In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24498, 28 July 1941, Page 4

In the News

Hulk’s Last Voyage The 90-year-old hulk Prince of Wales has left Wellington on her last voyage. She has been purchased by a Marlborough Sounds settler, who will break her up on his property. Ihe Union Company motor-ship towed the Prince of Wales across the strait. Originally the Prince of Wales was one of the Hudson Bay Company s Arctic traders.

Fingerprint Evidence “For the 17 years I have been on the Bench and 20 years previously at the Bar, I can remember only three instances in which finger-prints have been used as evidence in criminal cases,” said Mr Justice Ostler in the Supreme Court at Hamilton during the hearing of a case of breaking and entering. His Honour was replying to a submission from counsel that the Crown had not succeeded in proving its case because no fingerprints had been taken.

Duty on Soldiers’ Cigarettes Duty is still payable on tobacco and cigarettes sent to soldiers overseas in privately-addressed parcels, according to advice received by the secretary to the Canterbury Provincial Patriotic Council (Mr H. S. Feast). In response to many inquiries Mr Feast wrote to the National Patriotic Fund Board, which advised him to this effect. The Clink of Bottles

A visitor from Dunedin, or at least a supporter of the Otago team judging from the colours he was showing, boarded a tram for Rugby Park on Saturday afternoon carrying a smallsized travelling case. As he made his way to the rear compartment of the tram the case gave forth a clinking sound. The bottles may have been filled with milk or cold tea, or they may even have been empty. But it was a wet and rather unpleasant afternoon, and probably the assumption that caused the other passengers to smile was right after all. Detective Fiction Centenary A centenary which detective story readers should feel some desire to celebrate passed almost unmarked in April. Edgax- Allan Poe’s tale, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” in which modern detective fiction was born, appeared in “Graham’s Magazine” in April 1841. Green Peas Small quantities of green peas reached the Auckland markets last week and met with a ready demand at high prices. The supply on Thursday, which amounted to about eight bags, sold at from 1/- to 1/7 per lb, a decrease of 2d on the prices ruling a week before. The bulk of the peas came from the Bay of Islands, although one consignment was from Piha. Soldiers’ Train Fares Forty-three local bodies have supported the request of the Takapuna Borough Council for free train travel for members of the armed forces, nurses and chaplains in New Zealand, according to replies so far received to the council’s circular. Eight local bodies merely received the circular, while seven considered that it was not a matter on which local bodies should pass an opinion, but rather a matter of Government policy . Permission to Win “Somewhere in North Africa” recently a team of New Zealand officers played soccer with some Italian prisoners. According to a soldier, who has sent details of the match, the enthusiasm of the prisoners knew no bounds. However, there was one point on which their minds were not at all settled. After some collaboration with his colleagues, the Italian captain approached the British officer commanding and said: “About this game this afternoon, boss, there is one thing we do not know. Are we allowed to win?” The officer was flabbergasted. Permission was granted, and the Italians won by 10 goals to 1. Five-day Trek A five-day trek from Rotorua to Whakatane by the Rotorua Mounted Squadron of the Home Guard began last Thursday afternoon. This is believed to be the first trek of its kind to be undertaken by guardsmen in the Dominion and was organized to test the mobility of the Home Guard without the use of petrol. Active service conditions are being observed on each stage of the journey, with scouting advanced guards and maintenance of communications. The squadron is commanded by Captain R. Vercoe, D.S.O. There are 138 members of the Rotorua Mounted Squadron, which is divided into four troops.

Powdered Meat Samples of the dehydrated, powdered meat which is being produced in the North Island for shipment to Britain were displayed at a meeting of the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union executive. The powder is tasteless, but Mr G. C. Warren told members that it contained all the nourishment in the beef from which it was made, saving 75 per cent, of the weight. Experiments were now being made with mutton and pork, he said, and if they proved successful, New Zealand would have an outlet for surplus meat which could be exported without demands on refrigerated space. Builder of the Court

“Did he build this court?” Mr Justice Callan asked in some surprise when it was stated during a trial in the Supreme Court at Auckland that the man in the dock had built the courtroom. His Honour was assured that this was so. “The Crown does not hold it against him, sir,” said Mr N. I. Smith, appearing for the Crown. Accused’s counsel hastened to add that he did not wish the jury to attribute any discomfort they might feel to his client. “The seats were made by the Public Works Department,” he said. Treacle Tin Signalling

| Acting on a suggestion that imI provisation should be their motto, members of the Home Guard in Wellington have begun to conduct night signalling operations across the harbour with lamps of their own manufacture. These are mainly made from discarded motor-car head lamps, but also include a converted treacle tin, which has been brought by experiment to an unexpectedly high standard of efficiency. Recently the Eastbourne Home Guard and the Karori unit communicated a distance of seven and a-half miles across the harbour. Tests at Seatoun have also resulted in signalling being read in daylight at a distance of one and a-half miles. The Rat Did the Trick After reading a paragraph on the sagacity of the rat (recently reprinted in this column), an Auckland resident ■wrote: “I set a vzooden trap, with powerful metal spring, cheese baited, and in three weeks trapped 20 rats. On setting in the same way on the 21st time, the cheese was gone, but the trap was not sprung. So in setting it again I passed a thin wire through the clxeese and wired it to the trigger. In the morning the trap was not sprung, but cheese and wire had vanished. To test the trigger, I dropped a wad of blotting paper on the trigger, and off went the trap. I cannot see how the rat’s trick of removing wire and cheese is done; it is passing sagacity.”