NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24432, 18 October 1940, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

'THE women of the Peninsula districts who have expressed theii keen desire to knit comforts for men of the armed forces are deeply disappointed at the quality of the wool issued to them by the Provincial Patriotic Council. This fact was revealed at a meeting of the Peninsula Patriotic Committee yesterday, when members stated that the wool was of a very inferior quality and full of flaws. Samples produced were poor in strength and texture, and the committee decided to make a strong protes; to the authorities. “ Such wool is neither fair on the women nor on the men receiving the finished articles,’ one member said. Patriotic Raffles

Advice has been received by the secretaries of all Provincial Patriotic Councils from the Under-secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs that raffles for articles of any value must now be accompanied by a certificate from an independent valuer stating that the value of the raffle is there. Permission to run such raffles for bona fide patriotic efforts has been obtainable from the secretaries of Provincial Councils, and that permission is still necessary.

“A Clever Trick ” “ Their only concern is to get the men on these jobs,” said the clerk of the Hawke’s Bay County Council (Mr W. J. O’Connell) discussing the procedure of the Social Security Department following a letter received from the Department of Labour threatening to lake action against the council for employing men who were in arrears with their union fees. "They want us to find work for the men, but immediately the council employs them it becomes liable,” he added. “ Quite a clever trick,” commented Cr W. Tucker.

Bets on Horse not Running The fact that the horse Funny Fox had been withdrawn from the Musket Stakes on the final day cf the Auckland Racing Club’s spring meeting at Ellerslie on Monday did not deter a number of investors from supporting her and, owing to an error, the money was accepted at the totalisator. When the machine closed (says the New Zealand Herald) mere than £IOO had been wagered on the horse. After the race it was announced that this amount would be returned to the investors. This represented a loss to the club, as the dividends had been declared as though the filly had run unplaced.

Netherlands Government Broadcast

For the benefit of Netherlands subjects and persons understanding the Netherlands language, the Netherlandi Consulate at Wellington desires to advise that the Netherlands Government in London has made arrangements with the British Broadcasting Corporation for a national Netherlands broadcast (Radio Oranje), which is emitted daily at 8.15 G.M.T. (6.15 a.m. New Zealand summer time) over wavelength 30,96 meters. This broadcast can also be heard relayed over Java stations, on wave-lengths 19.80, 27.27. 29.24, and 31.40 metres at 12.45 p.rri. and 11.15 p.m. New Zealand summer time. Bank Anniversary The seventy-ninth anniversary of the founding of the Bank of New Zealand, which was opened in Auckland on October 16, 1861, fell on Wednesday The bank was the first of New Zealand origin in the country, and the openinr of the Auckland branch was followed by the establishment of an office in Wellington the next year. A small group of business men in Auckland founded the bank, and it was incorporated by Act of Parliament, having at its inception a capital of £500,000 and assets of £555.979 in its first balance sheet. Its subsequent growth is shown by the fact that at March 31 last its assets were £53,396,869.

Disappointment for Troops “If we could get 'em we would try a Bren gun on ’em.” A New Zealander serving in Egypt wrote those angry words, and he was not referring to Italians. They were meant for the person or persons who rifled a large number of parcels that had been sent from friends and relatives in New Zealand. In a letter to his father, this man expressed the disappointment felt by many of the troops on opening the parcels to find them as empty as the desert air. He said that an examination showed that only the top layers in a number of crates were intact, all other parcels in lower layers having been opened, rifled and placed back in the crates.

A Dusty Chairman “ I am thoroughly in agreement,” said the chairman of the Otago Eduxation Board, Mr J. Wallace, when Mr D. C. Cameron made a protest at the meeting of the Otago Education Board yesterday about the dust nuisance at Logan Park on the occasion of the school sports on Saturday. “It took an hour to clean me down after I got home, and my only consolation was that the Mayor was as dusty as I was.' A motion to the effect that the board should request the City Council to take steps to overcome the dust nuisance was carried, Mr Cameron remarking that it was not in the interest of the children’s health to ask them to gather in large numbers under such conditions.

“ Complacent Souls ” “ I wish a few people in New Zealand cculd spend a few nights in England and strike a bombing raid. It would shake some of those complacent souls who think they are doing their bit by working overtime at 3s 6d an hour.” writes a Hastings member of the second echelon new in England. “I would like them to see some of the tremendous sacrifices these people here make.” he continued. “ Even with tea and sugar rationed, some of these little country homes will always find enough to make tea for as many as a hundred of our boys on a march. People in England cannot do too much, it seems, for troops, especially the New Zealanders. I hope all the citizens of New Zealand, and net just the soldiers of New Zealand, will help repay the debt we owe the common people of England.” Up for Auction

Whatever may be the merits of some of the goods that have been contributed for the auction sale to be held to-day in Burns Hall in aid of the funds of the Navy Queen, they lack nothing on the score of variety. Furniture. from a doll's bedroom suite h tallboys, are a prominent feature of the collection, which occupies a fair amount of the floor space of the hall, and donors have really let themselves go in the matter of pictures, of which there is a comprehensive gallery, ranging from woodcuts and engravings of the early Victorian period, to some attractive modern water-colours and etchings. There are some antiques which should prove attractive to bidders, and on the more utilitarian side purchasers will have an opportunity of buying a mangle, an incubator, a gas stove, or a fowl grit-crusher. Sport, too, is represented by some badminton and tennis racquets, and several sets of flannels, while those who have leanings towards keeping fit may bid for an electric rejuvenalor or one of a half-dozen sets of dumbbells. Members of the committee were busy yesterday cataloguing the various lots, and it would appear that all that will be required to-day to bring in a substantial sum is willing bidding.

Shopping Hour# It appeared that there was every prospect of the Shops and Offices Bill, in its present form at least, not being proceeded with, said Mr M. F. Luckie at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Mr Luckie said there had been considerable opposition to the Bill apart from that of the chamber. The Government would appreciate that there was a twc-edged sword. If there was interference with the buying public, they would know how and where to .make their presence felt. It was extraordinary that there should be an endeavour to shorten the hours of work when an opposite aim was realised in other parts cf the world engaged in war to be of the greatest importance. Mails for Egypt

Advice received from the New Zealand Base Post Office in Egypt indicates that all surface mails for troops in the Middle East despatched from the Dominion to July 19 have been accounted, for, according to a statement made yesterday by the Postmastergeneral (Mr P. C. Webb), says a Press Association telegram from Wellington. In a previous statement he had referred to delay in transit of a considerable quantity of mail matter despatched from New Zealand in May last, caused by the diversion of the conveying vessels. The last of these delayed mails reached their destination between September 15 and 26. With the exception of 19 bags of letters and 98 bags of parcels despatched from New Zealand between May 6 and 9 on a vessel that failed to reach its destination, all the outstanding mails for the forces had been accounted for. Life’s Inequalities "I am not a Communist, and only a Socialist in the sense that I feel every man should be given an opportunity to do his best work for the benefit of his fellows: but equality, in any other sense than that everyone should be equal before the law. is hardly worth speaking of, as in the whole universe there is no such thing as equality.” said Dr Edgar Ford. F.R.C.0.. in an address to the Wellington Rotary Club. “No two trees, no two animals, no two human bodies or human minds are equal, but the inequality is surely not quite what it would appear when we look round at our fellows—at their accomplishments and their varied incomes. Shirley Temple, a little Hollywood child screen actress, received about £120,000 a year; the Archbishop of Canterbury, £15.000 and two palaces; the Prime Minister of England. £5000: and the Poet Laureate. £IOO a year and a cask of canary.”

Books for the Fighting Services One result of the Dunedin Public Library's appeal for books and periodicals will be the establishment of a lending library at the R.N.Z.A.F. station at North Taieri. From the numbers handed in recently about 1500 books and magazines in good condition have already been classified and prepared by volunteer workers at the Library for distribution to various military camps and Air Force stations, and more will follow. Since the outbreak of war about 10,000 books and 9000 periodicals have been received bj the Public Library, and, although many were not of the type suitable for the purpose, the greater number has been distributed or will be sent out shortly. Those in good order are prepared for the various camp libraries; others are ! sent for the recreation of men on troopships. The Library is still anxious to receive more gooa books, particularly recent novels or travel stories, for the fighting services. Jews and the War “We know for a fact that in the last war German Jews were most loyal to their country,” said Mr S. D. J. Cohen in an address in Hastings on the occasion of the Jewish Day of Atonement. “They fought and killed British Jews, just as British Jews killed German ones. There have been many controversies on the subject of Jew killing Jew,” Mr Cohen continued. “While no right-thinking person likes war, the Jewish religion does not forbid a Jew killing another Jew when at war any more than the Christian religion forbids a Christian killing another Christian at war. But nobody in their right senses would accuse German or Austrian Jews of being traitors for wishing and praying this very day fer a British victory—not after the reward they have received within the last few years for what they and their ancestors did for Germany and Austria for generations past. So you will readily see world Jewry is united in one wish and desire, and that is for a British victory.”

Airman’s Experiences Up to August 18, Flight-lieutenant A. C. Deere, DJ|C. and bar, had brought down 16 German aeroplanes and his squadron had accounted for 100 machines. “ I have been shot down again and had my narrowest escape,” says the airman in a letter to his parents in Wanganui. “ I became mixed up with five enemy aeroplanes and managed to get two before they got me. My machine caught fire at 1500 feet, and 1 ’ baled out.’ Unfortunately I got caught halfway out and could not free myself, but 1 managed to struggle clear just in time. Most of the fighting is done between 20,000 feet and 30,000 feet, and it makes one very tired.” In another engagement Flight-lieutenant Deere had his watch shot off his wrist and a bullet penetrated the hood of his machine and clipped his left eye, making it bleed. He says the counties of Kent and Sussex are strewn with wreckage of German bombers and present an amazing sight. “The Huns continue to come over in hordes and the Royal Air Force continues to shoot them down in hordes.” ends the letter.

A Business Inquiry “ Would you be kind enough to pass this inquiry to a merchant or business man in a town of about 1000 population? ” In these words a business man from Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada, who has ideas of setting up in business in New Zealand, commenced a circular of inquiry which was read at a meeting of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. He is Mr B. Watkins, general merchant. “For the last three years,” he continued. “ I have been making preparations to move to your Dominion and to go into business, in the same line as I am at present, in one of the smaller centres in New Zealand, and I would appreciate hearing from anybody in the same line as to business conditions in your Dominion at the present time. Due to war conditions I do not expect to make the move for another five or six months, so that should some rperchant care to take the time to write to me it would help in making up my mind as to what part of New Zealand I would finally settle in. I may say that I am 49 years of age and would have sufficient capital to purchase a business as a going concern.”

Coffee for breakfast. Order from your grocer a (in of “ Bourbon," the coffee of quality Instructions in every tin Prepared by Durie’s, Coffee Specialists. 32 Octagon. Dunedin.Advt. , . ~ For rings, watches and jewellery, try Peter Dick, jewellers. 59 Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt