General News

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 13 April 1945, Page 4

General News

Tailgunner Left Alone in Plane

A Flying Fortress, without a pilot, flew 150 miles across Germany with a burning wing before the tailgunner discovered that he was the only man left in the plane, and baled out. The gunner. Sergeant Sibray. heard the pilot warn the crew to prepare to jump after flak smashed the engine and set the left wing on fire. He was worried by the silence which followed, but did not leave his guns because enemy fighters were in the vicinity. An hour later, while passing over German lines on the Western Front, the plane went through a thick barrage. Sibray received no answer as he described, the flak bursts. Investigating, he found the Fortress deserted, and jumped and landed safely in France. The other members of the crew had baled out over Germany. River Conditions for Anglers The Acclimatisation Society reports that all rivers are low and clear. Present indications are that anglers will find conditions excellent over the week-end . Game Shooting Licenses The Nelson Acclimatisation Society advises that the licenses and ammunition for the open game shooting season which opens on 12th May will not be available until the end of this month. Somebody has been writing to a London weekly to ask which is the least harmful form of smoking. The editor refused to commit himself. Perhaps he isn’t a smoker, and really didn’t know,, although editors are supposed to know everything. Had he been a New Zealand editor. hVd have had no difficulty in answering that question. He'd simply have said —at any rate in effect- “ Smoke 'toasted,’ because in that case it doesn't matter a button whether you smoke “the pipe of peace” or “roll your own.” toasted is so pure and comparatively free from nicotine (the toasting eliminates the stuff) that you can indulge in any number of pipes or cigarettes without fear of their letting you down. Yes, toasting does make a difference. whether you smoke Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead). Pocket Edition, Navy Cut No 3 (Bulldog). Riverhead Gold. Desert Gold, or the tailormades. All toasted: no sore throat, and ro cough!*

Teachers and students of music and elocution are reminded that the practical examinations of Trinity College of Music close on Friday, 4th Ma#.*

Portrait of Field-Marshal Alexander Mr A. H. Crawley, who has been the very active chairman of the Nelson City Patriotic Committee since 1939, has received from Field-Marshal Sir Harold Alexander. Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Theatre of War. a signed portrait of himself. This came to hand through the representation of the Rev. R. W. W. Alexander, Mapua. Accompanying the portrait was a letter to Mr Crawley from the distinguished Field-Marshal who wrote: “I have received a letter from my cousin Robert Alexander saying you are anxious to have a signed portrait of myself to hang in the Patriotic Rooms. I sftali be very pleased to do this and enclose the photograph herewith.” The kindness and prompt response of the Field-Marshal are greatly appreciated by Mr Crawley and the executive of the Patriotic Council. Patriotic Shop Yesterday members of the Happiness Club were responsible for the Patriotic Shop and were successful in raising £43 19s 3d for patriotic funds.) Prisoner’s Brief Liberty A prisoner who escaped from a police van as it slowed down for a traffic light in Customhouse Quay, Wellington, yesterday morning, did not remain at liberty for long. He was a soldier in uniform, sentenced for a military offence. and was travelling with another prisoner and a warder. Once out of the van he ran through a side street into Lambton Quay, followed by the warder, who caught up with him in Brandon street. A scuffle followed, while two spectators ran to the police station for assistance and another went to the help of the warder. With the prisoner subdued, he was taken to the police station and placed in a cell. Funds For Crippled Children The street appeal held in Nelson yesterday in aid of funds for the Crippled Children Society met with a ready and generous response from the public, the proceeds for the day amounting to £lsl 17s Bd. Status of Family Life One of the contributory factors in the declining population of western races was that the mother and the family had, in our advancement, been allowed to slip further into the background of the social structure, said Mr L. R. Palmer in an address on the subject of population and New Zealand's future given at the Nelson Rotary Club’s luncheon. He suggested that more consideration should be shown towards the mother by the institution of an adequate domestic, assistance service and family liic should be encouraged and raised in status by such means as family allowances, improved housing conditions and financial aids to earlier marriages. Novel Filling Method Millions of wet clay bricks will be used by the joint contractors in filling the air raid tunnels under Albert Park. Auckland. The bricks, which will not obtained in a pit at Grey Lynn. The material will be mixed in a pug mill to a plastic consistency and then forced through a brick-making m*-' u: ne. ' x ' ,r ' size being governed by a die. The total required will be in the vicinity oi 5,500,000. The use of the bricks will enable the filling to be carried out efficiently and easily. For the most part it will be merely a process of building them up one upon the other within the tunnels. Because of the plastic nature of the bricks they will be forced without difficulty into uneven cavities that may remain at thj top and sides of the tunnels. Sewing at Speed High-speed sewing machines, nearly always operated by girls. some of them only 16 and 17 years of age. have been installed in v Wanganui clothing factories which are among the city’s new industries. The machines make 4000, 5000 and even 6000 stitches a minute. At this «peed complicated stitching is executed on some garments just as fast as an operator can handle the material. As a result unusual complications may follow. In most factories elementary oiling of sewing machines is the responsibility of the operative. When a machine is \ not oiled properly trouble is inevitable. At these high speeds there are also complications from the various types of cloth. When operatives began using khaki material in one Wanganui factory tfiey found that a metallic dye in the cloth was burning the thread and breaking needles because of the heat generated. To combat it. specially treated thread had to be used and plated needles fitted. Utilisation of Kelp A suggestion that extensive areas of kelp which are to te found in numerous inlets of Stewart Island should be used for the manufacture of chemicals, fertilisers and other products which may be obtained from kelp by modern processes was made by Mr F. O. V. Acheson, formerly Judge of the Native Land Court, on his return from a visit to Stewart Island. The exploitation of kelp, he said, should be carried out on scientific lines so as to ensure that the supply would not be exhausted by indiscriminate and wasteful use. He considered that in this way a very profitable industry might be developed and that in time it might be extended to include extensive fields of kelp to be found round the coast of Southland, particularly in |the west coast sounds region.

Agricultural Workers’ Wages By an amendment to the Agricultural Workers Extension Order gazetted last night provision is made for the following weekly wages for agricultural workers: Under 17 years, £1 10s; between 17 and 18. £2: 18 and 19, £2 7s 6d; 19 to 20. £2 17s 6d; 20 to 21. £3 ss; 21 and upward. £3 15s. Wages for casual workers are: Harvesters, 2s 6d an hour with rations: other workers, 2s 3d, of found. 2s 7£d if not found, or 18s a day, if found, and £1 Is lOd if not found. Youths up to 18 years are to be paid Is 6d an hour and found, or Is IOJd an hour, if not found, or 12s a day and found, or 15s a day if not found. When any work other than milking or feeding animals is done on Sundays a day off is to be allowed at a time to be mutually arranged between the employer and worker concerned. This provision does not afrply to workers temporarily angaged during the lambing season.