General News

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 11 August 1942, Page 4

General News

School Term Holidays The recond term of the school year i for the Nelson Colleges will end on I Thursday, 2011) August. The colleges ! will re-open for the third term on Wednesday, 16th September. Primj ary schools in the Nelson Education | Board's district will close for the hoiii days on Friday, 21st August, re-open-i ing on Monday, 7th September. I A.A. (N.) Subscriptions At last night’s meeting or the Nelson Automobile Association it was reported that 1400 membership subscriptions had been received, leaving 400 outstanding. However it was anticipated that a good proportion of those foes would be received. Control of Delivery Beer and cream are among the latest commodities to be brought by the Minister of Transport, Mr R. Semple, under the delivery emergency regulations, which provide that, where a scheme for the regulation of delivery is not already in force, the Minister may provide such a scheme for the district. Othe- commodities gazetted for control of delivery if necessary are fruit and vegetables, drapers’ goods or wearing apparel, clothing for cleaning by laun. dries, and oil fuel.

Essential Industry The manufacture of tobacco and the re-drying of tobacco leaf have been added to the list of industries declared essential under the national service emergency regulations. This decision is notified by the Minister of Industrial Manpower, the Hon. A. McL/gan, in the latest "Gazette.” Surplus of F«gs The president of the Waikato execu - tive of the Farmers’ Union, Mr H. Johnstone, stated at a meeting in Hamilton that he knew of people in the Whatawhala district who had more eggs than they knew what to do with. The local storekeeper would not take them and they were difficult to sell in Hamilton owing to restrictions. N.Z. Prisoners! of War As recorded at Headquarters m Wellington New Zealand prisoners of war number 6137, plus 14 unofficial. Gift to Blenheim Aviaries A new arrival at the Blenheim aviaries is a peahen donated by Mrs Winter. Pohara, Takaka, reports “The Express.” The committee of the C.B.A. wished to arrange an exchange, but the Nelson lady insisted on making a straight-out gift. which was most gratefully received. Distemper Epidemic A serious epidemic of distemper has been manifest among the canine population of the West Coast for several weeks, and is still taking toll, reports the Greymouth “Evening Star.” It is reported that many valuable dogs have been lost in the epidemic, which is more than usually widespread. Fire Board Loan Borrowing powers of the Nelson Fire Board are increased by a "Gazette” notice. The upper limit is now £13,900. The former limit was £11,130. Cups I .dc in N.Z. For t’ e first time cups are being made in New Zealand. They are being produced at the rate of 15,000 a week from an Auckland kiln in an effort to cope with a small portion of the Dominion-wide demand. Saucers are not being made yet, though the potters hope to be making them soon. Crockery shops have difficulty in maintaining their stocks. Orders from England, the home of chinaware , are increasingly difficult to fulfil, and some firms have been waiting more than a year for stocks. There remains fairly good quantities of choice lines; it is the everyday ware for which there is an unsatisfied demand. , Use of Railways Transportation matters were discussed with the Waimea branch of the Farmers’ Union last night by the Nelson stationmaster, Mr C. H. Withers. He dealt with the question of the greater use of the railway on account of the petrol and tyre shortage, and asked for co-operation of farmers in meeting the heavier demand on railway rolling stock. Mr Withers intends to meet other branches of the Farmers’ Union as opportunity permits.

Brevity The art of tabloid communication has developed greatly in the community under the stress of war, and many devices have been adopted for the purpose of saying much within a short compass without ambiguity or the risk of revealing State secrets. At least one New Zealander overseas has discovered that the English language is capable of providing a few key words that can convey to the mind of the receiver a picture which would ordinarily be expanded into several interesting epistles. He is an airman, and his parents have received from him a fiveword cable which reads: “Promoted, decorated, married, very happy.” Weird and Waterless A weird, waterless land with unpleasant insects sums up the Sinai desert, according to a description given by Lieutenant T. L. Macdonald, M.P. for Mataura, in a letter to a friend in Invercargill. He writes: "Tarantulas, scorpions and snakes are common, and although the weirdness of the land makes an appeal, the discomforts of living there must be great. Water is scarce, and we heard of a Bedouin who had not tasted water for seven months, goat and ewe milk being his tipple. The animals would get their moisture from the dew and sap of the various plants that grow here and there on the plateau.” Much-travelled Reporter A war correspondent for the London “News-Chronicle” in the South Pacific area. Mr Patrick Maitland, has arrived in New Zealand. Stationed in Poland when the Germans over-ran that country, Mr Maitland travelled south to Rumania and then to Greece. Later he went on a mission from Greek patriots to the guerrillas of Yugoslavia. Eventually he was taken prisoner by the Italians, but obtained his release after two months, with members of the British Legation in Yugoslavia. Making his way to Portugal, he crossed to the United States, and, after the Pear] Harbour attack, took up his South Pacific appointment. Recently he has been in Australia, surveying operations as far north as Port Moresby.

The Wrong Fire An amusing incident occurred during a New Plymouth E.F.S. trial. Patrols in zones 8 and 3 were being called to fires set at unknown points. Patrol men were given the name of the street, but had to discover the fire themselves. Two men in zone 8 set out for a certain street in Westown, saw a fire. and rushed in to extinguish it completely with a bucket pump. The task successfully accomplished, they were returning to their station when an irate property owner came out and demanded an explanation of the extinguishing of a rubbish fire which he had just succeeded in setting alight. Horse Transport The swing back to horse transport, immediate consideration of which has been urged on dairy company directorates and suppliers by the New Zealand Dairy Board, will present problems in Taranaki. In the conveyance of milk to the factory, the motor has ousted the horse to a very great extent. For long-distance haulage horses are not as economical as motors, because of the time factor, but for short distances they effect a saving. The development of motor transport has caused the breeding of horses to bo neglected, and the latest Year Book shows that there are only 15,079 horses in Taranaki, compared with 22.452 in 1921. In the same period the cow population of Taranaki increased from 180.201 to 240.351. thus creating more haulage. A great proportion of the horses are thoroughbreds, which would be unsuitable for haulage and general utility purposes.