NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 174, 20 April 1942, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

Good Leadership

. The one thing that mattered in a leader was. efficiency, said the Chief ot the General Staff, Major-General E. Puttick, D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C., when he spoke to a special platoon which demonstrated the new. re-.Tuit training syllabus at the Army School of Instruction on Saturday. Tlie standard, of judgment was not whether a leader was a drawing-room artist or spoke nicely to itis men. Tlie irue test, of their reward for a leader .was wlietner they were confident of his ability to lead them well iu battle. They would have appreciated from their exercises that day the absolute importance of good leadership; without it, there was confusion and unnecessary,loss.

Dunedin Poppy Day liecord. ' Incomiilcte returns from Hie Poppy Day appeal in Dunedin on Friday have established a new record of 11743, the total being an increase of £ll on last year. It is confidently expected that last year's provincial total of £3230. which set ir New Zealand record, will lie exceeded.—P.A.

Communications Unit. Ou tlie assumption that al! telephones are out of order, a rehearsal of the communications enit of Hie Wellington E.P.S. is to be held ou Thursday night. Members of that unit are required to report al their normal stations at 7.30 p.m. Petrol for ears will be. issued from service statious, the names of which are advertised, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ou Wednesday and Thursday. Impressment notices and official stickers must Th? produced.

Reception to U.S. Minister. A civic reception in honour of tlie United States Minister to New Zealand, Brigadier-General P. Hurley, will be held iu the Wellington Town lla'.i tomorrow. General Hurley is a forceful public speaker, and be made a great impression with those present when lie spoke at the luncheon given by the Government iu his honour at Parliament House last week. Tomorrow will be tlie first opportunity for Hie genera’ public to hear the General.

Less Petrol, More Matches. The shortage of petrol has put the public on its feet and it may yet put it on its mettle if it is forced to use Hint and steel instead of matches. Petrol rationing was -probably one of the minor factors increasing the demand for matches, said Hie mauager of a Wellington ma tell factory during the weekend, because it had placed a premium Ou the few drops previously used in a cigarette lighter. The change to au outdoor life by many thousands of men now in the Army was also considered to have resulted in the use of more matches.

Deacon Ordained. In St. Peter’s Church. Wellington, yesterday morning, Mr. Austin Charles, Palmerston North, was ordained deacon. He will become assistant curate in Hie parish in place of Hie Rev. T. F. Fagg, who has lately been put in charge of Upper Hutt. The preacher was tlie Rev. F. S. Ramson. Terrace End, Palmerston North, and the candi date was presented by the Archdeacon of Wellington, who is vicar of tlie parish. Tlie ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Wellington, the litRev. 11. St. Barbe Holland, who was attended by his chaplain, the Rev. L. N. Watkins.

Hoarding Did Not Pay. Commenting on the rationing of sugar aud tea which grocers had been forced to introduce themselves, generally restricting purchases to 21b. of sugar and Hb. of tea at a time, a Wellington grocer said that there had been nothing to prevent a person taking this ration from several shops. "I know for certain that this has 'been happening,” he added. "For instance, we recently received a complaint from a woman who returned three pounds of tea which bird deteriorated. She blamed us, but the fact was that she had been hoarding it for some time and bad made the mistake of storing it in a damp place."

Navy League iu Schools. More recognition for tlie work and aims of tile Navy League is urged in a circular signed by two members of tlie Wellington Education Board, Mr. T. K. Moody and Colonel T. W. McDonald. A request is made to school committees that schools should be permitted to give this recognition. It is suggested that instead of the half-hour a year now allowed the league representative for his address to school children, he should be permitted to address them twice in each school year of 220 days for an hour on each occasion; aud also that children shout'd be allowed to join the league during school hours. ■The proposal is put in the form of a motion, which tlie signatories of tlie circular asked should be passed at the forthcoming householders’ meetings. Zoo Attendances.

It is estimated that 180,, “>2’j people visited the Newtown Zoo dining the 12 months ended March 31, reports the curator. Mr. C. J. Cutler "Some 47.120 adults,” lie stat.es, "paid for admission to Hie zoo, aud children were in evidence in the usual proportion of 2; to one adult. This fairiy high proportion is accounted for by Hie large numbers of organized parties of children coming from schools and oilier institutions. Uniformed members of His Majesty's and Allied forces receive free admission and observations made at different times indicate thar some 300 take advantage ef this weekly. With the younger folk elephant and camel ride’s srill prove as popular as ever, about 3500 children having enjoyed tliis novel method of .'oeoinotiou. incidentally enabling Netiie to earn some £lO odd of her keep ”