ITEMS OF INTEREST

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32419, 17 April 1944, Page 7

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Battalion Raises 5000 Dollars Raising more than 5000 dollars by direct donations and from special entertainments, a battalion of New Zealanders on Mono Island is establishing a fund to aid the dependants of its five men killed during the Treasury Island operations. Fourteen hundred dollars were received in direct donations from the battalion and neighbouring units, and entertainments realised several hundreds more than was required to reach the 5000 aimed at. A Prolific Dog A remarkable record in the production of pups has been established <by a bitch at Blackmount, in Southland. Born in August, 1941, two years and a half ago, she has since given birth to 44 pups. She has had two litters of 10 and one of nine, and she brought her total to 44* when, on March 16, she gave birth to 15, 10 males and five females. American Interest In Toheroas “Discussing tinned foods with a member of the American forces, who was driving me in a truck in Fiji, I mentioned toheroas,” said Mr J. A. McPherson, when, at a meeting of the Christchurch Travel Club recently, he recounted, some of his experiences during his recent visit to the Pacific islands. “My driver was instantly all attention. He questioned' me searchingly about toheroas and then asked where he could buy them wholesale. I later found that he was a Greek of American nationality and that he ran 12 delicatessen shops in New York.”

Scottish Soldiers’ Visit Two Scottish soldiers are spending a short furlough in Dunedin. They are members of a party of British non-commissioned! officers who recently came to the Dominion on leave, and when they were asked what part of New Zealand they would like to visit they promptly voted for Dunedin. Army authorities have advised the Council of Scottish Societies of the men’s Visit, and this body has undertaken to billet them and arrange trips and entertainment for them.

Valuables Burlefi “While the Germans were carrying out their enforced withdrawal in Italy they frequently lived off the land,” said a Dunedin officer who recently returned on furlough. “As we were entering the country evacuated by the Germans we often observed members of the local populations digging up from the ground stores of household cutlery, crockery and silverware, which had. been hidden from the Germans.”

History Of Monte Cassino “From Monte Cassino, which is now in the news, came the beginnings of Christian civilisation about 1500 years ago,” said Bishop Liston, when speaking at a function at the Sacred Heart College recently. “It was there that St. Benedict lived' and died. The Benedictine Order began there, and its monks have done magnificent work throughout the world. To them we owe learning, good manners, training in arts and crafts, the art of good government, and the most precious achievements of mankind.”