decided to write to the District Highways Council drawing attention to the alarming spread of hemlock in the Pareora riverbed and adjacent areas, and inquiring if co-operation would be afforded the Council in some measure of control. Fly Nuisance.— Asked to comment on the fly nuisance in Timaru, the Borough Sanitary Inspector (Mr A. W. B. Watkinson) said that he had been kept busy with telephone calls on the subject. The warm weather being experienced was one factor. Another was this season’s prolific growth with the resultant decaying vegetation making ideal breeding grounds. He urged householders not to leave cut grass on lawns as when the grass rotted it was used by flies for hatching purposes.

Safe From Bombing.— That the Emperor of Japan was in safe keeping away from the Japanese mainland was an opinion expressed by Mr Reginald W. Sturt, F.R.G.S., a British missionary, who at present is visiting Hawke’s Bay. Mr Sturt wag one of a party of missionaries who passed through Kobe when being repatriated. While there the party had a certain amount of liberty, but they were at all times escorted by a guard in civilian clothes. He remarked that he kept his eyes and ears open, but it did not pay to appear too observant.

Hairdressing Tops List.— Hairdressing heads the list of vocations sought by girls starting work, Miss G. D. Miles, of Wellington, girls’ vocational guidance officer, announced when speaking to manufacturers in Palmerston North. Next came work in ships. Their third choice was office duties and after that dressmaking. Very few were interested in any other branch of clothing trade despite the fact that they were told they would learn a good trade. As far as Wellington was concerned, the hairdressing trade was the only one which had the privilege of exercising a freedom of choice when it came to securing labour. Children's Court.—Two boys aged 15 appeared before Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M., with whom was associated Mr W. Thomas, J.P., in the Children’s Court at Timaru yesterday, on charges of unlawfully converting three cars to their owrr use. Prosecuting, Detective S. W. Cunningham said that this type of offence was becoming more prevalent and he suggested an increased penalty. Both boys were placed under the supervision of the Child Welfare Department for two years, during which time they are not to associate and both were ordered to pay 3/-, the price of the petrol they had used.

Grading of Stone Fruit.— Because the Price Order for stone fruits has no grading regulations to support it, the ceiling price is being received by growers for Inferior grade fruit, according to a statement issued by the Canterbury Fruitbuyers’ Association. Under the Price Tribunal’s Order, three grades of fruit are specified but these grades, it is stated, have never been defined. As a result fruit which would have difficulty in making the dessert grade is packed in cases marked “specially selected dessert” and sold at the highest price. The Association is also complaining about growers using cases under the size specified. Retailers were paying a price for peaches on the basis of an 181 b case but many cases contained only 1541 b of fruit.

Methodist Mission Losses.— The occupation of the mission district of the Methodist Missionary Society partly by Allied forces and partly by the Japanese was reported at the annual meeting of the foreign mission board of the Church last week. Confirmation of the total destruction of all mission stations has been received and it is estimated that losses will total £90,000. The treasurers reported that £32,458 had been received from the rehabilitation fund, £BO7 having been given by the section of the. native church which has been freed from Japanese occupation. Reconstruction work has already begun on New Georgia, Vella Lavella and the Treasury Group. Many teachers who have evaded the Japanese and reached the Allied lines have reported to the Society.

Remand Granted.— Thomas McNeil, aged 33, appeared before Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M., in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning charged with being found in a state of drunkenness on the platform of the Timaru Railway Station on January 29, and also with the theft, on January 28, of a common prayer book, valued at 4/- the property of St. Mary’s Church. Constable J. P. Mather, who prosecuted, said that the accused had been arrested at 1.15 a.m. wearing an R.S.A. badge which the Police doubted he was entitled to wear. Constable Mather applied for a remand to permit further Inquiries to be made. Mr A. D. Mcßae, who represented the accused, sought bail. McNeil, formerly of Dunedin, was employed at the freezing works at Pareora, where he now lived. Granting a remand until next Monday, the Magistrate fixed ball at £5O in the accused’s own recognisance with one surety of £5O.

Maori Land Holdings.— The area of land held by Maoris still in the North Island is estimated at 3,768,000 acres. In the whole of the Dominion they still retain 4,008,000 acres. In recent years, under Government policy, Maori owners have been encouraged to farm their own holdings. At the end of 1943 928,202 acres had been gazetted for that purpose, of which 212,313 acres were occupied by 1904 Maori settlers and 250,000 acres were being developed. The live stock carried comprised 40,500 cows. 25,000 other dairy stock, 30,500 cattle, 159,300 breeding ewes and 121,500 dry sheep. In addition, 16 Native Trust stations and two Maori Land Board stations (comprising 50,818 and 17,671 acres respectively) are running 44,245 breeding ewes, 48,260 dry sheep and 10,400 cattle. The Board of Native Affairs also exercises a measure of control over 23 stations of the East Coast Trust, aggregating 132,000 acres, and carrying 138,000 sheep and 16,300 cattle.

Tobacconist Heavily Fined.— Four charges of failure to furnish correct returns of income were admitted last week by Archibald Hillary Quinn, a tobacconist, before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Police Court at Hamilton. Mr Gillies, Crown solicitor, said that in 1940 the defendant furnished a return of £213 while the actual assessment was £1272. The returns for the three following years were £225, £205 and £305/18/- respectively, while the Government assessments were £2939, £2154 and £915 respectively. Mr Gillies added that he had been instructed by the Commissioner of Taxes to press for the maximum fine in this case. Mr King (for the defendant) said that the defendant had been convicted of bookmaking. He had offered the Crown every assistance in making its assessments. The Magistrate said that bookmakers knew that money they received through betting was taxable. He imposed the maximum fine of £lOO on each charge.