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Evening Star, Issue 23832, 12 March 1941, Page 6

Twenty-three planes passed over Auckland city at lunch hour yesterday and 3(X) airmen from Whenuapai and Hobsonvillo marched up Queen street to the Town Hall, where the mayor, Sir Krnest Davis, delivered an address. Ho said that this was the beginning of an appeal for pilots and observers, and there was no doubt as to the response the men of New* Zealand would make.

An ardent collector over several years, a Napier dentist is the proud possessor of a collection of some 900 match box tops. The hobby had a largo following a year or two ago, and since he himself started the Napier collector has not relaxed his desire to add to the collection. Naturally, the war has affected his prospects considerably, but occasional specimens still come to light. Probably the most artistic in the album are those of Japanese firms, which have adopted the modernistic touch, including illustrations of aeroplanes and submarines. Specimens from such countries as Iceland, Russia, Czecho-Slovakia, Spain, Honolulu, Austria, and Holland are included in the collection. One of special interest is a Nazi propaganda effort in which the Nazi flag is worked into an Austrian design. This was before the “ ansohluss.” Another carries a representation of the Palace of Peace at The Hague, while Japanese boxes often include Maori figures or the Australian kangaroo. One American box was found to have a Japanese cover under the American specimen. An interesting 'point is that numerous companies run their designs in throes, such as three girls, three animals, or three axes. Indian boxes also _ show a splash of colour, one in particular depicting the old story of how the elephant got his long trunk. In splendid colouring it depicts the elephant at the bank of the river with the crocodile tugging at its nose,.

Facts are sometimes proved in the courts of law with an exactitude that seems to tho layman to bo hardly necessary. During the hearing of the charge of murder in tho Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, some evidence was given that made even tho solicitors engaged on the case smile. The Dominion analyst, Mr It. L. Andrew, was called into the witness box. lie testified that the liquid in a full boor bottle was beer. Ho bad analysed it at the request of the police, ho said. A questionnaire on cargo pillaging has been circulated to members by tho Auckland Chamber of Commerce. They are asked whether they have found pillaging more prevalent in the past six months than before the war, and a scries of questions relate to the countries and ports, both overseas and in tho Dominion, from which pillaged cargo has originated. A letter received from Newcastle, England, illustrates tho fact that the bravery with which the civilian population is standing up to Hitler’s aerial blitzkrieg is not confined to adults alone. The writer said; “A school master who lives in our street told me of a gang of small boys, tho leader eight or nine years old, who were playing in the street when they heard a bomb coming. The chief gangster yelled to his very obedient brood: ‘ Down, gang,’ and they downed. The bomb dropped, making an awful mess, and the kids escaped. On tho teacher asking them what they did next, the reply was; ‘ Well, mister, we went to look for souvenirs.’ ”

A bean measuring 43 inches in length, which is said to taste like a cucumber when eaten raw and like, a marrow when cooked, has been grown by Mr A. 0. Tricker, of Waipuknrau. Tho bean is one of the Guinea variety, and weighed 6ilb. The vegetable grows on a vine, the leaves resembling those of a pumpkin, while tho flowers have the appearance of those of a convolvulus.

A note in a cigarette tobacco tin thrown overboard from his troopship over nine months ago by an officer in the Second Echelon has arrived at its destination. The note was enclosed in an envelope addressed to his mother at Mount Eden and placed in the tin, which Lieutenant J. T. Molloy dropped from the ship as it was leaving Wellington on May 2, 1940. The tin was found by a child a fortnight ago on a beach near Baring Head Lighthouse, and was given to an Aucklander on holiday there. He delivered it to Mrs Molloy a few days ago. The note read: “ Dear mother, just a cheerio by tin-can mail. Love to all.—Joe.” The handwriting was still clear, and, apart from a little rusting, the paper was not affected by its long period adrift. Appeals have been lodged by two of the four prisoners sentenced to a flogging by Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court on February 14. The flogging ordered by the judge was in addition to lengthy terms of imprisonment imposed on the men for the part they took in escaping from the Auckland prison on the evening of October 1 after assaulting three warders. The appeals, which have been made on the ground that the sentences were excessive, will be heard in Wellington by the Second Division of the Court of Appeal. Because of the appeals by two of the men, the flogging of their two companions will be suspended until the Court of Appeal makes its announcement.

A warning that the horrors of war hurled at England might yet he used against New Zealand was given by the Minister of National, Service, Mr Semple, speaking at the opening of an exhibition of A.R.P. and E.P.S. equipment at Wellington. The danger was not imaginary, but real, he said. He regretted that it should be necessary to demonstrate the real horrors of modern warfare. Referring to the display of all kinds of masks, protective suitings, anti-gas treatment, sirens, and other'cquipmeiit, Mr Semple said that distance had been annihilated and we might be challenged at any time. It was just as well that the people should realise it.

If the present prolonged drought is doing nothing else it is at least teaching the people to study water economy. In past years New Zealanders have been inclined to waste more water than they use. The question of careful use, or oven conservation of supply, has never been given a thought. This has meant that the average daily consumx)tion of water in this country has been somewhere between 80 to 90 gallons. In England and Continental countries the average consumption is nearer 30 gallons a day per person. It is obvious that we could maintain high standards of cleanliness and still use less water.

Yesterday’s demand for -water was almost as great as on Monday, with the result that there was another loss of 500,000 gallons. The storage quantity is now reduced to 62,596,000 gallons. Because the authorities had stated that it would be wise, simply as a precautionary measure, to boil all drinking water, all manner of rumours anent the state of the city water supply are going the rounds, especially as tha school children have been told not to drink it. The position too, is aggravated by the fact that a ’flu bug is at work, and quite a number of people are affected to a lesser or greater degree by it. In conversation, the District Medical Officer for Health (Dr T. M'Kibbin) stated that there was no relation between the cold or ’flu complaint going about, and the water supply. The water from the reservoirs was still in a good state, ho said, and there was no cause for alarm, although the precaution of boiling water was a good one. If this advice had not been given, and an epidemic had broken out, someone would have been bound to blame the water. Poor water had a tendency to induce diarrhoea, ho said, but there was no notification of any prevalence of such a complaint at the present time. So far as the ’flu was concerned, stated the doctor, the hot weather had induced this more than anything else. People were in the habit of getting overheated, then rapidly cooling off, exposing their bodies to an undue amount of sun at such periods, and so on. The public could rest assured it had nothing to do with the water.

The use of obscene language at a dance being held at the Leith Bowling Club’s building last night resulted in the appearance of Maurice Leckie, aged 20, a labourer, before Mr H. J. Dixon, S thi l-ril : '-c> C'>"rt this morning, when he pleaded guilty to a charge of that natiuc. jno tn-cused caused a disturbance and used the language complained of in the presence of about 100 young people of both sexes, stated Senior-sergeant Black. Leckie was slightly under the influence of liquor. The latter told the court he was not drunk but lost his temper following a request to leave because he smelt of liquor. Mr Dixon said he was in doubt whether to impose a term of imprisonment without the option of a fine, as the language was very bad. Leckio was fined £5. default being fixed at 21 days’ imprisonment.

AUcuUon is drawn to the advertisement in this issue of the meeting in the Concert Chamber 10-morrow evening, when tho candidates to contest the local body elections on behalf of the Labour Party will bo selected.