NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Mutton Birds for Maoris,

That the National Patriotic Council had ordered 2000 mutton birds for sending to the Maori Battalion overseas was one of the items of information received by the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council on Thursday, states the "Otago Daily Times." This reply was received as the result of an inquiry by an Otago Maori resident.

Panic-stricken Natives.

The terror struck into the hearts of natives in the less civilised parts of Papua by the approach of the Japanese was described by an Auckland missionary, Mrs. L. Twyman, who w_as evacuated from the Fly River district in February and has returned to New Zealand. The Fly River natives were decidedly more primitive than those around such centres as Port Moresby, said Mrs. Twyman. When British aircraft first flew over the little port of Daru, the natives, not knowing whether they were friendly or hostile

craft, were panic-stricken. Some ran i into the bush and others into the water. Mrs. Twyman, who is a daughter of the Rev. L. O. Stanton, of Mount Albert, Auckland, has been in New Guinea for two years. "Ordered Out of Court." "Your Worship, I ask that the fish, having been identified, be taken- out of the courtroom," said Mr. D. W. Russell, who was appearing in a case of alleged theft of fish heard in the Magistrate's Court at Lyttelton, reports the "Press." "I don't know how it is with you, but I am getting a good whiff of it," he added. "I am getting considerably more of it than you are, I assure you, Mr. Russell," said the Magistrate (Mr. F. F. Reid), "and I hereby order the fish to be removed from the court." A constable then wrapped up the fish and took it from the room. Army Traffic on Roads. The wear and tear due to Army trucks on county * roads is seriously concerning the Hutt County Council. It cost the county a considerable sum last year, and it was stated at yesterday's meeting of the council that the position was likely to get worse. Heavy Army transport was using roads never intended for such traffic. It was decided that the council, together with representatives of the Farmers' Union, should wait on the Prime Minister with a view to obtaining some financial assistance, it not being considered fair that the ratepayers should be saddled with the whole burden, especially in view of the increase in the hospital rate. E.P.S. in Christchurch. In the black-out trial before last a siren station in an isolated district } did not receive its signal and was silent for a minute or two, states the Christchurch "Press." But 'the man in charge, hearing the central sirens, waited no longer to isound his own. Next day he was reprimanded for acting without instructions. On the occasion of the next black-out, the last one. he again did not receive the signal. This time he did not sound his siren. The result in this district was. to quote a local official's report, "a general mess-up." The man in charge of the station, as soon as he heard an unmistakable alarm signal, should have sounded his siren, even although his instructions bad failed to reach him. The E.P.S. authorities say that they would have upheld him. Recreation Camps. A recent extension of the work of physical welfare officers of the Internal Affairs Department embraces the organisation of weekend recreation camps at popular resorts for girls employed in war industries. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) states today that the new sphere of the officers' activities began in Auckland, where 84 girls of an essential clothing factory were taken to Mairangi Bay. The management of the factory had reported that the recuperative outing had reflected very satisfactorily in the work of the girls. These weekend camps had now spread to the South Island, where the Group Travel Association and physical welfare officers had taken charge of the organisation work. Yesterday, the Minister said, a large party of the girls employed at the Oamaru Woollen Mills in the manufacture of goods for the fighting forces left for Mount Cook Hermitage for a weekend outing. The principal part of the expenses connected with the trip was being borne by the management of the woollen mills.