In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24596, 19 November 1941, Page 4

In the News

The Compost Heap At the request of several readers of Tire Southland Times, Mr J. A. McPherson, Director of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, fias elaborated his reference to the use of potassium permanganate for “rotting down” compost heaps. His information, he states, was obtained from articles dealing with experimental work conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society in England. The Gardeners’ Chronicle of April 8, 1939, sets out the procedure as follows: “For one cubic yard of material, water with six gallons of solution containing three ounces of. potassium permanganate. Turn a month later and water with three gallons at twice the strength. The use of crystals in place of the solution is less satisfactory.” Damage by Lightning The brilliant lightning which was experienced in Invercargill on Friday night caused damage in one home in the city, which although it was trifling, was nevertheless curious. A tumbler on a windowsill shook during a flash and afterwards it was found to be cracked in a symmetrical pattern. Straight cracks radiated out from a central pinpoint half-way up the tumbler. From the pinpoint outwards also ran cracks in symmetrical curves round and up the tumbler. Progress of Air Transport A striking indication of the progress of air transport is the fact that The New Zealand Herald, Auckland, was delivered one day recently, on the day of issue, in Sydney, Norfolk Island and Noumea, as well as in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Copies lor Norfolk Island and Noumea went by Pan American Airways’ Pacific Clipper, and those for southern centres of New Zealand by the regular internal airline. Cake-making Essential A baker and pastrycook appealing on public interest and hardship grounds before the No. 4 Armed Forces Appeal Board in Wellington was asked by the Crown representative, Mr C. ,O. Bell, if he thought cake-making an essential industry. “Well. I think it is.” replied appellant. “A lot of people seem to eat cake.” Defence Needs An observation on the importance of preparedness for defence and the prospect of the defence forces being required in the near future was made by the chairman of the Southland ManPower Committee (Mr E. H. Murney) yesterday. Counsel for a farmer employer had asked that the territorial service of one of the farmer’s sons be postponed for 18 months because of the difficulty of sparing more than one son at any time next year. "That is practically a request for complete postponement,” Mr Murney said. "The authorities state that there is an urgent need for a fully-trained territorial force. If the territorials are to be required at all it is not difficult to envisage that they will be required long before the time when this reservist is trained if we adjourn the case for 18 months.” The decision was held over until today. Goldfields Coach An event of interest to early settlers and others took place in Dunedin recently when a 24-passenger coach, the last of the famous firm of Cobb and Co.’s Royal Mail line of coaches to run on the gold-fields, was towed along Princes and George streets by a modern passenger’ bus. This interesting relic was on its way to a wheelwright’s shop to be dismantled for reassembly in the Otago Early Settlers’ Museum. Drop in Dairy Output Cold and changeable weather, with bitter wind squalls, has severely handicapped the farmer in the Auckland province in the most backward spring for many years. Shearing operations have been retarded and the effect on dairy production has been so serious that it is estimated that output so far this season on a butterfat basis is almost 10 per cent, less than for the same period last year. Larrikins in Black-out Reports after a trial black-out at Ashburton disclosed that larrikins had in one case taken advantage of it to throw gravel at several members of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary who were on patrol. Police wardens were called, but did not catch the offenders. Whitebait Sent to Egypt It was reported recently that tinned whitebait sent to soldiers in Egypt had arrived in an unsatisfactory condition. Advice received from a Greymouth soldier, however, does not support this. He states that the whitebait was an enjoyable addition to the Army menu. No Shortage of Threepences A shortage of threepences reported in other centres does not seem to have affected Nelson. At a concert given by the Garrison Band admission was by silver coin. No fewer than 429 threepences were collected and there were 421 sixpences. But in spite of the apparent smallness of the donations £3O was raised for the Patriotic Fund. Young Patriot

No doubt inspired by the fact that he has two brothers on service overseas, a boy of between six and seven years has more than once made application at the Kensington Drill Hall (Dunedin) for means to kill the Germans. On one occasion his insistent demands for a weapon resulted in his being sent a toy water pistol, but his comments on receipt of that type of weapon were crushing. “I don’t think much of that,” he said. “I want a gun that shoots bits of lead.” The youthful warrior paid another visit to the registration office, and this time made a bold demand. “I want to see the admiral,” he proclaimed, and followed up his application by requesting “a horse and a revolver,” so that he could get into instant action. In the end he was dismissed, more or less pleased, without either a horse or a revolver, but with 2d in his pocket. Sheepfarmer’s Difficulties Labour difficulties he was experiencing on his sheep station were described by a sheepfarmer, L. G. D. Acland, in an appeal to the Christchurch Man-power Committee for Allen Richards, shepherd and musterer. “I have a manager who is too old to get over the country, a head shepherd who has been called up in December for whom I intend to appeal, and an under-shepherd who is flat-footed, whom I expect will be permanently unfit. There is also a cowboy.” The appellant said his station, a mile from Lake Wakatipu, was of 30,000 acres. He carried from 9000 to 10,000 sheep. Richards, the committee decided, would not enter camp before June 1. Accomplished Pupil A pupil of the Wanganui Intermediate School, Jock Hoe, who has been selected to a Trustees’ Day Boys’ Scholarship by the Wanganui College Board of Trustees, is a New Zealandborn Chinese whose older brother and sisters have had good school records in Wanganui. His elder brother, Jack Hoe, who attends the Wanganui Collegiate School, and two of his sisters, all matriculated in the same year and another sister has been dux of Queen’s Park School and has done well at the Intermediate School. The children speak perfect English, but until they were five years of age they could speak only Chinese.