General News

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23444, 26 September 1941, Page 6

General News

■ • * ■ Gift Cigarettes for N.Z.E.F. A further reference to the alleged sales of gift cigarettes in the New Zealand Forces Club, Cairo, is made by Lieutenant-Colonel F. Waite, overseas commissioner for the National Patriotic Fund Board, in his latest report. “We have investigated some alleged sales,” he says, “and never yet have we been able to get any evidence that the cigarettes in question were purchased over a counter at the club. The board and all patriotic workers in New Zealand,” he . adds, “must realise that we are as keen as anyone in New Zealand to get all the facts and stop the illegal sale of gift cigarettes. It is significant that at the three meetings we have held of the advisory committee of the New Zealand Forces Club, on which are two representatives of each unit of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, this question has never been raised.” Sales of Whey Butter To encourage the sale of whey butter on the local market in New Zealand, it is to be retailed at Is 3d per lb. This decision has been reached by the Internal Marketing Department, in association with the Price Tribunal, and details were gazetted last night. The Government is exploring new markets, in view of Great Britain’s inability to take whey butter and hopes by reducing the price in New Zealand to stimulate its use for cooking—P.A, Tomatoes for Britain A suggestion that the Government should communicate with the British Government, with a view to obtaining an order for canned tomatoes from New Zealand, was made by Mr E. L. Cullen (Government, Hawke’s Bay) in notice of a question to the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in the House of Representatives. Mr Cullen drew attention to a cable report which stated that Great Britain had ordered 15,000,000 cases of canned tomatoes from California, as an emergency food and drink supply in the event of invasion. He said that New Zealand had several canning works and in Hawke’s Bay large quantities of tomatoes were canned annually. The canning industry of the Dominion was capable of supplying an order.—P.R. Londoners Uniformly Calm “I have heard more grumbling over the lack of silk stockings and whisky in New Zealand than I heard during the whole of our stay in London,” said Mr W. J. Mountjoy, jun., in an address to members of the Wellington Rotary Club. “In London the people were always uniformly calm and unruffled. They showed less bitterness than we do, and were amazingly tolerant of everyone’s views. One could still go to Hyde Park on Sunday and hear speakers expressing quite openly their views on anything without interference of any kind, denoting that freedom and the liberty of the subject was as great in war time in England as it was in peace.” Ice-Cream Plant for Troops Before long the National Patriotic Fund Board expects to take delivery of the ice-cream manufacturing plant which is being constructed at General Motors works at Petone to provide another amenity for the New Zealand Forces in the Middle East. Besides the manufacturing plant, the equipment includes a specially-built refrigerated truck to enable the ice-cream to be transported to the hospitals and the forward areas. The truck has already been completed. It has been built for heavy duty, and it incorporates some interesting features that have been designed to make it a reliable and serviceable unit under the difficult conditions in which it is to operate. Appeal Board Record Probably establishing a Dominion record, the Armed Forces Appeal Board yesterday disposed of 100 appeals at Greymouth in five hours. Nearly 70 were by mining companies in respect of coalminers. All these cases were adjourned sine die, conditional on the reservists joining the Home Guard in a fortnight. A warning was given by the chairman (Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.) that the obligation was on both the employers and the employees to notify the Director of National Service immediately if a man appealed for left his employment or his employment in the same industry changed. Mr Reid said the obligation on both was absolute, and failure to observe the regulations might mean a heavy fine or imprisonment.—P.A. Unusual Wadding Gift One Southland motorist is receiving an unusual' wedding present—a conviction by the Court, instead of a fine. The defendant was prosecuted in the Magistrate’s Court this week for a breach of the traffic regulations. “In this letter the defendant says that he cannot appear in Court because he is being married on September 24. I think we should make him a wedding present,” said the Magistrate. “I could send him a book of traffic rules, your Worship,” said Inspector Stopford. “Well, if I convict and discharge him and you send him a book of traffic rules, that might meet the position,” said the Magistrate. Measles, Mumps, and Influenza “Owing to the outbreak of measles, mumps, and influenza, both among soldiers and civilians, the Burwood Hospital has been taxed to capacity,” said the report of the hospital committee to the North Canterbury Hospital Board on Wednesday. “So far it has been possible to manage without establishing the emergency hospital at the Addington trotting grounds. Quite a number of the nursing staff at Burwood have been laid up with measles and mumps, but owing to the splendid assistance afforded by the Red Cross Society in providing emergency workers the position has been met.” The report gave the following figures of infectious disease cases at Burwood for August: Measles 204, mump 76, influenza 65, scabies 7, scarlet fever 1, chicken pox 1, ringworm 1. Petrol Used By Buses A complaint that road service buses are using petrol unnecessary on routes parallel to railway lines, and in competition with the railways, will be referred to the Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union by the North Canterbury district executive of the union. At the district meeting on Wednesday Mr J. W. Earl (Waikari-Hawarden) said that six buses were being run from Christchurch to Nelson parallel to the railway as far as Hundalee, In a year’s running those buses would use about 36,000 gallons of petrol, and his branch thought this was a matter for great concern in a time of emergency when petrol was being rationed. “There are instances all over the country,” remarked the district president (Mr R. G. Bishop), agreeing that it was a matter for the Dominion executive. Redwood Trees in New Zealand The ready response of the Californian sequoia tree to New Zealand soil and climatic conditions, suggesting its regular cultivation, was the subject of an address by Mr S. I. Cox, superintendent of reserves at Wanganui, at a Rotary Club lunch in the town. He instanced the fast growth of specimens planted in Wanganui and Hunterville as showing that the soil conditions there suited this tree. Mr Cox added that Sequoia sempervirens was one of the most important timber trees of the world, and its forests, comparatively limited in area, had yielded and were still yielding the most easily obtained, durable, and profitable building and fencing timber on the Pacific Coast of the United States. The reproductive powers of the tree were enormous. No other known conifer so consistently sprouted from the stump, so rapidly made hew forests, or so well resisted fire. Honey Damages Parcels Because honey packed in incompletely sealed tins has caused damage to a number of parcels sent to soldiers in the Middle East, the secretary of the National Patriotic Funds Board has drawn attention to the need for care in packing honey. He has asked that committees packing parcels should be advised not to include honey. Suggestion for Motorists A separate switch, which would operate on the tail light only, to save the drain /on car batteries resulting from parking lights having to remain on for long periods, was suggested by Mr D. J. Mcßeath at a meeting of the Automobile Association (South Canterbury) on Thursday evening. If tail lights were left on, said Mr Mcßeath, there would be .no need for parking lights. The association decided to forward the suggestion to the South Island Motor Union.