LOCAL AND GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22476, 11 January 1943, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Was It the Razor? Found unconscious at 1.20 pm. when he had been engaged in shaving himself with an electric razor, a Wellington radio salesman was removed to hospital. It was not known whether he had received a shock from the razor, or collapsed from another cause. Aliens and Registration "There must be a lot of aliens in the country who have been able to find only two." said Mr R. Harding, chairman, at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council, when the District Controller of the E.P.S. requested a list of aliens registered in the county E.P.S. Civilian War Casualties British men. women and children killed in air raids up to the end of last June numbered 45.459 according to the British Ministry of Information. There were 52.242 seriously injured. Even in the lull during the first six months of this yecr, enemy bombs were being dropped somewhere in the British Isles on an average every other night. "Spitfires Over Malta” "Spitfires Over Malta” is the title of a book now in the hands of the Air Ministry which was written by Flying Officer Ray Hesselyn, of Christchurch, in collaboration with an Australian. Pilot Officer Paul Brennan, after they had taken part in the defence of the island. They wrote 50,000 words in less than a fortnight at the suggestion of New Zealand journalists in London. What of Japan? “If Germany cracks, as I think she is bound to do next year. Japan will not crack too.” said Dr. Charles van der Plas. speaking at the Nelson Rotary Club’s luncheon. "Tire Japanese cannot face defeat, but will fight on to the end. Japanese by Japanese has to be dug out; they will have to be killed out inch by inch. There can be no peace in the Pacific unless United Nations’ troops land in Japan and defeat her on her own shores.” Gift Parcel Coupons The Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic Committee raised £1530 by a oneday sale of 10/- coupons for gift parcels for the New Zealand forces overseas. The main group of coupon sellers was organised by the Public Service Association. Others who assisted were the film interests and the commercial travellers. Coupons may still be purchased by communicating with the hon. treasurer, city treasury department, Town Hall. Dutch Interest in Maoris When the delegation representing the Netherlands Government at the Tasman tercentenary celebrations was visiting Rotorua, Dr. C. O. van der Plas, head of the delegation, was greatly interested in the Maoris and especially in the children. The delegation also met Princess Te Puea Herangi, and other leaders of the Native race. Princess Te Puea gave Dr. van der Plas a greenstone ornament, while the other members of the delegation received carved sticks of native wood. Grocer of the Future A prediction that the grocer of the future will be vastly different from the grocer of to-day is made in an editorial article in the “New Zealand Grocers’ Review,” which states that it will have to be recognised that the trade consists of something more than selling goods. A greater knowledge of the goods handled, and especially of their food values, will become essential. In the light of recent developments, the trade is likely to become a profession for which special training will be required. Rationing of Lime A tentative agreement on the rationing of lime was reached at a conference between the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, and representatives of the primary production councils, stock and station agents, and lime companies at Dunedin on Thursday night. Announcing this on Friday, Mr Barclay said that some details had still to be arranged, but he was very hopeful that the scheme would be ratified. “The rationing scheme seems to be the only fair way of doing things,” the Minister concluded. Parcels for Prisoners “What we would do without the parcels we receive from the New Zealand Patriotic organisation and from home, it would be hard to tell,” writes Private R. G. Symes, formerly of Clandeboye, from a prison camp in Germany. “I have received three parcels of clothing, two from the Patriotic funds and one from home so I should have plenty of clothes for this winter. We receive a food parcel once a week through the Red Cross, which is a great help. It gives us quite a kick to know that the people back in New Zealand are thinking of us and subscribing to our welfare.” High-Priced Blankets A striking illustration of the wide margin between .he prices ruling in the softgoods trade in London and those on the local market is given in a recent issue of the “Drapers’ Record,” a trade journal published in London The Journal quotes the case of a draper who was fined £IJ and £ll/5/- respectively with costs on two charges of selling double-bed white blankets at £B/8/-, the authorised price being £7/15/6. The pre-war price for the same grade of blnakets was £l/16/9. It may be added that the price for the best quality bankets on the local market is about £4. £l7 a Week for a Youth Describing the tremendous growth in the shipbuilding Industry at Portland, Oregon, Mrs J. H. Hoppes, younger daughter of the late Sir George and Lady Fowlds, Auckland, says that normally Portland had about 350,000 people, but this number has been increased by 150,000. To cope with the housing demand the Government is building thousands of small homes. In order to release more young men for the Armed Services the authorities are calling up thousands of married men in the first age groups and directing them to work in the shipyards. In one of these yards 30,000 are already employed, including hundreds of women. A boy of 17 who was working there during his vacation on a night shift was getting £l7 a week. Quality of Uniforms Comparisons of American with New Zealand military uniforms are frequently made, and are not always complimentary to the latter wool. Experts know the difference at a glance. It is that finer stuff is fabricated for the American soldiers. Over 44 per cent of the wool so used is merino, and the balance is of what are considered in New Zealand as fine wools. The British Army khaki, however, is made from strong wools, principally crossbreds, which constitute some 97 per cent, of the wool grown in New Zealand. Discussions are now proceeding between the military authorities and British manufacturers on the question whether the uniform renewals for American forces to be produced in Great Britain shall conform to the British or American standards.