In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24499, 29 July 1941, Page 4

In the News

Flood-lighting of Post Office Motorists who travelled into Invercargill last evening, straining to see beyond the single, restricted headlight beam allowed them, were astonished to find that the exterior of the new Post Office was brilliantly flood-lit. “It s just typical of the way the lighting regulations are being administered,” said one motorist to a reporter of The Southland Times. “How on earth they expect the public to take the need for restrictions seriously while this sort of thing goes on, I don’t know.”

Almost Unique “You must be almost unique in New Zealand,” said Mr Justice Ostler in the Supreme Court at Hamilton to a witness who stated that he had never been on a racecourse in his life. The witness was 33 years of age.

Floods Cause Epidemic An epidemic of influenza has broken out in the Tiraumea district, in the Wairarapa. Many settlers are down with illness. It is stated that the epidemic has been brought about to a large extent by the nuisance caused by debris left high and dry by the recent heavy flooding in which stock losses were severe.

Long Cross-examination “This cross-examination has gone on for a long time and it seems a bit like cruelty,” said Mr Justice Ostler, in the Supreme Court, Hamilton, during the cross-examination of a female witness. The woman entered the witness box in the morning and after giving her evidence-in-chief was cross-examined until the court adjourned for lunch at 1 p.m. The cross-examination continued when the court resumed at 2.15 p.m. and she answered counsel’s questions until almost 4.30 p.m. No Scarcity of Wire

“It is all nonsense to tell me you cannot get fencing wire; I know there is a great quantity of wire, and also piping, in the country, 1 see it lying at stations and stores all over the place. But you cannot buy it at pre-war prices, of course.” These observations were made by Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, last week during a claim for damages caused, in part, by the need of an adequate boundary fence.

Digging for Victory School children in the Auckland province this year will “Dig for Victory and grow “patriotic cabbages” and other vegetables as children in Britain are doing. At country schools in many parts of the province gardens will be established or enlarged to provide vegetables for the military camps. Schools in Bay of Plenty districts last season grew 24 tons of onions, carrots and othei’ vegetables for the camps and the system will be extended this year. School agricultural instructors will visit the gardens at intervals to supervise the work. Auckland city schools, with smaller areas available for gardens and available space urgently needed fox - playgrounds, are not in a position to assist in this way, but plans, are afoot in many schools for pupils to assist in tending soldiers’ gardens. Some schools have small plots in which vegetables are grown for pupils’ lunches and in these the children have gained valuable experience in gardening. Patient Becomes Doctor A recommendation by the finance committee, “that Dr J. F. Watson, at present a patient at the Middle Sanatorium, be engaged at £l/1/- a day during the absence of Dr Wilson in camp,” gave rise to some criticism at a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. One mernbei’ said that the arrangement did not seem to be very satisfactory, the chairman replying that it was the best that could be made, and that it was intended that Dr Watson should carry oh only for a few weeks. The recommendation was adopted after members had been assured that the appointment was only temporary and that Dr Watson was fully qualified and capable of doing the work required of him. Selling One-man Businesses A statement that many persons were taking advantage of the calling up of reservists who own one-man businesses to make absurdly small offers to take them ovex’ was made by counsel at a sitting of the Armed Forces Appeal Board in Auckland. It was stated that when the names of such men appeared in the Gazette calling a draft for service, buyers would offer them sums that were obviously well below the value of the business. Later a reservist gave evidence that he had received three offers of this nature within a short time of the Gazette being published. A Soldier’s Son

A well-known battle-scarred veteran of the last war tells a good story concerning the warlike instinct of his offspring (says The Auckland Star). Like most juveniles at the present time, the lad bristled with all the imitation lethal weapons imaginable, but his heart was set on something with which to wage war on the bird population. His pleading finally produced an air gun. So far so good, but father received a rude shock when his offspring “bumped off” a neighbour’s prize Persian cat. That little bit of bother more or less satisfactorily settled, he was required to foot the bill for a dozen pullets which the lad had considered were sitting shots, and proved it. The old soldier was then convinced that his son had the makings of a sniper and he promptly got the axe to work on the air gun. He then decided to appease his son by purchasing him a pop gun. But even that was not safe in the hands of the soldier of the future, for he ended up by giving a friend as choice a black eye as may be seen outside a police court after a parade of inebriates.

Collapsed in Court The collapse of two persons while giving evidence in separate cases at the Auckland Supreme Court on two consecutive days last week was responsible for adjournments of the hearings. _ln one case a witness for the prosecution collapsed in the witness-box and was carried out unconscious. The previous day another man fainted. It was stated that in both cases the men had been suffering from recent illnesses.

Women in Majority At a rough guess women formed 75 per cent, of the audience at the concert of the Invercargill Orchestral Society last week. What is the explanation? It may be that women have a keener appreciation of music than men, but this is unlikely, seeing that all the great music has been composed by men and .that the fair sex has yet to produce a pianist the equal of Paderewski or a violinist to rival Kreisler. But even conceding that women are the more musically inclined, this does not explain why women are generally in the majority at picture shows. One suggestion is that men never, or seldom, go to the pictures without female company (the unfortunate fellow who goes with several women and has to pay admission for all will no doubt think “company” a peculiarly apt word), while most women are quite willing to go with a woman friend if tlxey have no male escort. But perhaps the most comprehensive explanation is that since men’s work takes them away from their homes they are more satisfied than women are to remain at home in the evening.