NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 279, 25 November 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Temporary Hospital The Auckland Hospital Board, at a meeting last evening, received a letter from the Auckland Education Board, asking that the Training College, now in use as an auxiliary hospital, should be vacated by the end of January, so that it could be available for occupation by students at the beginning of February. The board decided to reply that the building would be vacated by March 1, in accordance with an undertaking already given. Effective Camouflage Home Guard stories are becoming almost as prolific and colourful as the time-worn fishing story. After the periodical manoeuvres of city units there is usually a fresh crop of incidents and anecdotes, and the palm must be awarded this week to an episode (vouched for as true by the narrator with his hand on his heart) which was reported as having taken place in the Henderson district last Sunday, where the Mount Albert battalion was engaged in tactical exercises. The guardsmen were told to camouflage themselves while attacking a position. They did so, using grass and leaves to decorate their hats. As they were crouching in a ditch awaiting "zero hours" several cows meandered up, apparently unaware of humans in the vicinity, and started to munch the vegetation on the guardsmen's millinery. If this particular section did not get top marks for effective camouflage they deserved it. Parcels for Employees A decision to send a parcel every month to each employee of the board who is serving with the armed forces overseas was reached by the Waitemata Electric Power Board at a meeting yesterday afternoon. The decision was reached on the motion of Mr. W. R. T. Leighton, and seconded formally by the chairman, Mr. W. B. Darlow. who said that he had in mind when discussing the matter previously that the board might send two or three parcels to its employees each year. An amendment to the motion, moved by Mr. E. Aldridge, suggesting that the board donate £50 a year to the patriotic committee for the distribution of parcels, was rejected, Mr. Darlow commenting that if this proposal were adopted the link between the board and its employees would not be preserved. He stressed the point that if the men overseas received more parcels than were required for their individual needs they always shared them with their comrades. Mr. R. N. White favoured the forwarding of unaddressed parcels, and later suggested that members of the board should make contributions from their own pockets for the dispatch of the next parcels. The latter suggestion, however, was ruled out of order, the chairman stating that, while it was quite competent for members t'> make personal contributions, the hoard had no jurisdiction over the private actions of members.

Historic Church Destroyed Victim of the Nazis' ruthless aerial bombardment of London, the historic church of St. John, which for so many centuries has stood as material evidence of the humane efforts of the Venerable Order of St. John, has been almost totally destroyed. To commemorate the wonderful work done by the church, the St.- John headquarters in London has decided to send portions of its ancient stone to branches throughout the British Empire for insertion in their own fabric. The Auckland division of the Order has been advised that two pieces of the stone will be sent, and it is expected that they will arrive before the end of the year. Mystery of Nugget in Drake A possible explanation of the mystery of the gold nugget found in the gizzard of a drake at 13, Keyte Street, Whangarei, a few days ago is offered by Mrs. D. Kehoe, of 10, i Angle Street, Te Papapa. She says that her parents formerly owned the property, and her mother, Mrs. W. E. Keyte, who is now dead, had a small gold nugget given to her many years ago by a brother, the late Mr. Josiah F. Carter, formerly of Waihi. "I think the nugget came from Broken Hill, Australia, where my brother lived for some years," Mrs. Kehoe added. "I have often handled the nugget, but when the home was sold and things sorted out it must have been thought of no value and been thrown away." Saving of Electricity Ways of encouraging the public, j and particularly children, to save electricity were mentioned in a letter j received by the Waitemata Electric Power Board yesterday afternoon from the Electric Power Board and Supply Authorities' Association. The; letter referred to the difficulties which power boards had experienced in dealing with normal demands for power during the winter months, and stated that in 1942, particularly during next winter, these difficulties would increase. It was therefore necessary that every possible step should be taken to conserve the use of power. The committee of the association, it was added, was of the opinion that children had a great deal to do with the switching on and off of lights and plugging in of various appliances, and more could be done to teach them to save electricity as a war effort. It was suggested that a statement be prepared by the committee and circulated in every school in the North Island in an effort to secure the children's cooperation, and that an essay competition should be promoted by various boards and prizes offered for the best composition on the subject of "The Ways and Means of Saving Electricity." Mr. E. Aldridge commented that there would be approximately 200 schools in the board's area, and if the association's suggestion were adopted it would involve the board in spending between £150 and £200 in essay prizes. The letter was received.