LOCAL AND GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23181, 20 April 1945, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Park Land Referendum. — The final official figures for the referendum taken on Wednesday in connection with the transfer of Park land for hospital building purposes were: For the proposal 4026; against 1442. Daylight Saving.—A Gazette notice extends the period of daylight saving for the usual half-hour throughout the winter months. Proclamation Revoked.—A Gazette notice revokes the proclamation declaring the following territories to be enemy countries for the purposes of the enemy property and enemy trading regulations—Algeria, the French zone of Morocco, Tunisia and Monaco. Interest Rates.— Regulations have been gazetted under the Public Trust Office Act reducing the rates of interest from 31 per cent to 31 per cent in the ct.«Cs of moneys held by the Public Trustee on estates administered by him, and also from 21 per cent to IS per cent on moneys held by him at call. Refunds of Tax.— Under the amendment to social security contribution regulations, the time in which applications for refunds where the tax paid has been in excess of the actual amount due is extended from three to four years, thus bringing the period into line with similar income tax applications. Patriotism and Advertising.— Flags of the United Nations decorated most shops in Stafford Street yesterday for the return of servicemen from overseas, but one Chinese greengrocer went a step further with his patriotism by ingeniously including among his array of flags a large vegetable marrow on both sides of which a Union Jack had been painted! Potatoes for Forces.— By the end of this month 1300 tons of potatoes will have to be provided by growers in South Canterbury for the Armed Forces. It is understood that this quantity will be shipped overseas, and merchants are hopeful that they will have the co-operation of growers in having the potatoes ready in the short time available. They will need to be forwarded to merchants as early as possible, as they have to be rebagged in 1001 b bags ready for shipment.

Timber Resources. — “Within the next 10 years we will be faced with almost complete exhaustion of our resources of rimu timber,” said Dr. G. Jobbems in an address on “Man and the Land given at Temuka. “It is all very well to talk of reafforestation with pinus insignis. but we are not replacing our red pine. When you think of the vast scale on which valuable timber was destroyed from the face of the country, particularly in the North Island, you realise that the setting up of the Soil Conservation and River Control Council was one of the most wise and timely enactments of the present Government. As soon as people realise that this wastage of our resources must stop, it will receive their full understanding and co-operation.