NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20603, 3 November 1941, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Small Week For Army In contrast with the usual two to three pages of notices affecting appointments in the New Zealand forces, last week’s issue of the New Zealand Gjnzette contains only one notice affecting the army and one covering appointments in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Required To Report By notice in the latest issue of the New Zealand Gazette, the AdjutantGeneral, New Zealand Military Forces, calls upon Peter William Austin, farmhand, Matawhero, to report at the army office at Napier to-morrow. He is one of two reservists in the No. 7 military area so called upon, the other being Malcolm Douglas Scott, a civil servant, Clive Square, Napier.

Life in Switzerland When asked concerning life in Switzerland in war-time, Mr. Hiram Boucher, the newly-appointed United States consul at Auckland,' said that the Swiss Government had greatly reduced its foreign population. This was begun in 1938, when only aliens in transit were allowed in the country. Few had been allowed to accumulate in the country, and in addition a refugee train was being run once a week, removing aliens from Switzerland. Guardsmen as Marksmen A high average of marksmanship was’ registered by members of A Company, of the Gisborne Battalion Home Guard, at the High School range on Saturday. A total of 60 men fired grouping and application courses, and averaged 33.6 out of a possible of 50. For these practices modern service rifles with Morris tubes were used, and substantial improvement was shown upon the results obtained earlier with the older types of rifle previously made available to the Home Guard units.

Women On Parade There was a modern war touch at a Home Guard signal parade in Marton. The signal section of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, in charge of Miss M. Broad, took up its allotted position and marched out to telephone points with the guardsmen. ‘“lt may be a blessing in disguise, this introduction of women’s units to the parade grounds of the army,” said an old soldier, thinking of the “bull-rings” at Sling and Etaples in the last war. “The vocabulary of sergeant-majors will have to undergo as vital a change as the' nation’s methods of fighting.” Blue Kowhai Found It has been reported by Mr. J. Coghlan, of the Heads, Wairoa, that he has discovered a blue kowhai growing at Willow Flat. Although the plants are not strong, they are making headway. The colour is nearer to blue than anything else and he considers that if they were transplanted to Wairoa and treated with iron or lime, they would do well. Two or three years ago reports of having seen a blue kowhai came from the Ruakituri Valley, and more recently, a station manager in the Wairoa district has told of having seen a tree. —Special.

Hawke’s Bay Anniversary. Hawke’s Bay celebrated its Anniversary Day on Saturday. The first white settlers of the province were whalers, who established stations along the coast. Later they began to settle in the Wairarapa, and flocks of sheep were introduced. The first sale of land sections recorded in Napier was made in 1855. A few years later the population had so increased that a petition was sent to the Government demanding that Hawke’s Bay be created a province separate from Wellington. To-day, Hawke’s Bay, with its sheep rearing, dairy farming and fruit growing industries, is one of the richest and most fertile parts of New Zealand.

No Maize Surplus Expected

The position concerning the marketing of the past year’s maize crops in the Bay of Plenty district has been clarified as a result of discussions between officials of the Internal Marketing Division and the growers and merchants, according to a statement made by Mr. R. Ruddick, chairman of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Primary Production Council. The Marketing Department officers had made it clear, he said, that it was confidently anticipated that the whole of the past year’s crop would go into consumption through normal channels during the year ending June 30, 1942, and that should any surplus remain in the farmers’ hands at the end of that period the Government would implement its undertakings to take over the balance at the price fixed.

Week-End Training Weather conditions yesterday caused some revision of training schedules for home-defence units, including the postponement of a shoot at the Mangapapa range by the National Military Reserve Company. Two platoons of the company were to have fired part of the annual course of musketry, while the other platoons were scheduled to receive tactical instruction. Conditions made the postponement of this programme imperative, and a route-march was substituted, the range shoot being put back a fortnight. In the course of the route march, the company halted To make an inspection of the defensive post constructed by Home Guardsmen at the Waikanae beach, Captain E. E. Jenkinson, 0.C., taking the opportunity to emphasise the principles involved in its preparation. Flame-proof Garments Crews of British tankers proceeding within the danger areas are to be supplied as soon as possible with a special garment for protection against burning oil. The plan has been adopted by the Ministry of War Transport after consultation with the representatives of tanker companies. A garment made of light flameproofed fabric is to combine in one piece a hood with mica eye-piece, a cape, and gauntlets It is intended to be. available immediately for the protection of face and hands while boats are being launched. Lifeboats are to be equipped with a manual bilge pump, adapted for spraying water, and an asbestos blanket fitted with asbestostic ropes for protecting the occupants until the spray from the manual pump can be brought into play. The hull of each lifeboat, the mast, oars, canvas hood, and sail cover are to be fire-proofed. Bulk orders for supplies of the protective garments, pumps, and asbestos blankets have been placed by the Ministry, which will bear the cost.