Prompt Internment.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 166, 13 June 1940, Page 6

Prompt Internment.

The efficiency with which the Isetlierlands East Indies acted after the German invasion of Holland last month was praised by Captain C. A. M. I. Kramers, a Dutch shipmaster visiting Auckland. Of the 7000 Germans in Java, 4000 were interned immediately on the declaration of war. Air Mails Curtailed.

The entry of Italy into the war necessitates the suspension in the meantime of the England to Egypt section of the Empire air service, the PostmasterGeneral (Hon. P. C. Webb) announced last night. “This means that an airmail service from New Zealand is not now available for points beyond Egypt and Africa,” Mr Webb said. Public Service Purge.

Tlie purge of Government departments of all employees participating in subversive activities is continuing. Officials of the Public Works Department and the Railway Department, yesterday admitted in Wellington that inquiries were being made in those departments into the 'conduct of a number of their staffs.

Big Sum From Bullock. By being sold several times in aid of the Hastings and Napier funds for the sick, wounded and distressed, a prime Hereford bullock, donated by Mr 'E. Nelson, realised £143 at the Stortford Lodge sale. It was sold several times in the ring and netted £lO9. Later it was offered for sale again and a further £34 was obtained. The bullock finally went for £ls. Registration of Gardeners. Registration of commercial gardeners was* a step toward solidarity which it was felt would facilitate improvements in organisation of production and distribution of vegetables, said the Direcor of Horticulture (Mr W. Iv. Dallas), at the annual conference of the Dominion Council of Commercial Gardeners. It was hoped that a Bill would be presented to Parliament during tlie session.

Absorption of Teachers. The Wanganui Board started the school year with 48 supernumerary teachers. Some have been placed in schools throughout the district to replace teachers Who have enlisted and two have been sent to Taranaki. There are notv nine supernumerary teachers left and it is expected that bv October the board will have to call on married women teachers who have left the profession. Price of Garden Produce.

The great difference alleged to exist between the wholesale prices of some vegetables and those charged in the shops, as well as the trading difficulties of fruit and vegetable retailers, was discussed at the annual conference of the Dominion Council of Commercial Growers in Wellington yesterday, when the following remit was carried: “That the glaring difference between wholesale and retail prices for fruit and produce be inquired into by the Government.”

Matter of Co-operation. He felt sometimes that there was an anti-department feeling or psychology and he wanted to break that down, said the acting-Minister of Agriculture (Hon.’ E. Langstone), when lie addressed the annual conference of commercial gardeners in Wellington yesterday. Every Minister, and every State employee, was the servant of the people. It was not a matter of being the big stick or the boss, but of understanding co-operation.

Less Canned Fruit. -The Dominion’s imports : o£ canned fruit iri 1939 were valued at £155,155, against £217,731 in the previous year, and thp value 'of jams and preserves fell from £17,614 ito £3481. Certain dried fruits and pickles arid sauces also showed reduced import figures. Greeks Indignant. Wellington Greeks, who are strongly anti-Italian and pro-British in sentiment, are perturbed and mortified at having been repeatedly made the victims of misdirected demonstrations of hostility by mistaken members of the public in the past few days. They intend to place in their shops and restaurants notices which will read: “This establishment is Greek,” in order to prevent recurrences. Funds For Farmers. Advances to farmers from a fund of, say, £5,000,000, administered by a Department of Production for farm expenditure and directed at increasing production, was the basis of a scheme which was suggested to a meeting of farmers by Mr J. B. Campbell, who recently resigned from the position of Farmers’ Union representative on the Hastings District Council of Primary Production oiv the grounds that these councils were serving no useful purpose. District Enlistments.

Latest available recruiting figures for the Central Military District, which are those to the end of last week, show -Registrations', 14,274; registrations cancelled or withdrawn before medical examination 790: awaiting medical examination, 12112 (includes 82 not available); fit, 9671; temporarily unfit, 870 (includes 79 not available) ; permanenty unfit, 1661; important occupations held back. 768; enlistments withdrawn or cancelled, 136; dispatched to camp, 7273; awaiting dispatch to camp, 1181: not immediately available for camp, 313.