Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 24007, 4 October 1941, Page 8

There were no cases to come before the Police Court to-day. Que of the ducks at the Woodhaugh Gardens was cruelly beaten to death by someone on Thursday evening, and there is reason to believe that the culprits were some boys. Last year a number of ducklings were killed by dogs that were allowed to wander in the gardens, and it is to be hoped there will be no recurrence of this during the present season. Because of the petrol shortage and also because he could not got a buyer, a Wanganui resident crashed his sedan car into tho rubbish dump. A few people who had heard that the owner was thus disposing of his once-cherished car gathered to collect what they could. They got little, for the man removed the’ tyres, and, producing an axe, smashed the body to pieces. Then he shouldered his axe and walked away. Rapid progress has been made in the construction of a swimming bath at Papakura mobilisation camp, and it is expected that it will be ready for use within three weeks. It is 100 ft long, 30ft wide, and has a uniform depth of 4ft. The sides are made of concrete slabs, which arc grooved and dovetailed. A filtration plant is being installed. “ Six years ago,” said Dr J. Dreadon, speaking at a public meeting in Auckland regarding the Government’s social service legislation, “ the Government sold to the public something it did not possess, something it could not deliver and that it had made no arrangements to obtain —the services of the doctors. They actually had the effrontery to charge the people for it. In a business deal it would be called sharp practice, and in a Government surely it is reprehensible.” The statement was loudly applauded. Almost 22,000,000 dollars’ worth of food, clothing, and medicines for relief or charity were exported from the United States in tho first six months of this year. Contributions Iby the American Red Cross and other organisations and individuals engaged in charitable and relief activities abroad were included in the total, which is 21,883,753 dollars.

Recent observations had revealed sonic interesting facts regarding the lives of the sub-Antartic penguins, said Dr R. A. Falla, director of the Canterbury Museum, at a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Records or specimens of the big crested > penguin, coming ashore to try and rid) itself of fuel oil, showed, said Dr Falla, that these birds, after breeding and moulting at Bounty Island, travelled 500 or 600 miles.northwest, in a shoal of over 1,000,000 birds, to make Cook Strait their headquarters for May, June, and July. A film revealing some incidents in the lives of the wihte-flippered and the big crested penguins was shown by Dr Falla, The burning off of stubble by farmers is one of the major causes of the serious grass fires that menaced farm property in Mid-Canterbury during the last summer. Details of causes were given to a conference of local authorities by Mr H. A.,. Vezey. of Ashburton. He'said that the statistics of causes of fires had been worked out as follows for the last season:—Burning off stubble, 31 per cent,; sparks from tractors, 26 .per cent.; sparks from railway engines, 17 per cent.: broken power lines, 13-per cent.: doubtful causes, 13 per cent. “ Generally speaking, the artificial svstem of maintaining a country’s industrial economy by moans of subsidies is a pernicious one.” remarks the ‘ Accountants’ Journal,’ in drawing attention to Government subsidies of £1.398.000 to primary producers, £288,000 on account of bread. £200,000 to coal, and £240,000 to sugar. “To chase costs with subsidies and subsidies with taxation is calculated to disturb the economic balance of our national economy. While it may be desirable to utilise subsidies in a limited range of articles under war conditions, the principle, if carried to anv length, is likely to end in disaster. The whole trouble about subsidies is that the demand once started becomes almost impossible to stop.”

At 10.8 last night an outbreak of fire in the cellar of Clifford Brown’s premises, Stuart street, was attended to by the City Brigade. Slight damage was done to the contents by the fire, the cause of which is unknown. At 10.40 a malicious false alarm was received from the corner of Smith and Tennyson streets. The appeal made some days ago by the local military authorities for men to join the new tank corps for training at Waiouru has resulted in more than 50 reservists, being interviewed. Suitable applicants have been accepted at once. In all 300 men, with qualifications as motor drivers, mechanics, turners, fitters, signal electricians, radio operators, and instrument experts are required from the Otago area. Many will be drafted from the ballot reserve in the customary way, but grade 1 reservists or men over 21 eligible for, overseas service will still be accepted. The splendid total of £BO4 14s was the result of the Daffodil Day appeal in Dunedin yesterday by the PJunket Society. Badges and flowers sold freely, the society having again at its disposal a wealth of beautiful spring blooms which had been sent in by friends and supporters at Lawrence, Palmerston and Christchurch, as well as at Dunedin. These came forward at intervals during the day, so that the blooms bore throughout the appearance of freshness. In view of the many calls by patriotic organisations upon the public purse just now the collection may be regarded as particularly satisfactory, and the society expresses its gratitude for such wholehearted support.

Strong resentment of letters to the Press adversely criticising the leaders of the community sings was_ expressed in a letter received at the sing yesterday. The writer showed his appreciation of the ‘‘ help given to those folk who are oft-times sad at heart through stress of circumstances,” by enclosing a donation of £5. An interesting reference to the Dead Sea is made by Sergeant Rex Aitken, of the N.Z.E.F., Middle East, in a letter to his father, Mr J. D. Aitken, Bel! Block. Sergeant Aitken mentions bathing in the sea when the temperature was 123 deg in the shade. The water, he writes, is 25 per cent, solids, potassium salts, and bromides. An evaporation plant and chemical works produce the world's largest supply of potassium salts. The water, he soys, burns mucous membranes and tastes like potassium hydroxide. “ If you get a drop in your eye you suffer terribly, but it is worth a dip to experience its buoyancy,” Sergeant Aitken wrote.

An organisation which promises to prove very beneficial to -New Zealand is the Humic Compost Club, formed recently in Auckland, states Captain K. V. Sanderson, president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. It lias issued a bulletin, ‘ The laving Soil,’ tho information in which, if applied, will enable many farmers, foresters, and gardeners to increase greatly tho returns from the soil. It is mentioned in this publication that the club holds with Sir Albert Howard, Dr Rudolph Steiner, and other pioneers that the health of tho soil cannot be achieved unless the humus that has been taken from it is returned to it aiid maintained. All people who have given thought to the vitally important matter of maintaining fertility of tho soil, on which national welfare depends, will hope heartily that branches of the club will be formed throughout the Dominion. A very interesting comment on wild life control in New Zealand has come from Dr T. Gilbert Pearson, president of tho National Audubon Society of America, to Captain E. V. Sanderson, president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. In acknowledging receipt of a copy of the presidential address delivered by Mr G. Stokcll, at a meeting of the Canterbury branch of tho Royal Society of New Zealand, Mr Pearson remarks:—“l am much interested in Mr Stokcll’s statement, which seems to indicate that the administration of wild life protective laws in New Zealand is carried on apparently by societies of hunters, called Acclimatisation Societies. I am familiar with that term in connection with the big scientific society in Franco, but that organisation has nothing to do with enforcing bird and game laws, as you may, be aware. You also, of course, may know that in the countries where most attention is paid to wild lifo preservation, game laws are enforced by a department of government created especially for that purpose.” “ I’m not going to tell you about the ‘ blitz ’ —the landing of the parachutes, etc. —because 1 want to forget that. It was horrible, and 1 still have an occasional dream about it. However, it happened that as wo were not able to get off the island, the Jerries took us prisoner. We eventually arrived in tho prison camp. -Well, it was terrible, so after 12 days, which I spent resting and getting back my strength, I decided to escape. When tho guard’s bagk was, turned 1 scrambled through some barbed wire. I am sworn to secrecy as to our escape, as a leakage may mean tho lives of hundreds on that island. I wish I could tell you, but you will understand. It was a wonderful experience, although I would not care to go through it again. However, I am here in Egypt now, and that’s a treat.” The above is an extract' from a letter from a soldier to relatives in Napier. The soldier had escaped from the prison camp for over two months before being able to leave Crete.

At the community sing yesterday the following letter from the Hon. F. Jones to Mr J. F. Himburg was read:—“l would like to thank you for your sympathy and also for that tribute that was paid to the memory of Mrs Jones at your community 'sing last Friday. Some of the members of the family did hear it, and I can assure you it was appreciated by us all. Nothing gave my wife greater pleasure than to listen to your sings. I think your committee has done splendid work in raising funds for various purposes, and I hoipe it will continue with the good work.” For some days past citizens have had their . attention drawn towards > the peculiar sight presented by two silver birch trees in the upper Octagon, near the Robert Burns statue. For nearly a fortnight one has been in _ leaf and is now entirely covered with large loaves, whereas the other is as bare of new growth as in the depth of winter. This is no new development in the history of these two trees. For a long time an officer in the Town Hall kept a record, and he discovered that every year there was exactly a fortnight between the dates when one tree burst into leaf and the other followed suit. Although his records were not kept over so long a'period, he told the ‘ Star ’ that he had watched the trees for about 38 years, and the peculiarity of the occurrence had been noted all that time. This year the one tree showed signs of foliage on September 22, and by his reckoning the second should do likewise on Monday. Various reasons have been advanced to explain this state of affairs: the trees are of different varieties; one is growing over a strata of rock, which delays its development; and finally, one is male and the other female. The latter explanation is unlikely, as silver bireh trees usually bear the two sexes on the one tree. The first explanation is the most likely, although, so far as is known, the Octagon is the only place in Dunedin where the peculiarity in growth is apparent so regularly. The V for Victory Club of America, sponsored by the British American Ambulance Corps, Lexington Avenue, New York, has placed on sale the first part of 1,000,OCX) decorative labels in red, white, and blue. These are sold at 2 cents each, the proceeds going to “ aid England in her struggle against Nazism.” The particular attention of Manchester Unity members is drawn to the advertisement in this issue relative to lodge activities for the coming week, especially that of Loyal Albion. The Railway Department advertises in this issue train arrangements and the issue of special excursion tickets to Dunedin in connection with the Dunedin races on October 11 and October 13. Attention is drawn to the Railway Department’s advertisement in this issue referring to the running of an excursion at v cheap tares to Lawrence on Sunday, October 12, in connection with Daffodil Day.