NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 221, 18 September 1942, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Rodents and Dentures A member of the forces stationed at a northern camp one evening, as was his practice, removed his top and bottom sets of false teeth to ensure the greater comfort of his .•••lumbers. On waking he was horrified to find that the teeth were not i:i their wonted place alongside his bed. Inquiries failed to reveal their v, hereabouts, and finally it was concluded that they had been dragged awa.v by rats. In the ensuing search nearly half the hut was pulled to pieces. Sure enough, hidden away in the structure, one set. of the dentures was discovered, but where the other set is remains a mystery. Transport for Soldiers The protest made at a metropolitan patriotic committee meeting against soldiers being given leave without provision being made for transport facilities was cordially endorsed at last night's meeting of the executive of the Auckland U.S.A. It was stated that railway stations had been picketed and soldiers denied access, which had caused many to "hitch-hike." It was decided to communicate with the Minister of Defence protesting strongly that transport facilities had been denied soldiers proceeding on leave when special trains had been run for the public to attend race meetings. Business Firms' Waste Paper The question of how long business firms should keep their records and correspondence is considered in the latest issue of the Mercantile Gazette of New Zealand. "Private ledgers should be kept for at least 20 years," says the article. "Most other books of account can be dispensed with after seven years, and where customers pay promptly there is no necessity to refer back to original entries. The bulk of the records can be destroyed after two or three years. Receipts need not be kept more than seven years, and correspondence and miscellaneous material generally not more than 18 months. As to the disposal of confidential papers, the article says that if such papers are packed in a sealed packet the controllers will guarantee that no disclosure will be made of the contents. If omen Conductors Praised

A tribute to the efficiency of women conductors is contained in a report which the Transport Committee will present at a meeting of the Dunedin City Council. After stating that a further eight women have commenced training, bringing the total number employed to 27, the report adds: "These women continue to perform their work in a highly creditable manner, and their handling of the loading at the recent trotting meeting was outstanding, particularly their speed and efficiency in collecting the fares. In view of the newspaper controversy regarding their probable earnings, it may be of interest to record that for the first two weeks their gross earnings amounted -to £5 16/ per week, and for the subsequent week the average was £0 0/8." Compass Variations "Any home guardsman will tell you Air. Rutherford was wrong when he stated that true north was 17 degrees east of magnetic north in New Zealand," declared an Auckiander to-day in comment on a paragraph appearing in this column yesterday attributing to Mr. Rutherford, of the Peninsula County Council, Canterbury, the above statement: "It might be that Mr. Rutherford was wrongly reported," added the Aucklander. "Talks on the variation of tlie compass are included in home guard training in this part of the country, and our instruction is that the magnetic variation is westerly in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans of the northern hemisphere, and easterly In the South Pacific Ocean. So that in New Zealand the true, or geographic, north would be approxiImately 17 degrees west of the magnetic north, not east."

Start on Church On Saturday afternoon next, prr* vided the weather is fine, there will be a working bee of members of the Baptist Church and the Church of Christ to excavate the site in preparing for the erection of the new united Baptist-Church of Christ at Orakei. Mistletoe on Fruit Tree "The hope was expressed recently that someone would report that ne had been successful in acclimatising a berrying English mistletoe in a Christchurch garden." states the City Beautiful. "We are pleased to he informed that in the garden of St. Winifred's Convalescent Hospital. 480, I lam Road, there is a plant of it growing on a fruit tree. The plant produces berries regularly in due season." Gardens of Takapuna The Takapuna Borough Council decided at a meeting to circularise residents urging the necessity of concentrating on the production of vegetables in the home garden as a means of assisting the war effort. The local horticultural society has offered to co-operate by providing free advice by experienced gardeners when required, and also are willing to give lectures on vegetable growing and the latest garden compost processes. Prisoner Went for "Race" The news of his escape from a German prison camp and later recapture and imprisonment is told in a letter from a Christchurch ser-geant-pilot now in Stalag Luft. 111. The story is not in plain language, as it would not have passed the German censor, but the wording is rather ingenious. His wife had written saying that she had not received any mail from him during August of last year, and his reply was this: "In August I went for a race and did 150 miles before I was overtaken. After I lost the race. I was sent to a place rather like our Mount Flden. Others had trouble long before I did. and some were not able even to start. However, never mind, I might win next time." He is apparently hoping to make another attempt. Groundsman's Wife Assists The assistance given to him by his wife has enabled the groundsman at Wilding Park, Christchurch, Mr. J. R. Manhire, to overcome some of the acute difficulties caused by lack of staff, said Mr. J. Mercer at a meeting of the competitions committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. "I have never seen the park looking better, and I could not understand how Mr. Manhire managed to keep it in such fine order on his own, said Mr. Mercer. The groundsman, he continued, had told him that his wife had been able to work the big motor mower, which released him for many valuable hours for the heavier work on the park. Mr. Mercer added that lawn tennis players owed a debt of gratitude to Mr. Manhire for his fine work at Wilding Park and to Mrs. Manhire for her assistance in that worK. Tribute to Sailors

A warm tribute to the men of the mercantile marine was paid by Captain R. S. Judson, V.C., at, last night's meeting of the Auckland City Council. Captain Judson suggested that the digging fee of £2 should be deleted in the case of Auckland seamen who died at their posts and were buried in the special plot for seamen at Waikumete Cemetery. He said men of the merchant service were in constant danger from bombs, submarines, E-boats and floating mines. No praise was too high for their work. The Mayor, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, explained that the same fee applied to burials of returned soldiers in their special area. The cemetery served a wide community, but the rates came from a limited number of people. No profit was made in respect to these burials, and the digging fee was actual expenditure that had to be recouped. The matter was referred to the parks committee.