NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 191, 13 August 1941, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Gift to Patriotic Funds The recent recital arranged by the Palmerston North Vocal Art Society proved particularly successful, attracting very generous patronage, and as a result the society has been able to hand over £ls ss, the net proceeds, to the patriotic funds. Unlighted Vehicle. The danger arising from vehicles being left unlighted at night on other lhan recognised parking areas, was demonstrated on Monday evening when a boy riding a bicycle ran into the rear oi a lorry in Main Street to suffer the loss of several teeth and cut lips. Gaming Act Charges. John Bruce Clarke, Ernest James Watson and Alonzo Parsons, all of Palmerston North, appeared before Mr. R. E. Cousins, J.P., in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday to answer charges laid under the Gaming Act. Each was remanded to appear before the Court again on August 18, bail being allowed in sums of £IOO. Flag to be Replaced.

In a. letter to Lieut.-Colonel D. A. C. Lilburne, E.D., Captain F. P. Koorey, Wanganui, who is serving in the Middle East, discloses that a regimental flag, which was presented to the Ist. Battalion Wellington West Coast Regiment and attached to a Wellington unit, was lost in Greece. Steps are being taken now by the Wanganui Territorial Association to replace this flag. Whale on Beach.

Inquiries are being made by the curator of the Wanganui Museum, Mr. G. Shepherd, concerning a whale washed up on a beach near the mouth of the Whenuakura River, South Taranaki. The whale is reported to be about 70ft long and has apparently been harpooned. During the week-end many people from Patea visited the beach to [see the stranded monster. A start has been made to boil down the blubber. Car Designer’s Death. The American motoring press announces the death of Mr. C. Harold Wills, one of the most valuable and accomplished engineers in the motor world and the designer of the model T Ford. He was one of the greatest metallurgists in America and was responsible for every Ford model up to 1919. He was also responsible for the making of many new alloys and many men in this war will have their lives saved by the armour plate he devised. Territorials Praised.

Praise for the 18 and 19-year-old territorials, called in recent ballots and are now carrying out training in camps at Avondale, Whangarei, Ngaruawahia, Cambridge and Rotorua was voiced by Brigadier P. H. Bell, D. 5.0., officer commanding the Northern Military District. “They are an especially good lot,” said the brigadier, in mentioning that reports from the various camps were unanimous in this respect. He also stated that the lads were settling down to camp life, and it was expected that they would make good territorials. Claim Discontinued.

When the civil action, Barbara burner v. Coliinson and Sou, Ltd., was called in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr. T. M. N. Rodgers informed the Court that he had been instructed by plaintiff to discontinue the claim for £lO4 12s for arrears of wages alleged. Mr, A. M. Ongley, for det'endaut, asked for costs on the discontinuance of the claim nnd intimated that his client intended to proceed with the counter-claim. Judgment was entered for the firm on the claim for costs £6 4s and on the counterclaim by consent for the amount claimed £24 3s 7d with costs £2 11s 6d. Mr. Churchill’s Salary

In the Finance Bill debate, says the London Sunday Times, Sir Frank Sanderson greatly interestered members by a reference to the Prime Minister’s salary. It is nominally £IO,OOO, but more than two-thirds of that go to the Exchequer in income tax and surtax, ajid the amount received by Mr. Churchill is £3160. To eusure the receipt by him of £IO,OOO, the House, said Sir Frank Sanderson, would have to vote a salary of £266,960, and he went on to suggest that the salary should bo subject to income tax only, not to surtax. This appears to be reasonable, comments The Times. Our Prime Ministers should be free from financial worries, and a salary of £3160 net is entirely inadequate. 4 4 The Biggest Bombshell ’ ’ ‘‘The biggest bombshell of all is having to give coupons for our clothes,” says a woman in Wales, writing to a friend in Auckland. “It came so suddenly that no one had a chance to buy in a stock beforehand.” Referring to food, the writer says such things as oranges, grapefruit, apples, currants, date, raisins and sultanas had not been seen for months. Home-made cakes had disappeared, and tomatoes, which had dropped from the peak of over 8s 6d a lb to 3s 9d by the end of June, were still out of reach of all but a few. The diet of the majority of people was determined largely by the weekly ration of 2oz of butter, 4oz of margarine, Boz of sugar, 4oz of bacon, 2oz of cooking fats, 2oz of tea and one milkless day a week.

Frog from Australia. A stowaway in a cargo of hardwood recently landed at Timaru, an Australian tree frog, nearly the size of a newly-hatched chicken, is now sojourning at the Canterbury Museum. Inspecting the hardwood Mr. R. B. Moorhouse, of the State Advances Department, fonud the frog fast asleep in r. service in one of the pieces of timber. Like all the frogs of the temperate zones, it sleeps during the colder months, and even now, in a big glass jar in Dr. R. A. Falla’s office, where a comfortable open fire burns, it is still too drowsy to take any notice of food. Dr. Falla is doubtful whether the frog could survive the cold of the South Island winter. If jt did establish itself, he says, it would probably prove useful as an enemy of injurious insects. The frog is being kept alive, for observation of its diet and habits.