General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23801, 21 November 1942, Page 4

General News

Uniforms for Home Guard The issue of uniforms to all Home Guardsmen in the South Island will be.completed in a few weeks, according to a statement made at Southern District Headquarters yesterday. An officer said each man would receive battledress, socks, boots, and cap. “Junior” Bicycle Tyres Released All “junior” size bicycle tyres—below 26 x 1 3-B—have been released from control and may be purchased from retailers without the need for a permit. This was stated by Mr C. S. Sapsford, chairman of the Christchurch Bicycle Tyre and Tube Control Committee, in reply to an inquiry yesterday. Mr Sapsford said that, a few of these sizes were probably still available at some retailers’. The common sizes which are under control are 26 x li, 26 x 1 3-8, 28 x li, and 28 x 1 3-8. Rifle Fired on Beach “There will not be a .22 rifle in your home any longer, which will, of course, be a matter between vou and your father,” Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., told a youth of 15 who appeared in the Children’s Court yesterday charged with being in possession of a firearm although under 16 years of age. The police said the boy took the rifle from his home and another boy. aged 14, who was charged with firing it to the danger of the public, discharged it several times on the foreshore at New Brighton. It was a very dangerous action, as there were many persons about. Mr Reid, who was associated with Mrs T. Green, J.P.. and Mr W. C. Colee, J.P., said it was a very stupid action. The younger boy would be admonished and discharged and the rifle would be confiscated. “To bring home to you that you can't do this sort of thing you will be fined £l,” the Magistrate told the other boy. Boxers'ln Prisoner-of-War Camp “I have very little time to worry about being a prisoner,” stated Private Wesley H. Jack, from a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy, in a letter to a friend in Waimate. Private Jack, who is well known in boxing circles in South Canterbury, stated that some boxing gloves had been received from the Red Cross organisation, and that he was in charge of training. “I have discovered two lads likely to go far in the game,” he said. "One is a New Zealander, Johnny O’Hearn, 23 years old, the same appearance as Dempsey, and aggressive. With only two months’ training I would back him against any light-weight in New Zealand. He played for New Zealand Army Rugby team in England. I have also a couple of ‘Aussies’—a heavy and a welter, who will make the grade when they get out.” Tasman Memorial Site The Internal Affairs Department advised the Takaka County Council that Dr. J. C. Beaglehole would again visit the Golden Bay district to make a further inspection of the proposed site for the Tasman memorial. It was reported at the meeting that the chairman (Mr A. H. Rose) and the ’clerk-engineer (Mr G. Boyes) had accompanied Dr. Beaglehole on his previous inspection of the proposed site near Tarakohe. Anzac Day in Italy In a letter to his mother, Mrs J. R. Plummer, of Mount Albert, Auckland, Private G. A. Plummer, a prisoner of war in the Italian camp P.G. 52, tells of the concession made to the Australians and New Zealanders in the camp on Anzac Day. He said the Italians in charge of the camp issued an order that all working parties for Australians and New Zealanders were to be cancelled so that they could observe the occasion. Social Progress The improvement in the relations between businessmen generally was referred to at the annual meeting of the Nelson Employers’ Association. At one time, a memoer remarked, the idea of business rivals sitting down to discuss common problems over morning tea would have been impossible. The old days, he said, when it was always thought that the other fellow was trying to steal a march on his rival, had passed, and the foregathering of business representatives resulted in improvements equally beneficial to the firms concerned and to the community as a whole. Look After the Pence A substantial contribution towards relieving the penny shortage in Nelson was made when a man walked into a bank with a sugar-bag over bis shoulder. Placing the bag, which was half full of coppers, on the counter, be asked the teller to check up on his money-box savings over the last six years. The bag.contained 2400 pennies and a number of halfpennies. Since publicity was given to the shortage of pennies all the Nelson banks have noted an appreciable inflow of coppers from money boxes and other sources. Bank officials state that there must be thousands of threepenny bits out of circulation in Nelson through the practice of people keeping large numbers in jars and boxes. Pohutukawa in Bloom One of the pohutukawa trees on the Devonport waterfront, Auckland, is already in full bloom, and others in that locality should be flowering within a few days. According to Maori lore, the early flowering of the Christmas tree promises an early and warm summer. Prefabricated Houses In an address to businessmen and others at Dunedin, Mr' M. Moohan, chairman of the Rehabilitation Board, informed his hearers that, to try out a new method which had been in vogue for some time in the United States, plans for a fully prefabricated house bad been completed, and an experiment in the building of these homes had already been started. When one of the houses had been completed, it would be examined to see how it measured up to the other style of building. Thanksgiving Day United States citizens at home and abroad will celebrate Thanksgiving Day on November 26. This festival, originating with the Pilgrim Fathers, is the day appointed or recommended by Federal and state authorities to be set apart for thanksgiving and praise to God for the mercies of the year past. The day fixed is usually the last Thursday in November, but two years ago, for reasons associated with the international emergency, President Roosevelt recommended that the holiday should be advanced by one week. The result was that in several states the occasion was observed twice by many folk. Roast turkey, with cranberry sauce, is the time-honoured dish associated with the festival.