THE OTAKI MAIL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1943. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Otaki Mail, 15 December 1943, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1943. LOCAL AND GENERAL

In order to encourage home gardening among the pupils of the Otaki School, Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have donated a beautiful silver cup. This will be competed for annually, the competition to start next year. A new coin lias made its appearance in New Zealand. It is an American cent, made of aluminium. The value is the same as that of the bronze coin. Though lighter in weight, it is about the same size as a New Zealand sixpence, which it resembles at first glance. Advocating a special government clinic and hospital for the care of Maori tuberculosis patients, the Rt. Rev. F. A. Ben nett, Bishop of Aolearoa, in an interview commented that tuberculosis had a fairly strong hold on the Maoris and the position was so serious that special efforts should lie made. This was not a matter for the hospital boards only but for special action on the part of the Government, he said. Tlie problem concerned the whole of New Zealand.

A police party had an urgent call in the early hours of Thursday morning to The Strand, Parnell, Auckland, where a persistent burglar-alarm on the outside wall of the Gane Engineering Com pany’s premises was ringing. Efforts to cut oil.' the bell from the switchboard failed and eventually the knocker of the bell was tied back with a piece of wire. When a member of the New Zealand Night Patrol arrived on the scene, ho explained that lie had found the back door of the building unlocked and when he opened it, lie set the alarm going.

The first part of the Christmas mail for New Zealanders in the Middle East ha s arrived from the Dominion and is in process of sorting at the New Zealand chief post office, Cairo, states the N.Z.E.F. Official News .Service. This mail, which is the largest ever to arrive on one shin, comprises 19,289 bags r.f parcels and 1359 bags of newspapers and periodicals. The actual number of parcels for individual soldiers is 182 357. A large loiter mail has already been delivered, and a proportion of the parcels has reached the hands of the soldiers. There has been scarcely a day in the lasl six months in which one Christchurch manufacturing and importing firm lias not suffered some loss from pillaging, according to a report supplied by the firm to (he Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. The latest C. s, I, si week, was 15 dozen pairs of women’s stockings from a case of liosierv consigned from Wellington. As in olh'T instances reported recently, the wooden case had been opened by c'-tracting nails and slipping boafds out without breaking the binding wire. The firm stated that though there had been a big increase of such thefts m tl,o last six months, goods _ from the south were not tampered with.

The presence of mind of a father and a knowledge of artificial respiration by a' mother saved the life of their small son in Hastings. The boy was Colin Kent ag-M six, eldest soil of Mr. and Mrs ,J. Reid. He had climbed to tho roof' of" their house and gripped an exelectric wire. Airs. Reid heard her son itasp and saw him fall On to ,l,c roof. She called to Air. Reid, who came ciuieklv, disconnected the wire, and brought I, is non down "He was not breathing,” said Mrs. Reid, "but I knew something of artificial respiration from girl guiding and home nursing, i applied it, and after a time he started to breathe.” The parents then took their son to the Memorial Hospital. The boy is suffering front severe burns to the hands.

••It is now more than two years since the Federal Government of the U.b.A. lilaeetl an embargo on the export of all -Vmerican tobacco seed,” states the an,n,al report of the National Tobacco Company, Ltd., Napier. "The object is clearly to prevent other countries from startin.- or developing their own tobacco industries in competition with the American leaf. Our crops in New Zealand are raised from American seed, the import of which is now illegal. When choosing this seed the aim has been to approach as near as possible the Virginia type of leaf which is accepted the world over as the highest standard in respect of cigarette tobacco. Only with this seed was there a chance of reproducing anything approaching the characteristic properties of the parent plant. We have had some good results, and though we cannot claim naviiw brought forth from New Zealand soil a real Virginia tobacco, our crops here represent a very useful type of leaf and our prospects of expanding the industry far bevond the present boundaries were really bright. However, we have been experimenting with New Zealand propagated seed for some time and are continuing to do so this season on a much larger scale."

Expressing the opinion that the establishment of community centres for the encouragement and development of music, drama, the higher forms of dancing, physical culture, and arts and crafts, would be one of the finest and most useful public services that could be rendered, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, said that as a member of the Government he would give whatever assistance he could for the carrying out of a comprehensive scheme of the kind. He had long been an advocate' of community centres in the Dominion and hoped that before his service as a public man ended he would see them established and in full operation for the benefit of the people. Other countries had created with marked success community centres.

A white cat is advertis l "-1 for. A separator is for sale. An advertiser wishes to buy modern home and land in Otaki. A flag day in aid of hospitals will Ire held on Friday. A rubbish elean-up in the borough of Otaki has been arranged for, particulars of which are advertised. Wo remind pleasure-seekers of the bridge and 500 function to be held tonight at the Masonic Hall. Services next Sunday at All Saints’ Church will be at 8 a.m. and 7 p.in. The preacher will be Rev. V. W. Jobliu. Chaplain to the Forces. A local car-owner has had benzine extracted from the tank of his car, and consequently was left “high and dry” when he went to drive off. To ensure delivery by Christmas Hay, senders of telegrams conveying Seasonal Greetings, are requested to lodge same not later than Wednesday, Ihe 22nd December.

For using personal violence on a warder at Auckland prison while an inmate of that institution, Frank Wereta, a Maori, was sentenced by Mr. A. M. Goulding. S.M., to be fed on bread and water for 14: days.

The high price of £ls was paid for a doll at an auction in a Wellington auction room. Indicative of the keen demand for dolls of pre-war make, with real hair and eyelashes and closing eyes that simulate sleep, the sale attracted a deal of attention and the bidding throughout was keen. The doll was put up for sale by a woman who had had it from her childhood.

Many thousands of sheep are now leaving the Gisborne district in the annual migration to the Waikato and Hawke’s Bay, and even to the west coast of the North Island. Shorn wethers are mainly moving at present, but breeding ewes are commencing in a steady trickle, although ewes do not usually start in large numbers until after the New Year. The railway south is taking many thousands, while others are sent by road to the northern railhead at Taneatua. One mob of 250 wethers, however, is being driven nearly 400 miles across the widest part of the island, from Tokomaru Bay to Patea, and will spend eight or nine weeks on the road.

Mr. George Knight, of Mount Albert (Auckland), who is in his 90th year, when asked why he had given up his practice of attending football matches, in which he had grandsons playing, and in which he was deeply interested for many years, said that although it had been a late wet winter, he thought it was his duty to do something in the “dig for victory” campaign. He was enjoying excellent health and had been busy in his garden since the early spring. There seemed so much to do, and he had foregone football for one season. He was able to do quite hard work and help when the-young men were doing their bit to win the war and freedom.

Critical reference to the regulations governing the censorship of films was made at a meeting of the Marlborough School Committee’s Association. The desirability of preventing children from see ing some of the types of pictures which are only being recommended by the con sor as suitable for adults was emphasised. The present control, it was suggested, was a farce. It was decided to approach the Minister of Internal Affairs to have this “recommended” clause replaced with a direction that such films are for adults only, and to ask that firm action be taken to have the onus placed on exhibitors to see that children are not admitted to such screenings.

1 Investigations are being made by the f authorities into reported cases in which ; persons on visits to bush areas have re moved from nests the eggs of one or two highly-protected native birds. The Min ister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, saiu that sections of the Animals Protection and Game Act affecting the country’s bird life provided stiff penalties for breaches |of this kind, and where the Department ! was able to trace offenders proceedings ' would be taken. School children, he said, had been included in the complaints. A recent case showed that some children had been collecting the eggs of the tui and fan tail. He felt that the parents or guardians of children could exercise a guiding influence. The Wanganui resolution strongly urging the Government to include in the proposed Education Amendment Act a clause making the teaching of the principles of Christianity an integral part of the school syllabus was supported by the Auckland Education Board. Mr. G. K. Hamilton, a former headmaster, who proposed support for the Wanganui board’s stand, said that, though it was a debat able subject, Christianity should be taught in the schools. Mr. A. Burns said that the State should decide the question, and the chairman, Mr. W. J. Campbell, agreed. Mr. C. S. Morris, who was the only dissentient on the vote, said that once the Bible was introduced into the schools conflict of opinion would arise. He believed in the education system, which was free, secular, and compulsory, and did not desire the introduction of religious arguments.