LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24214, 4 March 1942, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

University Term The first term at Auckland Univer- . sity College will begin to-day, when lectures will be commenced. The enrolments are expected to be smaller this year on account of many of the male students being called for military service. The actual position will not be known until the term commences. Waste Paper Collection The collection of waste paper from business houses is being revived, it was reported to the Auckland Metropolitan Patriotic Committee last night. In the past two months, owing to difficulties in shipping paper, collections had been allowed to drop by 120 tons a month to 95 tons. Storage difficulties having been overcome, the campaign was being resumed. New Army Greatcoat When winter comes some of the childless married men drawn in the ballot will be the envy of many who donned khaki at an earlier date. A proportion of them have been issued with the latest style of army greatcoat. It 's a stylishly-cut garment, double-breasted, with flapped pockets cut on the slant. This coat resembles somewhat the British warm in which later drafts of returned soldiers in 1917 and 1918 came back from England. Some of the coats are branded 1942. Vegetables In Demand Most lines of vegetables met with a good demand at the City Markets yesterday. Potatoes remain in short supply and Rangitikei consignments brought 15s to 18s per cwt., against 14s to los at last week's sale. Potatoes from Pukekohe realised 8s to 12s a bag. Better supplies of new season's kumaras caused an easing in prices. Lettuce and onions came forward in good quantities and brought fair rates. Owing to the continued dry weather, peas and beans were scarce, with prices remaining high. Multi Allowance The question of a mufti allowance for men discharged from the armed forces was again discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Metropolitan Patriotic Committee last night. The distress and rehabilitation sub-committee, reporting that it had had 80 applications to deal with last month, said several were cases of hardship arising from the l'act that no mufti allowance was granted to discharged Navy, Air Force or home service men. It was decided to make representations to the authorities for a mufti allowance to Navy and Air Force men on the same basis as the Army, and to home service men up to £5 after 12 months' service. Men Released For Service The extent to which the Railway Department was endeavouring to make men available for military duty was demonstrated before the Auckland District Manpower Committee yesterday, when 22 appeals for railway employees were withdrawn. In most cases the appeals had been lodged owing to the men being engaged on special work, but the difficulties had since disappeared. "These withdrawals give a good idea of the way in which the department is measuring up to its obligations." said the chairman of the committee, Mr. H. A. Anderson. "It has done all in its power to release as many men as possible without impairing "the operations of the railways." Surgeons Operate on Duck House surgeons at the Christehurch Public Hospital operated on a duck recently. Walking by the river bank at dusk a woman noticed some boys playing a duck at the end of a fishing line. She rescued the duck, and found a fish hook firmly lodged at the back of its throat. She was unable to remove the hook, so she took the duck along to the all-night dispensary, but there also the hook could not be dislodged. As a last resort, she walked to the Public Hospital, where her appearance with the duck caused some surprise. A house surgeon offered to see what lie could do, and called in one of his colleagues. Then an operation unusual in the history of the hospital was performed. While one of the surgeons prised the duck's bill open, the other , s ®t to work with instruments to remove the hook. The operation wae suoceatrfal.,