NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 36, 12 February 1943, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Quest for Smooth Tomatoes American army officers who were not satisfied with local tomatoes for canning purposes have, after a long search, found what they consider to be the ideal. To them, wrinkled tomatoes are imperfect, and their jubilation -was great when they found some smooth spherical specimens in the garden of St. Mary's Convent, New Street, Ponsonby. Cameras jspre produced and the fruit photographed. ■,< Soldiers Collect Salvage "One of our activities at present is foraging for salvage," wrote a New Zealand soldier in the Middle East, Lieutenant B. H. Aveling, formerly a member of the Auckland Star advertising staff, to friends in Auckland. "We send' three-tonners away with parties for 48 hours;' They can roam within a 100-mile radius of home. We actually run competitions to see who can bring in the most worthwhile load. Amazing what there is to pick up—anything from a 1942 V 8 staff car, and rounds of .303 or .32 ammunition. Such articles as Zeiss binoculars, lugers (German automatic pistols), oil bath compasses, wireless gear and all types of precision instruments are prized thff most, but anything at all which can be put to some use is collected. It will give you an idea of how much there is when I say, without exaggeration, that we could fill 20 trucks with worthwhile salvage within five miles of our present camping area." They Have a Common Hope The cosmopolitan character of life in Britain at the moment is stressed by a London poster received in Auckland which draws attention to the fact that there are in the country armed forces from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czechoslovakia,-' Poland, Greece and Norway who are in the fight to regain the freedom of their occupied home countries. Further, all these nationalities are supplied with newspapers in their own tongues, printed locally and each devoted to news items from the country concerned that have been gleaned from various public and private sources. These newspapers naturally circulate widely among the many thousands of refugees as well as their fighting men. It conjures up a picture of the tremendous force for freedom which is being daily welded in the fortress of Britain by the mere fact of afff these peoples living in the midst of the British Empire, and by the American forces and people, all animated by a common effort and. thinking along the same lin"es. ;

Bridge of Fat The not-to-be-beatfen spirit of ants and their quickness to find any loophole to food was strikingly demonstrated to a • New Plymouth housewife. To defeat the ants, which are a pest in her home, she had been standing all food in water, and in the safe had placed a large mug of fat in a basin of water. On opening the safe later, however,- she found that some of the fat spilling on the water had formed a bridge from the edge of the basin to the mug, and over this a column of ants was •merrily crossing. Winemaker and Home Guard A farmer who had no difficulty in obtaining sugar for winemaking appeared before the No. 2 Armed Forces Appeal Board at Matamata and asked to be excused from attendance at Home Guard parades. The appellant, Guga Devcich, farmer, of Walton, stated that he milked 45 cows and produced 16,0001b of butterfat. In addition he had four acres of grapes and two acres of potatoes. He made 400 gallons of wine from the grapes. He worked from 5 a.m. till 9 p.m. and was assisted in the garden by his wife. He had no family. To the chairman, Mr. Paterson, S.M., appellant said he sold the wine, to anyone who came along. "You get sugar?" asked a member of the board. "Yes, I get half a ton without difficulty." Appellant admitted. that' if he didn't make wine he could attend Home Guard parades, but he didn't know where they would put him. "They would put you in charge of the canteen, I should say," remarked Mr. Paterson. The appeal was dismissed. Soldier's Sick Wife In presenting his case before the No. 2 Armed Forces Appeal Board yesterday afternoon, a soldier aged 30, of the Grade 1 class, who applied for his release from camp owing to the continued illness of his wife, was so affected that he almost cried. Towards the end of his submissions his eyes were filled with tears. He produced a doctor's certificate confirming his statement that his wife was suffering from a nervous breakdown and ■ frequently had collapses. There were two children sti home with her. His wife had no relatives in New Zealand and he sought his release because his wife became worse when he returned to camp after leave. It was necessary that he should be home to look after her and the children during the lengthy period of her recuperation. Lieutenant B. C. Hart said the army did not oppose the soldier's release. The board recommended applicant's release and said the matter would be reviewed in three'months' time.