NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 33, 9 February 1943, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Hospital Laundry Enterprise Reporting on the operations of the Howe Street laundry, recently taken over by the Auckland Hospital Board as a going concern, Mr. L. Mandeno informed the board last night that though not yet fully equipped or manned to capacity, the laundry had satisfactorily met the requirements of the hospital institutions. He also believed that the work would be found to be of improved quality and the costs of handling well within the margin expected. "Forgotten Man" A plea for greater recognition of New Zealand's "forgotten man," James Busby, first British resident in this country, was made by Colonel J. H. Nankivell, United States Military Attache at Wellington, when speaking at a gathering of the New Zealand Founders' Society. "He did more than any other white man to make the Treaty of Waitangi possible, the treaty that was based on faith by both sides," said Colonel Nankivell, referring to the fact that Saturday was the 103 rd anniversary of the signing of the treaty. Freezing Workers' Protest The following resolution was passed at a meeting of members of the Workers' Union at the Kaiapoi Freezing Works: "The Kaiapoi branch of the Freezing Workers' Union protests very strongly against the use of soldiers for harvesting, potato-digging, etc., unless they have paid directly to them the money they earn; and, as unionists, demand that no man be punished for refusing this work, as it is our considered opinion that no order to do so can be a lawful command." The resolution was passed unanimously, and it was decided to forward a copy to the head office of the union. Camp Amenities People living in tents and huts outback have been accustomed to buy for a "fiver" what they call a "pick-up" radio set for use in their habitations. People were often glad to get rid of their worn-out sets, to replace them with something right up to date. Recently a backblocks dweller went from shop to shop in the city where radio sets were sold offering £4 for any kind of set which would be useful to a camp of three men, who wanted to be able to pick up the war news with it. He did not give up hope of success till he went into one shop where a smart, young, businesslike saleswoman told him quite bluntly that "pick-ups," once plentiful, were now as scarce as hens' teeth. He told the girl that he knew what that meant, but if she had told him they were as scarce as hens' eggs it would have impressed him just as much, for they hail not had an egg in camp for 12 months!

Family's School Record It has been said that records are made only to be broken, and last week it was reported that a family of seven attending an Auckland primary school might be a' record, but a fresh one has come to light. At Papakura last year Mr. and Mrs. D. McFarlane, of Green Street, had eight children going to the local school. They were Noel (15), June (14), Barbara (12), John (11), Alan and Audrey (9)-, Donald (7) and Garth .(6). This year seven are going to Papakura School, and two are now going to secondary schools. The youngest, Alister, has started school at the age of five. Returns of Vegetable Crops Quite a large number of persons producing vegetables (except potatoes) for sale are apparently still unaware of the recent order requiring them to make returns to the Primary Industries Controller .of crops under cultivation or to be planted before July 31 according to a report from Mr. A. R. Grainger, orchard instructor of the Department of Agriculture, Christchurch. The requirement applies to every occupier of a commercial garden on half an acre or more, or the occupier of a glasshouse covering an area of not less than 2500 - square feet, or the occupier of a commercial garden comprising a glasshouse and open land which, together, amount to an area of half an acre or more (the ''area under . glass being computed at the rate of 5000 square feet an acre). Provision is made for substantial penalties for failure to make the returns. They Rush to School "The days when kiddies of five years of age going to school for the first time hid behind the skirts of their mothers when the headmaster appeared to take charge and enrol them are gone forever," said an old schoolmaster when talking to another who had been retired for about 15 years and knew the ordeal and fear many children had in former days when they went to school for the first time. "Only this week a little chubby girl of five, anxious to get to school as quickly as possible, eluded her mother who was getting ready to go with her, and, running along, got into the school with the other children unobserved while the mother searched for her. It was Bible reading day at the school, but the headmaster, when he heard of the lost child, sent two boys, by different routes, to see if they could find her. They came back without success. Then the parent, with maternal intuition, glanced into the room where the service was being held, and, to her surprise and joy, saw her little girl singing with 'the other children a hymn she had been taught at hpme. She was quite at her ease as though she had been to school for a month." "It just shows the confidence of the children of to-day," said the retired old master when he the story.