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Evening Star, Issue 25471, 30 April 1945, Page 4

"I am in a position to say, on the advice of men who have been prisoners of war in Germany for several years, that the stories of cruelty and ill-treatment in concentration camps in Germany do not apply to prisoner of war camps," said the Dominion president of the N.Z.R.S.A. (Mr B. J. .Jacobs), at the annual reunion ctf the Marton branch. "So far as our information goes, it shows that prisoners of war have not suffered those diabolical atrocities."

Comforts to the value of approximately £SO will be provided for those in homes for the: aged as the result of- tlie community sing and variety concert held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Saturday night. The seven artists' and members of the bands and dancing party were accorded generous applause, while a long programme of community song items was enjoyed by the large attendance. The sing leaders wero Messrs 11. McKenzie, Ray Marshall, and Harold Davidson, and those who contributed to the programme were Miss Avas McFarlane (solos), Dr Noel North (solos), Mr Harold Davidson (solos), Misses Avas McFarlane and Noni Masters (duets), Master Billy Chambers (songs in character), Miss Pamela Page (violin solo), Coulter's Band (Hawaiian numbers), members of Ladies' Band (cornet trios), and Mrs Traver's pupils (national reel and skipping rope dance). Miss Noni Masters was the accompanist, and Piper Airdrie Stewart provided the music for the reel party. Whether or not their motive holds a sentimental element, some persons reveal an eccentric determination to retain possession of their goods and chattels at any cost. As an example, the storage rooms of a Dunedin firm of cartage contractors are partly occupied by a miscellany df ancient household furniture, some "of which has been kept there (at the owners' expense) for periods varying from over 10 to 40 years. In several cases, the original value of the furniture has probablybeen paid for in storage fees. A holding post taken from a stock yard at Mesopotamia was displayed at a meeting of the South Canterbury Catchment Board in Timaru. The top end of the post, which was about six feet in length, had almost been worn through by deer rubbing themselves against it. The post was displayed by Mr R. Buick .(Ashburton), who remarked that he had seen similar posts worn clean through by deer, thus illustrating what damage deer could do in the bush. " Monty " lias become a greater_ pinup fan than ever. . He has just written in a London newspaper: " You • once sent me a photo of Hundstedt. _ By our operations we have unseated him! My opponents, whose pictures are in my. caravan, have all departed—that is. Rommel and Rundstedt. The surestway to dispose of them seems to be to hang their portraits in my caravan! Could you. by any chance, send me a'" framed' photograph of Kessclring? Obviously, lie must go the same way!— Yours sincerely, B. L. Montgomery, Field-Marshal." Kesselring's photograph, framed in deep black, is now on its way to "Monty." ' The work in tho nursery, which has been maintained during the year, is being carried out principally by men of the Second N.Z.E.F., states tho annual report of the Ocean Beach Domain Board. These men are being employed by the board on a 100 per cent, subsidy basis by arrangement with the Rehabilitation Department. They are sent for remedial treatment, and the authority to employ permits tho engaging, of up to 20, the average number actually employed being 12. As the men recover in health they are placed in permanent employment by the Rehabilitation Department. The board's foreman takes particular interest in the men, and much of the success achieved is due to his efforts. Sufficient plants have been produced to plant out the numerous beds on the domain, and surplus plants have been supplied to charitable, patriotic, and other local organisations. Mr Justice Kennedy has granted prohate in the following estates:—Sarah Fea. widow. Dunedin; Lucy Ellon Penrose, widow. Dunedin: Grace Saville. widow. Mahcno; Jessie Taylor, married. Dunedin : and John Gallagher, retired, Dunedin.

The tip site area! is being extensively used, says the annual report of tho Ocean Beach Domain Board, and every effort is made to (keep the area in a sanitary and tidy condition. Tho greatest portion of the material deposited consists of; trade waste, tjiere being no other tip for this refuse witliin close proximity to the city. This material is of an inoffensive nature, but, owing to the quantity received and tho difficulty of obtaining suitable covering, the tip at times presents a very untidy appearance. Every effort is made to deal with the rat nuisance. Filling on the new access road from St. Kilda was continued during the winter, and the new road is nearing completion. When the filling consolidates the formation will be completed. Planting of trees was continued throughout the domain, and shrubs were planted on the Victoria road frontage. The only timo a pantechnicon appears in Downing Street, London, is to remove a retiring Prime Minister's furniture from No. 10 or bring his successor's bags and baggage. But a pantechnicon is needed urgently at No. 10 now to cope with the gifts which men and women in ''all parts of the free world are anxious to shower appreciatively on Mr Churchill. The latest include several bottles of champagne and brandy, personal gifts from Marshal Stalin; If Mr Churchill 6moked oven a fraction of the cigars sent to him—and they are the best the world produces— ho could shroud London in a (perpetual smoke screen. The latest cigar gift is 2,500 by leading Cuban manufacturers. All this sounds pretty good, but there is a catch —his Majesty's Customs, like tho tax commissioners, have no more sympathy for- Mr Churchill than for* anybody' else. He is compelled to pay full duty on these gifts, which are far to bulky to fit into a diplomatic bag, Mr Churchill must even pay a purchase tax on gifts which he gives. He paid full purchase tax on a silver plaque which he sent to the Teheran Embassy commemorating the 1943 meeting of the Big Three in Persia. Intervening during tho hearing of a contested petition for restitution of conjugal rights which came before him in the Supreme Court at Auckland, Mr Justice Cornish adjourned the proceedings to meet the in his'chambers, with a view to. effecting a reconciliation. The parties were a young couple who had married in 1941. After evidence had been given in support of the husband's petition, His Honour suggested that, as the case concerned two young people, it might be desirable to adjourn the hearing while their counsel, got them together and made efforts to compose the differences. If that were to be done, now was the* time, as. to hear the case for the respondent in opposing tho''petition might tend to widen the breach. On" the suggestion of the counsel, His Honour agreed to receive the parties in his room and discuss their differences .with them. The hearing was accordingly adjourned for a week. The secretary of the Dunedin Pieturned Services' Association has received the following Poppy Day donations and returns:—Amount previously acknowledged. £2,470 12s sd; Cash Sales, 2s 6d; Kean Florists, £2 16s Gd; Clinton R.S. Committee, £23 14s 6d; Waipori Falls, £3 Is; Otago Patriotic Association. £3OO-: Lawrence Sub-asso-ciation, £49 14s fid ; Clydevale, Anzac Service, £4 5s Id; Patearoa, £6 14s 7d; interim total, £2,865 Is Id. An appeal case in the: Auckland Supreme Court recently concerning tho claim of a woman passenger who was injured when a bus-driver pulled up suddenly to avoid a cat was brightened by the introduction of Some light verse that had been written concerning the incident. It had been printed under the title of "Catastrophe," and counsel suggested that it represented the common man's point of view. Coming from the pen of a well-known barrister, it might perhaps have some legal weight, he said. Mr Justice Cornish, who presided, remarked that it must be considered as verse. " You could not have doggerel regarding a cat," he exiplained.

The nurses of the Dunedin Public Hospital organised their annual appeal for funds for the Dunedin-St. Kilda Sub-zone Patriotic Committee on Saturday. A copper trail laid in the Hospital corridors was well supported by the bospital staff, patients, and visitors, with the result that £52 16s 2d will he handed to the committee. This is £o more than was raised in a similar appeal last year.