NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 163, 12 July 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Lone Voyager Arrives Home A Press Association message from Buenos Aires states that Senor Vito Dumas, the Argentinian, who left on June 27, 1942, to circumnagivate the globe, reached home recently after a long solitary voyage. Senor Dumas called in at Cape Town and then Wellington. He reached Valparaiso, Chile, several weeks ago, and completed the voyage by rounding Cape Horn. He is the first yachtsman to do so from west to east. Intersection Collision It was a wonder nobody wa3 hurt when a car and light lorry collided at the intersection of College Street and Fitzherbert Avenue yesterday afternoon. Both vehicles toppled on to their sides while the car finished up on the footpath, just missing a power pole. The driver of this car, an elderly lady, climbed out shaken and bruised, but otherwise uninjured. Tho driver of the other vehicle and his passenger were equally fortunate. Hair Oil and Tobacco Advantage of the present shortage of tobacco has been taken by a Chinese tobacconist in Invercargill. Inquirers for tobacco and cigarettes are blandly informed that they must first buy a bottle of hair oil before they will be supplied with one packet of cigarettes or cigarette tobacco. Appeals to the better nature of the Chinese are of no avail. Non-users of hair oil, however, buy three cakes ol’ soap instead. All Confidential The threat of the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Barclay, that he would take other measures against primary production councils which refused to comply with his request that reporters should be excluded from their meetings has evidently been put into effect. At a meeting of the North Canterbury Council last week, half a dozen or more official letters were received. They were all marked "Confidential,” and were consequently dealt with in committee. Swallowed Fork

The death occurred in the Waikato hospital, of Frederick David Thompson, aged 25, an inmate of the Waikeria Bor-

stal Institute, as a result of swallowing the prong end of a dinner fork. At the inquest hold before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., coroner, evidence was given by Mr. D. Dunlop, superintendent of the institute, that deceased complained of pains and an X-ray examination revealed that he had swallowed a broken fork. Medical evidences showed that the fork had perforated the stomach and had caused peritonitis. A verdict of death from peritonitis was returned.

Pig Marketing Record A successful year’s trading is announced in the annual report of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, the tui'nover of its combined undertakings reaching a record total of £1,338,680. On owners’ account, 405,000 head of pigs, bobby calves and cull cattle were handled, and final payments are in course or preparation. For pigs supplied from November 3 to May 31 on all grades and classes of supply, a final payment of 5-Sd per lb. has been declared. In addition, shareholders whose supply is qualified by. shares will be on the full season’s supply, namely June 1, 1942, to May 31, 1943, receive a cash bonus of 7-8(1 per lb., plus a credit on the unpaid balance of shares of a similar amount.

His Own Cutlery Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander E. L Susman, R.A.N., takes his own cutlery, cup and saucer and glass with him when he dines at restaurants. lie dislikes using cafe dishes, which, nowadays, owing to staff shortages, in peak business hours are often just hastily dipped in water, wiped with a doubtful towel and put straight on the table again, because of tho danger of trench mouth and other communicable diseases. Dr. Susman carries his cutlery and glass in a suitcase, which he hands over to a waiter on entering a restaurant. ‘‘.The waiter resets tho table with my own things,” Dr. Susman said. “After I have finished dining, the waiter clears away and brings me back my cutlery and glass, washed and pacaeJ in tho suitcase.” Church Union

Dealing with the question of church unity in his charge to the Waikato Diocesan Synod, Bishop C. A. Cherrington referred to the work that was being done in this direction in South India. Union was wanted and it was the duty of all churchmen to explore every avenue available. The position of the Church of England was a very important one. What the world wanted was a united church which would have in its fold all Christians, said the Bishop, but it must be tho church the Saviour founded on his Apostles, with Himself the corner-stone. It must be this and not a number of man-made communities calling themselves churches and loosely bound by a sentimental goodwill that must form the basis of church reunion. Seed Potatoes

Small growers of potatoes are asked to endeavour to make their own precision for supplies of seed potatoes becauso of the increased demand for commercial purposes. An official of tho Department of Agriculture stated that the New Zealand Grain, Seed, and Produce Merchants’ Federation had undertaken to arrange contracts with growers for the lilanting of 33,000 acres of potatoes in the coming spring. This was a large increase; the average yearly plantings from 1936 to 1942 were only 19,800 acres, ami the planting last year was only 22,000 acres. This year Canterbury alone was being asked to increase its planting by 69 per cent. In the past, the North Iclaiid had been largely dependent on Canterbury for its supplies of seed potatoes, but this year it seemed likely that Canterbury would absoro practically ail Its own seed. Small growers in the North Island, particulai'ly domestic gardeners, should, therefore, try to make their own arrangements for seed, so that they would not have to draw on the commmcial supply. Any small potatoes should be saved for seed and surplus table potatoes should be cut into sets according to tho advice given last year.

Family Tragedy Sequel The report of the recent tragedy at Invercargill, when a widow drowned four of her six children and took her own life, has elicited widespread practical sympathy in the Auckland Province. In u letter to' the New Zealand Herald, the town clerk of Invercargill reports that ho received remittances from individuals in Auckland city and province amounting to £29 17s 6d. The Mayor of Invercargill, he says, has been deeply touched by the kindness of the Auckland people. The town clerk asks, however, that publicity be given to the fact that the trouble with tho family was not finance. The money received will be applied to give any as-

sistance required to the surviving children pending the completion of legal formalities in tho administration of the estate, and in the meantime, it is not anticipated that any further donations will be required. As an outcome of this tragedy, an effort is being made in Invercargill to form a committee drawn from the social service organisations, whose function it will be to keep in touch with women with families during this time of strain. The town clerk suggests that this subject might well be taken up in other centres in the Dominion.