In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 4

In the News

Lettuces Pounded to Pulp

A hailstorm which cut across a section of the Waimate district on Sunday afternoon caused damage to wheat crops and small fruit estimated to run into many hundreds of pounds. In some areas hailstones as big as marbles were reported, and one farmer states that the storm was the worst of its kind he had known since his arrival in the district in 1907. A preliminary survey of the damage in the Douglas district shows that at least two-thirds of one crop of standing oats was ruined. A wheat crop was cut and the heads battered to such an extent that it is not considered worth harvesting. In vegetable gardens in the Douglas district lettuces were pounded to pulp, and potatoes were left with only the central stalks standing. The storm lasted not more than 15 minutes, but the fall of hail bruised apples and pears and extensively damaged raspberry crops. Outside tomato crops were ruined. Turnips, chou mollier and similar large-leaved plants had their leaves riddled, and in some cases only the stalks were left standing. Even grass and clover were cut down in the areas affected, and it is considered that no wheat or oat crop in the path of the storm could have escaped severe damage.

Apology Recalled “Eighteen months before the war I told New Zealand what I thought of Hitler, the most bloodthirsty villain the world has ever heard of, and I had to apologize to him, or rather to his nar-row-chinned representative in New Zealand,” said the Minister of National Service (the Hon. R. Semple) in speaking at Kaiapoi on the international situation. “I remember the day when I was called down to see the representative. But I was right, and everyone in New Zealand knew it. All I did was speak out of my turn. I called him a mad dog and a yellow-hearted monster.” . Mr Semple said that as for Mussolini, he said, “Hanging is far too good for this cur. Well, I am not going to apologize now or put a bridle on my tongue. I’ll tell the world what I think of these monsters.” Mr Semple later capped these descriptions by referring to the Japanese ambassadors carrying on the semblance of the negotiations with the United States at the time of the attack on Hawaii as “little slit-eyed yellow dogs.” More Noise Wanted

“There is so much noise attached to the radio and modern music that we would have to take the bells or sirens right up to the walls of their homes before we could rouse some people,” said Mr D. T. Allan, chairman of the Wanganui Emergency Precautions Services sub-committee set up to inquire into an adequate emergency alarm system for the district. The problem was not only reaching the ear of “the listener, but also making more noise than that already in existence, he added. Compulsion and E.P.S. “One national organization is wanted in which men and women will be classified according to their abilities. It is no good having a qualified plumber who can repair damaged sewers in the Home Guard and a fit unskilled man in the Emergency Precautions Services. There will be no more pleading with men to join the essential services. Where the required number is not forthcoming they will be compelled to join up,” said the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of National Service, in an address to members of the executive of the Temuka Emergency Precautions Service. “Conscription is to be applied to the E.P.S. and subsequently must come for the Home Guard and the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, he said. Deep Shelters Rejected

“If it is considered necessary for members of the Cabinet to have a deep air raid shelter dug for them in Wellington, surely it is necessary for all or us to have deep shelters dug for _ us > said a questioner at a meeting held in Christchurch. The city engineer, Mr E. Somers, pointed out that it would be necessary to go down 40ft to prepare such shelters, and that the objections to such a scheme ought to be obvious to all citizens. London had not got completely bomb-proof shelters, he said, and New Zealand would not have them either. The intention was to provide protection from splinters and blast. Milk Bars in Camps

The establishment of milk bars at the territorial camps, for the benefit of younger men, is apparently favoured by the executive of the Territorial Association of Canterbury. The executive, however, decided to inquire first whether milk drinks were already provided in the camps. Colonel J. Murphy, who presided, said that a man, whose son, aged 18, and fresh from secondary school, had entered territorial camp, had suggested establishing milk bars at the various territorial camps. A lot of these lads just out of school called for milk at the camps and could not get it. He thought the idea of providing milk bars a good one. Escape From Express

An absentee soldier of the Ist Otago Regiment who was being escorted from Dunedin to a military camp, jumped off a fast-mpving express three miles north of Orari on Saturday, and escaped. The escorting soldier left his prisoner for a few moments, and on return found him to be missing. He looked out of a window and saw the escaped soldier making towards a plantation. It is stated that the train was travelling at 40 miles an hour.

Future Petrol Supplies

“We ought to have been more

severe months ago, but we didn’t want to deprive people of some

pleasure,” said the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, speaking about petrol supplies to the executive of the Emergency Precautions Services at Ashburton. “We will have to come down more severely still,” he said, referring to future petrol supplies. Calls on Man-Power “The position of skilled labour in the building trade is well known; there is a definite shortage and no hope of replenishing it from the labour market,” said the chairman of the No. 6a Man-Power Committee (Mr T. L. Seddon), commenting upon certain appeals. “On the other hand, it cannot bo said that there is a definite shortage of men for the armed forces. More can still be obtained by ballot.” As a matter of fact, one wondered, he added, why the shortage in the ranks of the National Military Reserve could not be filled by this means or from serving territorials who had been voluntarily enlisted if the reserve desired to retain its distinctive character as a volunteer unit. It seemed to him to be immaterial, as it was part of the armed forces. “Some such arrangement,” he said, “would certainly have caused less disruption to the economic life of the community and quickly achieved the desired result.” A City Now

Statistics indicate that Hamilton’s population is increasing, and during the year passed the 20,000 mark so that, properly speaking the Waikato town should be referred to as “Hamilton City” and not “Hamilton Borough,” states The Waikato Times.