News Of The Day

Northern Advocate, 21 June 1941, Page 4

News Of The Day

Patriotic Collection A good response attended the Whangarei Patriotic Committee’s monthly street collection yesterday for the AllPurposes Fund. Collectors were on the streets 8 a.m. and their efforts yielded £99 10/9. * -r *■ 4 Mess Sergeant Stole A sergeant of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Henry Louis Mura, who was recently fined £lO at Auckland for a similar offence, was given a six weeks’ prison sentence by Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., who convicted ln'm on two charges of* stealing groceries from the Air Force Station at Rongotai, sentencing him on one charge and. discharging him on the other. Accused' was sergeaht in charge of the mess. * « ♦ * Guardsman Fatally Shot A member of die Wellington Guards Vital Points Company, Donald Francis Robertson, single, aged 30, who came from Stratford,.was fatally shot shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday. The fatality occurred at a Wellington poinl at which Robertson was stationed just before Ill's going on duty. The rifle from which the shot came was at the time in the possession of another member of the company.

Home Guard Diggers. Spring seems far distant to the average citizen, especially during cold nights alid mornings experienced lately, but,'under'orders, members of A Company of the Whangarei Home Guard tomorrow will, assume a spring gardening feeling and attack the frostbitten soil at Whareora for three hours. The company is not commencing a community market garden, the digging, with spades, shovels and picks provided by themselves, being officially designated as training In trench exqavattyn. .

Main Street Pheasant Within a hundred feet of Whangarei's busy shopping centre a pheasant was seen yesterday proudly strutting round. Evidently this old bird knew the safest places. * «■ * * Perches in Demand With the black-out regulations making the streets of Whangarei almost as dark as an unlighted town, there has been a great demand for electric torches. So great has been the demand that some of the Whangarei retail houses sold out of this most useful article. * * * * Improving Weather. Intermittent rain in Whangarei ing the past week led to the impression that the rainfall had been heavy, when, in fact, it amounted to only .46in. Temperatures dropped steadily during the period, nights and mornings especially being cold. Gradual improvement during the past 48 hours led this morning to the best day for weeks, a sharp frost being followed by brilliant, warm sunshine, which contrasted strongly with recent weather. • * * * Recognition Of Vehicle Impressment Committee It was stated by the president (Mr i H. M. May), - at the meeting of the! Whangarei branch of . the Farmers’! Union .that the committee set up in' Whangarei by , various organisations! to control the impressment of motor, vehicles for' the Army, ‘as well -as,' Home Guard and E.P.S. is to receive , official recognition within a few days,; intimation to this effect having been i received from the Government. This' committee is representative of all in-; terests;, ' V -