NOTED FIGURES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24536, 19 March 1943, Page 5

NOTED FIGURES

AMERICA'S LEADEKS RETURN OF MRS. W. NASH "The President and Mrs. Roosevelt are two very impressive people," said Mrs. Nash, wife of the New Zealand Minister in Washington, the tlon. W. Nash, on her return from the United States. Mrs. Nash was met on arrival by the Mayor, Mr. J. A. C. A Hum, arid Mr. James Moiling, town clerk, and was also greeted by Si'" Krnest Davis and Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P., relatives and friends. Mrs. Nash said that President Roosevelt was tremendously busy with war business and she had consequently not met him. "However, Mr. Nash and I attended the opening of the last session of Congress, when the President spoke, and even at that distance one could not but be impressed by him," she said. "Ho conveyed a feeling of great personal ability and strength of character. "Mrs. Roosevelt is, like her husband, an extremely busy woman; in fact, she must bo one of the busiest there is," Mrs. Nash went 011. "We had tea with her shortly after our arrival and found her very charming indeed." Mrs. Nash paid a tribute to the American people for their kindness and hospitality to the members of the New Zealand Legation. The kindness which had been remarked on by New Zealand servicemen who visited the capital was unlimited and would remain one of her most pleasant memories. Many New Zealanders, most of them airmen on leave, were entertained at the Legation. which was just behind the British Embassy, and Mr. Nash and she had been able to arrange sight-seeing tours for them.

"Accommodation in Washington was a tremendous p r oblem for visitors owing to the large increase in the population of Government employees, brought there by the war," Mrs. Nash said. "We housed many at the Legation, but the American solution to the problem was a tent city, with all amenities, in a pretty site on the banks of the Potomac Piver." With typical .American generosity, servicemen were lodged there free. POWER BOARD REVENUE INCREASE IN WAIKATO <O.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday In spite of the restrictions on extensions and shortage of electrical appliances, sales of electricity in the central Waikato electric-power district 'continue to compare more than favourably with those of last year. In a comparison submitted by the secretary, Mr. H. .J. Beeche, to the board yesterday, sales for the period from April 1,1942, to February 28, 194:1, were shown to amount to £97,906, compared with £91,7.'i4, an increase of £6172, or 6.73 per cent. Over a similar period last year the increase was £4144, or 4.7 per cent. FALSE PRETENCES Charged with obtaining £9 by falso pretences at Helensville, Pi chard Albert, a Maori soldier and labourer, aged 20, pleaded guilty before Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., yesterday. Senior-Detective Walsh said accused had deserted from the army last August and had come to Auckland, where he had worked as a labourer under an assumed name. He had also worked on farms and had taken a cheque from a cheque book belonging to one of his employers. Ho filled it in and cashed it with a storekeeper for £9. Accused was placed on probation for IS months and ordered to make restitution of £9.