The War Effort.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 300, 18 November 1940, Page 6

The War Effort.

A correspondent, “Sailor’s Wife,” writes to the Christchurch Press: —A letter I received from England yesterday contained the following paragraph : “New Zealand! What a country! For-ty-hour week, record amounts through the totalisator, electricity for all immediately ! and all this while the whole Empire stands with its back to the verylast wall.” Master’s School Service. A long period of service in one school was completed by Mr F. W. Hare, headmaster of the Whitiora School, last week. Mr Hare has been in charge of the school since it was opened 21 years ago. There were three teachers on the staff and 120 pupils on the roll in 1919. There are now 16 teachers and 660 pupils. During the 21 years 5270 pupils have passed through the institution. Anniversary of the League. The first Assembly of the League of Nations was held on November 15, 1920, by which time there were 42 member States. Germany and her allies were excluded. The Covenant of the League contained important clauses for the prevention and settlement of disputes. They bound the nations who were members not to employ force for the settlement of a disagreement until first submitted to the League. The right to resort to war was reserved in case the League failed to reach a unanimous decision. Those actually responsible for the League’s foundation were the enthusiastic President Woodrow Wilson and General Smuts. Arawa Tribe’s Gesture. The final event of the New Zealand Centennial year was celebrated at Whakarewarewa on Saturday, when the reconstructed Wahaio meeting house was opened by the Governor-General (Lord Galway), on the occasion of his farewell visit to Rotorua. The enlargement of the meeting house is a Centennial gesture by the Arawa people, being one of the only three Centennial meeting houses in the Dominion. A cheque for £IOOO from the Arawa people was handed to Viscount Galway by Mr H. Tai Mitchell, G.M.G. Half of the checjue was a straightout gift to the National Patriotic Fund and half an interest-free loan for the duration of the war. Farmers and Army.

“The position concerning farm labour is becoming alarmingly-''serious,” said Mr 11. W. Jvebbell, deputy-chairman of the Wairarapa Production Council. “The Government on the one hand has urged the crying need for increased production, and yet on the other hand is taking men off farms lor military training. Which is the more important? A direct statement by the Government will clear away the haziness which surrounds the whole position.” Mr lvebbell added if the Government considered military training was of paramount importance, then farmers would have to be prepared to walk off their farms and go into camp. If the Government considered increased production more important, it should say so and clear up the position. “In my own experience l find that I cannot get men to replace those called up,” Mr Kebbell said. “I am left to farm 4000 acres.’-’;

Successful Carnival. The Gisborne patriotic queen carnival, which concluded on Saturday, raised £15,369 for rehabilitation purposes. The total of the district rehabilitation fund is now £22,301. —Press Association.

Derelict Engine Removed. The big K engine, which has lain derelict at Mercer since Labour Day, when it was derailed, was on Thursday lifted by two huge cranes and towed back to Auckland for overhaul. Military Service Appeals. Appeals have been lodged on behalf of 550 men who were called up in the Hamilton area in tho second Territorial ballot. Among the number are 31 conscientious objectors. A total of -'045 appeals affecting 1862 reservists out ol 8300 drawn in the second Territorial ballot had been received by the Auckland Area Man-Power Conimjttee when the time for lodging applications closed on Saturday. Guard’s Serious Fall.

An unusual accident occurred early on Friday morning during shunting operations at Papakura when a guard, Mr C. Meehan, of Reipuera, suffered injuries to the spine. The train on which he was travelling stopped above Subway Road to pick up water. Mr Meehan, thinking that the train was at the Drury station, climbed down to proceed with the shunting operations, falling between the sleepers on the bridge to the roadway, 25 feet below. Policeman’s Courage.

A middle-aged woman who fell into tho Waikato River from the railway bridge, Hamilton, on Friday, was rescued from drowning by the brave efforts of Sergeant Donald Austing, of the Hamilton police. Several passers-by saw tho woman fall into the water and summoned Sergeant Austing, who was on duty in Victoria Street. Divesting himself of his boots, tunic, and helmet, he entered the water a couple Of hundred yards downstream from the bridge and finally located the woman a quarter of a mile from where she entered the water. Bomber Crew's Adventures.

' How the bomber he was piloting in a raid on Hamburg was damaged, so that later one propeller fell off and the machine limped back, gradually losing height until it crashed in a fog 10 miles from home, is told by Flying Officer N. J. Fdwards, in a letter to his parents at Hastings. Flying-Officer Edwards was announced recently as having received injuries, but his letter says: “I’m all right. Just my left shoulder smashed up a bit. We went to Hamburg that night, and over the city one motor gave trouble, so searchlights got us and they opened up ou us with every gun they had. Rut they didn’t get a direct, and we squirmed out somehow. However, on the way back one motor burst into flamesand the propeller fell off. We got the first out and tried to get home on one engine, but it wouldn't do it, and we gradual - ly lost height. Then the good motor started to go, and we flew into the ground in the middle of a thick fog only 10 miles from home. There was a most awful crash. We hit two pine trees first, smashed them up, and then spread all over a field. 1 was out first, and tried to fix up the others, who were pretty had, and then went for help in the dark and fry. They were all knocked about, but all »are gettng better.” Flying-Officer Edwards, who is chief pilot in one of the bombers, has two Napier airmen in his crew, one as rear gunner and the other as observer.