Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 4

A collection of twenty old snuff-boxe*. (some of them with lids encrusted with gems) realised nearly £IOOO at auction m London not long since. Snuffing was once upon a time as common as smoking is now. Will smoking ever go out of fashion? Never!—and the harder the times the greater the demand for the weed! It has become a “necessary commodity' in this strenuous ago.’ 'But to get the maximum amount of pleasure and enjoyment out of it fane! that with out detriment to the health), it i s absolutely essential it should be pure, ie as free from nicotine as it can be For'.’ timate.y, there need be no difficulty about that m this country for our New Zealand tobacco is reckoned not only the world’s purest but the most fragrant and delicious. It owes its fame • now spreading far beyond New Zealand). to the fact that it is toasted, which process not only largely eliminates the nicotine in it but imparts to it its matchless flavour and unrivalled bouquet. Five brands: Rjverbead Gold Desert Gold. Navy Cut No. 2 Pocke’ Edition and Cut Plug No, 10, * ’ Thofe who enjoy choice meat will be interested to learn that a special shipment of prime quality has been imported from the North Island by Mr W S Howson of Bridge street. It consists of 7 tons of extra prime beef and 3 tons of extra prime mutton. The shipment comes from Wanganui.*

Supply of Gumboots A limited number of gumboots are arriving in the Dominion, but rio more arc likely to be obtainable till the end of the war, according to information received by the Agricultural Department in Greymouth. The departin’ ‘ will be responsible for distributing the boots on the advice of the National Council of Primary Production. Prisoners of War Parcels A number of the parcels which are sent to New Zealand prisoners of war each week by the National Patriotic Fund Board, have been forwarded to Nelson tor exhibition purposes. The neatly packed parcels contain:—l packet of raisins, 2 small tins of tea, 1 tin of coffee and milk, a tin honey, a one pound tin of butter, 1 tin jam, 1 tin cheese, 1 tin chocolate, 1 tin of canned vegetables, 1 tin of corned beef, and I tin of lamb and green peas. This service is at present costing the National Fund Board £271,000 a year and each Provincial Council contributes a quota towards the cost of the parcels. National Service Handbook A second war handbook, “War Gases. Decontamination, and Protective Measures,” has been prepared by the Department of National Service, and will soon be widely available. Copies are obtainable on application to the department. In a foreword, the Minister of Civil Defence. Mr Bodkin, states that ; the booklet is intended primarily for the training and instruction of antigas personnel of the E.P.S. The text has been taken from various British official A.R.P. handbooks, after modification to suit New Zealand conditions and condensation. Wellington Landmark To Go For fifty years a well-known Wellington land mark, the old Public Library building, is to be demolished together with other buildings in the Wellington City Corporation block rendered unsafe by the earthquake. Britain’s Iron and .Steel Trades A sound feature of the iron and steel situation in Britain was the extent to which use was being made of the country’s resources of raw materials (states a message from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire). Substantial stocks of both home and imported ore are held, sufficient to enable our blast furnaces to continue working for a long period if ever an emergency arose. Pig iron production was at a steady level and steel output was well maintained. Although both pig iron and steel were still being imported, the quantities were now very much reduced and would be kept as low as possible. The substitution of women for men was being carried still further, in spite of the fact that already 13£ per cent, of 'he labour in the iron and steel trades was performed by women. Maroons to be Used The Christchurch E.P.S. has expenmen', cd with maroons with a view to using them as a form of alert signal, says “The Press.” Maroons ore a form of firework used for signalling purposes in England during the last war. They explode with a loud report which can be heard for half a mile under favourable conditions. It is proposed that district wardens, to give an alert signal, will explode two or three maroons at one minute intervals. The alert signal may also be given in other ways, for example by newspaper announcement, which means that danger' is believed to be approaching, and that the alarm is likely to be sounded in a few hours or even earlier. School Sewing The surrendering of ration coupons by children for material to be used for school sewing was not in accord with the w ishes of either the Government or the Rationing Controller, said Mr N. E. Dalmer, president of the Wellington Schools Committees and Educational Association, at a meeting of delegates to the association, reports “The Post.” He had been told so by the controller, and a wav out of the difficulty would soon be found Tt would mean, then, that no coupons would be required for that purpo.-e from children