In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24600, 24 November 1941, Page 4

In the News

Victoria Cross Awards Some by-play in official correspondence about the award of the Victoria Cross to two members of the 20th Battalion, the Canterbury Regiment—-2nd-Lieutenant C. H. Upham and Sergeant J. D. Hinton—is reported by Lieutenant Dean Goffin, bandmaster of the 4th Brigade Band (formerly 20th Battalion). “An O.C. at the base sent a message of congratulation to tire 20th on Charlie Upham’s V.C.,” he writes, “Jack Hinton’s came out next day, so he added a postscript saying: Tn place of 2nd-Lieutenant C. Upham read 2ndLieutenant C. Upham and Sergeant J. D. Hinton,’ and then added: ‘lt would be a great convenience to this headquarters if the 20th Battalion would send in lists of their V.C.s on the one day instead of on separate days, as is the present custom.’ “We enjoyed this immensely (it was on our officers’ mess notice board), but we were further delighted with our C.O.’s reply, which read: ‘We note your complaint, and in future the 20th Battalion will forward lists of its V.C.s in alphabetical order’.” Moth’s Home It would be interesting, to know how many times in the course of a week, or a month, an ordinary bank note changes hands. A bank note does not, as a rule, remain long enough in the possession of one individual to gather dust upon it. However, an elderly man who went into certain business premises the ether day to pay a small amount over the counter retained two bank notes over a period sufficient for the accumulation of more than dust upon them. When asked for the small sum necessary to pay for his purchase, he fumbled in his pockets and brought out two carefully-folded bank notes. He unfolded them, and released, to his astonishment, a moth which had apparently crept within the folds of his little store of wealth. Old Brick Tunnel | A large brick chamber or tunnel that has been uncovered under the footpath ir. Shortland street, Auckland, by Jean Batten Place has been proving of great interest to passers-by. Council workmen were engaged in lowering the level of a water main when they broke through an arched brick roof and found this tunnel, about 10ft in depth and stretching back from the kerb to the corner of the foundation of the National Bank building. Inquiry shows that the original use of the tunnel was to convey telephone lines to the basement of the old Shortland street Post Office. It is being filled in with rocks and rubble and concrete. Air Mail for Soldiers To expedite delivery on arrival in 1 the Middle East of air mail letters to soldiers, the Chief Post Office, Christchurch, has introduced a more intensive form of sorting. A special room has been set aside in the remodelled part of the old post office for this sorting, a staff varying from one to five being engaged on the work. South Island correspondence of this type is sorted in the Christchurch office, the number of letters handled ranging up to 2000 daily. The letters are now sorted ’ into extended alphabetical sequence, and not just into alphabetical groups as before. Sorting into complete sequence will greatly facilitate handling at the Base Post Office, it is stated, and will avoid delay in checking and in delivery to soldiers. Change of Name For some time the Wellington Acclimatization Society has been contemplating a change in its name to bi ing it into line with the real sphere of its activities, and at a special general meeting • a motion was adopted changing the name to the Wellington Wild Life Control and Acclimatization Society. Moving the adoption of the new title, the president (Mr L. O. H. Tripp), said that he had been connected with the society for 40 years and he was glad that the name had been changed. In its early days the society had functioned as an acclima- • tization bodv for the introduction of fish and bird life, but it had passed I beyond that and had done a great deal lof work in wild life control. He had always advocated the planting of berry- | producing trees for native birds. Kikiyu Grass in North Concern at the menace to Northland pastures created by the planting of kikiyu grass by the Public Works Department is expressed in the annual report of the Whangarei Agricultural and Pastoral Society. The report states that the executive had taken up the matter with the Minister of Public Works and the Minister had stated that the grass would not be further planted on roadsides, but its use was to be continued on sand dune reclamation. The report states that this grass, which was introduced from South Africa seme years ago, has already ruined several hundreds of acres of good pasture land. Golf v. Vegetables “There are six or seven golf links in the Hutt Valley, and I’ve never heard them mentioned yet,” declared a witness at a sitting of the Price Tribunal in Wellington when the question of replacing market garden land in the Hutt taken for housing was discussed. “I don’t say they would be suitable for vegetable growing, but I do say they would be suitable for housing.” The chairman (Mr Justice Hunter) said that golf links were very desirable and very necessary to enable people to get exercise. •Witness: They could get golf links further up the valley. His Honour: They play a very important part in promoting the welfare of the community. Witness: I don’t deny that, but 1 do say that the housing of the community should be given preference to the needs of golfers. His Honour: I think I can agree with that—and also even where vegetable production is necessary. Pictures of Farm Life “The solution of the farmer’s problem lies along the lines of more diversified, more modern and more intensive farming, with the assistance of industrial production,” said Mr C. V. Smith in his presidential address at the conference of the Nev/ Zealand ManufacI turers’ Federation at Wairakei. “This means encouraging more boys and girls to go in for agriculture. Unfortunately, it seems to have been the practice in New Zealand to paint a dismal picture of farm life. Nobody ever seems to paint a rosy picture of the advantages, yet surely that would be the most sensible method of influencing young people when they were trying to make up their minds.” Fish Story Some new drains are being dug along the edge of the Bainesse swamp (near Palmerston North), through the middle of which runs the main drain. The new drains, which are about five chains away from the main drain, are being cut through new and fairly firm ground, and stumps on the line are being blasted out of the ground. One such stump had been blown out of the ground, and when the workmen returned to the scene they were amazed to find a small trout in the water at the bottom of the hole caused by the explosion. Another extraordinary thing about it was that the trout was alive. When it was put into the main drain it swam away.