NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 6, 8 January 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Britain at War All British munitions of war sent to Russia have been sent under lend-lease. Up to December, 1942, Britain had supplied Russia with 2974 tanks and 2480 aircraft, based on an agreement with the U.S.S.R., while aircraft sent outside the agreement brought tlie total up to over 3000. To send help to Russia via Persia, Britain has built special assembly plants for trucks in that country. Locomotives and freight cars are built in Britain to transport supplies to Russia over the Persian raiLroads.

Cyclist Injured As a result of a collision between a motor vehicle and a young lady cyclist at 5.25 p.m. yesterday outside "the Empire Hotel, Palmerston North, the latter was admitted to the Public Hospital with minor cuts and abrasions. Railway Deviation Because of a shortage of manpower, the completion of the railway deviation between Turakina and Okoia, on the main line from Wellington to Wanganui and Taranaki, is being delayed. At present about 50 rnen are employed, but it is stated that the work could absorb three times that number. Thousands of Ladybirds Ladybirds in quantity are at the present time very noticeable in Napier and other parts of Hawke’s Bay. 11 There seemed to be tdns of thousands of them,” said a Hastings visitor when mentioning that at Westshore one day last week he and his family had to leave the beach because of thousands of ladybirds of many different colours which clung to their hair and clothes. Killed by Train

The decapitated body of Noeline Margaret Phillips, aged 16, who resided with her parents in Cuba Street, Petone, was found by the engine driver of a train at 3.5 a.m. yesterday on tlie railway line between the Petone railway station and the Petone railway crossing. It is believed that she was run over by the previous train which passed through Petone at about 12.20 a.m.—Press Association. Earlier Run of Fish Usually expected about the middle of January, the run of deep-sea fish at the Bay of Islands has begun earlier this season and anglers have experienced good sport on practically every day since Boxing Day, when the first swordfish was caught. According to experienced fishermen, the indications point to an excellent season. Cntchrs so far have included black marlin, striped marlin and mako sharks in goo 3 numbers, the largest being the 6401 b black marlin landed by an American airman on Monday. All the hired boats have been out and several private launches have been in use as the result of the extra allowance of petrol for use during the holidays. Literary Competition A surprising response was made by men and women of the armed forces in New Zealand and the Pacific to a scheme originated last year by the Army Education Welfare Service and the National Broadcasting Service to give service personnel the opportunity to express their latent literary talent. Entries for a competition for radio plays, short stories, descriptive sketches, narrative poems and lyric poems, closed on December L Prizes offered ranged up to 20 guineas. The lyric poem section attracted 142 entries, while 40 entered narrative poems. There were 83 short stories, 39 descriptive sketches and 39 radio plays.

Ancient Maori Farmers A visitor to the most recently developed parts of the Waikato thinks from what he saw of old Maori plantations that the native must have gone in for intensive cultivation. He savs there is evidence that they were not devoid of knowledge of manuring, and believed in deeply working the soil. He is convinced, too, that the Maoris must have been born farmefs. Inland Waikato, he says, must have been at one stage densely populated by Maoris, speeiallv near the many waterways and lakes, where (here were evidences of the closest settlement. Hugo heaps of shells of the fresh-water pipi had beercarried there by the Maoris, and had not been deposited by Nature.

Lost Ring Returning to New Plymouth by rail from her honeymoon recently, a young bride had the misfortune to lose her valuable diamond engagement ring on the train. The loss was not discovered until the couple reached their homo a few miles from New Plymouth, and it was with some pessimism that they rang the station about 10 p.m. By chance a railway official -working late answered the call and, making a search of the carriages, which had been already cleaned, discovered the ring in a crack in a feat. The carnage was part of a train which was to have left the next morning, and the chance of discovering the ring that day was regarded as negligible. It was a happy bride who recovered her ring at the station next day.