News of the World in Brief

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 42, 19 February 1937, Page 7

News of the World in Brief

Public Purse Subsidy For Poor Districts HOW ENGLAND HELPS FINANCE SOCIAL SERVICES (British Official Wireless.) Received Thursday, 7 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 17. A "White Paper has been published containing proposals which have emerged from the expert investigation of the working of a formula under which the annual Exchequer grant of £44,000,000 is distributed among local authorities in England and Wales to* wards the provision of health. The total of the grant is to be increased to about £49,000,000 and under a revised formula which gives special weight to the amount of local unemployment and factors such as sparse population a larger share of the increased grant is to be allocated to poorer areas where the need for social services is usually greatest while they are least able to pay for them. A revision of tho block front system was under taken on account of the great inequalities of rates prevailing in different localities, attributable to incidence of unemployment and other causes, and frequently resulting in a discouragement to industry in just those areas where its recovery was most important. Among the striking examples in the White Paper of the effects of the redistribution is the estimated gain of £51,000 yearly to Merthyr Tydfil, a derelict mining village in South Wales, representing an equivalent of 5s in the pound on local rates. Durham, Glamorgan and Monmouth, between them, will gain something like £550,000 yearly. In London, Bermondsey, a poor borough, will gain the equivalent of more than one shilling. AIR SERVICE ACROSS ATLANTIC (British Official Wireless.) Received Thursday, 7 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 17. Imperial Airways state that the financial provision mado by the Government of the United States for the operation of the trans-Atlantic air service is in conformity with plans that have been subject to discussion and negotiation for some time past. Pending the incorporation of the agreed joint company in which the United Kingdom, Canada and the Irish Free State will each have a financial interest, experimental flights and investigations are being conducted. It is expected that the company will be in a position to operate alternate experimental air mail services by the time the American company is ready to operate. The establishment of a passenger service is to follow as soon as possible. LEVEL OF RETAIL PRICES (British Official Wifeless.) Received Thursday, 7 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 17. The Ministry of Labour statistics show that at February 1, the average level of retail prices was approximately 51 per cent, above the level of July, 1914, compared with 51 per cent, at January 1, 1937, and 47 per cent, at February 1, 1936. For food only, the corresponding percentages at these dates were 35, 36 and 30 respectively. HOWLAND ISLAND AS AIR BASE Received Thursday, 7.40 p.m. NEW YORK, Feb. 17. Or. Dana Coman, Rear-Admiral Byrd *a associate, has completed a survey of Baker and Howland Islands in order to determine methods of bringing them under full vegitation in the interests of the water supply. Another feature of the survey is to make adequate airway landings on the islands. He states that the water supply problem will take a decade and possibly a generation. Hawaiian boys may have a concrete runway ready at Howland by the time Mrs. Earhart Putnam arrives. It wili be a great feat of navigation if she succeeds in finding the island which is 1400 miles from Honolulu and visibility is extremely limited owing to the lowness of the island which is barely 20 feet above the sea. He believes, however, with normal luck, she should succeed. * RADIO S.O.S. ALARM. Received Thursday, 11.20 p.m. WASHINGTON, Feb. 18. The Federal Communications Commission has disclosed the perfection of an automatic radio S.O.S. signal system to be used on cargo ships and has announced that a hearing will be held on Friday regarding its adoption which is opposed by the Radio Operators ’ Union due to the fact that it will permit the elimination of two of the three watches now kept. The new system transmits an alarm signal which will either ring a bell or operate a light on any ship equipped to receive it.