General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23798, 18 November 1942, Page 2

General News

Tea and Sugar Ration for Farmers The Minister ol Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) announced last night that the Food and Rationing Controller had now made arrangements for the morning and afternoon tea ration as for office workers to be extended to all farmers and farm workers. Most of the dairy companies, he said, were cooperating in the issue of permits to suppliers Quarterly permits for 2Jlb of sugar and Jib of tea to each worker would be issued, and would apply to farmer, wife, and children over t4 engaged full time on the farm, and also to permanent employees. Farmers not supplying dairy factories would get the same ration by applying to the local rationing officer. Permits for special allowances for casual workers would continue to be issued by rationing officers. — (-PA.) Buffer Gorge Railway Work on the Westport-Inangahua railway line is being proceeded with as fast as staff permits, the District Engineer of the Public Works Department iMr E. F. Evans) informed the Armed Forces Appeal Board at Greymouth yesterday. He said he was still hopeful that the line would be completed by the end of February. The board granted sine die adjournments in respect of several men engaged on the work. Plate-laying for the work has almost been completed. Women’s Land Army What was originally known as the Women’s Land Corps had now gone out of existence, but a new organisation, the Women's Land Army, whose members were part-time workers, had been formed, said Mrs A. N. Grigg in the course of an address at Kaikoura yesterday. She explained that these women served in shops or factories during the week and worked on allotments near the city at the weekend, They had done very good work, said Mrs Grigg, and it was felt that in forming the new full-time service, organisers could not take the name away, and so the latest organisation was called the Women’s Land Service. This would be on the same footing as the other auxiliary services. As the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps were known as the W.A.A.C.S.. and other cervices as the W.A.A.F.S. and W.R.E.N.S.. Mrs Grigg honed that the Women’s Land Service won'd be known as (he “W.1.L.L.5..” • vbieh ;he considered would be an ap•Tonriele name. Klonclyke Stock Water-Race The full flow -if water in the Klondyke stock water-race was restored yesterday afterncon. The race was cut off because of damage by seepage last Thursday, but half the normal flow of water was turned on last Sunday. The Ashburton County Engineer <Mr H. A. Vezcy) said yesterday it was hoped tha* the supply o f water to between 25.000 acres and 30,000 acr-s of land affected would now be resumed. Pillaging of Goods Several further instances of pillaging of goods have been reported to the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association recently. It was stated yesterday that the latest instance reported by a Christchurch firm had been the pillaging of articles of clothing valued at £3O. in transit to Auckland and Wellington. Details have been referred to the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation. Patriotic Gift Parcels Advice that the future requirements for quarterly gift parcels were not yet known was received from the secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board (Mr G. A. Hayden) by the Canterbury Provincial Patriotic Council at its meeting yesterday. Mr Hayden said the question would be discussed at the conference of provincial patriotic councils this week. In his opinion, the number of parcels required for the forthcoming year would average 70,000 a quarter. City Band Concerts Band concerts arranged by the City Council for 1942-43 total ’32. 14 to be given at the Edmonds rotunda, three in the Botanic Gardens, and four each at the Civic Theatre and New Brighton. The hospital grounds, Jerroid street, Waltham. Sydenham, Linwood. Woolston. and St. Albans have each been allocated one concert. The first concert at New Brighton will be held on December 6, and the last, at the Civic Theatre, on May 16. Collection of Swan Eggs The number of swan eggs collected from Lake Ellesmere to date by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society is 3762. This was reported at a meeting of the council of the society last evening, when it was also slated that there had been a very marked decline in the number of eggs collected in tlie last fortnight. When a member commented that the season had been rather bad for swan breeding, the nresident (Dr. D. McK. Dickson) said; “It must be the poorest on record.” E.P.S. Demolition Work The chairman of the Grcymouth E.P.S. (Mr F. A. Kitchingham) has received advice that it is proposed to train selected personnel in demolition and denial of resources. The training will bo in charge of a mobile unit of instructors, who will visit each centre in the South Island, including Grcymouth and Westport on the West Coast, Each works unit of the E.P.S. may nominate up to four men to attend the full course of five lectures given at night, and five practical periods of from three to four hours. Tlie scheme will be carried out by the Armv for selected members of the D.E.S.C. and the E.P.S. Midland Express Late The Midland express arrived at Grey mouth 30 minutes late yesterday afternoon, as a result of being 25 minutes late in leaving Springfield. Mr Churchill’s Attire An illustration of the informal attire of Mr Winston Churchill on some occasions is given in a letter dated August 29, received by Miss J. Billons, of Christchurch, from her nephew, Lieutenant-Colonel L. F. Rudd. D.5.0.. military secretary to the 2nd N.Z.E.F., of Auckland, and a solicitor in civil life. Lieutenant-Colonel Rudd said that he and a few other New Zealand officers had been lucky enough to meet Mr Churchill near El Alamcin. Mr Churchill had worn an old topee, an air-raid suit, green spectacles, zip-fastened suede boots, and had carried an unrolled white umbrella. Lieutenant-Colonel Rudd said that he had been staying with Lieu-tenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg. V.C., at the time and had been asked to meet “the great man,” whom General Freyberg had known in the last war. It had been a thrill to hear in the desert from the man himself the voice that over the air had been an inspiration for so long. Three Heroes of Ilalfaya Reported to have been one of three New Zealanders who opened up Halat dawn on November 11, and so let the Bth Army go through in pursiut of Rommel’s forces, Corporal Francis William Ellery was unable to leave New Zealand with the echelon which he joined because hi? health failed. Private Bill Hill, second of the trio, left with a reinforcement after having been medically rejected earlier in the war. The third man. Private Ken Percival, whose address was given as Hamilton, cannot be traced there. Corporal Ellery was born at Wanganui 40 years ago, his father being Mr F. J, Ellery, a pioneer settler of Raotihi. Corporal Ellery was educated at Raotihi. and later took up farming. Private Hill, who is 2d, is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs T. W. Hill, of Te Puke. He was educated at Paeroa. and before the war was fanning at i’e Puke. He volunteered for service early in the war, but becau. _ of his initial '~dical rejection left with one of the reinforcement drafts. Private Hill has a brother who is a prisoner o£ war in Germany.