LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4808, 10 July 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

More than 150 women in North Taranaki are at present being trained in home nursing- by the Red Cross Society in order to be ready to do their part in a national emergency, either invasion by enemy forces or such calamities as earthquakes and train wrecks. It is many years since interest has been so keen and this is taken by the authorities as a direct result of the international situation, the general "war scare," as one of the leaders of the movement in New Plymouth described it. Enthusiasm is particularly high in the country districts where classes are large and attendance is rarely mised.

To have all the members of its staff who are of military age serving in one or other of the Territorial Dunedin branch of Dalgety and units is the unique record, of the Company. Of seven men between the ages of 18 and 32, two are officers and two are sergeants in the Otago Regiment. One is a member of the Otago Mounted Rifles and another a member of the Dunedin company of the New Zealand Scottish regiment. The officer commanding the Otago Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Samson, called upon the manager of the firm and presented him with a shell case polished and suitably inscribed in appreciation of this fact.

Although there has been no further heavy fall of snow at the Chateau, a blizzard has been blowing on Mount Ruapehu for several days. The 260 guests at the Chateau have not been greatly inconvenienced, but a number of people at the Ruapehu Ski Club's hut were practically confined to the building during the weekend.

Cold weather, with snow on the high country, was experienced in the Auckland Province during the weekend. It was the coldest week-end in Auckland this winter. Heavy showers with intervals of bright sunshine, prevailed again on Saturday. Southwesterly and southerly winds were experienced, and temperatures were low. The barometer continued to rise.

Some Rugby Unions throughout New Zealand have for some time past met with difficulties in regard to the transport of players by private cars. Enlightenment on the question was received by the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union by a letter from the New Zealand Union:—"We have taken this matter up with the Commissioner-of Transport, and we find that players may be taken to their games in private cars, provided these cars do not ply for hire, and also provided no charge is made."

"The Maoris are constantly exposed to all kinds of subversive propaganda, which seeks to alienate them from the faith of their fathers, and to offer them as a substitute a kind of racial, political sub-Christian caricature," says Archbishop Averill, Primate of New Zealand, in the Church Gazette. "We must do all we can to help them. It is not sufficient to improve their material welfare, for such improvement apart from moral and spiritual strengthening of character can only end in disaster. The most thoughtful among the Maoris are keenly alive to the dangers which beset the race at the present time, and to the only antidote to those dangers—true and vital religion."

"You'll be able to get hats all right, but you won't be able to let your fancy run to the special makes that have been available to you in the past," said a New* Plymouth dealer in men's wear when discussing with a Taranaki Herald reporter the effect of the import control regulalations on men's felt hats. The importation of mens hats is on the prohibited list of overseas imports and dealers in men's wear cannot obtain licenses for the import of these' articles of wear at all. Some were received during the first six months of the year on the basis of last year's importations, but for the second period there is no chance of obtaining licenses for these goods. Stocks are not yet exhausted but it is only a matter of a short time when there will not be an imported hat to be obtained in the Dominion.

A speaker who was becoming somewhat heated in his advocacy of universal military training was the cause of some amusement at a meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association at Waipukurau. . "We saw the disadvantages of the voluntary system in the last war," he said. "All the ,

best men were sent away first and were killed, leaving all the rag-tag and bobtail to carry on the war—and the peace that followed it." Another member jumped to his feet. "Mr Chairman, I object to these remarks," he said, amidst laughter.

In a notice of question to the Minister of Industries and Commerce in the House of Representatives, Mr. Clyde Carr (Government, Timaru) asked whether it was definitely part of the Government's policy of developing the manufacturing industries to encourage and facilitate their establishment in the smaller centres, with a view to avoiding centi'alisatfon and congestion. This would ensure the distribution of our population over both islands, overcome the housing problem in the cities, and provide healthy conditions for the workers. If so, was the Government prepared to subsidse, where necessary, such ventures in order to discourage the creation of such problems as had arisen in the Hutt Valley?