NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 164, 14 July 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Army Postmen Under Fire

A postal unit with the N.Z.E.F. in the Middle East relates in a letter home that 25 postal sorters went to Greece with the troops, taking 40 tons of letters, parcels and papers, and only six of the 25 returned, the others being reported missing, believed to be prisoners of war. While delivery was possible the postmen carried on under fire, and one was wounded. When the position became hopeless, attention was turned to destroying undelivered food, most of which was made useless. Diverting River Course Filling up the old course of the Waikato River just below Lake Taupo to divert the flow to the new channel reached the point of completely blocking the stream on Saturday, after bulldozers had been engaged 14 days in pushing 50,000 cubic yards of spoil into the water. The older Maoris of the district were keenly interested in the whole operation of changing the river's course, as they firmly believed that there was a taniwha in the deep hole just below the bridge, which would prevent the work being successful. Most of them have heard of the successful result with disappointment.

A Family Tree 1840-1940 An enthusiastic member of the Fraser Clan, descendants of Duncan Fraser, who died in 1897, aged 84 years, and Marjory Fraser in 1893, aged 89 years, is preparing a record of their direct descendants, who number about 600. Most of them reside in the Rangitikei, Manawatu and Wanganui districts. The parents arrived in Wellington on Christmas Day, 1840, with ten children, one of whom was born at sea. Four others were born in New Zealand. Need for More Population After extensive discussions during his tour throughout the Dominion, he had come to the conclusion that the matter of increasing the average size of the family was a matter in the hands of the women of New Zealand, said Sir Evelyn Wrench, founder of the Overseas League and the English-speaking Union, prior to his departure with Lady Wrench for Australia. What was required, he said, was a group of people possessed with the crusading spirit of a Truby King to change the whole outlook of the country on this allimportant matter. He said he believed that the enlightened State of the future would have to pay far more attention to the mothers of the nation. The whole mentality of the j English-speaking nations on this t, subject would have to be changed. It must not be possible in the future for landlords to announce: "People i "Witi children need not apoly."

Cruise in Chinese Junk Interesting visitors to Apia are Dr. Petersen and his Japanese wife, who are making a Pacific cruise in their 8-ton Chinese junk Hummel Hummel. Dr. Petersen, a popular member of the Los Angeles Yacht Club and the Adventurers' Club, is owner and master of the junk, while his American-educated Japanese wife acts as mate. Previous to the present voyage Dr. and Mrs. Petersen completed a trip from Shanghai to San Pedro, California, in 118 days The Hummel Hummel is not fitted with an auxiliary engine, reiving on her sails alone. Records Appreciated Appreciation of the gramophone records placed on board troopships is indicated from a note which has been received by the National Patriotic Fund Board, Wellington. The letter expressed the gratitude of the soldiers for recordings played over the ship's public address system. At the end of the voyage the records were forwarded to the National Patriotic Fund Board's overseas commissioner for use in the Middle East. The supply of records held by the board has now become low, and more records would be welcome.

Combating Vandalism In reply to a request from the Wellington Beautifying Society, the Forest and Bird Protection Society has associated itself with an appeal for the co-operation of school teachers in an effort to check the alarming spread of vandalism, which has caused the damage or destruction of much public and private property. The opinion was expressed that the Education Department should institute an intensive propaganda campaign in schools to combat this evil among the young, thus producing enlightened parents in the future, for this type of mischief is apparently not confined to children. I Rationing in Britain Appreciation of the news that the British Government has purchased 160,000 tons of cheese from New Zealand is expressed by Mr. Walter Dexter, editor of "The Dickensian," journal of the Dickens Fellowship, in a letter to the Christchurch branch of the Fellowship. "It is equivalent, if my figuring is correct,! to about 101b for each of the people here," he writes, referring to the cheese. "We are being rationed to one ounce a week j at present, but until two months ago , we had plenty, so we are not really suffering by going short of it for a \, few months. Besides, we have plenty of other food. Bread has not! yet been rationed, and mv ration of ; butter is adequate for vnv wants, and I am by no means a light butter ; eater.' ,_ _ 1