Releasing Postal Officers for Military Service

Northland Age, Volume IX, Issue 67, 31 May 1940, Page 1

Releasing Postal Officers for Military Service

It is announced from the General Post Office in Wellington that in order to facilitate the release of officers who enlist for war services, it has become necessary to observe a half-holiday at post offices and to reduce slightly the customary hours of attendance in the -evening. Commencing next week, all but the principal Post Offices will close for a weekly half holiday, generally on a Saturday. At all but the most important centres, the evening attendance will be reduced by the introduction of a tea interval between 5.30 and 7 p.m. In addition to this, the present 7 to 8 p.m. attendance at certain offices will be discontinued. Delivery of telegrams by message boys when they have been lodged after 6 p.m. will be restricted to urgent messages and the free delivery distance will be reduced to 1J miles from 5 p.m. at all places where at present the free delivery coverage exceeds that distance. By the adoption of these changes it is hoped that the number of officers released for overseas service will be greatly increased. The Kaitaia Post Office will most probably observe Saturday as the half-day, the office closing at 12.30.

Taranaki’s first and only calf pool handled 3486 calves with an average payment of 8/7.03d per head. k k k Twenty-two Canadian Friesian cows now hold official production records exceeding 30,000 lb of milk in a year. k k k A Canterbury expert states that, but for the war, ewes that are now selling at 13/- to 15/- would be realising only 5/- to 6/-. There are still a big unwanted surplus of old ewes in that province, and he advises them being sent to the works as soon as possible. k k k Foot-and-mouth disease has been so rampant in Europe that extraordinary measures are being used to prevent the spread of infection. Sweden insists that all persons coming by boat from Denmark wash their hands and disinfect their clothing. In France more than a million farms have been affected, and during recent months Switzerland has reported from 1100 to 1200 new farms affected each week. The disease may be transmitted by pigs. k k k “It is ridiculous to urge girls to work on farms when there are young men in shops doing work women may easily do.”—Mr. J. H. Furniss. k k k Mr. F. E. Humphreys, the wellknown polled Hereford breeder of Ngatapa, Gisborne, has forwarded four special rising three-year-old mated

polled Hereford heifers to a Queensland breeder. Dominion bred polled Herefords exported to Australia have done particularly well both in the show ring and in the class of progeny which they have left.

During the past ten years the production of bacon and ham in Australia has fluctuated between 68 million pounds and 78 million pounds. This is sufficient for local requirements and provides a small quantity for export. This latter has averaged slightly more than a million and half pounds annually, and is consigned to the Pacific Islands and tfie East. k k k In Hawkes Bay certified ryegrass seed fohigh germinating quality has sold up to 17/6 per bushel.