Lucky Escape

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 49, 27 February 1943, Page 4

Lucky Escape

When a car got out of control and turned upside down near Bunnythorpe early last evening, tlio driver had a lucky escape. His injuries were negligible. Watchdog for School A request that a watchdog should be provided at the school was made by Miss E. M. Johnston, headmistress of the Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, in a letter read at a meeting of the Grammar School Board. There had been two burglaries at the school within three weeks, and money and personal property had been stolen, the letter said. The Board agreed to the request. Burglar’s Asthma Burglary was not a cure for asthma, remarked Mr. Justice Blair in the Wellington Supreme Court, in sentencing Frank .Ronald Anzac Ross, labourer, aged 22, to two years’ reformative detention for four offences of breaking and entering * and theft, and one of breaking and entering with intent. Ilis Honour’s comment was prompted by the prisoner’s plea that his complaint had caused him to lose all interest in life, and that the trouble was aggravated by prison environment.

Army Help Appreciated ‘I have never seen men so keen. At times their keenness was a little embarrassing,” said Mr. G. C. Warren at a meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury branch of tho New Zealand Farmers’ Union when moving that a letter be sent to the Army authorities expressing appreciation of the splendid work done by soldiers in the harvest fields. The proposal was carried unanimously, members stating that lawyers, drapery salesmen, and men from all walks of life had done a splendid job of work. Problem for Postwomen

Conservation of paper lias presented a new problem to postmen and postwomen. Before the war tho sorting of letters was not so difficult because the great majority of the envelopes were of a standard size, but such is not the case to-day. The men and women on delivery have to put up with all shapes and sizes. Some accounts are not placed in envelopes and others are folded so small, that they are apt to stick botween letters of a larger size. This adds to the difficulty of delivery and is a big factor in mistakes being made. Turning the Tables A soldier on leave from a North Auckland camp tells how ho turned the tables very neatly on two of his campmates who tried to foist off on to him an objectionable fatigue to which they had been assigned. Tlieir intended victim met them just as the sergeantmajor was departing. “The sergeantmajor told us to tell you to do so-and-so,” they said. Thinking it was odd that the sergeant-major had not given him the order direct, the soldier asked: “Did lie say 1 was to do that?” “Yes,” they said. “Did he name me?” “He did.” “Did he say that I, Private Ellis was to do this?” “That’s right.” “Sorry boys, but it won’t do,” said the soldier, “my name is Stephenson.” Churchill—Bible Seller The Atlantic Charter apparently is only one of Mr. Churchill’s many accomplishments. He has now been instrumental in the sale of Bibles, according to a story told by a missionary in a letter to his church magazine. He says that when offering a Bible to a Brazilian in tfye isolated Port of Fifteen, ho was asked if the Bible contained Matthew 7, 7. The Brazilian had been listening to the radio and had heard reference to tho message cabled by Mr. Churchill to General Sir Archibald Wavell. “Great was the delight of the Brazilian when I read to him the words, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall bo opened unto you.’ So, thanks to Mr. Churchill, I was not only able to sell a copy of tho Bible to my friend, but also to preach to him the way oi Salvation. ’ ’ Tea in Church

In an effort to combat the terrific cold of a Scottish winter, the minister in charge has allowed the serving of tea and cakes in one church there, according to a story related in tho latest issue of “The Outlook.” The serving of tea is told by a regular contributor to “Stedfast,” the official magazine of tho Free Church of Scotland, who, after referring to tho biting October temperature and the lack of fuel for church heating, says: “But those responsible for our service beat the Minister of Fuel at the risk of offending the Minister of Food. Immediately after the address we sang a hymn sitting, and a band of smiling ladies came round and distributed a hot cup of tea and a cake to each worshipper. 1 did not know where the tea, milk, sugar and cakes came from and I did not ask. It was none of my business. I wondered whether it would induce that buzz of conservation which seems inseparable from the drinking of tea in public, but everything passed off with the utmost decorum.” Young Bootblacks Discouraged The “Shine, sir?” that comes brightly from enterprising bootblacks in certain parts of Wellington might bring a flood of coppers and odd silver from i tho owners of dirty shoes, but it brings j nothing but frowns from the authori- . ties. Boys from six to 16 and even girls not in their teens have been infesting certain localities with their shoeshilling businesses, which the police describe a& a glorified form of cadging and a “real racket.” For the police the problem is difficult to deal with because the offenders are juveniles—if they were adults it. would be a different matter. When they are warned they simply take up other beats, and the position has become such that the police have had to take possession of the gear and get parents down to the police station to ask for their co-opera-tion in stopping the practice, the outfits being returned later. One boy had an outfit so large that he had to go into partnership with another b6y in order to carry it about. In another instance the entrance to a club was so congested with shoe-shiners that only one person could pass through at a time. To intercept even this small passing traffic a boy planted himself right in the gangway. Just before Christmas the by-laws committee of the Wellington City Council brought down a ruling that: juvenile bootblacks had to keep off the public streets, but could make arrangements to operate In shops or on other private properties.