THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1942. STILL £705 TO FIND

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3156, 12 August 1942, Page 4

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1942. STILL £705 TO FIND

The Patriotic quota list as published in the Gazette last week shows that Paeroa and the surrounding districts have still to find £705 before completing their quota. In this allocation the Paeroa borough has some £560 to raise which represents approximately 4s 6d per head of the whole population of the area. Already many have fulfilled their obligations by subscribing during the house-to-house collection which took place some months ago but there are others who have not yet shown their gratitude to our men in the Fighting Forces in such tangible means. It is understood that for certain persons the giving of say 14s for every individual member of his family (this would have met the quota allocated to the borough) represents something of an obstacle and they will not be expected to reach that figure but the section that should be contacted and shoved into action is composed of those persons who gave not how much they could but how little they could. To one and all the appeal is made to subscribe what they can and when they can so that the boys may have all the comforts they are entitled to. GROWING OF VEGETABLES The scheme devised in Christchurch for the growing of potatoes on idle land appears to be an excellent example of co-opera-tive community effort. Not only has the committee in charge been given the free use for the duration of the war of some 90 acres of land, but it is also to have free labour. It has been estimated that this season’s crop, which is to be grown for the Army, will be worth something like £3OOO net. The monetary aspect of the project is not, however, the most important one. The increase in production of a staple commodity is the main thing. That this can be done at little or no cost other than the price of the seed and fertiliser, plus the incidental expenses of the scheme, is simply an added advantage. Other groups, in other communities where suitable land is idle and volunteer labour available, could give considerable national assistance by following the Christchurch lead. Vegetable growing directly for Army consumption, if more widely extended by patriotic enterprise, would provide considerable future relief to the civilian market. Some ‘weeks ago an offer of the free use of machinery to plough up spare land in Paeroa was made and a committee was set up 'by the Paeroa Borough Council to investigate the question but as yet no report has been brought down on the matter. The planting season is now close at hand and if anything is to be done prompt action will be needed.