In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24057, 22 February 1940, Page 8

In the News

More Recruits

Three single men —D. H. Mackie, J. A. Weir and J. R. Wesney—enlisted for active service at the Invercargill Defence Office yesterday. Nine more recruits have been passed as fit for active service. On Saturday territorials Will take part in a Lewis gun shoot at the Otatara rifle range at 1.30 p.m. A Request From Crimea From far away Crimea has come a quaintly-worded letter addressed “Botanic Garden, Invercargill, New Sealand.” The address of the sender is given as “Government Botanical Garden Nikitsky of the name of Molotoff, Nikita, Yalta, Crimea, U.S.S.R.” A request is made for seeds of the plant Leptospermum citratum, and if none is available in Invercargill the writers ask <hat the letter be forwarded to another botanical institution, “which would be so gentle to fulfil our request.” Liable to Heavy Fines

A warning to motor-cyclists who do not have speedometers on their machines was given in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday by Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M. “Motor-cyclists who have no speedometers are liable to fairly heavy fines,” said the Magistrate. “If they are charged with exceeding the speed limit it is no use their pleading that they had no speedometer because it is their duty to get one.”

Stolen Explosive Apprehension reigned for a time over the week-end in the official section of the coal-mining community of Kaitangata. It was discovered when the customary check-up of the explosives stored in the magazine of the Kaitangata Coal Company was made that the magazine had been broken into and one stick of Samsonite stolen. Such a discovery would call for police investigation at any time; but it was natural that at a time when the country is at war it would arouse keen suspicion. Inquiries were undertaken immediately by the local police, and the missing stick of explosive was found hidden in part of the machinery at the pit-head. Detectives from Dunedin were on the scene early on Sunday, and as the result of their investigations a juvenile will probably appear before the Court on charges connected with the incident. The immediate outcome of the investigation was the dispersal of fears of attempted sabotage. “Not For Publication” For various reasons an increasing number of recruits for the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force are marking their enlistment papers “not for publication.” At Christchurch on Tuesday seven of a total of nine enlistment papers bore this instruction. Commenting on the point, an official of the central depot said that the reason given by a number of recruits was that, though addresses were no longer published, the names in the newspapers were often recognized and the recruits found that their jobs were applied foi even though they had not been before medical boards and might not be accepted. In other cases, “family reasons” were given for withholding names. Excursion to Bluff Approximately 650 persons travelled to Bluff yesterday by rail, when two picnics were held at the port. The combined St. George’s and Tisbury excursion train brought about 350 and that from the Tokanui district 300. The day was fine and many walked around to Stirling Point, from where the remains of the wrecked steamer Waikouaiti are visible. Games and sports for the children were held in Argyle Park. A Union Company steamer was working at the wharf and the loading operations were a source of interest. Many of the children boarded the vessel foi" a thorough examination.