NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 124, 19 February 1941, Page 9

NEWS IN BRIEF

Church And War

"As Hie danger draws near you saw people trotting off to church; people who had never thought of going there before,” said Mr. Ivan Menzies when addressing the Wellingtoi Rotary Club on moral rearmament yesterday. lie said it reminded him of the young man who, when fishing off the Heads, was carried out to sea. There lie prayed, "(Hi. God. get me back to the Heads. I can make my own way into Wellington.”

New Brighton Joins. A proclamation effecting the amalgamation of Christchurch and New Brighton as from April 1 will be issued as soon as certain formalities have been complied with, according to advice received by tile Christchurch City Council from Ute Department of Internal Affairs.

Royal Air Force Picnic. The' Wellington Rotary Club i.s to assist in financing a picnic to lie given to members of the Royal Air Force stationed at Rongotai. When the project was mentioned at yesterday's luncheon by Mr. J. 0. Riddell, a collection was 'taken up in the room which yielded £2l. The management of the picnic will probably be undertaken this year by one of tiie Wellington soldiers' clubs. Calte for Overseas Forces.

Tiie conference of rhe New Zealand .Master Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ Association at Auckland "recommended, as the outcome of exhaustive inquiries, that the highest quality of cake only be manufactured and packed for overseas armed forces.” Tiie conference considered that none but the best would stand the possible long delays in delivery aud its transit through Hie tropics.

Raffle of Motor-car. The funds from the Victory Queen Carnival should be considerably increased by the proceeds from (lie raffling of a motor-car by the Automobile Association (Wellington). Men and women are urgently required to sell tickets in the raffle. Red Cross Women’s Transport Service members have been selling tickets daily from tiie showrooms' of a motor firm in Courtenay Place.

Bottling of Apple Juice. The bottling of apple juice, which was reported last week to have reached the proportions of a primary industry in Canada, is no innovation in Auckland, where a factory has been in operation since 1937. Tiie factory has dealt witli over 200 tons of apples since then aud the output of juice is likely to be increased as a result of the uon-export of apples this year. A start has also been made with the commercial production of tomato and grape juice.

Wellington Hospital Additions. Besides the new soldiers’ emergency block, now almost completed, progress is being made with two other buildings attached to the main block of the old Wellington hospital building. One is a large plaster room, which is being erected in reinforced concrete by Mr. W. Lemmon on the south side of the main hospital block. The other is tiie new theatre, also iu reinforced concrete, and glass, which is being erected by the Fletcher Construction Company near the main entrance.

Discovery of Comet. The publication of a number of belated claims to first, sight of the new comet raises the question of whose claim will win official recognition. An Auckland astronomer stated that Skjellerup’s Comet of 1927 was a parallel ease. It was first seen in New Zealand on November 30 of that year, and Mr. Skjellerup did not observe it till three days later. Astronomers agreed at the time that an essential condition of a claim for discovery honours was prompt notification of the discovery to an ol>servatorv. From the list of discoveries published by the Carter Observatory on February 4 it appears that the latest claimants have failed to do this. Empty Coffin Disturbed. A grave, unrecorded aud unmarked, was disturbed when the two-mile drainage tunnel under Wellington city was being taken underneath the Bolton Street cemetery. Care had been taken in planning the line to avoid the likelihood of disturbance of any graves. The old cemetery records and the ground itself were examined to make more sure. By groat care the old coffin was left intact, showing in the ceiling of the drive, but when timbering was being placed one end fell away. There was nothing in it, and apparently never had been. Because there is no written record and the grave is so old the empty coffin is likely to remain unexplained.

A Happy Meeting. From a musical point of view an interesting meeting in Wellington last week was that of Mr. Heddle Nash, the English tenor, and Mr. Richard M alson, of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company. Both singers had been associated on several occasions in grand opera at Coveut Garden, London, aud elsewhere under Sir Thomas Beecham and other famous conductors. Both are enthusiastic iu their love for the highest form of musical art, and had many memories to revive ot their former associations. Mr. Nash has now left Wellington en route tn Australia. Mr. Watson, who hails from Adelaide, had a sound vocal training and has an extensive grand opera repertoire at command.

Petrol For Soldiers. That motorists could, at little sacrifice, help soldiers to obtain sufficient petrol for their needs when on leave, is the belief held by a Dunedin woman. Spare petrol coupons, she states, could be collected at a central depot and imide available to the men as iequired. Her own experience led her to believe that there would be a ready response from motorists if an appeal wore made. When she had approached her friends asking for coupons to assist an airman to do some necessary travelling while on leave, she had been surprised to find how many people were able to assist her. Steps have been taken to ensure that the proposal is considered by the proper authorities. and some difficulties have already been foreseen, but the Dunedin woman is convinced that the scheme can lie put into effect in some form, and lias offered her services it voluntary help is required. First General Hospital.

A copy of tin- tirsl issue of ' Tezkaar" (Arabic for souvenir), nows sheet of the Ist New Zealand General .Hospital in the Middle East, lias reached Auckland. Brightly written, this typewritten tabloid contains an editorial page, a foreword by the officer commanding the unit, an article on a trip to Fayouni, and a corner reserved for the padres and church notices. Not the least important section are the two pages devoted to sporting activities, and a resume indicates that in Hie initial match rhe hospital defeated Hie Royal Army Medical Corps by nine points to six. Tito return match between them resulted in neither side scoring. However. in the return match against the 2fith Battalion Hie hospital team was defeated by six points in nil. Arrangements were also being made for a Soccer tournament