“Not Mussolini.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 219, 14 August 1940, Page 6

“Not Mussolini.”

A graphic account of 1 uesday’s raids on England came irom the 8.8. C. commentator at noon to-day. He referred to “those great gladiatorial combats as the greatest since the days of the Caesars,” and with stinging emphasis added: “I don’t mean Mussolini !”'

Racegoers’ Anxiety. “If we get six or eight inquiries about the weather before 9 a.m. we can always tell that there is a race mccting somewhere,” said Dr It. G. Simmers, senior meteorologist, addressing the Wellington Rotary Club yesterday. Million Onion Plants. Schools in the Thames Valley, Bay of Plenty, Southern Waikato, and Rotorua districts are now receiving from Pukekohe delivery of an order which may run into a total of a million onion plants. The children have entered into a plan to grow the onions for sale for the patriotic funds. Butterfly Fish. The second specimen of butterfly fish known to have been caught in New Zealand waters has been received at the Auckland War Memorial Museum from Whangarei. It was captured off Poor Knights, and its appearance is bizarre, its colouring being chrome, with black stripes. It is usually found off Lord Howe Island. Otago’s Dry Winter.

The extraordinarily mild winter and the absence of rain in Otago are beginning to have repercussions unusual at this time of the year. In many country districts there is a pronounced shortage of water, and in a number of areas carrying is being resorted to. Even in suc'h usually wet districts as the Gatlins the position is serious and one or two of the bush sawmills are finding it difficult to obtain sufficient water. Social Security Funds.

Benefits totalling £1,523,468 have been paid from the Social Security Fund in the past three months of the current financial year. This compares with £1,172.272 in the same period to June 30 last year. Age benefits, totalling £1,149,781, accounted for the greater proportion of expenditure, and compared with £894.438 in the first three months of last year. Receipts in the first three months totalled £3 865,773. Total receipts injdie same period of last year were £3,324,502. Football Passes Returned. When the former Manawatu Referees’ Association ceased to function recently, the members returned their free passes to the Rugby Union. At the suggestion of the president (Mr A. M. Ongleyl the management committee of the union last evening decided to return these passes, to operate for the remainder of this season, as an expression of appreciation of the sendee the .'referees have given to Rugbv football, in some cases over a long period. Celestial Conjunction.

The planets Jupiter and Saturn, lying very close together in the morning sky, have been creating interest among those early astir by their unusual proximity.' When the two objects rise on Friday morning, shortly after midnight, they will be at their closest •to each other, Jupiter, the brighter of the two, being just over a degree to the north, ,or below, Saturn. Venus, which is also'a prominent object in the morning sky at present, does not rise until several hours after the other two. Soldiers’ Magazine.

Full of topical humour, light-hearted verse, and brief tales of shipboard life, copies of “The Grapevine,” a magazine produced by men of the Second Echelon on one of the transports which took them to England, are now reaching New Zealand. The magazine, which was printed in South Africa, contains 24 pages, the cover design depicting a large transport framed by the carved entrance to a Maori house. In a reference to the publication, the editor points out that “this voyage is a passing phase in a great adventure and ‘The Grapevine’ is a reflection of the cheerful spirit prevailing.”

School Holidays. Schools, primary and secondary, in the Wanganui education district, break-up for the second term holidays on Friday. Primary schools will resume on Monday, September 2. Juvenile Ailments.

Mumps are prevalent in the Auck • land metropolitan district and school attendances are being affected considerably. Whooping cough, chicken pox and influenza aro also keeping many children in bed. Shearers From Australia.

An attempt is to be made by the South' Canterbury Primary Production Council to bring as many blade shearers as possible from Australia. This step is to be taken to relieve the shortage of experienced men. Manawatu River’s Level.

The height of the Manawatu River at mid-day' to-day had fallen to sft 6in from 6ft 9in at noon yesterday. Rivers in Hawke’s Bay are still running high because of the rain and melting snow, but are reported to be subsiding. Movements of Troops. Several troop trains again passed through Palmerston North to-day, some travelling north and others south. Trains also passed through last night, and for one bound for the north there was a particularly large number on the station, this being augmented by men returning from the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa areas.

Meteor Observed. A brilliant meteor was observed as dawn was breaking to-day by Miss V. It. Hills, at Ashhurst. Appearing first in the south-western sky, the meteor, which had a brightly-coloured tail, swept across the horizon, finally disintegrating in the east. Miss Hills states that the phenomenon, which was noticed between 5.45 and G a.m., was most spectacular For Overseas Service.

At a X’ccent sitting of tlic medical board in Palmerston North the following recruits for the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force were examined: Messrs M. O. M. AVcreta, K. Geary, S. H. Lucas, J. T. Elliott, 0. AV. Woods, I. AVaugh, A. S. Berry, HC. Fenwick, L. M. Bcvan, AV. G. Sheridan, R. Grammar, H. J. AVaugh, and B. L. Bateman.

Catholic Chapel at Camp. The new Roman Catholic chapel which has been built at the Papakura mobilisation camp will, be officially opened on Sunday by Bishop Liston. The cost of the building and its furnishings has been about £2OOO, and in addition to the chapel and accommodation for the chaplain there are a buffet, a recreation room and a reading and writing room. Lemon Industry Crisis. A crisis has developed in the financial position of lemon growers in the Auckland district, which is so serious that the committee responsible for representing the producers on the Auckland Citrus Growers’ Association has resigned from office, and has announced that it will leave others to “carry matters to a head.” This opportunity, it states, will be given next month. Farm Fatality.

A young man, Mi - Eric Hammond, aged 24, farm manager, of Kawliatau, Mangaweka, died in the Taihape Hospital yesterday from, injuries received at the result of an accident believed to have been caused as the result of his horse falling while he was riding round the ewes in hilly country. He was managing a farm at Kawliatau for Mr S. It. Thompson, and left on Monday morning to ride round the ewes. When he did not return for lunch a search was organised and he was found shortly before 5 p.m. at the foot of a gully. Sportsmen Soldiers.

Included in the list of officer-cadets who have been given commissioned rank after serving in the Army School of Instruction in Trentham Military Camp is Mr D. G. Barton, formerly of the Bank of New South Wales staff, Wanganui, and a prominent New Zealand Itugby centre three-quarter. Second-Lieutenant Barton has represented King Country, Wanganui, and the North Island on the llugby field. Ho was educated at the Wanganui Technical College, playing for that team in 1927 and 1928. In 1929 he represented the llangitikei Union, his home being in Marton. SecondLieutenant D. A. R. Moloney, who will also be in an infantry battalion, is the New Zealand representative cricket captain, and he has represented Manawatu, Otago, and Wellington at cricket. Second-Lieutenant W. M. Carson, another infantry officer, is the former All Black footballer and New Zealand representative cricketer.