In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24523, 26 August 1941, Page 4

In the News

A Lonely Manager Never were the responsibilities of a Rugby team manager fewer than were those of Mr H. S. Strang, manager of the Southland Rugby team which played Otago at Dunedin on Saturday, on the official return journey of the team on Saturday evening. To save expense the Southland Rugby Union decided that the team should return to Invercargill on the Saturday evening instead of remaining in Dunedin, the usual practice, over the week-end. But the players had different ideas, and only one returned with the manager. The remainder spent the Sunday in Dunedin at their own expense. “I was lonely on the return journey,” remarked Mr Strang, when telling members of the union last night about his experience. He had no worries at all after Mataura was reached. The solitary player was a country forward who left the train at Mataura.

Just Like Heaven “We’re back at the old parade-ground stuff again,” remarks disconsolately a Greece and Crete veteran writing to a friend in Invercargill from Egypt. He describes routine camp life and goes on to give his idea of a happy life after the war. “One thing I’m going to do is shave at about 10 o’clock in the mornings or later,” he writes. “You can visualize my trouble in getting up with the bugle at 5.30 a.m., shaving, washing, laying out gear for inspection, cleaning boots and rifle, and trying to get a glimpse of the papex- in some odd moment. Home—where I can sleep till I wake, shave at my leisure, read the papex- in bed and take about two hours in getting up. It’s going to be just like heaven! I’m going to need that shotgun in case there are any small boys in the district learning the’ bugle!”

“Otago’s Best Bet “The Southland Rugby team is still Otago’s best bet,” remarked Mr A. H. Courtis, treasurer of the Southland Rugby Union at the meeting of the union last night when an announcement about the attendance and the gate takings at the Southland-Otago match was made by a member. The gate totalled £740, and the attendance was estimated at between 13,000 and 15,000. The Caterpillar Club How he joined the exclusive “Caterpillar Club,” membership of which is gained by a life-or-death parachute leap, is related by Pilot Officer Krebs, of Gisborne, in a letter to his parents. Baling out at 1000 feet, his chute did not open till he was 300 feet from the ground. He landed in a tree. A lot of chaps here are jealous of my entry into the ‘Caterpillar Club,’ a name which comes from its badge—a small caterpillax- brooch —worn by members, giving name and date of initiation. It costs nothing,” he writes, “to become a member. All you have to do is to abandon an aircraft in mid-air and make a successful parachute landing. The badge is supplied, by the parachute makers, and you don't get them on a ‘fun’ jump—it has to be a matter ot life or death.”

Radio Call from Germany A radio call on short wave, sent out from Germany, was heard in W’anganui last week, when Mr Alastair Forbes, an officer on the Bank Line steamer Speybank, which was torpedoed in March, asked anyone hearing the message to communicate with his wife, formerly Miss Mavis Casbolt, who lives in Wanganui. Mr Forbes is a prisoner of war in Germany, and his wife received a letter from him 10 days ago.

Equality of Sacrifice When appeals for exemption for military service were being heard by the No. 1 Armed Forces Appeal Board in the Auckland district, the chairman (Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M.), mentioned that resentment was felt by farming families who had made special sacrifices to free sons for service overseas at the fact that other families were retaining all their sons on the grounds that they were essential to carry on the farms. He said it was imperative that adjustments be made to secure equality of sacrifice. When Witnesses Differ

Referring to a conflict of evidence in a case heard before him in the Auckland Supreme Court, Mr Justice Callan said that, after having listened to a large number of cases having to do with motor collisions, his impression was that with the exception of the interested parties the witnesses tried best to tell the truth to the best of their ability. He realized that often it was a difficult thing for witnesses to do when they were badgered under cross-exam-ination and re-examination, with the added tendency of most people seeing portion of an accident automatically to reconstruct in their minds what had happened, and, fill in what they did not actually see. He felt it was rash to infer from conflict in the evidence of eye-witnesses that the evidence was dishonest. School Savings Scheme

During the year, the schools savings bank scheme was in operation in 940 schools, an increase of 35 over the previous year, says the annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department. The scheme is designed to encourage thrift among children. Deposits amounted to £37,811/13/7, and the withdrawals to £29,037/15/1, an excess of deposits of £8773/18/6. Accounts in operation totalled 77,906 and the total amount standing to the credit of the scheme was £89,902.

New Word The word “cumulo,” used frequently by counsel engaged in substantiating an appeal in the Supreme Court, Napier, was questioned by Mr Justice Northcroft. Counsel was speaking of “cumulo value” of an estate. “What is this word ‘cumulo’? I have not heard it mentioned in my experience before, and do not think it is commonly used in Court,” said his Honour. Counsel’s reply was that he could not ascertain its significance himself, but the Commissioner of Stamp Duties had used it in his statement to describe the land valuation. “It’s the first time I have encountered the word,” his Honour said. A Heavy Blow

From the point of view of the British and colonial troops who occupied Benghazi, one of the most regrettable features of the recapture of the town was the fact that the enemy regained possession of a flourishing - t-wery with an estimated monthly output of 36,000 gallons. The canteen organization with the British forces had negotiated for the entire output, and as a preliminary, had arranged to receive 8000 bottles a day for distribution among the soldiers; but unfortunately, fate and the Nazis upset these plans for the time being.

Messages from War Prisoners

Several messages from Australians and one from a New Zealander, all of whom are at present prisoners of war in Italy, were heard last week in a broadcast from the Vatican City. An Auckland resident who tuned in to the broadcast said that the New Zealander was Sergeant McMillan, of Wanganui East. No further details were given. Sergeant McMillan’s message was to the effect that he had been in the Italian prison camp since last February, and although he had written many letters, he had received none from home. The prisoners themselves did not speak, their messages being read by the announcer. Altogether about 30 messages were read.