In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24546, 22 September 1941, Page 4

In the News

Territorial Cadres With the announcement of the formation of large cadres in the Territorial Force, a word not previously in general use in New Zealand has come into circulation. The meaning of the word “cadre” is a framework, and its particular military meaning is “a permanent establishment forming the framework of a regiment.” It is of French origin and is pronounced car-der. Profitable Cow A little over a year ago a Hamilton farmer bought a Shorthorn cow for 35/-. He milked the animal for a season and reared its calf. He then fattened the cow and sold it at Frankton last week for £l2/2/6. Total Blackout To test the effectiveness of the warden and technical services of the Emergency Precautions Scheme, a total blackout is to be held throughout the Auckland metropolitan area between 9 and 9.30 p.m. on Sunday, October 12. Profit per Gallon The ratio of profit per gallon of petrol was referred to repeatedly by the No. 4 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr V. Raines) during the hearing of applications for renewal of carriers’ licences in Christchurch. Mr Raines said that an average return of from 13/_ to 14/- a gallon was considered reasonable. He had known it to be as low as 5/- a gallon. At the time of making this comment he was considering a licence where a carrier was making an average of 30/- a gallon on his running. Competition for Stockings The battle is still to the strong on the not very frequent occasions when Auckland shops have women’s stockings for sale. A middle-aged woman who had just emerged from a wellknown store without the hoped-for stockings called at The Herald office one day last week to complain that her hat had been torn from her head and trampled on the floor in what she described as “the mad rush.” When an inquiry was made at the store, all was quiet on the stocking front. The sales staff admitted that there had been keen competition for the goods offered, but they did not believe it could have reached a pitch at which customers tore off one another’s hats. There had been incidents on earlier occasions they said. Once an unwrapped flounder had been found on the next-door counter and two loaves of bread on the floor when the excitement was over. Men were prominent in the rush. Posed as a Soldier The theft of clothing to the value of £6 from the home of a man who had befriended him, was the charge against Herbert Kitchener McCauley, aged 25, a labourer, who appeared before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court. Senior-Sergeant Joyce said it was a particularly mean offence. Accused met a man in the city and represented himself as a soldier returned from Greece and looking for a bed. The man took accused to his home, where he stayed for four days. On the last day, August 12, accused took the clothing and pawned it for 5/-. It was later recovered by a constable. The Magistrate imposed a sentence of one month’s hard labour. They Were Leg-ironed A bright interlude that provoked general amusement occurred during consideration of the Marine Department’s Estimates in the House of Representatives on Friday. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo) and the Minister for Marine (the Hon. R. Semple) were the chief participants, although interjections came from other members. Mr Broadfoot, referring to the annual report of the Marine Department, said that under the heading of oyster cultivation it was stated that 12,116,000 borers and 10,660 pupus had been destroyed during the year, and he wanted to know how this total had been estimated. “Did you count them?” he asked Mr Semple, “and having got them, did you brand or earmark them?” “As a matter of fact, we leg-ironed them,” Mr Semple answered, with complete gravity. Mr Broadfoot expressed the hope that the Minister might have equal success next season. Religion in Desert A mobile cinematograph unit is being used in the Middle East by the senior Chaplain to the New Zealand Forces, the Rt. Rev. G. V. Gerard. The N.Z.E.F. Times states that the unit employs a small library of talking films produced by the Religious Film Society of London and also more secular matter supplied by the New Zealand Government Film Studio. The first section deals with incidents from Scripture and history and the second with scenic views from the Dominion. The programmes have proved very popular with the troops and to August 25 more 50 screenings had been given in barns, lofts, schools, church halls, hospitals, marquees, recreation tents and even the open desert. Audacious Theft An example of the sheer audacity of some persons in saving a few shillings at the expense of others was given last week, the victim being an irate bicycle owner. His bicycle was stolen from a right-of-way in Esk street. The owner communicated with the police, who found the bicycle, or what was left of it, in a city reserve a day later. Both the front and rear tyres had been removed but the thief had graciously left one of the tubes, possibly because it was covered with patches. The wheels had been removed and replaced —minus some of the bolts—and a carrier had been damaged beyond repair. Since the incident the unlucky owner has been a strong advocate for a cyclists’ protection society.

No More Dog Collars? The shortage of metal fittings and buckles for dog collars has caused several local bodies, faced with the impossibility of securing supplies of collars this year, to ask the Government for an amendment to the law which will obviate the necessity for issuing a new collar on the registration of each dog. The regulations require the local authority to keep on hand a supply of dog collars and to issue them on the registration of each dog, for which there is a fee of 10/-. Alternatives being considered by the Christchurch City Council include the issue of a small metal disk to be attached to the old collar in place of a new collar. Churchill on the Gramophone There is a world demand for Mr Winston Churchill’s speeches recorded for the gramophone. They are being bought in Australia, in Canada, in India, in New Zealand and in South Africa; and again in their own homes American citizens are listening to his “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.” Mr Churchill has joined the best sellers, among whom today are Paul Roheson with his “Trees,” Webster Booth (“I’ll Walk Beside You”), and Joe Loss > (“You Say The Sweetest Things”). The most popular records of recent years are Paul Whiteman’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” which has sold more than 80,000 to date; and Richard Crooks’s “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” (140,000). The top score is held by Ernest Lough with 680,000. He was a Temple choirboy when he made his lovely “Hear My Prayer.” Today he is a stalwart fireman, training a choir from the Auxiliary Fire Service at Harrow-on-the-Hill.