General News

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 1 May 1943, Page 4

General News

Comforts for Merchant Seamen Appreciation of the gesture of the girls of Nelson College in giving up their prize money for three years and donating it to help the welfare work for the merchant navy was expressed by Mrs M. 11. Chatfield, in a talk on the mercantile marine service given in the Nationalist Club, Nelson, yesterday. In addition to the prize money, about £25 surplus funds from the College garden party had also been a very generous gift to further the work for the merchant seamen. Nelson Products in Gift Parcels In describing the work of the organisations which take an interest in the welfare of machant seamen, Mrs M. FI. Chatfield, M.8.E., during an address at the Nationalist Club rooms yesterday, stated that every member of the crews of vessels leaving for overseas was given a personal gift parcel. The parcels included sweets, chocolate and jam, all of which was manufactured in Nelson. \ Opportunities for Sons of Servicemen “While service to Heritage is largely a personal one, sponsors should not be called upon to contribute personally but there should be always sufficient funds in Heritage to see that every boy received the very best opportunities so that he may develop, fully equipped, to start out in life,” said Mr R. H. Beaumont, of Wellington, last night when explaining to Rotarians the Heritage movement, by *«'hich sponsors will take a personal interest in boys who lost their fathers in the war. It is often said that some boys in this way will receive better opportunities than had their fathers not lost their lives but nothing we can ever do will replace the father, and surely this is our debt to the men who have given their lives for us, to repay in part at least, in the most generous way possible,” he added. News-Letter for Servicemen A publication which has been much appreciated by servicemen overseas is a Wellington News-Letter compiled by the Wellington Junior Chamber of Commerce. It contains snippets of general and sporting news succinctly written. Outsize in Pumpkins A Riwaka resident, Mr H. DalleySmith, forwards a photograph of an outsize in pumpkins, with the comment, “What about this for a pumpkin?” It tipped the scales at 1031 b 6oz. Reservoir for Hanmer Springs A 100,000-gallon reservoir is being built at Hanmer Springs by the Public Works Department to overcome the difficulty of the limited capacity of the filter used to clean water from the Rodgerson river, from which the supply for for the hospital and town is drawn. The capacity of the filter is only 5000 gallons an hour, says “The Press,” and the maximum demand is 8000 gallons an hour. The reservoir is being constructed by the gunite method, by which the sides of an excavation are water-proofed by driving concrete into them by pressure. The surface is then finished with plaster. This method has been in common use in New Zealand only since the beginning of the war.

War Prisoners’ Sal Thu efforts of 24 New Zealand prisoners of war in Stalag VIIIB to raise funds for the benefit of the sick in the camp are described by one of the men, Private E. B. Taylor, in a letter to his mother, Mrs M. K. Taylor, of Ngongotaha. All the prisoners arc employed in a sugar beet factory. The money, £4O, or its equivalent in German currency, was raised by means of an auction sale of articles which the men did not want, writes Private Taylor. A tin of 50 cigarettes sold for £2 8s and a half-pound block of chocolate changed hands for £2 13s. A pair of socks given by the writer brought 10s. For their work in the factory the men are paid 6s a week. Benefits of Heritage “Already in Wellington heritage has arranged for one of the boys to spend his holidays on a farm, and for two others special medical attention, and special training in music, while all boys at Christmas received most handsome presents. A birthday register is now being compiled for the purpose of sending to all boys and girls gifts on their birthdays. Other services of course will suggest themselves as time goes on,” said Mr R. H. Beaumont, a member of the national executive of Heritage, a scheme for assisting sons of deceased servicemen, when he was addressing a meeting in Nelson last night. Jockey’s Fine Riding A splendid ridinjr performance was registered at Ellerslie, says the “Herald,” when the jockey L. C. Brown rode his mount, Red Falcon, to victory in the Autumn Steeplechase with his feet out of the stirrups for more than half the race. Part of Brown’s saddle broke coming down the hill the first time, and Brown took nine more jumps, covering a complete circuit of the steeplechase course and the straight, amid great excitement. Red Falcon was in the lead when the mishap occurred, and Brown let him run his own race, to win comfortably by seven lengths. The crowd gave horse and jockey an ovation when they returned to the birdcage. School Now Available A letter was received by the Waikato Hospital Board stating that the Education Department had authorised the Auckland Education Board to resume occupation of the new Hamilton West School and asking that the keys be made available. The chairman, Mr F. Findlay, said that an assurance had been received that a sufficient number of beds would be made available in the new Hockin wing in time to enable the school to be released for school purposes on 24th May. He expressed the hope that the school would not be needed again as a hospital annexe.