NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 44, 24 February 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Escorted to School Powers conferred ou school attendance officers by recent legislation were demonstrated in an Auckland auburn. A small boy was questioned in the street aud then escorted to school. On the way the boy’s father met the boy and his escort aud made inquiries. The attendance officer showed his badge and explained he had full authority for the action he was taking. In the Auckland area tho school attendance officer has a busy time, and a big area to cover. Part ot' his work is to visit places where children might, during school time, be found playing. Growing of Culinary Mustard The growing of culinary mustard is an interesting experiment at present being carried out in Southland under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, states tho Otago Daily Times. Nine crops have been sown, with varying results. The yield of the better crops appears to be satisfactory, and harvesting is in progress at present. White mustard has been grown, and this variety is blended with brown mustard. The growing of culinary mustard has already beeu attempted in Southland. The mustard is very sensitive, and two of the crops have beeu severely damaged by frosts. Winter Storage of Vegetables The harvesting and winter storage of home-grown vegetables is the subject of a second bulletin published by Massey Agricultural College, Palmerston North, on the teaching staff of which is the author, Mr. W. A. Jacques. Mr. Jacques’s two publications, the first of which dealt with home gardening, were much in demand at the present “Dig for Victory’ ’ exhibition in Wellington, which some 35.000 persons attended. Tho latest bulletin deals with the storage of fruit as well as vegetables, and is available freo from tho Registrar of tho College, on receipt of a stamped addressed envelope. Uncontrolled Dogs A statement that one man in the Olevedon district had lost 150 sheep which had been worried by dogs was made by Mr. N. P. Adams at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the Sheepowners’ Federation in Hamilton. Mr. Adams said that some local bodies said they were unable to obtain dog collars, but he felt this was a wrong assumption aud that an insufficient effort had been made to get them. Other members said chains were more difficult to obtain than collars, and were more necessary to keep dogs under control. Fears were expressed that there would be a great increase in sheep-worrying if steps were not taken to register and chain dogs. Maori Youth Gangs The influence oi film and radio-play trillers and cheap literature is alleged to be responsible for the organising of youthful gangs of Maoris in the native scheme settlement of Kuacalci, Taneatua. The gang movement has become so brazen and so persistent that subsequent police inquiries in-the settlement, following a series of thefts and the leaving of badly*spelt threatening messages, have met with willing cooperation in an attempt to break them up. Most of the culprits are under 18 years of age, but two of the older members were brought before the Police Court this week. The police investigation uncovered the existence of four separate gangs known, respectively, as the “Rawhide,” “the Kelly,” “the Midnight” and “the Green Hornet gang.'’ Systematic depredations were carried out by the youths of each in defiance of authority, and inter-gang warfare went on in approved underworld fashion, if on a somewhat milder scale. Power Rationing Suggested Rationing of electric power by allocating each consumer so many units a month and imposing a high charge for each unit used in excess of the allocation was suggested by the engineer, Air. J. Lythgoe, to the .South Taranaki Electric Power Board at Hawera this week as the only effective method of controlling the use of power. Air. A. J. Christie said ho saw no reason why country people should bo handicapped by tho refusal of the board to sell them electric ranges to replace burnt-out coal ranges or to overcome the fuel problem when others could buy equipment elsewhere, connect it to the system and thereby incrcaso tho load in any case. The law was being broken all over the country, because there was nothing to prevent a person purchasing electrical equipment at stores and connecting it to tho system, said Air. Lythgoe. “The only way to ration power efficiently.” he declared, “would be to ration each consumer, and if he exceeded his ration to charge him Is a unit for every unit in excess of the ration.” A Dog Resuscitated The question whether artificial respiration can be applied to restore life in a dog after drowning has been answered in the affirmative as a result of tho action of Air. J. W. St. Clair, :i prominent, figure in Hamilton rowing circles, who recently rescued a dog from the Waikato River and successfully applied resuscitation methods, states a Hamilton correspondent. It is doubtful whether this result has ever been achieved before in the Dominion. By clmuce Air. St. Clair observed the Inil of a dog which was floating head downwards 30 yards from tho ferry bank, beneath tho traffic bridge. In a bathing costume, he dived in and brought the dog to the bank. It was showing no sign of life. Air. St. Clair who said later that he was curious to see whether respiration methods would lie elective, began below the bottom rib, as is ilie procedure with human beings. For ten minutes he worked without result, and the owner of the dog advised him to give up. However, lie continued, and several minutes later was rewarded with success. For a short period the dog appeared very feeble, but before long it was running about quito normally. The owner, a drover from Cambridge, was overjoyed at the apparent miracle. It appeared that the dog, in company with two ' others, entered tho river for a swim and was draw T n by the current underneath a Jong barge tied at the wharf.