In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24106, 20 April 1940, Page 6

In the News

Germaine In City

A visitor to Invercargill whose name will be familiar to many soldiers who were in France during the Great War is Mrs S. A. Jacob, better known as Germaine who, as a girl, did much to make the lot of the troops easier in those days. Mr and Mrs Jacob made this visit to New Zealand because of a promise given to be in Wellington for Anzac Day this year. As a result of correspondence between Mr D. Lilico, of West Plains, and other members of the 15th Howitzer Battery, Germaine and her husband, an Australian, are now in Invercargill to renew friendships. At Bois Grenier, near Armentieres, many New Zealand soldiers met Germaine and other members of the family. Troops were billeted at her house and the needs of the men were well attended to. Mr and Mrs Jacob are now living at Bondi, Sydney. They will leave Invercargill today for the north. Mr Jacob will spend a week or so fishing in New Zealand and Mrs Jacob will visit Samoa before returning to Australia.

Bursary Awarded The Robert Parker Memorial, valued at £lO/10/- annually, organized by a private committee to commemorate the late Mr Robert Parker, C.M.G., and administered by' the Music Teachers’ Registration. Board, has been awarded to Miss Honor McKellar at the Otago University.

Troops Return To Camp The detachment of troops from the Burnham mobilization camp who paraded in Invercargill and attended the recruiting rally on Thursday, returned north by special train yesterday morning. There was a particularly large crowd at the railway station and until the train drew out at 6.47 a.m? relations and friends thronged the platform exchanging farewells with the troops. The soldiers left to the accompaniment of vociferous cheering. The Burnham band played the march “Invercargill” and the popular song “South of The Border” before the train departed. Gravel Wanted

“I am wondering if there is any gravel left in the Mataura river and if there is any hope of getting some for the road between Mimihau bridge and my gate,” wrote a Southland County ratepayer to the Southland County Council. "There are some bad holes in the road and if something is not done before the winter the road will be impassable.” The complaint was considered by the council yesterday and it was referred to the member for the riding and the engineer with power to act.

Express Runs Late Because of the late arrival at Lyttelton of the inter-island express steamer yesterday morning the express train from the north arrived in Invercargill 40 minutes late last evening.

Visit By Engineers Fourteen members of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers arrived in Invercargill last night for a week-end visit and meeting. Accompanied by members of the Southland branch they will visit the Linton coal mine and Monowai hy-dro-electric station today and this evening a general meeting will be held and papers will be read by Messrs J. McG. Wilkie, S. G. Scoullar, W. G. Pearce, A. T. Gandell and J. G. Perry. Tomorrow the engineers will inspect the water filter plant, the aerodrome, and flood water and sewerage pumping stations.

Sales Tax Reeipts Sales tax collected in New Zealand in February amounted to £229,559, a decrease of £73,045 on the January figure, and of £24,925 on the total for February 1939. The February collection last year was the highest yet recorded for a February month. Compared with February 1938 the latest figure shows a decrease of £966 only. The latest Abstract of Statistics, which records these figures, comments that February invariably produces the lowest monthly sales tax total, as collections in that month are almost wholly from’sales made in January, and both wholesale and retail selling are at a comparatively low ebb in January, largely because of the holiday period and the reaction following the Christmas shopping season. For the first two months of 1940, sales tax receipts amounted to £532,163, a decrease of £52,615 (9 per cent.) on the total for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Sight Colour Tests More than a few candidates for admission to the Navy, Army and AirForce, who believed themselves to possess perfect sight have been disillusioned as a result of what is commonly known as the Japanese-designed colour test. It was explained by an Auckland doctor that a man could often accurately describe a true colour when it was exhibited, but his ability to differentiate mixed colours might be defective. The test now undergone by recruits consists basically of numbers of one colour, such as 26 or 49, dotted on multi-coloured backgrounds, and the task is to describe the figures correctly.

“Black” Exchange In his opinion the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) had acted wisely in eliminating the “black” exchange market, said the president, Mr R. H. Nimmo, at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. “Black” exchange had been an advantage to some, but had adversely affected many traders. With national control over sterling there should be no loopholes for escape. Take those who purchased “black” exchange at 140 per cent, and even higher; the premium had to be passed on to the goods. Traders who conformed with national policy, secured import licences and then had the embarrassing experience of’ having to go cap in hand to ask overseas firms for extended payments, found their competitors receiving substantial quantities of goods, some on the totally prohibited list, which they had been able to buy with “black” exchange. This was one of the evils of it.

Not Wanted In The Army “I shall be no party to affording an opportunity to a man with a record like yours to become a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force,” said Mr Justice Fair in the Supreme Court at Auckland, when a young Maori, who came before him for sentence for breaking into a post office, said he would like' to go to the war if given the opportunity. His Honour said he entirely agreed with the observations that had been recently made by Mr Justice Callan on that subject. “The Army does not want men of bad character enlisting among them. Most of those enlisting are men of high character and good reputation.” The man thus addressed had 10 previous convictions.