NEWS OF THE WEEK

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4577, 6 August 1942, Page 2

NEWS OF THE WEEK

Householders are reminded that the local Boy Scouts will be holding a waste paper and rubber drive on Saturday next. As their numbers are few much assistance 'will be given them if papers are tied into bundles and ready for collection instead of waiting for' the boys to call. The drive will start in the morning. Readers are reminded of the W.W. S.A. dance to be held in the Garrison Hall on Wednesday next. The profits of this dance will be donated to the All purposes Appeal and is worthy of your support. There will be novelty dances, including folk dancing by the drill class of the Auxiliary. The Cromwell orchestra of four players will supply the music. St. Peter’s Guild fortnightly card social last evening was accorded the usual good patronage. The card games were won as follows: —Men: W. Nelson I, John Dagg 2; ladies: Mrs M. Curtis 1, Mrs J. B. Hamilton 2.Tuesday last was the 28th anniversary of Britain’s entry into the war of 1914-18; it was on August 4, 1914, that Britain declared war on Germany. It is interesting to recall that at that time the general opinion w T as that the war w'ould be over in six months. The more optimistic even declared that it might be finished before Christmas. Few anticiapted that it would last for nearly four and a-half years. There was no similar illusion when the present war broke out. A weird, waterless land with unpleasant insect pests sums up the Sinai desert, according to a description given by Lieutenant T. L. Macdonald, M.P. for Mataura, in a letter to a friend at Invercargill. He writes: “Tarantulas, scorpions and snakes are common, and although the weirdness of the land makes an appeal, the discomforts of -living there must be great. Water is scarce, and we heard of a Bedouin who had not tasted water for seven months, goat and ewe milk being his tipple. The animals would get their moisture from the dew and sap of the various plants that grow here and there on the plateau. ’ ’

The annual gift afternoon for the variety stall at the coming Spring show was held last Friday in the Mackenzie Hall at which there was a good attendance. Mrs Boyd welcomed the members and visitors. Mrs J. P. Fix, convenor of the variety stall, took charge of the programme which included competitions and a play entitled “The Helping Hand.” The cast consisted of Mesdames Davies, Tripp, Lonsdale, Crow, Galbraith, Hamilton and Mr Crow. A charade, “Bandage” was also produced. Mrs Fix thanked the donors for the many acceptable gifts received. Afternoon tea was provided by the members of the P.W.M.U.

The thanks of the Red Cross committee are tendered to the following: Mesdames Fix, Scott, J. W. Miller, W. Mclnncs, Burns, Galbraith, Lobb Tomkies and Miss Hamilton and the Girls’ Guild. Parcels of knitted goods have been forwarded for inclusion in parcels sent this month to the six local men who are prisoners of war. The counter sale was again successful.

A parcel of knitted garments has been gratefully received from Glenorchy and Arrowtown for the Patriotic Knitting committee and a donation of 10/worth- of wool for prisoners of war knitting was received from a friend.

The popularity of the New Zealand Forces Club in Cairo, which has been described as one of the best institutions of its kind in the world, is mentioned by Lieutenant T. L. Macdonald, M.P. for Mataura, in a letter to a friend at Invercargill: “The New Zealand Club in Cairo continues to be popular, so much so that many of our lads complain that the place is overrun with troops of other forces,” he writes. “However, that cannot be helped and is really a tribute to the management. All other clubs in Cairo are open to our lads, so we must reciprocate. A major named Mark Harvey, who used to be with Smith and Smith at Dunedin, is now manager and is making a good fist of it, although it is a very trying job with a myriad of details to attend to,”

The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the executive of the Owaka Sub-association of the E.S.A. on Monday:—“ That this executive desires to register its protest against the granting of compassionate allowances to the widows of soldier members of Parliament, or other privileged sections of the community, killed on active service, as such discrimination is against the principle of equality of sacrifice, is unfair, and undoubtedly hurtful to the feelings of widows and other relatives of the rank and file of our fighting forces, and that this protest be forwarded to headquarters for necessary action.”

The licenses of four hotels in the Dominion have been suspended owing to war conditions, said the secretary of the National Council of the Licensed Trade of New Zealand, Mr Coyle, when referring to the closing’of the Hotel Cecil in Wellington. The other hotels affected were the Grand Hotel and Hotel Cargen in Auckland, and the Wanaka Hotel. In no case had the license been transferred or gone out of existence, and no time limit had been set on the period during which the licenses could be held without being operated. Hotel Cargen was offered to the Auckland Hospital Board early in the war. Recently the Grand Hotel, Auckland and Hotel Cecil, Wellington, had been taken over for military needs. Petrol restrictions and the curtailment of service cars was the reason for the suspension of the license at Lake Wanaka, where the hotel relied almost entirely on the tourist traffic.

Asked how long he had been a smoker, a witness in a Melbourne court ease replied: “Fifty years.” “And how much tobacco, now, do you smoke weekly ? ’ ’was the next question. ‘ ‘ Two ounces,’’ replied the witness. “H’m—quite moderate,’’ commented counsel. “Nevertheless, it means, in plain English, that you’ve spent, in all, about £l5O, approximately, in smoke?’’ “Well, what about it?” demanded witness, “I’ve had value and good value, too for my money.” Counsel shrugged his shoulders and sat down. W(ell, £l5O, spread over half-a-ccntury is not so much after Good tobacco is worth than it costs, Take our brands, for example, and think of the comfort and enjoyment they represent to the smoker. Is there anything else that could yield him, so much pleasure? There are five of these brands; Riverhead Gold, Desert Gold, Navy Out No. 3, Pocket Edition, and Cut Plug No. 10. Delightful, every one of them—and quite harmless. They are toasted! The demand for all five proves conclusively the appreciation in which they are held everywhere.