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GENERAL ITEMS

“Audiences Should Stand” The audiences should stand during a rendition of the national song, “God Defend New Zealand,” is the contention of Flight Lieutenant Hill, conductor of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Central Band. In a special announcement made immediately before the start of a farewell concert given by the band in the Auckland Town Hall, he referred to a point raised in the Auckland “Star,” and said that the Government of New Zealand had officially accepted the song as the Dominion’s “National Anthem.” Therefore. he added, audiences were expected to stand when it was played. Girls’ College Boarding Enrolments “The number of new boarders already enrolled is unusually high for this time of year. If the new Tinline scholar does not prove to be one of those already enrolled then we have only two definite vacancies left,” stated the monthly report to the College Council of Governors by the Lady Principal, Miss J. Stewart. “With these filled our number would occupy the maximum accommodation we can provide. Among those enrolled are two from Opotiki, one from Singapore, three from Christchurch and further south. The others are from the Nelson or Marlborough provinces, and include a girl recently evacuated from London.” Shortage of House Surgeons The fact that there is a grave shortage of house surgeons in New Zealand to-day was mentioned at last week’s meeting of the Otago Hospital Board (reports the “Otago Daily Times”). Two extra house surgeons are required for the Dunedin Hospital, and in his report the medical superintendent (Dr. J. Thomson) stated that he had conferred with the dean of the Medical School (Dr. Hercus), who said that there were far more vacancies at present than could be filled by qualified men. “It is a most unfortunate position,” the chairman (Mr J. W. Dove) commented. The Smoke Nuisance Vegetable plants blighted by the smoke from the Evans Bay power sta- ■ tion were displayed to members of the Wellington City Council at its last meeting. Residents wanted something done about the smoke nuisance. The Mayor (Mr T. C. A. Hislop) agreed that the smoke was a nuisance to the neighbourhood, but said the council was doing its best. Orders had been placed in London for certain parts of the new plant, which they hoped would arrive reasonably soon. Steps would then be taken to put in the necessary correcting machinery. 4000 for Each Meal More than 50 tons of those foodstuffs which form the base of the average family diet are required each week to feed men of the Central District Mobilisation Camp, Trentham. Here up to 4000 sit down to each meal, and at times the number has been much greater. The most interesting feature of food statistics at the camp is the fall in the consumption of bread, butter, jam, and cheese, and the increase in vegetables and fruit —oranges, bananas, apples, and rhubarb, the last-named as a breakfast dish. The following quantities give an idea of the weekly food consumption: Bread, 8 tons; meat, including small goods, 15 tons; potatoes, 10 tons; flour and butter, each two tons; onions, 1 ton; other vegetables, 18 tons; jam, 30001 b; sugar, 50001 b; fish, 30001 b; milk, 4000 gallons, fresh fruit, 250 cases. On an even division, therefore, each man in the camp now must get, directly or as part of some dish, a gallon of milk and a pound of butter a week. Cosmetics Production There are prospects of a cosmetics manufacturing plant being established in the industrial area at Petone, Wellington. Home for Kupe Statuary The Kupe statuary, admired by thousands of visitors to the Centennial Exhibition, has now found a home in the booking hall of the Wellington railway station. It has been restored, repainted and finished in fine cement work of warm pink, to tone in with, as far as possible, the Whangarei marble dadoes, which are a feature of the station hall. The final lettering descriptive of the group has yet to be inscribed. Larger Farms “The tendency to-day is for larger farms,” declared Mr H. J. McLeavej* president of the Manawatu provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, at a meeting in Rangotu (reports the “Manawatu Daily Times”). “The small farms are being found to be more and more uneconomic with the breakdown of the guai'anteed price and with rising costs. All farmers are seeking means of increasing income while holding down overhead costs. The small farmer is being ‘squeezed out,’ and his land is being acquired by others nearby for the purposes I have outlined.” No School Examinations “This year, for the first time, we have dispensed with the usual halfyearly and final examinations, and have based reports and prize awards on the records of work kept throughout the year,” stated the principal of the Southland Technical College (Mr C. A. Stewart) in his monthly report to the board (reports the “Southland Times”). “We shall be interested to note whether the new scheme does have the effect of showing to better advantage the faithful and steady workers rather than the more confident and ready pupils who can do themselves full justice in examinations.” The chairman (Mr J. H. Reed) asked the principal to prepare a report on the results of the new system for the information of the board.

Not Hopeful! Increasing taxation at Home has caused such a rise in living costs that the Army authorities have found it necessary to allow the “Tommies” an extra 6d per day to recompense them for it, writes a Dunedin sapper. “We are not likely to get it, though,” he remarks regretfully, “since already we get about three times as much as they do!” An Old Song When people attending the meeting in the Town Hall, Auckland, on Saturday night greeted two cablegrams from Mr Winston Churchill by singing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” some perhaps realised that the familiar song was specially appropriate to the occasion. Its air is one of oldest known European folk-tunes, and according to some authorities it dates back even to the Crusades. For more than three centuries it has been sung in France to the words of an old ditty woven around Mr Churchill’s famous ancestor, the first Duke of Marlborough, and beginning, “Marlbrouck s’en Va t’en Guerre.” (Marlborough is off to the War.”) Theft by Seagull The number of goldfish in the Queen’s Garden s was reduced by one to-day, wandering seagull having prospected with a measure of success at the still pond, and flapped triumphantly ly away with one of the bright coloured inhabitants in his beak. The attempt to gorge the fish while in flight proved too tricky, and the bird finally dropped the mangled morsel almost down the neck of an unsuspecting cyclist proceeding along the nearest street. “Ragged New Zealanders” Amusing and fantastic accounts broadcast from Italian and German radio stations were the subject of comment by a New Zealand soldier in Egypt writing to a relative in Auckland. Saying that the Dominion soldiers had been described in these broadcasts as “a mere handful of ragftpd New Zealanders,” the writer added: “If their news about the rest of the war is on a par with their news of what is happening to us, then things must be going rather badly for them. One area, according to Rome, is completely devastated. We certainly have seen no signs of it. Alexandria is reported to be in ruins, but I saw no sign of enemy activity when I was there op a recent afternoon.” Life Saving Awards A number of life-saving awards gained during the year by pupils at Nelson Girls’ College were recently presented by Mr E. R. Coote, president of the Nelson branch of the Royal Life Saving Society. Mr Coote gave a talk to the girls on the aims and work of the society, and expressed his pleasure at being abl to present five Instructor’s Certificates, and 28 bronze medallions for efficiency in life saving work. Antipathy to Farming “A bag of golf clubs is easier to throw over your shoulder than a bag of superphosphate,” remarked Mr H. J. McLeavey, president of the Manawatu provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, at a meeting of farmers in Rangiotu (reports the “Manawatu Daily Times”). “Farming pursuits are not as attractive to the younger generation as they used to be. The Government to-day represents people who want an easy life and it is just giving way to the people’s whims and fancies. The human race has to be kept up to the collar in order to be kept healthy, but we are now endeavouring to create a land of pleasure-seekers.” Debtor And His Car “You are not in a position to own a car,” said Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., to a debtor who appeared in a judgment summons case at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court last week (reports the “Southland Times”). The debtor said he was on relief work and earned £8 19s a fortnight. He had a wife and six children to support, and paid 17s a week rent. The car, he added, was not running now. The Magistrate: “And it should not be running. You cannot afford to run a car on your wage with six children to support.” It was stated that the debt was incurred for repairs to the car. Mr J. C. Prain: “Would you be willing to hand over the car in payment of the debt?” Debtor: “No, I would not.” Mr Prain: “What do you reckon the car is worth?” The debtor replied that it might bring about 30s. Mr Prain: “And you would not hand it over to pay a debt of £l9 odd?” No order was made. “Spitfire Neck” “Spitfire neck” was contracted by soldier cricketers in England fielding against a New Zealand Army side on 16th September—watching R.A.F. fighters shooting Huns out of the sky. Private George Spence, former Poverty Bay representative and Gisborne wicketkeeper, now of the second echelon, in a breezy letter attributes the fact that he topscored with 83 not out to this fieldsmen’s ailment in one game for the brigade team against a well-known military college. He wrote: “I was partnered by Eric Tindill for about an hour, and we were both not out, he for 74 and I for 20. We beat them comfortably.” In the next match in which he played he knocked up 83 not out and took three wickets for 21. “I have played cricket under some peculiar circumstances,” continued Private Spence, “but the last match was the strangest we had. A large scale air raid was on while we were playing, and, believe me, it was some raid. There were at least 300 to 400 planes in the sky that we could see. and a terrible lot we could not see. We left the field once when a Messerschmitt came down dangerously low, but that was the only interruption. This war will not last too long, the pace is too hot.” Wife’s Income And Husband’s Debts “I cannot take cognisance of what a wife earns.” said Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., in a judgment summons case in the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court last week. “The wife may be a rich woman, but that does not matter if the husband has incurred the debt.” Mr J. G. Imlay suggested that a wife’s income might have a bearing since it might determine the amount of surplus that the husband should have for the payment of his debts.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19401203.2.33

Bibliographic details

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 3 December 1940, Page 4

Word Count
1,917

GENERAL ITEMS Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 3 December 1940, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 3 December 1940, Page 4

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