MAORI SERVICEMEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24824, 22 February 1944, Page 4

MAORI SERVICEMEN

REHABILITATION PLANS TWO OFFICERS APPOINTED To cater for the special needs of returning Maori servicemen, two Maori rehabilitation officers, of whom have seen service in the Middle East, have been appointed to cover the Auckland district, which includes practically the entire province. One of these officers already has commenced his duties. The officers appointed are Major W. Porter, M.C. and bar, and Captain D. Urlich. The latter, who served for a considerable time with the 28th Maori. Battalion, is still in hospital recovering from wounds, but is expected to take up his duties shortly. Major Porter, who is aged abortt 25, has served with the Maori Battalion since Greece. He volunteered early in the war and went overseas with the Second Echelon, after gaining his. commission. He won the M.C. in Libya in 1941 and the bar in Egypt in 1942. The son of the Rev. K. Poata and Mrs-. Poata, of Pupuke. North Auckland, he was educated at St. Stephen's and Te Ante Colleges. The main duties of these officers will be to keep in contact with returning Maori servicemen and explain'to them the facilities which are available under rehabilitation. During a visit to Auckland toward the end'of last year, the Director of Rehabilitation. LieutenantColonel F. Baker, stressed the need for a separate rehabilitation programme for the Maoris. He stated that a Maori rehabilitation scheme was. in the process of preparation and that an announcement could he expected .shortly. So far. no details have been made public. • . LOCAL ANP_CtEXEBAL Purchasing a Ram The purchase of a ram simply through an onlooker scratching his nose is possible at a ram fair. At the Masterton fair, an harassed auctioneer nounced to an embarrassed parent: "Ir the little boy in the first row doesn't stop raising his finger he will find he has bought a ram." The auctioneer added that the boy's finger was continually catching his eye. The parent joined .in the laughter. Bottles on Roadway The carelessness of someone who left a broken bottle on Mount Eden Road on a recent night resulted in a good motor tyre being ruined. The glass punctured ana cut pieces from one of the tyres of a St. John ambulance which at the time was carrying a patient to the Auckland Hospital. The practice of leaving broken or unbroken bottles on the roadwav was prevalent some weess ago, after which a slight -improvement was noticed, but it is again on the increase. Inconsiderate Motorists The thoughtless practice of some motorists in driving at an excessive speed through pools of water was par-, ticularly in evidence jn Queen Street during and after last night's heavy rain. Cars frequently showered with muddy I water pedestrians sheltering under ver-. andahs, the spray from the road ac time reaching almost to the fronts ot shops. Most unfortunate were those pedestrians waiting for trams close to the safety zones,_ near many of which, deep pools remained after the st-orm had passed. Licensing Committees Nominations for licensing committees are now being called by returning _omcers for the various licensing districts, the closing date being March 1. Polling dav will be March 14. The committees consist of a magistrate and five members elected from among the residents oi the licensing district, the term office being five years. Persons engagect in tJ!3. licensed trade may not hold office on a committee, and the polling day is a baaholiday iti each district, the sale or liquor being prohibited on that day from mid-day until 7 p.m. Air Force Hitch-Hikers

Motorists who make the trip regularlv from Hamilton to Auckland on Fridays or Saturdays have built up a substantial non-paying taxi clientele consisting of Royal New Zealand * Force personnel on week-end .eave trom the Waikato area. Unable, since the introduction of train travel Restriction to obtain rail warrants tor week-end leave, large numbers of _ servicemen have resorted to hitch-hiking to tne citv. On a Friday a iter noon they are scattered in small groups for many miles along the main south road. More Power Consumed

An increase of £4228 in the g sales of electric current tor Ja " u over the corresponding month 01 mm. vear was shown in the report ot tne manager. Mr. A. Main, to-a meeting of the Waitemata Electric-Power B! vesterdav. For the 10 months January 31 the total gross sak amounted to £214.72/. an incre - £1(3.801 on the figure for the corres ponding period in the previous year. An additional 415 consumers, bringng the total to 17.971 were fleeted during the 10-monthly period just ended.