NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24632, 13 June 1941, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

TN consequence of broadcasting restrictions, deemed necessax-y as a war measure, the weekly community sings have been deprived of a great measure of their value as a means of raising funds for war and other purposes, and as entertainment for the inmates of hospitals and the aged and the invalids who are unable to go abroad. As a result, a meeting of the Dunedin Community Sing Committee was held yesterday to consider a proposal to close down. After a good deal of discussion, it was decided to carry on until the close of the present appeal for “ Comforts for Fighters ” and for a few weeks thereafter before reconsidering the, matter. A progress payment of £IOO to the “ Comforts for Fighters ” Fund was passed. . Small Mail Lost The Postmaster-general, Mr P. C. Webb, regrets to announce that a small mail consisting of one bag of letters from Great Britain, routed by surface mail across the Atlantic and by air mail across the Pacific, has been lost, through enemy action. The approximate dates of posting were March 13 to 15.

THe Guaranteed Price A hope that he would be able to announce the guaranteed price for dairy produce for next season at an early date was expressed by the Minister of Marketing, Mr J. G. Barclay, in an interview on Wednesday. When asked if there was any likelihood of the guaranteed prices for butter and cheese being altered to meet , present conditions, the Minister said that details' had not yet been considered by the Cabinet.

Mr Barnard’s Statements At the monthly meeting of the committee of the Hastings Returned SoL diers’ Association the following resolution was carried unanimously:— “ That this committee of the Hastings Returned Soldiers’ Association strongly protests against statements.which the Speaker of the House of Representatives,- Mr W. E. Barnard, is reported to have made on various public platforms concerning the New Zealand war effort.”'

A Spurious Half-crown A spurious half-crown, bearing an imitation of the British shield design and the head of King George V, has come into the possession of the police, and shoppers and'others should give a closer examination than usual to their change. The metal used for this counterfeit coin is distinctly dull, although the piece is milled and has a fairly convincing “ring.” More of these coins, which are dated 1935. may be in circulation. Tourist Organisation Praised

Praise for the activities of the New Zealand Tourist Department was given by Sir Evelyn Wrench, founder of the Overseas League, at a mayoral reception at Auckland. When a visit to the Dominion was first contemplated, Sir Evelyn said, the branch in India supplied illustrated booklets and all particulars. A comprehensive and complete itinerary for the duration of his stay in the country was handed him on his arrival. 1 “The tourist organisation is marvellous,” he said. “Visitors like to be taken under the wing of the Government.”

Saving Waste Materials An appeal to the public to assist the war effort by saving scrap metal and other waste for the purpose of making munitions, weapons and also goods the importation of which is restricted' in war-time, was made by the United Kingdom High Commissioner in the Dominion, Sir Harry Batterbee, the Minister of Supply, Mr D. G. Sullivan, and other speakers at the official opening of the Dominion’s first anti-waste exhibition in Wellington. Every householder, every office, shop and factory had in its store rooms accumulations containing valuable waste, Sir Harry Batterbee said, and the time was ripe for the public to turn out its cupboards and stores.

Maoris and Tuberculosis A question whether Maoris were specially susceptible to tuberculosis was put to Dr Chisholm McDowell by a member of the audience after a lecture on the disease which he gave under the auspices of the Auckland Institute. Dr McDowell replied that it had long been assumed that the Maoris, like other primitive peoples, were susceptible because of the recent introduction of the disease among them. The X-ray examination of numbers of young Maori recruits in Auckland, however, had shown that, while a relatively large proportion of them had been infected with tuberculosis, they had successfully resisted the disease, and were in good health.

Foul Fighter “The Hun airman is a foul swine, and seems to take a fiendish delight in killing and obliterating everything in sight, be it only a dog or a donkey,” writes a Hawke’s Bay soldier evacuated from Greece. “Talk of military objectives! I have seen close at hand about 30 odd bombers literally wipe a little innocent village right off the face of the earth. I do not intend to add all the horrors I have seen, or speak of the poor Greek civilians, men, women, and children. What a sight watching him dive at you, and seeing the little black pills coming down, and his tracer bullets heading in your direction. As he passes his tail gunner takes up the chorus. We were lucky to come out of that lot unscratched. A bomb fragment or bullet took the glass of my wristwatch without any other apparent damage.”

The Octagon Dug-out The Octagon dug-out was stocked and staffed by Messrs Brown, Ewings, Ltd., on Wednesday, when the handsome sum of £B9 7s 2d was, raised. Included in this amount was an anonymous donation of £5. Cofree for breakfast. Order from your grocer a tin 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.