In the News

Southland Times, Issue 25025, 10 April 1943, Page 4

In the News

Engine Derailed An interruption of the train- service between Tokanui and Invercargill oc•curred yesterday morning by a minor derailment caused by the engine of the mixed train proceeding towards Invercargill striking a cow immediately after leaving Bush Siding. The tram was moving slowly and only the front wheels of the engine left the rails. Buses were sent to bring about 100 passengers to Invercargill and only a short delay occurred. The line was cleared by mid-day and little- damage was done to the permanent .way. Whisky Theft Charge A charge of stealing 708 bottles of whisky valued at £575/7/4, the property of Hutchinson’s (Wholesale), Ltd., on December 10 and between December 24 and February 25, was preferred against a storeman, William Farmilo, aged 42, before Mr J. Morling, S.M. at Auckland. Senior Detective Walsh said the accused was arrested the previous night by Detective-Ser-geant Aplin, and the police .were asking for a remand until April 15. The remand was granted, bail of £10 # 0 being allowed. Pensions for Ex-Soldiers . The statement that it was desirable to correct the impression that a disability pension was paid to a returned soldier only if he had no income was made by the acting registrar of war pensions in Dunedin. He drew attention to a statement made by the Dominion president of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association (Mr E. L. Thwaites) in reference to a returned soldier that “he was 100 per cent, unfit, but because he owned a house from which he obtained a rental, neither he nor his wife was eligible for a pension.” The registrar commented that the speaker had apparently conveyed an altogether wrong impression by omitting to make it clear that the ex-soldier referred to had been refused an economic pension. An exsoldier’s disability pension, the registrar added, was not subject to any means test, but his circumstances were taken into account in cases in which he applied also for an economic pension or in which his wife applied for a pension as his dependent. Potatoes from Peelings Reading in the Press last year that potatoes could be grown from peelings, a 'Wyndham woman decided to try the suggestion out. She peeled the eyes off four potatoes, the peelings being a little thicker than usual. These were planted and last week a bucketful of good-sized table potatoes was obtained. Desertions from Ships “Desertions are becoming very prevalent,” said a shipping company official when Richard Maguire, seaman, aged 26, admitted before Mr J. Morling, S.M., at Auckland a charge of deserting from a British ship at Wellington. The official said that ships were often worked day and night to get them ready for sea, only to be held up at the last moment by the absence of some member of the crew. The accused said he had been torpedoed five times already, but was “not afraid of another one.” He would join any ship on which he could get a berth. A sentence _of one month’s imprisonment was 'imposed, | and an order was made for the aci cused to be placed on the first available ship.

Working in Bare Feet The Government is to be asked to arrange priority for women’s gumboots for farm use and the issue to farmers’ daughters and wives of clothing for farm use on the same basis as land girls. A motion to this effect was carried at a meeting of the Whangarei sub-provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, when it was said that farm girls were going barefoot all day, gumboot supplies having been commandeered before they reached Whangarei. Women workers had to draw on their coupons for farm clothes, while land girls were furnished with uniforms. 1000 Bicycle Thefts

Before giving his decision in a case in the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North, Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., commented on the prevalence of bicycle thefts in that city. “There have been a large number of bicycles taken in this city; last year there were close on 1000,” he said. “It is not often the police have definite evidence that the theft of a bicycle has taken place and that it was not a case of conversion.” Of late there had been a large number of cases of actual theft, he added, and in view of the prevalence of the offence he would impose a term of three months’ imprisonment.