NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 91, 17 April 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Down the Drain Public interest was roused yesterday when a group of workmen opened a city drain and started to shovel out the "slush.". Soon there was a miniature mountain. Four or five employees of the City Council due into the pile and sifted it lovingly with shovels. The crowd peered intently into the grey mass. These men were searching for something—but what? Then an exclamation of triumph escaped from the workman in charge, as he lifted a sodden handful out -of the mire. Removing the slime, he revealed a ten-shilling note and two coins that had been dropped down there some time before by a youth. Then, the mountain of "slush" disappeared— shovelled back into the hole from whence it come!

Whispering Press . The voice of freedom cannot be stilled in.Europe. In every occupied land, says Answers, secret newspapers circulate the truth in spite of the Gestapo. There is always a chance that the Gestapo will beat the headline to the deadline. Yet Poland has nearly 100 anti-German news-sheets, with a total hand-to-hand circulation of 3,000,000, or onesixth of Poland's population. Norway has more than two "freedom" newspapers; Belgium has about 40. In Holland, France and Czechoslovakia printing presses are at work every night, hidden in cellars and in bed sitting rooms, pouring out the news-sheets. One of the biggest in France, Liberation, is a full-sized illustrated newspaper. About 10,000 words of type matter are "set" every night, and printing blocks made for the illustrations. The famous Chinese war newspaper Ta Kung Pao, is being produced in a bombproof cave. An old hand press is doing the job. Devonport's Early Volunteers

"Devonport was one of the most progressive places in the whole of Auckland half a century and more ago," was the comment of an old lady who said she was revisiting the place after a long period. One, of the things she wanted to know Was if the old target was still in Ngataringa Bay, and she put on gumboots to.go out and have a look at the old rifle range. The target was gone, but the shooting mounds were still there, where the volunteers used to lie down to make their inners and bull's-eyes. • The posts which kept the mounds together were still in the ground and seemed quite sound yet, although the dredging which had taken place had removed some of them. She said she could count on 'the fingers of one hand the gallant volunteers who remained. All the

others were gone, and she remembereekthem as a fine lot of men. Mr. B?Wi Alison, still going strong, was the greatest veteran of all. He seemed to be in everything long ago and had tireless energy. W. J. Napier iiised to be called Napoleon because he seemed" a born soldier with a very keen eye and was a good shot. Then there were Hoife Brown, Edsrard Bobert Dtrder, Malcolm Niccoi, 3, C Mac&y, James Mays, Eobt Wyuyard, J. W. Harrison and marry others who did credit to volunteering, trat others "had now taken their places.

Value of Papa A sample of Taumarunui papa which was specially treated and ground has been passed on to the Government Agricultural Department for analysis and to be tested to ascertain its value as a fertiliser. The papa was brought under the notice of Mr. F. Langstone, M.P. for Waimarino, by the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce.

"It Won't Be Long Now" During the hearing of a charge of sly-grog selling in the Police Court yesterday it was mentioned that when the police searched the defendant's home 16 dozen bottles of beer were found. Counsel remarked that all were small bottles, whereupon the magistrate, Mr. J. H. Luxford, said, "Judging by the number of broken bottles one sees there won't be many of the small ones left before long."

Hedgehogs Like Mask Evidence that hedgehogs are fascinated by good music was forthcoming when a Christchurch resident • played over on a gramophone several selections from Gilbert and Sullivan. During a lull in the music a scraping noise was heard outside a french door and, on investigation, two hedgehogs have been found on several occasions in the same position when good music has been played. It is remarkable that they have not appeared when swing and modern dance music has been played.

American Beer In a letter received from a Hamilton sergeant-pilot in the R.N.Z.A.F., written while he was spending a few days in an American port en route to Britain, he says: "A rather quaint custom here is that there does not seem to be a proper Sunday. It is only a Sunday in name, as most of the shops and hotels remain open. Every second shop is a bar, a sort of beer-garden arrangement where one can sit at tables and consume noggins." Referring to the price, 25 cents for a small bottle, and its potency, he remarks: "From all accounts the tropic heat lowers the arsistance, and we had quite a few •isualties among our lads." To Preserve Peace

"Twice in our lifetime we have seen the younger men called upon to go in as soldiers, sailors and airmen, to clean up a mess and muddle which they had little or no part in creating," said Mr. R. H. Beaumont, chairman, addressing the Wellington Junior Chamber of Commerce. "They were expected to give up their homes, wives, children and their positions. When these young men come back to civil life will they be given opportunities to share adequately in the management of our affairs? It has been said thatreturned men will be too weary to concern themselves with the serious matters of national and civic life. War may make men weary, but I refuse to believe that they will be too tired to fight against conditions which might bring about a repetition of bur present position in another 20 years.. Nor will they be too tired to discover some way to save their sons from a future war, or to help build for their children a better world than the one in which most of us have had to live.