General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23802, 23 November 1942, Page 4

General News

O Admiration for Servicemen A resolution paying tribute to the men of the New Zealand fighting services ana assuring the Government of continued support for men ana women of the services was passed at the Dominion conference of patriotic bodies last week. It read: "Xnat this conference of delegates of patriotic organisations expresses its admiration of the exploits of our own New Zealana servicemen and those of our Allies reflected in tne recent war news, and assures the men and women of our forces through the Government of continued enorts in tne highest interests of those who have fought and are fighting our battles.”—(P.A.l “Pass the Grass” "Strange as it may seem, the request to 'pass the grass’ was a common expression at tne table in many colleges ana scnoois in England,” said Mrs A. N. Gngg, ivi.P., in a recruiting address at KaiKuura, when explaining that to maxe up lor denciencies in me diet oi i fruit and vegetaoies, chopped young grass was often usea, as weu as dandelions, nettles, and sorrel. Small Boys Find £l3O Two boys playing in a vacant section in Cook street, Auckland, yesterday afternoon, found about £l3O stuxfed into a hair oil bottle. Tne money, which was a miscellaneous collection of notes, had been hidden beneath a toi toi bush and was in good order. The boys, who were about 11 years old, did not remove the bottle nut immediately went in search of a constable. The money, which is thought to be the proceeds of a robbery, was handed over to tne police.— (P.A.I Women’s Land Service Fifteen applications for the services of members of the Women’s Land Service have been received from North Canterbury farmers by the North Canterbury District Council of Primary Production. So far, six women have been placed on farms. Only eight applications have been made to the council by farmers who wish to employ schoolboy labour during the holidays. Scholarships for Maori Girls Two or more scholarships are to be offered by the council of Te Wai Pounamu Maori Girls’ College, Christchurch. This is the only post-primary school for Maori girls in the South Island. The institution is maintained solely by the support of friends. Besides ensuring a post-primary education for suitable girls, the scholarships are planned to make openings for the girls in the professions and in native schools and nursing. Head teachers of schools with suitable candidates are asked to apply to the council. Margarine in War Time “Margarine was a great stand-by in the last war, and I have no doubt that it would, as a rationed article, prove so in this.” said Mrs A. N. Grigg, M.P., in an address at Kaikoura. She added that the soldiers used to say, witn humour characteristic of them under such circumstances, that a net was placed across the mouth of the Thames and everything caught in it was mixed up to make margarine. Sub-Association Tennis Advice that the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association has decided to remit the affiliation levy on sub-associ-ations has been received by the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. At a meeting of the association’s management committee it was stated that country sub-associations were suffering severely from lack of players and the inability to procure balls. One of the Canterbury Association’s subassociations had been disbanded for the duration of the war and another was considering taking this step. The New Zealand Association’s decision means that those sub-associations which can keep "alive” will be relieved of the cost of maintaining affiliation. War Work for Women “There is a shortage of men, strange to say—they are either required for other jobs or we cannot have them—and’ we are dependent on women to see us through and man the equipment that we have and that we are going to have," said the Deputy-Chief of the General Staff (Brigadier K. L. Stewart) at a recent passing-out ceremony in the North Island of N.Z.W.A.A.C. personnel. "I want you to realise there is a war on and the end of the war is our only job—the job that comes first,” continued Brigadier Stewart. "There is an impression that being in the Army is fun. I hope it is fun, but that is only a part. War is a serious business. We are fortunate that we have not been attacked yet. We do not know that we ever will be, but we have to be prepared at all times." Russia in Post-War World The position which Russia will occupy in the post-war world was referred to by the president of the United Kingdom Manufacturers and New Zealand Representatives’ Association (Mr J. Matthews) addressing the annual meeting of the association in Wellington. He quoted from a memorandum to the Board of Trade from the National Union of Manufacturers in Great Britain that “any plans for future world trade can be made effective only if they have the cordial assent and co-operation of Russia. If Russia, with the help of England and America, is able to smash Germany, she will probably be the most powerful single State in the world." Employment for Returned Men “So far, there has been no difficulty in placing returned men from the present war in employment no less favourable than their occupations before enlistment,” the chairman of the Rehabilitation Board (Mr M. Moohan) said in Dunedin recently. Up to the end of July, when the latest report was issued, 5200 servicemen had returned. More than 1000 had been redrafted to military service, 600 had not been discharged, and nearly 1900 had obtained work with the State and with private employers, the majority returning to private employment. Five hundred men had not sought any assistance. Production in Britain "Industries in Britain are geared for victory,” the chairman of the Otago Harbour Board, Mr R. S. Thompson, said at the launching last week of a new minesweeper at Port Chalmers. "Britain, so long the home of quality, but not of quantity, has become the home of quality and quantity.” When war broke out in 1939, the industrial capacity of Britain was topping the highest peak of its production career, and the British Government, with the willing co-operation of industry itself, had converted its vast and intricate mechanism of purely peace-time production into a 100 per cent, war-time weapon. To-day, 80 per cent, of Great Britain's total military production could be shipped overseas, and only 20 per cent, was retained for home service. For every 20 aircraft entering Britain. 80 left for battle fronts overseas, and for every eight tanks imported, 120 left Britain for service overseas. Industry and Town Planning "The location of industries is a national problem, and until the policy is established, town planners are at a serious loss,” said Mr J. W. Mawson, Government Town Planner, during a discussion upon housing and rehabilitation at the annual meeting of the Town Planning Institute. "The Rehabilitation Board is getting on with its job, and I am satisfied that we shall see excellent results in the near future, particularly in this matter of industry.” In England, he continued, community planning was regarded so seriously that it took second place only to the immediate war issue. “You cannot produce any sort of good social order from bad housing conditions. So long as you have bad housing, with no recreational facilities, it is sheer waste of time talking about moral rearmament and Christian order or social justice to people living in such surroundings.” The standards set by the State Housing Department were, architecturally, structurally, and socially, as high as, or higher than, those of any other part of the world of which be had knowledge, said Mr Mawson.