NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21148, 16 July 1943, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Theft at Christchurch Cutlery and silver valued at £37, and almost impossible to replace at the present time, were stolen recently from the Crown Masonic Lodge at Sydenham. The thieves entered the building by a small window at the back of the premises.

Theatre Exit Drills The Wellington Fire Board has given full support to the idea of holding regular and continuing exit drills at all picture theatres so that the risk of panic in emergency will be reduced. The board recommended to the Wellington City Council, as the controlling authority, that emergency exit drills be made compulsory. Cold Incubators One unusual result of the prevailing gas shortage at Auckland has been the destruction in one suburban district of 10,000 eggs. These egg's were being hatched in incubators heated by gas and when the pressure fell below that required to maintain the correct temperature the eggs were spoiled and had to be thrown out. Rommel No Soldier "I was asked if Rommel was a great soldier?" Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg told his Palmerston North audience. "1 don't think he was. He was a very poor soldier and relied entirely for his reputation on the performance of the Mark 111 and Marie IV tanks. Once we got Sherman tanks his reputation went for good," the general said.

Raffles Discouraged The decision to discourage the promotion of raffles in which children of i lie New Zealand Red Cross sell tickets, was made by the general committee of the organisation at its meeting in Wellington. It was mentioned by members that: though raffles were officially prohibited in schools, they were often carried on. sometimes under the guise of "guessing" competitions.

Detention for Arson Walter Heiford, aged 65, cook and labourer, who had pleaded guilty at Napier on July 7 to a charge of arson, was sentenced in Wellington to three years’ reformative detention. His Honour said arson was a very serious crime, and prisoner did not have a good record from 1920 to 1942. He had once before been sentenced to a year's hard labour for attempted arson, and (lie present crime seemed lo have been extraordinarily stupid. Driving Car at 91 A man aged 83 applied to the traffic department ol' the Auckland City Council for a driver's license the other clay, but that city cannot claim the record for the oldest driver in New Zealand, a distinction which probably belongs to Timaru. for lhe other day a man aged 91 applied for —and obtained—a driver’s license there. Cases of people in their 70's obtaining drivers’ licenses are not uncommon.

YV.A.A.C.s ill Tonga A senior officer of the New Zealand force in Tonga states in a letter thal the men are full of praise for tire work of the members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps who were sent to the island. "The experiment of sending them has been well worth while," he says, and adds that one of their duties is to staff the force’s, recreation centre, the spacious grounds of which include a football field, six tennis courts and a golf course. Auckland Brewery Staff Appeals on behalf of 21 employees ol New Zealand Breweries, Limited, came up for review before the No. 2 (Auckland) Armed Forces Appeal Board in Auckland. Eight of the appeals were for men whose medical classification is Grade 1. including the two chief brewers at the Captain Cook Brewery. Khyber Pass. All the appeals were adjourned sine die, to be reviewed in three months’ time, with the exception of an assistant cellar hand. :ower snoruige As a result of an acute shortage caused by the dry' spell during the summer 'and autumn, flowers are bringing very high prices in Auckland at present. Labour, too. is scarce owing to the calling up of men for military service and, consequently, there are fewer gardens to meet the demand. Another reason influencing Lhe shortage is that many former commercial flower growers are now engaged in the cultivation of vegetables. Remarkable Shooting A remarkable shooting performance was given by a Timaru Home Guardsman who registered 10 bulls with 10 shots rapid fire at 300 yards. The range officer, who is himself an expert marksman, said, in congratulating the guardsman, that it was only the second time in his 40 years’ experience that such a feat had been performed. Major J. A. Wallingford. M.C., N.Z.S.C.. who was then champion marksman of the British Empire, made a similar score at Trentham In 1919.

Army Returns While the air war, the sea war, and the war on land continue with undiminished violence, the army’s paper war has reached a new pitch of intensity. One of the worries of an officer in the army in New' Zealand is to keep track of all the returns he has to make about personnel, equipment, postings, transport, and hundreds of other items. The last word in returns came when instructions were issued in one office in Christchurch that a return of all the returns made w'as required.

Competitions Entries Entries for the Gisborne Compeli lions festival to be held during the last week in August are expected to ho well up to last year’s excellent level. The secretary. Mr. C. Blackburn, stated to-day that entries from a large number of visitors were included among those received so far. Hit entries coming from as far afield .-is Whangarei in the north and Lower rriitt in the south, together with some fr-jm New' Plymouth. Most of the enines from outside the district, how- < vcr. came from Hawke’s Bay, which province would be represented by a large contingent. Entries closed finally at 11 a.m. to-morrow.

“Where Does the Home Come ill?" “The family as we know it will cease to be ii' present-day tendencies work themselves out in New Zealand " said Mrs. A. K. Warren m an address to more than "00 women in Rangiorn. No one would deny, she added, that increased education for women, equal opportunities to follow careers, and the actual experience of doing the same work as men was a aood thing, but it was inevitable that this expansion of women’s life faced modern oeople with the question, “Where docs the home come in?" Mrs. Warren emphasised that she did not favour the sort of home life that condemned women to drudgery and cut them off from wider interests that had opened to them. She emphasised, however, that unless marriage could be seen as an equal partnership founded on love, common interests, and care of children, the most rewarding kind of life would be missed. There could be no other proper foundation for community life, and no other conception of life was in accord with the Divine plan.