Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1942, Page 4

Local and General

The Government has appointed Mr. H. E. Combs, M.P., and Mr. E. Brooking to the National Patriotic Fund Board, to fill the vacancies caused by the deaths of Mr. J. Read and Mr. C. Todd. Announcing the appointments, Mr. Parry said that Mr. Combs and Mr. Brooking had considerable experience in patriotic and allied works, and their services would be particularly helpful.—P.A. Indications that if more miners could be released from camp their collieries would be able to employ larger numbers of truckers were given to the Armed Forces Appeal Board in Greymouth, yesterday, by managers of various mines. Mr. F. Lockington, manager of Brunner Collieries, told the Board that he was pleased with the performance of the men released from camp. “I car - safe -Y say that every man but one out of 23 sent to us from camp is a first-class worker, he stated. In some instances managers said they were experiencing no difficulty in obtaining timber supplies, but others spoke of shortages and one manager characterised tne trouble as “our biggest headache at present.”

The disposal of parcels which arrive in the Middle East addressed to personnel of the N.Z.E.F. who are deceased, missing, or prisoners, was explained in a statement by Mr. Jones. The Minister said that these parcels were always disposed of by issue to the unit to which the addressee belonged, the contents being distributed amongst men of the unit. This system had been adopted since the first casualties in Greece, and is to be followed in. the case of tobacco parcels addressed to casualties of the above mentioned categories. Every endeavour is made to distribute parcels to the wounded addressees, and few go astray, but when a soldier has been returned to New Zealand, any parcel for him is also sent to his late unit. The Minister said the suggestion that such parcels be sent to the Red Cross for distribution to prisoners of war was impracticable, because the number of parcels for prisoners monthly is limited, and there would thus be accumulation and wastage of parcels. It is considered the senders would far rather the contents be distributed amongst the addressees’ mates than that they should be sent back. Any article of sentimental value, or for which there appeared to be any particular reason for return, was invariably posted back to the sender. —P.A.

Only 150 ration books were issued at the Greymouth Post Office last evening between 7 and 9 o’clock, when it was specially opened for the purpose. This is considered to be a disappointing response by the public. The Greymouth Fire Brigade was called out last evening to the residence of Mr. J. Goodall, in Preston Road, where a chimney had caught fire. However, the outbreak was soon extinguished, and no damage was done.

The following candidates were successful in the Red Cross Home Nursing Examination held last week, the names being given in order of merit: Elementary—Mrs S. B. White, Miss I. Withers, Miss N. Jarvis, Mrs Forbes, Miss E. Davis. Intermediate: Mrs P. Nordstrom, Miss J. Dawber. The Bledisloe Medal, given to Canterbury Agricultural College by Lord Bledisloe, when Governor-General of New Zealand, for annual presentation to former students who have rendered notable service to agriculture, has been conferred this year on the present director, Professor E. R. Hudson.

Leaving an estate valued at £13,000, Charles Henry Owens, a retired farmer, made bequests totalling £7600 to various institutions, including £lOOO each to the New Zealand Instiute for the Blind, the Auckland branch of the Plunket Society, Henry Brett Memorial Home for Girls, St. Mary’s Anglican Home, Otahuhu, and the Community Sunshine Association, Auckland. —P.A. The Department of Agriculture had not considered any compulsory scheme for lime rationing, said the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Barclay) in reply to an urgent question by Mr C. W. Boswell, Bay of Islands). The Minister said he had asked the primary production councils to discuss the distribution of lime with the representatives of lime producers, so that the most equitable distribution possible might be arranged.—P.A.

“The patent medicine business has degenerated into a proper racket, in which profits exceeding 1000 per cent, are sometimes made,” said the Leader of the Legislative Council (Hon. D. Wilson), when moving the second reading of the Medical Advertisements Bill in the Legislative Council yesterday. The bill was supported by other speakers and passed without amendment. —P.A.

The position of members of the Emergency Fire Service who are called up for service with the armed forces has been clarified by a statement by the Director of National Service (Mr. J. S. Hunter), in reply to a question about the retention of men for fire-fighting purposes. He said that men who are physically fit and of age for overseas service are not made ineligible for that service by being members of the Emergency Fire Service. —P.A.

The death through drowning of Alex. Noble, aged 34 years, was reported to the Hokitika police yesterday. Deceased is reported to have been drowned in the Waipopo Creek, near Okuru, on Saturday morning, but the body has not been recovered, and no further details arc available. Constable H. McEachern, of Bruce Bay, left by plane for Okuru yesterday, to assist in the search for the body. Deceased was married, and resided with his wife and two children at Arthurstown, until two months ago, when he went to Okuru for the whitebait season.

The outlook for the ice-cream industry was the subject of a discussion between a witness and Mr C. F. Shapcott, Secretary of the Board, at the sitting in Greymouth, this morning, of the Armed Forces Appeal Board. Witness, who is a director in a dairy concern, said in reply to a question as to whether ice-cfeam was handled that it was not considered essential. “But milk bars have been declared essential industries. Surely they must be supplied,” replied Mr Shapcott. “By the way sugar is being cut down it seems probable that ice cream will be cut out altogether by the end of the season,” rejoined witness.

Owing to the unsatisfactory average attendance at the evening classes in English and history and woodwork theory at the Greymouth Technical High "School, the Principal (Mr. W. M. Stewart), with the concurrence of the inspectors, has suspended them. Reporting the fact to last evening’s meeting of the Board, Mr. Stewart said he had been disappointed, as at the beginning of the session average enrolments were distinctly good. However, he hoped that in the next session conditions would permit them to be resumed. On the other hand, the attendance at the day school, which had suffered considerably for some months owing to sickness, had shown a distinct improvement. No teachers had been absent through indisposition.

Last week, although not remarkable for the number of notifications of infectious diseases, was one of the worst for a long time for deaths from this cause, there being no fewer than 17 in Canterbury. Tuberculosis accounted for 13 of them, and there was one each from erysipelas, infantile paralysis, septic abortion, and cerebro-spinal meningitis. There were five new cases of cerebro-spin-al meningitis in Canterbury but no further notifications of infantile paralysis. The other notifications were 15 cases of tuberculosis and one each of scarlet fever, diphtheria, and hydatids. On the West Coast there was one case of scarlet fever and one of tuberculosis, but no deaths from infectious diseases.

At a sitting of the • Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth, this morning, judgment for plaintill by default was given in the following debt cases, by Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M.:— R. J. Little v. Thomas Benyon £l3/13/-, costs £2 14/-; Stratford, Blair and Co., Ltd. v. C. M. Mathieson £4/11/10, costs £1 5/6. In the Warden’s Court, the following cases were dealt with: —Argo Gold Dredging Ltd., surrender of an alluvial claim, a special dredging claim, and a water race.—Surrender of the two claims was accepted as from September 30, and the surrender of the water race was recommended for the consent of the Minister for Mines. Albert Charles Honey and George Havill Honey, surrender of an extended alluvial claim. —Accepted as from October 5.

Arab Hackney stallion to stand the season in Greymouth. Fee £5/5/-. For further particulars write P.O. Box 199, Greymouth.—Advt.

The Greymouth Women’s Institute held their October meeting in Wesley Hall, Mrs. Black presiding. Mrs. Sotheran was welcomed back after her illness. Remits were discussed for the forthcoming Council meeting. Mrs. Stewart was voted as President for the Council meeting and Mrs. Smart and Mrs. Pound were the chosen delegates. Mrs. Black announced. that 5 soldiers’ parcels were packed. A vote is to be taken next meeting for a president for the Institute. Knitting handed in for the two months (September and October): Four Cranwell pullovers, four pairs mittens, 16 scarves, six skull caps, three pullovers, 17 balaclavas, four pairs mittens. Competition winners were: Pikelets, Mrs. Pound and Mrs. Trouland equal 1. Mrs. Pearn and Mrs. Green equal 3. Handkerchief, Mrs Pearn 1, Mrs. Trouland 2. Mrs. Trott demonstrated on floral work.

Brettle’s Children’s J- Socks in Creme and Pastel shades. All wool; also silk and wool. Sizes 1 to 6 2/3 to 3/- pair.—C. Smith’s..—Advt.