General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23810, 2 December 1942, Page 2

General News

Battle Training' for Pilots Units of the Royal New Zealand Air Force were engaged in air exercises in the Wellington and Wairarapa areas yesterday afternoon. Bomber and fighter aircraft were seen in conditions approximating actual aerial warfare.— (P.A.) ' Westland Anniversary The sixty-ninth anniversary of the constitution of Westland as a province was celebrated yesterday. In 1868. five years before being made a province, Westland was separated from Canterbury and made a county. Flags were flown on public buildings in Grcymouth yesterday to mark the occasion, and the Magistrate’s Court and several other local institutions were closed. National Savings Last week 71 towns, including four provincial centres, attained thennational savings quotas. There are now 313,458 national savings depositors, including 125.197 group depositors (7712 groups). Most group savers are contributing by regular deductions from wages or salary. Ready for Emergency "In the wharfies there are many men who were through the last war, and if an emergency arose I would guarantee to provide from amongst them 300 men whom none in this country could bent. There are returned soldiers from the last war. Nobody in this town can leach them anything about a rifle, and they would be as well disciplined as any in New Zealand,” said an appellant before Hie Armed Forces Appeal Board last evening, when appeals by wharf labourers against Home Guard service were being heard. "The wharfies are willing and prepared to do their share and a number arc serving in the Home Guard,” concluded the appellant.

Brothers Meet in Egypt The chance meeting in Egypt of two brothers is related in a letter homo from Driver C. J. O'Cain. “Really I’m sure the gods watch over us O'Cains,” he wrote. “Our meeting was so fortunate that even now I can’t get over it. He (the writer’s brother) obtained 48 hours’ leave and dashed down to our base camp to see if he could locate me. ... I was down in the village of Maadi wandering round; became tired of this, and eventually arrived back at the railway station to catch Ihe bus back to camp; was just climbing up the steps into the bus w'-'-'M from sheer shock nearly fell out aim He greeted me.” Driver O’Cain (lied to get further leave, without success, and took French leave on the strength of his luck, which did not fail him, as he got back to his quarters without trouble. He is one of four brothers who are all overseas. Outstanding Kates The problem of outstanding rales in the borough of Grcymouth is regarded as acute, and a special meeting of the council will bo held next week to consider the accounts of defaulting ratepayers 1 in detail and decide on a course of action. Relaxation from Work “Nerves become frayed and the men become discontented. There must be some relaxation in war time, and even a few hours in the home life of a family is a great help to any man.” said' an appellant before a special sitting of the Armed Forces Appeal Board last evening. “With all tiie interest that is being taken in ‘he Home Guard what sort of a job is a commander going to make of a crowd that >s altogether different every lime a parade is called? Could you expect either commander or guard to be efficient?” asked the appellant. Policewoman in Court A member of the women police appeared for the first lime in the witnessbox in the Magistrate's Court, Wellington. when she gave evidence about a visi l to a house in Colombo street in connexion with the selling of liquor without a licence. She was Constable Eileen O'Connor. The witness, who appeared in plain clothes, described a visit with an American serviceman o buy a bottle of beer, which was sold for 4s, Rehabilitation After War Expressing the hope that the services of all architects would be co-ordin-ated to enable them to play their full part in the task of rehabilitation after the war, the chairman of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. Mr R. G S. Beatson, at the annual meeting, said there should he great scope for longterm planning in the new era. Architects had worked with engineers in dealing with the problem of air-raid shelters, and it was desirable that in the future there should be the closest co-operation among the architect, the engineer, the builder, and the authorities if satisfactory results were to be achieved. Primary Production “This was probably the most satisfactory meeting we have had in connexion with manpower since the outbreak of the war," the chairman of the Otago Primary Production Council. Mr A. C. Leary, said, when speaking of the conference of representatives of the Primary Production Council and local primary production committees with Lieutenant-Colonel K. J. Walker, deputy adjutant-general' for the Southern Command, and Mr R. McPherson, the Wheat Controller. He added that Lieutenant-Colonel Walker had shown a thorough grasp of the needs of the farming community at the present time, and had made constructive suggestions for overcoming the difficulties which had been encountered during the last two years. Mr McPherson made an appeal to the Otago farmers to grow wheat, and referred to the urgent needs of the Armv in this respect. Wheel-Chairs in Cinemas The question of the admittance of convalescent soldiers in whccl-chairs to cinema theatres was discussed at last evening's meeting o£ the Christchurch executive of the Returned Services’ Association. It was pointed out, that existing fire-fighting regulations were against the practice. The executive decided, however, to write to the proprietors of picture theatres and seek their co-operation. The executive were informed that in some cases the men concerned might be under treatment for as long as nine months, and that this form of entertainment was much appreciated by them. Crass in Suburban Streets Shortage of labour for grass cutting and general cleaning on suburban streets was reported to the City Council on Monday evening by the works committee. In St. Albans and Sprcydnn particularly the grass had got well ahead. Two other factors pointed out by the committee in its report were the reduction in traffic in loss important streets, which permitted grass to encroach on the carriageways, and the reduction in the amount of cutting done on roadsides and paths by residents. The establishment of twitch on these roads would mean heavy work before they could be seated. Birds and Cats in Hospital Wards Sparrows and cats which visit the hospital situated at the former children's health camp at Otaki came in for some criticism at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board without any decision being reached as to how to discipline them. Miss M. Cable said that an elderly woman who had been a patient at Otaki complained to her that sparrows came into the women’s wards and, perched near the ceiling, frequently made a nuisance of themselves to patients in beds below. Also cals came in and made themselves at home under the beds. Mrs E. M. Gilmer said it was true that sparrows came into the wards. They had been encouraged by the children when the hospital' was a health camp. A start had been made by the board's staff with wiring up the entrances, but then when the work had gone a certain way a request was made to slop as some patients liked the sparrows to come in and to feed them. The sparrows still entered the men’s ward, and it was impossible to keep them out if the patients would not assist.