NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 207, 1 September 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Colonial Goose An amusing episode in an Auckland restaurant was provided by two overseas servicemen who protested volubly against the mutton and seasoning they were served with after they had ordered colonial goose. They said they had expected real goose and not this typically New Zealand dish. Judge’s Wig and Gown Astray The Compensation Court, at a sitting in Palmerston North yesterday, had a slightly less formal air than usual. Owing to some of Mr. Justice O 'Regan ’a luggage being overcarried, he was left without his robes aud wig. In order that the case could proceed, it was taken in the Judge’s room, neither the Judge nor counsel being gowned. Sixty Consecutive Frosts A former Hamilton resident now i domiciled in Central Otago mentioned in a letter to a friend that the town- 1 ship of Alexandra and neighbouring settlements had experienced 60 consecutive frosts. The average for the 60 nights at the Alexandra station was 11 degrees, and the frosts had varied from 5 degrees to 22 degrees. Peaches 8s 6d Each An Auckland seaman recently returned from England saw peaches priced 8s 6d each in London shops. In one window a few of the peaches were displayed in a bed of cotton wool. They were of only average size and quality. Grapes were 30s a bunch. Few civilians saw butter and even margarine was iu short supply, he said. Artists’ Materials Artists are not unique in that they canuot work without tools, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to obtain the materials necessary for their work. Under a special licence last year the council of the New Zea- , land Academy of Fine Arts was allowed to order material from overseas to the value of £4OO for the benefit of artist members. Some of this material, however, was lost at sea and was not replaced in a later shipment. A further licence has been obtained for this year, states the. academy’s annual report, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain materials, and the indications are that the position is not likely to improve in the near future. After Many Years A Dunedin firm has received the following letter from a former Dunedin man who now lives in Underbool, Victoria: “When I left for service overseas in 1916 I owed a brewery firm in Joel’s Building in King Street North an account. 1 forgot about it when I went away. 1 would have paid it years ago only I could not remember the name of the firm. It has now come to my mind that the money might have been owing to your firm, so I am enclosing a money order for £5. If you cannot find the owner of the firm in 1915-16 please give the money to some society that works among tho poor people of Dunedin.” As the account mentioned was written off years ago, the firm has handed the £5 to the Crippled Children’s Society. Shakespeare and the Sailor A tendency to quote Shakespeare in unexpected places lias been manifested by several visiting servicemen iu Wellington. A brawny pharmaceutist’s mate who missed his train one morning stood on the Wellington platform acclaiming, “I am he. that unfortunate he” to all and sundry, instead of reverting to the more usual utterances. A bearded and unselfconscious sailor, who apparently had achieved distinction for a Shakespearean repertoire, required little coaching from his two companions before treating a crowded compartment in a city-bound train to an accurate and impassioned rendering of Portia’s speech from “The Merchant of Venice.” Eventually, with the true artist’s sense of perfection, he. ignored both his friends’ frantic signals to desist, and overstayed to the extent of two stops, simply to finish the oration. Slow Shearing Record Gisborne holds the record for fast sheep shearing with more than 400 in a nine-hour day. A soldier in a prison camp in Germany tells of what must bo the world’s record for slow-motion shearing. Private A. Mulligan, of Tokomaru Bay, w ho has been a prisoner since the campaign in Greece, tells the story in a letter to his mother. “ There is a country hostel just down from our camp, and the chap who runs it owns a fair bit of land,” tho letter states. “Our guards have their meals there. He must have askea tho corporal if any of us knew how to shear, because the corporal asked me, and l said T knew' a bit about, it. Then he said they had four sheep down there. I think it is the first time they have seen a sheep shorn properly. It; took me about an hour and a-half with a blade shear, whereas last year, they said, it took four of them a whole day to do one.”

Student Nurses at Social Gathering Delegates to the annual conference of the Student Nurses’ Association assembled in Palmerston North were entertained at a delightful Bocial gathering last evening held at the Nurses’ Home. Blight fires and lovely bulbs, mimosa and blossom in the common rooms made their contribution to tho welcome extended by Miss J". Paterson, president of tho Palmerston North branch, and Miss E. Graham, secretary. Miss L. JU. Banks, matron of the Palmerston North Hospital and president of the Registered Nurses’ Association, was present, also Mrs. A. Donner, Dominion secretary, and members of the Manawatu branch, and the time was happily occupied with bridge and various games. Delicious supper was served iu the cafetaria, after which there was a short entertainment presented by the nurses. An amusing song with topical verses on hospital life had been arranged by Nurse Kane aud Nurses Nash and Lister were associated in a bright little sketch. Opportunity was then taken by Nurse Graham to make a small presentation to Sister Frances, Homo Sister, for her many kindnesses to the girls. Returning thanks, blister Frances wished the student nurses all success for their conference. Nurse Lambert received the trophy for most l>oints in games.