In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24630, 30 December 1941, Page 4

In the News

Sign of the Times There are many signs that the horse is making at least a partial comeback in these days of petrol restrictions. Recently a woman member of the Automobile Association (Southland), who lives in the country, rang up the office of the association in Invercargill and ssked if there was any place in Dee street where a horse could be hitched. She said; that she intended driving into the city and did not wish to have to wander about looking for a place to tie up the horse. The question is one that probably few people could answer off hand. There is a water - trough outside the hospital in Dee street. It is provided with an iron bar for tying up horses, but between there and the Crescent there are no special hitching posts. Back to the Bicycle Men who have not cycled fox' 15 or 20 years and who are now cycling into the city daily confess that they are changing their views considerably about traffic problems. During a discussion in a city tearoom it was suggested that elderly cyclists should form an association of their own to protect their interests, that a portion of every street should be reserved foxcyclists, that motorists who fail to respond to cyclists’ signals should be sent to gaol on conviction, and that the penalty for the “conversion” of a bicycle should be prison without the option of a fine. Few Motor Campers The effect of the petrol restrictions is strikingly demonstrated at the motor camp at the Timaru show grounds where only 35 parties, comprising about 140 persons, are “in residence.” Before the announcement of the restrictions the bookings were the heaviest yet experienced fox - the Christmas and New Yeax - period, and nearly 200 camping parties were expected. Juvenile Authorities Two small children were viewing a well-taped Frankton shop window and endeavouring to understand why the shopkeepers were “making their stores like gaols.” A third and obviously much better informed school mate arrived on the scene. He explained that the strips were put there so that the windows would be strengthened and thus fall out in one piece if a bomb fell in the vicinity. New Use for Beer "The fire was fought and put out more in sorrow than in angei- that good beer should be so abused.” said the commander of a Glasgow fire fighting unit, which with beer extinguished a fire caused by a Nazi raider. At the time of the fire an adequate water supply was not available and a lead was takeix from a huge vat of beer ixx an adjacent brewery. With the R.A.F. New Zealand now has more than 12,000 men in the Royal Air Force, reports Contact, the magazine of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Through the Empire Air Training Scheme, 4000 men have been promised each year. Of New Zealanders serving with the R.A.F., well over 100 have been honoured fox - distinguished service. Soldiers’ Improvization One of the Auckland posts manned constantly by soldiers of the Guards Vital Points shows the experienced servicemen's ability fox' improvisization. The post is on an area which was formerly waste land, with which it is still surrounded, but the men have not only laid down a bowling green and abundantly blooming flower beds, but have also made their own concrete paths. Much of the material used in making the camp what it is were scrap pieces found near by and some of the buildings were motor-car cases. Resourceful A story of the resourcefulness of an Army Service Corps sergeant in the Western Desert is told by the official wax - correspondent with the Expeditionary Force in one of his despatches. “He is one of those Heaven-sent men you find in the Army,” he writes. “He can make anything. His latest contribution is a steel guitar - made from an old bully-beef box, four lengths _of thin wire, the end of a tobacco tin and a few nails. It is a real Heath Robinson affair, but, believe it ox - not, it makes music.”

Youthful Enterprise “Dig your trench fox' half-a-crown, madam?” Four boys eager to collect pocket money, arriving with shovels and spades, are making the rounds of one New Plymouth suburb soliciting business and getting plenty of it. Hotels’ Quiet Christmas As a result of the travel restrictions and of wax' conditions generally, Auckland hotels have been experiencing the quietest Christmas for many years past. Cancellations of bookings have been numerous, and there are very few visitors in the city from the South Island. The absence of guests who stayfox' some time has to some extent been compensated for by an increased number of casual visitors, who have now no difficulty in booking in at any hotel. Doctor Was Wrong An English school Senior Medical Officer was examining evacuees, reports The Lancet. As two boys were shown into the room he took one glance at them and then his face lit up as he exclaimed: “Aha, twins!” One of the boys disdained any reply, merely sniffing and wiping his nose on the back of Ixis hand. The other, with a look of contempt for this prattling doctor, said I flatly: “No, we’re not twins.” The 5.M.0., palpably deflated, motioned to the boys to be seated while he took their names and addresses. Having finished this, he stood up with a look of triumph on his face. “I told you so!” he exclaimed. “You're as like as two peas; you have the same birthday; and you have the same father and mother. You’re twins.” “No, we’re not twins,” said the more talkative one emphatically. “Well, what are you?” demanded the medical officer irritably. “We’re all that’s left of triplets.” Small Forces The British Army in Abyssinia never exceeded 20,000 infantry with 60 field guns, yet it destroyed an Italian army of 170,000. of whom 96,000 were infantry, with 400 field guns. Ninety Miles an Hour I A charge of driving a motor-car on tlxe Hamilton-Te Awamutu main road at a speed which might have been dangerous to the public was preferred against Sinclaix - Anderson Whyte, traveller, before Mr S. L. Paterson S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Hamilton. Senior-Sergeant A. G. McHugh said that on the night of November 11 a traffic inspectox - noticed a motor-car speeding in Pembroke street. He set his siren and increased his speed to 90 miles an hour, but was unable to overtake the defendant, who at times was on his incorrect side of the road. The inspector received very serious injuries when his cax - overturned as it hit the edge of the road. The Te Awamutu police were notified and they stopped defendant’s car. For the defendant, Mr Johnson said his client did not hear the siren, and he did not know the inspector’s cax - had overturned. If it was the defendant’s car that was speeding, Mx - Johnson submitted that it was skilful rather than dangerous driving. The Magistrate fined Whyte £5 and suspended his licence till May 31,