HOLIDAY RUSH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24342, 3 August 1942, Page 4

HOLIDAY RUSH

SCENES IN ENGLAND RAILWAY CONGESTION (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 1 Reports from holiday resorts and from the London railway coaching terminals suggest a widespread disregard of appeals to the British people to stay at home for bank holiday week-end. The cessation of pleasure motoring concentrated all traffic on the public services. People lined the platforms of the London terminal stations six to eight deep and fought like mad when the , trains came in, not for seats, but merely for a footing. . The mad scramble lifted children and , old people off their feet. Passengers , were standing and clinging to the luggage racks so closely packed they were unable to turn. They were prepared to ' face five to six hours' journey in this | fashion. Reports from the provinces described similar scenes. Birmingham , had record wartime exodus by buses and trains. Four thousand visitors arrived at Bognor Regis, creating a serious food situation. Residents were ( sometimes unable to get even the rations to which they were entitled. RAILWAY LOSSES LONDON, Aug. 1 British railway companies announce that 50 passenger trains have been lost by enemy action since the outbreak of the war. This is one reason why the . public has been asked to eliminate tin- . necessary travel. In addition 95,000 raihvaymon have joined the forces and there are 20,000 goods and munitions trains running weekly. A thousand extra trains a day are transporting Government factory workers and over 100 trains a day are carrying troops. NEW AMERICAN WEAPONS WASHINGTON, July 31 Mr. J. P. Thomas, Republican member of Congress for New Jersey, after an inspection of some of the most secret and newest Army material, said: "Believe me, the enemy is sure going to get terrific surprises." He said the nature of some of the secret weapons had never even been hinted at publicly. They would come as a complete surprise to the enemy. BACHELOR'S MONEY DISCOVERY AFTER DEATH LARGE SUMS IN HOUSE (P.A.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Saturday Bank notes, casually placed in old envelopes and thrown under a box in tho corner of a bedroom, and totalling well over four figures, have been discovered by officials connected with the administration of a deceased estate at Stratford. When Mr. William Lovett died in the Stratford Hospital last week he was reputed to be a wealthy man. He had not married, had no relatives in New Zealand, and had died intestate. His estate, which was estimated at over £20,000, was taken over by the Public Trust Office. The discovery of the bank notes was made on Thursday when the manager of the Stratford branch, Mr. J. C. Robins, examined the late Mr. Lovett's house with the latter's solicitor, Mr. E. H. Young, and an old friend, Mr. H. Bishop. Because Mr. Lovett had not operated to any extent on his bank account for the past few years, and yet was known to have considerable income, the existence of a hoard was suspected, but the casual nature of the hiding place was astonishing. Although throughout Thursday and yesterday the search was continued, the walls and floors being examined, hearthstones prised up and all likely hiding places closely scrutinised, nothing more of value was found except a few odd pieces of silver and copper coinage. Each envelope, of which there were dozens, contained several notes, of denominations ranging from 10s to £SO. All are Reserve Bank notes of comparatively recent date. The house, which Mr. Lovett had occupied for almost a quarter of a century, since the sale of the licence of the Club Hotel, is dilapidated, dirty and dusty. It has only one electric light point, in the sitting room, and is furnished with old and worn-out articles, the only modern touch _ being a radio set connected to the sitting room light. PATRIOTIC FUND APPEAL TO PUBLIC More than 200 recreation huts in New Zealand camps have been erected, furnished and maintained by patriotic funds, said the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., in a broadcast talk last night, when he explained why the public should subscribe to the patriotic funds. In addition to the huts, clubs had been established in London, Cairo and Fiji, and also a hostel in Alexandria. The Patriotic Fund Board, in conjunction with the Australian Comforts Fund, also maintained the Anzae Club in Halifax, and made grants to clubs in the Middle East and elsewhere which provide hospitality for members of the Now Zealand forces. A detailed account of comforts provided from the fund was given by Mr. Perry, who said that in the first two years of the war the cost of administration of all patriotic funds raised and expended averaged only Is 2d in the pound. In appealing for contributions to the fund, Mr. Perry described the public as debtors whose creditors were the men in the fighting forces. LIKELY TO RECOVER (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Sunday Tho condition of Mr. Mate Soko TJrlicli, the Dalmatian gumdiggger who received two bullet wounds at Lake Oliia, on July 20, is so improved that he is likely to recover. Two operations were performed at the Mangonui Hospital, but no attempt was made to remove the two bullets. Subsequent- t6 tho wounding of Mr. TJrlicli on July 20, a police donstable, Herbert Hunter Barratt, was charged before justices of the peace with attempted murder, and was remanded.