NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 75, 25 September 1942, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Raft Washed Ashore

Bearing a brass nameplate'indicating that it was built by an English aircraft company, a raft, 10ft -by sft, has been washed ashore on the coast near Dargaville. It is battleship grey in colour, has large cork floats, and is built to accommodate 25 people.

Launching of Minesweeper

H.M.N.Z.S. Awatere, a ship of the minesweeper class, is to be launched tomorrow afternoon from the Evans Bay shipyards. The ceremony will be performed by Mrs. P. Fraser, wife of the Prime Minister.

Opossum Trapping

The opossum trapping season in the Nelson Acclimatisation Society's district promises to be the best for a* number of years, states a correspondent. A total of 11,000 skins has already been received from trappers compared with between 9000 and 10,000 last season. Trappers have until the end of this month to forward skins.

Service Vehicles

Members of the armed forces are now regarded as servants of the Crown in respect to accidents which may' occur involving any motor vehicles they are driving. This is provided for in regulations gazetted last night, the effect of which is that the Crown acknowledges its liability in the case of such accidents. Only in this respect is there any alteration in the existing law that members of the armed forces are not servants of the Crown. •

Appeals Against Service,

Appeals against military service arising out of the ballot drawn this month nave been coming in freely to the Wellington man-power authorities during the last two days, and when they are all listed they are expected to be as numerous as those received after previous ballots. Today is the last day for appeal, though communications bearing today's postmark will be in order. The Appeal' Boards have almost disposed of outstanding appeals, and expect to get an early start with the new lot.

Flag From Tohruk

Bloodstained and lorn, a flag flown in Tobruk last year by some Blenheim members of the Maori Battalion has reached Auckland. Private B. W Smith, a son of Mr. A. E. Smith, of 4 Baker Street. Auckland, who fought alongside the Maoris, brought the flag with him from Tobruk and gave it into the keeping of an uncle, Sergeant A March, Australian Imperial Forces, who was a member of a supply column which was sent up to Tobruk. Sergeant March later brought the flag to Australia and gave it to Mr. Smith who as a member of the crew of a merchant ship was visiting the Commonwealth.

Jigger Hit by Train

, /r An TT in.9 uest concerning the death of Mr. Han Aroha Pereiti, Maori Methodist mission er, aged 33, of Mangapehi, was held before Mr. W. Jeffery, Coroner, of Te Awamutu. The verdict was that he died from, injuries received when the motor jigger in which he was travelling collided with a locomotive owned by Ellis and Burnand In evidence it was stated that deceased was a passenger on the jigger which was proceeding between Mangapehi and Horokino on Ellis and Burnand's tramline. It was,usual for the jigger driver, Douglas Hatu, on reaching the Tiroa junction, to telephone Horokino to find out where the log train was, but on this date he rang and got no reply, so he proceeded on his way. After rounding a bad bend a collision occurred with a log train which pushed the jigger backward. When the vehicles stopped it was found that the deceased was jammed under the jigger and when released he was dead. ■ \ ■

Man-power and Farms.

In a statement at Christchurch to the Canterbury Production Councils regarding the man-power position, the Minister of Primary Production for War Purposes (Mr. Poison) gave an assurance that in spite of the difficulties of finding labour, the farmers would get men to help in seasonal operations, says "The Post's" special correspondent. They might not be the special men farmers wanted, but would be good farm hands. The Army could ncjt let its trained men go, and though he had taken the responsibility on his own shoulders of recommending the release of many thousands of men to help production and had stood up to that responsibility, the time might come when everybody , who could handle a rifle would be needed on the fighting front. Why farming had not been declared an essential industry was that the association of farmer and worker was too intimate to join the two together if they found they were mutually unsuitable. Among many suggestions by farmers and others was one that crops on poorer l^nds should be subsidised. The Government was looking at that, but meanwhile it was more economic to increase crops or the better land. They had to look carefully at any plan that might add to the man-power problem. Mistakes would be made, but he hoped the production councils would not begin by discrediting his statements, but would rather try to help. They must play the gfame with the Army at all costs. They could not let the fighting forces down.