Good Fruit Crop.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 97, 23 March 1940, Page 6

Good Fruit Crop.

Fruit production in Otago, both as regards quantity and quality, is abo\c the average. Air Force Training. Postings Tof duty of Air Force trainees include the following: AYircless operators to Levin, G. It. Ldlin, Ohakea. Armourers to Levin, It. G. Dahl. Palmerston North. Wireless electrical mechanics to Wigram, 1. L. Smith, Foxton. Red Cross Activity. Steps are to be taken by the Red Cross Society to form a North Island V.A.D. committee. To widen the scope of the activities, it was decided to issue certificates to trainees who qualify in A.R.P. work, motor driving and mechanics, canteen work and cooking. Indian’s Loyalty. Nine Indian workers at Fordell have each subscribed £1 to the lighting Services Welfare Fund. The leader said that his race was wholly behind the British Government, and their gift was an expression of loyalty to the cause which New Zealand soldiers, airmen and the men of the Navy were fighting to defend. Pipe-Major’s Trophies. At the Ngaruawnhin Regatta RipeMajor Murdo McKenzie, of Masterton, achieved a notable addition to his long list of successes and trophies. In the piping contest he took first prizes for pibrochs and laments, and won for the fourth time the John Gordon Challenge Cup for pibrochs. This win makes the trophy the pipe-major’s property. “Burning” Heads. The practice of “burning” heads was condemned by the piesident of the Mauawatu Bowling Centre (Mr J. A. Nash) when speaking at the opening of the centre's Easter tournament yesterday. “Burnt heads” had held up past tournaments, lie said, and at the last tournament on one occasion there were 12, and on another occasion 11. At one tournament there had been 15. This meant that other howlers had to sit on the hank and wait an hour lor this type of player. This practice had to stop, and it had been decided to place a time limit on games at the tournament.

War Expenses Fund. Further contributions to the War Expenses Fund by way of interest-free loans and donations were announced yesterday by the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash). Tiio total sum received now amounts to £1,367,675. The list includes: Davis Gelatine (N.Z.), Ltd., Christchurch, duration and six months. Evans’ Atlas Roller Flour and Milling Co., Ltd. (Evans and Co., Timavu), duration and six months, £sooo.—Arthur Barnett Ltd., Dunedin, duration and six months, £3ooo.—Hallenstcin Bros., Ltd., Dunedin, duration and six months, £2500. Alex Harvey and Sons, Ltd., Auckland, duration and six months, £2ooo.'—National Electrical and Engineering Co., Ltd., Wellington, duration and six months. Alfred W. Haylock, Te Anga. duration. Palmer and Sons, Ltd., Dunedin, duration and six months. John Humphries, Napier, duration and six months. The New Zealand Co-op. Pig Marketing Association, Hamilton, duration and six months. Mr Willi Eels, Dunedin, £looo.—Anonymous, Palmerston North, duration anti six months, £SOO. Alexander Clark, Ltd., Palmerston North, duration and six months. Mrs C. M. Kchhell, Palmerston North, duration, £IOO.

Saving Petrol. “We have been asked to reduce goods service licenses by 33 1-3 per cent in order to conserve petrol,” said Mr E. J. Phelan, No. 1 Licensing Authority, at a hearing of applications for goods service licenses in Hamilton. More Local Enlistments. The total number of enlistments for the Special Force in the Palmerston North area now stands at 967, the latest enlistments being those of Messrs A. J. Larkin, J. It. Britton and L. E. Mndgwick. Mr J. O’Meara has registered for home defence. Unique Farewell. An unusual war leaving-taking took place at a gathering of settlers at Kohinui, in the Pahiatua district, when a brother and sister, Mr George Gregory and Miss Grace Gregory, who will both leave with the Second Echelon, the latter as a nurse, were entertained. Big Scrub Fire. Fanned by a heavy gale, a log and scrub fire of proportions not seen in the Wairarnpa for many years, roared across the foothills in the Carrington district on Thursday afternoon and night. At the height of the gale the fire travelled at tremendous speed, bursting out in hundreds of places. Remarkable Aptitude. When a few months ago Miss Leleanga, hostess at the Samoan Court at the Centennial Exhibition, arrived she spoke no English. On Thursday, however, when guests at the opening of the Samoan house in the Government Court were entertained, the Samoan girl surprised those present by her fluency. She has also learnt to use a typewriter. Oil Fuel Conservation. Because of the necessity for conserving oil fuel at the Evans Bay steam plant in Wellington, which normally supplies the electricity needs of Welllington City, in conjunction with the Mangahao hydro-electric works, considerable assistance is to bo given by the Arapuni station in providing electricity to the southern half of the North Island. R.S.A.’s Appreciation. At a meeting of the Dominion executive of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, the following resolution was adopted: “That the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association records its deep appreciation of the splendid Centennial gift of Mr and Mrs J. R. McKenzie, and it is a matter of great gratification to this association that disabled soldiers, sailors, airmen and members of the mercantile marine will be beneficiaries under this generous trust.”—Press Association. Holiday Traffic. What is considered to lie one of the busiest Easter periods as far as holiday traffic is concerned has been epxerienced by the Railway Department this year. In nearly every instance, however, the southbound trains are on time which speaks well for the organisation of the department. Through the five trains from Wellington to Auckland on Monday next being booked out, another express has been brought into use. On Tuesday another extra express will run to Auckland, which will make the total for that day five trains on the Wel-lington-Auckland run. Weddings and Bowling. The large number of Easter weddings has caused some slight inconvenience to those arranging the Manawatu Bowling Centre’s Easter tournament. It had been hoped to hold a conversazione for visiting howlers tonight, hut the president of the centre (Mr J. A. Nash) explained, when speaking at the opening of the tournament yesterday, that because of the number of weddings there was no suitable place available for the function to-night and the conversazione would be held on Monday. Easter weddings arc well up to the normal figures in Palmerston North this year, no fewer than twelve having taken place on Thursday. Over the week up to Thursday 21 marriage certificates were issued bv the local registrar, compared with eleven for the previous week and 12 for the preceding week—making a total of 44 for the past three weeks.