NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 64, 16 March 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Unrationed Meats

Inquiries show that while unrationed meats are in good supply in butchers' shops, the demand exceeds supply, and most of these lines are sold out by midday or shortly afterwards.- It is pointed out, however, that such supplies are liable to fall off as winter approaches and killings decline. Children Soaked Many children living at a distance from their schools, particularly secondary schoolboys and girls, were caught unprepared by yesterday's heavy downpour shortly after three o'clock. Some arrived home drenched to the skin. Other children, whose homes were nearer school, were luckier, and many reached home in the lull between the showers. Not a Motorists' Paradise The fact that Great Barrier Island, though a popular holiday resort, is no motorists' paradise was made clear in evidence in a case in the Supreme Court yesterday. Some of the testimony indicated that the island generally was steep and broken, with the roads for access to the various farms following spurs and ridges. Most of these were said to exist as roads only on survey plans, being in fact merely "paper tracks." A member of the island county council said there were one or two stretches of formed road 12ft wide, but most of the made highways were tracks of 4ft to 6ft in width. "No Coupons Required!" Some Wellington restaurants, in order to overcome the drop in business which has occurred since the coming into force of meat rationing, have had to do something drastic "to right the boat." In this predicament they have decided to jettison the idea of selling rationed meats altogether, and serve only meat that is unrationed. This practically means good-bye to the grills, mixed and otherwise, of happier days, while a greater recourse will be had to fish suppers. One restaurateur said that his business had dropped 50 per cent since the enforcement of the regulations, and he had to do something, about it.

Whisky for a Pram The following advertisement appeared in The Times, London, recently:—"Advertiser-'has eight bottles of whisky (well-known brand) that he is willing to exchange for a utility pram of good make and in good condition." Names for Children A fairly common practice during the last war of naming children after places and people connected with the fighting has not been followed so extensively during this war, according to registrations made inNew Zealand in recent months. One of a few exceptions is the case of a child who has been named El Alamein. The present trend, it is stated, is away from unusual names, preference being given to those which were common 30 and 40 years ago. Scottish Soldiers' Visit J

Two Scottish soldiers are spending a short furlough in Dunedin They are members of a party of British non-commissioned officers who recently came to the Dominion on leave, and when they were asked what part of New Zealand they would like to visit they promptly voted for Dunedin. The local Army authorities have advised the Council of Scottish Societies of the men's visit, and this body has undertaken to billet them and arrange trips and entertainment for them. Scientist on Hoeing «*«£ h * at * hoei , n g had no beneficial effect towards the betterment of a plant than the killing of weeds, was a point made in an address on plants t «Jsf r£ a L m £ rst £ n North Citizens' Lunch Club by Dr. J. s. Yea"tes of Massey College. He stated that •experiments carried out recently in America by botanists on this subject had brought forward this conclusion. Among other interesting facts given were those dealing with the enormous quantities of water required by plants. A single cotton plant required three pints of water a day, while a big oak tree, in a year, i.e., when the tree was in leaf was found to account for 50 000 gallons. The rooting system' of plants was incredible. The roots of one square foot of pasture placed end to end had measured 50 miles Lucerne roots had been traced 20ft to 25ft down.