General News

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23330, 16 May 1941, Page 8

General News

Man of .82 Wins £2OOO The winner of the first prize of £2OOO in the “Put and Take” art union, drawn yesterday, is Mr R. H. Brown, aged 82, who has no relatives in New Zealand and lives at the Veterans’ Home, Mount Roskill. Giving a false age, he enlisted with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the Great War and served for three years, Mr Brown did not realise his good fortune until some time after he had read that the pseudonym “Veteran" was on the winning ticket. All the inmates of the home had decided that it must be one of their number who had drawn the first prize; but it was not until they had eliminated everybody but one of the veterans who was out that Mr Brown suddenly realised that the winning ticket was his. Greatly delighted with his luck, and firmly expressing his intention of “shouting” for his companions in the home. Mr Brown said he had still to decide what he was going to do with the money. One of his hopes was that he might be able to find a son, whom he had last heard of as being in a ship on the Indian run, and bring him to New Zealand,—Press Association, Political Meetings “It was never intended that the arrangement I made with the Prime Minister was to apply to meetings that had already been held,” reads the telegram which the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) has sent to Mr T. H. McCombs, M.P. In his telegram commenting on Mr Holland’s complaint that the political truce was being broken, Mr McCombs referred to meetings in his electorate addressed by Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., and Mr W, S. Goosman, MJ 5 . Bank Notes Missing A total of £ 1000 worth of Reserve Bank notes has gone astray between Wellington and Bulls, according to a notice circulated among Napier businessmen. A package containing 100 £ 10 bank notes was posted at the General Post Office, Wellington, about 11 a.m. on May 5. It was addressed to the Bank of New South Wales in Bulls, and so far has not reached the bank. Gas Mask in the Commons Mr W. R. Robinson, Labour member of Parliament for St. Helens, caused a mild sensation and some amusement in the House of Commons recently bjf wearing a gas mask while the House was in session. It was the first time anyone had worn a gas mask in the House of Commons. Cabinet Ministers sitting on the bench opposite him smiled broadly as Mr Robinson sat unconcernedly with the. mask covering his face, its black snout wobbling up and down every now and then when he coughed. Mr Robinson rose at one point hoping to make a speech with his mask _on, praising the new budget, but he was not called on. Another member asked and received the ruling that while it was not out of order for a member of Parliament to wear a gas mask while someone was speaking, it would be much better worn outdoors. Thereupon Mr Robinson removed the mask, beamed, and put on his spectacles. Pedestrian Crossings That a broken white line is, from all aspects, a definite improvement when compared with the usual straight line used in pedestrian crossings was the unanimous opinion of members at a meeting last evening of the Automobile Association, Canterbury. However, regulations in force at the present time forbid the use of any but straight, unbroken white lines; but members agreed that if the idea was fully explained these regulations could be amended. A broken line is definitely more conspicuous, especially in fog, and when it is considered that there would be a 50 per cent, reduction in paint —which has to be imported—then there should be no hesitation, Mr F. W. Freeman said. He referred to the. contrasting colours of football jerseys and barbers’ poles used to attract attention. The idea had the support of the Chief Traffic Inspector, Mr J. Bruorton, but the Commissioner of Transport, Mr G. L. Laurenson, from photographs sent to him, said, in a letter, that he failed to appreciate the advantage of the change. It was decided to support the City Council in working for this innovation. Ancient Maori Game In remote native schools in the north the ancient Maori game of top whipping is still played in the same manner and with the same materials as were used generations ago. The tops, which are larger than their European prototypes, are painstakingly carved by hand from pdhutukawa, manuka, or tetara. The whip is made, from flax or cabbage tree leaves, tied to a manuka handle, and the method of spinning is to roll the top in the-fibres, then set it in motion with a deft flick of the wrist. Thereafter it is a matter of whipping, and the children expend vast energy chasing the tops as they spin in playgrounds, down tracks, in paddocks, and even along beaches. Increase in Hospital Cases The need, for building up the resistance of the people to disease was emphasised by Mrs W. Mackay when speaking to a meeting of women yesterday afternoon. She quoted some interesting figures to show the increase in the number of cases treated-, in the Christchurch Hospital alone during the last year, The number of patients admitted for treatment this year totalled 9995, an increase of 835 over last year, and 1387 over the previous year. ' There had been 6541 operations this year, as against 5475 last year, and 5362 the previous year. In the out-patients’ department the numbers were 9838 this year, against 8435 last year, and 7654 the previous year. Many of these patients returned for further treatments, with the result that attendances for the year were 69,432, against 53,295 last year, and 46,038 the previous year. A total of 16,863 specimens had been sent to the pathological departments thL year, and in the X-ray In-patients and out-patients had totalled 7500, double the number for 1933. In the radium department 756 new patients had been treated, and of these 349 were malignant cases, the total number of attendances this year being 6813, The “Churchill Age” This period of time, in which we are now livlhg, will .probably be called the “Churchill Age” by the historians of the future, is an editorial comment in the “Efficiency” magazine, “It will be the third and greatest golden age of the British peoples. We had the ‘Elizabethan Age,’ made glorious by the defeat of Spain and the exploits of Drake and the plays of Shakespeare: We had the ‘Victorian Age,’ when we became the leaders of the world in industry and finance. And now We are living in the beginning of the ‘Churchill' Age,’ which will shine for ever in history as the period when we defeated Hitler and restored civilisation, liberty, arid private enterprise. We who are now alive are privileged more than all the British generations of the past, and pethapa more, than all the British generations of the future. This is our supreme age of great men and great deeds. We are all St. Georges. We are putting an end to the dragon. We are making sure that all, future generations of British peoples shall live happily, prosperous and free,” Large Plough at Work What is believed to be the largest agricultural plough ever to operate in this country was seen at work in Southland recently. About BQO Southland farmers watched the plough, with a furrow 181n deep and 3ft wide, turn over bush stumps, rushes, gorse, and submerged timber With ease. The plough, whlch was designed arid built in Invercargill for contract work in break-ing-in bush country, Js-pulled by a 40 horsepower tractor. Giant discs are used to break the soil down to a good working, suffice.