General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23129, 19 September 1940, Page 6

General News

Summer Time Official summer time will begin in New Zealand at 2 a.m. on Sunday, September 29, when clocks will be advanced half an hour. The period of summer time will continue until the last Sunday in April, 1941. Gift to Welcome Club Considering that it would be a lead to local bodies and other interested bodies in the South Island in showing appreciation of the many comforts provided for soldiers from their districts, the Westport Borough Council decided at its monthly meeting to give £5 to the Soldiers’ Welcome Club at Christchurch. Maoris’ Gift to War Funds That the Maori race is making sacrifices for the prosecution of the war effort is again shown by a recent donation to the Government by the Tuwharetoa Trust Board, on behalf of the Ngati-Tuwharetoa tribe, of £l5O as a gift and £SOO as an interest-free loan for the duration of the war and six months. The Tuwharetoa tribe resides around the shores of Lake Taupo, and their generosity is a further instance of their spirit of loyalty and generous co-operation. The Hon. F. Langstone, Native Minister, said it recalled the magnificent gesture some 50 years ago by the late Te Heuheu Tukino (Horonuku), paramount chief of the tribe, when he presented to the nation areas of land totalling more than 6500 acres, now familiar to all as Tongariro National Park.— Press Association. Fishing for Soldiers Anglers who are in camp at Burnham, training for service overseas, and who are members of the .Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, will be granted whole-season complimentary fishing licences for their fishing. Those soldiers wishing to gain such a privilege must make application to the society, according to a decision made bv the council of the society last evening. A letter asking for complimentary licences, or licences at reduced rates, from five soldiers at Burnham, who are not on overseas service or training for overseas service, was referred to the fish committee for consideration. A Camp Magazine New Zealand engineers in Egypt, the sth Field Park Company, have issued the first number of a magazine called “Tales from Aboard.” This has arrived in Christchurch, having been sent by the editor, Lance-Corporal J. A. M. Brittenden, to his parents. In the 95 pages of the magazine there are -numbers of verses, stories, and articles written by members of the company; there are also several dozen very good line drawings done by the editor. Although some of the contents will be ambiguous to New Zealand relatives and friends of the writers, many of them will cause a great deal of amusement, as, for instance, the typical letter home, the confession of a censor, the diary, the confirmation of the rumour that Suez smells, and the odd jokes appearing throughout the issue. It is mentioned that the printing was paid for before it was done by the Egyptian engaged; that the company has now found out where the flies go in winter; that the members are most grateful to all who have helped to make their time in Egypt so pleasant; and that the company hopes the magazines will be kept in many homes in New Zealand to be claimed la.ter by the soldiers as souvenirs. Land to Give Away A Southland woman through a legacy has become the owner of a small section in sandy land well north of the Waimairi Beach Surf Club’s pavilion. In a letter to the Waimairi County Council received last evening she asked on what conditions she could abandon the section to the council. The chairman (Mr J. Liggins) said that the rates owing on the land were 7s sd. Cr. W. J. Walter suggested that it should be made the prize in a patriotic raffle. Another member said that it might be impossible to discover where the section really was. It was decided to inform the owner that it was legally not possible for her to abandon the land to the council. Victoria College Decoration In emulation of the recent incident at Auckland University College, when red pants, an umbrella, and a beer bottle were placed on the college toweV, a pair of underpants has been placed on the spire of Victoria University College, Wellington. The spire, on the northeast corner of the library wing, is at the end of a steeply-sloped slate roof, and some skill and daring must have been employed in adorning it. Greater Use of Ilium Import difficulties and much higher landed costs have severely restricted the use of Japanese oak, which formerly was extensively used in the production of furniture in Auckland. Since the war the price of Japanese oak has doubled. Rimu has largely taken the place of oak and, with artistic staining, has gained new distinction. The trend of design is toward simplicity. The furniture trade is described as exceptionally busy, the usual falling-off in the winter months not having been noticed this year. Reading in War Time The opinion that there had been a big increase in the number of books being read in Invercargill was expressed by the city librarian (Mr H. B. Famall) recently. Practically all classes of literature were being widely read, especially books about espionage and the Gestapo; there had been a large increase in all classes of books taken out by subscribers. According to a leading firm of booksellers the greatest demand" at the present time seemed to be for fiction, the sale of which was being maintained at a remarkably high figure. Some authoritative books on foreign affairs continued to sell well, but the public generally sgemed to have turned to fiction as an antidote to the troubles of the time. Linking Two Races The influence which judges of the Native Land Court exercise in reconciling differences between the Maori and the pakeha was mentioned by a former Chief Judge, Mr R. N. Jones, when speaking at a farewell given in Auckland to Mr C. E. MacCormick, the present Chief Judge, whose retirement will take effect next month. Mr Jones said the Chief Judge had acted as a nation-builder and deserved credit for his work in helping to cement the good relationship between the two races. “We look across the seas to-day and see the two races, the Maori and the pakeha, standing shoulder to shoulder fighting in defence of freedom,” he added. “Asking Is Enough” The courage and resolution with which the British people are facing the threat to Britain and the fine response they are making to the calls for service are described by Mr Alex Lindsay in a letter to his parents in Invercargill. Mr Lindsay is studying music in London. No matter what was to come, the British people would face it with courage and optimism, wrote Mr Lindsay. One night a member of Parliament would appeal over the air for aluminium and the next day the salvage centres would be inundated with pots and pans. It was the same with everything. England needed no Fascists to order the people to join this and that—it said a lot for democracy that plain asking was enough. “The people worship Mr Winston Churchill, ■and with the working class getting good wages for their long hours in munitions factories there is practically complete unity,”.he added. Weather Reports A complaint concerning weather reports from 3YA station was made by Mr C. B. Marshal at a meeting of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last night. Mr Marshal said that the reports covered a forecast for North Canterbury and not for South Canterbury, The chairman (Mb W. S. Minehan) said that on Monday it was a beautiful day in Timaru, yet in Christchurch it was a “filthy” day. Often, when the weather was wet in Christchurch it was fine in Timaru. “It is another argument for a radio station in Timaru," said Mr G. M. Lagan. It was decided that a letter be sent to the Meteorological Department asking if it would be possible to issue a separate South Canterbury weather forecast and, if not, to issue a forecast for North Canterbury only. ,