GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 24 January 1942, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

Depth on Grey Bar. The average depth of water on the Greymouth harbour bar last year was 24 feet 7 inches, the highest average yet recorded and two inches deeper than the previous year. The average depth of water in the river for 1941 was 21 feet 7ins., or five inches more than in the previous year. It is considered that the breakwaters, with the recent extension of the north wall, are now fulfilling their true function, that is carrying the bar out to sea. The inner bar has recently almost disappeared, while the outer bar has increased. It is expected that this outer bar will also largely disappear, with the combination of a flood and heavy Indiscreet Letter Writers Six writers of indiscreet letters were fined in the Suva Police Court recently when they appeared before the Resident Magistrate on charges of attempting to communicate information which might be useful to the enemy. The information, mostly relating to shipping and troop movements, was contained in letters which had been intercepted by the censor. The magistrate stated that the prosecutions were the first of their kind in Suva and it was pointed out that the offences were more unwitt'ng than deliberate. Fines ranging from £3 to £7 were imposed, the magistrate stating that future offences would be more severely dealt with. Troop Paper Ceases Publication Because of the shortage of newsprint and the difficulties of transport the publication of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association for members of New Zealand’s fighting forces overseas, "Rco Mihi,” has ceased. Four numbers of the news-sheet were published during the past year, and it is with regret that the association has decided to cease this activity. In future men in the Middle East will bo kept in touch with R.S.A. activities through the "N.Z.E F. Times,” and servicemen in other theatres of war will have access to copies of the “R.S.A. Review” forwarded to Y.M.C.A. and camp reading rooms. Building Timber An order for 317,000 superficial feet (J building timber, for urgent military work in the North Island, lias been received by the West Coast Sawmillers’ Association, through the Timber Controller. The timber has to be shipped from Greymouth before the end of this month, and to make this possible, the order has been distributed, on a prorata basis, among 27 different sawmills on the West Coast. Price of Maize The Minister of Marketing (Mr Barclay) was recently approached regarding the price of maize and maize meal by the Manawatu provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, and in a reply which was read at a meeting of the executive he stated it was necessary thal the price fixed to growers, while as reasonable as possible to consumers, was also one which would ensure sufficient maize being grown to meet the country’s requirements without the necessity of having to resort to im - portations at higher prices, as had been the case in the past (reports the “Manawatu Standard”). Mr Webb, of the Levin branch, which had brought the matter forward, said the branch realised that adequate prices had to be paid to the growers, who, under present circumstances, were not getting 100 much. However, the cost to the consumer had to be made cheaper, and a subsidy to the grower was the only way this could be achieved if the price received by the grower was not to be reduced. It was decided to reply to the Minister on the above lines. Mr Barclay’s attention is also to be drawn to the quality of imj ported stock meal.

I t icndly Italians "The Italians arc quite friendly and | [don’t seem to want to fight,” runs a letter from a New Zealand soldier. “A ! I « oupie of hundred of them came in the other morning, and we said to them: ‘How is Mussolini'” I was surprised | | v hen one of them answered in Amcri- j ! ionized speech; ‘lie is safe and sound in ! j Rome.’ I asked him where he had ! 1 learned to speak English, and he said i he was a truck driver in the United; States. He had come to see his sister in | Rome in 1935) and had been called up to : light. “I asked him wlmt he thought ; of the war, and he answered: ‘Mussolini ' and Hiller think they will win the war, bin they won’t. They don’t realise that I the English are tough. America is a ; great country, and I want to go back.’ 1 At this juncture he was marched away, j but I’m sure he would have liked to i have spoken a bit longer.” Bicycles in Italy | Letters from Italy to Now Zealand j are theoretically an impossibility ! ; owing to war conditions, but a I ! Lower Unit resident received one yes. i terday which had been smuggled out j lof Italy and posted in Spain. It told \ of the safety and health of a relative j ; and friends who were in Italy at the i j outbreak of the war and who naturally | have had to remain there, but appar- ! cnlly no enmity is shown to the English and the writer slates that she has i been treated with the greatest kindness. An interesting statement is that every. ! one is riding bicycles now, the inferi ence being that there is no petrol for private cars, so New Zealand is noi j unique in this respect. Tobruk Rat Medals Captain Stanley Goulston, a Sydney i doctor who is a medical officer in the •Australian Forces overseas, has been j presented by men of his battalion with lon ■ of the famous “Tobruk rat” medals. These medals were made by members jof the A.I.F. during the siege of j Tobruk from shell casings and other j metal scraps and awarded to colleagues they thought worthy of them. Captain; j Goulston received his because during! ! the six months and a -half he did not, ! lose a case through illness. The Aus-1 Iralian troops decided to make the 1 medals following broadcasts from Berlin by the English renegade Lord Haw Haw in which he described them as “the rats of Tobruk—Germany’s selfsupporting prisoners of war.” Inscribed upon the strips of bronze and brass that take the place of the silk which attaches to the general run of medals are the words "Presented by Lord Haw Haw to the Tobruk Rats, 1941.” The medal proper is triangular in shape, resembling an A.I.F. colour patch. A brass rat is the central I figure. • . . - -