In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24756, 29 May 1942, Page 4

In the News

Farmer’s Gift

Returned soldiers of the Dominion will benefit as a result of a gift by a well-known Bay of Plenty farmer, ImGeorge Alley, of farm properties totalling 2300 acres with a capital value of approximately £40,000. The farms, which are mainly in the Tepuke district, were formally transferred this week to a board of trustees for the purpose of establishing a training centre for returned men who desire to take up farming after the war.—P.A. / Crucial Days Ahead

“Stern days lie ahead of us as we approach the fourth year of this world war,” said the chairman of the Bluff Harbour Board (Mr W. J. A. McGregor) at the annual meeting yesterday. “More than ever do the words of that great South African leader, General Smuts, apply: ‘Humanity has struck its tents and once more we are on the march.’ Fortunately, time has been the essence of the contract with us and has helped in our preparation to deal with any aggressor. Swiftly we have swung from a peaceful farming country to a battle zone ready .for the crucial months that lie ahead and we are grateful beyond measure for the company of our Australian and American kinsmen and for their bountiful help. Such help means sacrifice, and ours must be as unstintingly given as that of those who are standing by us, together with our brave Allies—Russia and China. The great testing time all the Allies are going through must ultimately end in throttling the Axis aggressors in no uncertain manner, and let us show when our time of testing comes that we can give as well as take.” On Bread and Water Before a special court in the superintendent’s room at the Auckland prison yesterday afternoon, John Charles Bayley, a prisoner, aged 27, pleaded guilty to an aggravated prison offence by refusing to salute prison officers, having twice previously committed a similar minor offence. Superintendent Leggett said B£>*ey was serving three months for failing to obey an order at Strathmore defaulters’ camp. When he came to prison first he refused to work, but later did work. After the Magistrate, Mr J. H. Luxford, had unavailingly endeavoured to persuade the prisoner to change his attitude, Bayley was sentenced to be fed on bread and water for ten days.—PA.. Benefit From Health Camp The value of treatment given at . the Roxburgh health camp is emphasized in a letter written by a Southland country doctor about a boy who has just returned from a period at the camp. “In his general condition the improvement is remarkable,” wrote the doctor. “Before entering the camp he was a pinched, miserable and hopeless little fellow hardly ever free from asthma. Nov/ he is a fat-cheeked, robust-looking chap.” Firearm Discharged

A sentence of nine months’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed by Mr Justice Northcroft at New Plymouth yesterday on Alfred James Cunniffe, ofßahotu, farmer, who was found guilty of intent to do grievous bodily harm by discharging a firearm. “It is a mercy he did not kill one or other of his wife or daughter,” said the Judge commenting on the strong recommendation to mercy made by the jury. “I confess I have some difficulty in understanding the recommendation to mercy in favour of a man when the effect of the jury’s verdict was that that man deliberately fired at his wife and daughter with the purpose of shooting them.”—PA.

Building Permits Some light was shed upon the position of builders and building as it exists today during the hearing of expert evidence on building alterations in the Supreme Court yesterday. A master builder of Invercargill said that for all building work today a permit had to be obtained from the Building Controller. Building contractors could carry out private work provided that the defence building programme was in no way interfered with or interrupted. Asked by his Honour Mr Justice Kennedy if permits were being granted to carry out alterations to shop buildings, the witness replied, “Yes.” Placement Branch The offices of the Rehabilitation, Placement and Man-Power branch of the National Service Department in Invercargill have been moved from the Social Security Department building, Clyde street, to the building of Royd Bros, and Kirk, Ltd., Tay street. The new office is the one which was occupied temporarily by the Southland County Council while the new county building was being erected. The new office is more commodious than the old, and the extra accommodation is urgently needed because the work of the branch has grown greatly during the past year or two and is likely to continue to grow. More Than 100 Remits

The Dominion conference , of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association, which is to be held in Wellington next month, is likely to have a busy time. There is a total of 110 remits on the order paper sent, in by associations all over the Dominion. Nearly half the remits, 47 to be exact, deal with defence, conscientious objectors and matters affecting the fighting forces. The others are classified under the following headings:—War pensions and after treatment, 24; war veterans’ allowances, 2; social security, 4; rehabilitation (including land), . 17; patriotic and war funds, 6; association matters and miscellaneous, 10. The remits will be dealt with by various committees before being considered by the conference, and in this way the work of the conference will be considerably lightened. Scouts Assist War Loan

All aspirations of the Gladstone troop of Boy Scouts to erect a meeting house have been postponed until after the war. The scouts decided last night that they would invest £25, which was practically the whole of their building fund, in the Liberty Loan.