A Thought For To-day.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 20 April 1942, Page 4

A Thought For To-day.

To think in terms of health, beauty, and goodness, is to keep fat-ins toward the Gochvard side of life.—F. (.'. Ellis. One Million Ration Books.

Over a. million ration books, it is estimated, were issued in Xew Zealand last week. This is two-thirds oi. the expected total requirements.

Facial Eczema in Sheep, A few cases of facial eczema among sheep have been reported in the Waikato. The reports indicate that the trouble is of a mild character a.nd that the cases arc isolated. The outbreak is not comparable with the severe epidemic which occurred in 1938Intermediate School Hospital.

It was reported at a meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board. to-day. that recently the number ol patients in the J ntermediate School Kmergeney Hospital had risen to 120Colds and such minor ailments among soldiers had brought about the rise in numbers. The daily number of occupied beds in March was 49.93. Frosty Conditions.

Palmerston North and district experienced a very cold night and residents awoke to-day to find a frosty nip in the air. The temperature reading at the Grasslands Division at Massey College, however, showed a minimum of only 32 degrees (freezing point), but traces of frost were to be. seen on buildings in several parts of the city.

Angler's Good Catch. Although the present fishing season in the Manawatu and adjacent streams has been tar from satisfactory, a remarkably good fish, a brown trout weighing Sib 12iJoz, was- taken from the Manawatu River, near the Longburn bridge, yesterday, by Mr D. L. Holland. 'J his is the best single fish reported caught so far in this water this season.

Superstitious Seaman Fined. An able seamen was lined £'6 at Hull for neglecting to proceed to sea after lie .had been lawfully engaged lo serve on a vessel. He said he found his two brothers were in the same ship, and he did not think there should be three from one family on board. He had been twice torpedoed already. The Magistrate told defendant not to be so superstitious.

Hospitals and Defence. Following the receipt of a circular, to-day, at a meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, the managingsecretary (Mr A. J. Phillipps) said that when defence construction work had been completed carpenters and other artisans would be transferred to hospital buildings. Already one man had been transferred to the Hospital from other employment.

Eight Miles of Bunks. The London Passenger Transport Board states that during , last year 16,000.000 people were given shelter at 79 underground stations. Eight and a-half miles of three-tier bunks—76oo in all—were installed on platforms and subways. At 124 canteens 300 urns and 90 piewarme'rs were put in. and 11 tons of food were distributed nightly during the raids.

Collection of Ergot. The appeal for the collection of ergot, urgently required by Britain for medical purposes, has met with a ready response throughout the Dominion, the total amount obtained being the best part of a ton. Ordinarily a ton of ergot is worth approximately £9OO, but the price varies according to the po°sibility of Spain being involved in the war." Apart from New Zealand, Spain is now the only country open to the Democracies in which ergot is found naturally.

War Prisoners Learn Maori. Many prisoners of war desiring to utilise their time to the best advantage are now turning to the study of languages. As a result, the Prisoners of War Enquiry Office headquarters in New Zealand have received a considerable number of requests from men who are anxious to learn the Maori language. Many copies of Williams's "Elementary Maori Grammar 1 ' are being sent forward, and also advanced study books such as "Maori Grammar and Conversation" by Sir Apirana Ngata, are also being sent. Home Guardsmen's Injuries. Extensive and particular instructions as to procedure were received by the Palmerston North Hospital Board, today, in a circular from .Army Headquarters stating that the Army is assuming responsibility for injury suffered through service in the Home Guard or any other disability attributable to or aggravated by such service. The circular outlined the steps to be taken, in view of the .Home Guard's - having been brought into the Defence Forces of the Dominion, and provision is made for a board of inquiry to be held if the injury proves fatal, if there are doubts about the cause of the injury or whether it occured as a result of Home Guard duty.