General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 64, 18 March 1943, Page 4

General News

"Retreads.” The name given by Americans to veterans of the last war who are again serving with the forces is "retreads.” Grass Fire

The Wanganui Central Fire Brigade received a call to a grass fire on the hillside at the top of Portal Street at 1.40 p.m. yesterday. The only damage was to some fence posts, which were charred and the fire was extinguished with a bucket pump. Fishing At Taupo.

Fis’hing in the Taupo district at present is still hard during the day, but some fair catches have been taken at night. The fish appear to be plentiful, but are keeping to the deep water in the lake during the day and come up to the river mouth at night The hot and humid conditions prevailing at present would account for this.

U.S. Medical Examination. In an entertainment to troops in a camp near Wellington, comedian Joe E. Brown spoke of the latest American method of medical examination for the forces. "Two doctors,” he said, "stand on either side of the man and look into his ears. If they can’t see each other it’s all right and he goes into the Army. If they can they make him an M.P.” Closing of Mails.

Advice that the mail which now closes at the Wanganui Chief Post Office at 9 a.m. daily will be closed at 9.30 a.m. on and after next Monday, has been received from the chief postmaster, Mr. C. B. McNatty. Representations on this subject were made by the Chamber of Commerce recently, when a later closing time for the mail was sought. U.S. Kaiser

The latest story from America about Henry Kaiser is that he kept a group of Washington correspondents with whom he had made an appointment waiting 30 minutes. When they asked him why he was so late he replied that he had to wait half an hour for a taxi. "Half an hour!” exclaimed one of them. "Why didn’t you build one?”

Appeal Board Sittings. The only sittings arranged this week for the Armed Forces Anneal Board (Wanganui) were at Marton and Bulls, when most of J:he appeals heard were lodged on behalf of reservists called uo in the November ballot. The board also dealt with applications for the release of men from camp. In some cases indefinite leave was recommended, conditionally on reservists joining the Home Guard. Garden Hose for Tyres.

“Necessity is the mother of invention,” and the powers of ingenuity have to be fully exercised where shortages are concerned. The difficuty of obtaining tyres for bicycles has caused one Hastings restident to resort to the use of thick rubber garden hose for tyres for a sports bicycle. The resident rides to business each day and the unusual tyres are working out satisfactorily.

Come Away! In the early days of racing in New Zealand, a certain owner, anxious to win one of the big races, engaged the services of a Maori jockey. After mounting him, the jockey was told by the owner to "keep him in behind until you get to the straight, and then come away and he will win.” The horse finished last and the excited owner rushed over to the jockey “Why didn’t you come away at the corner?” he shouted excitedly. "What, and leave the plurry horse?” was the reply.

Will Do Only War Work. That Great Britain has her labour troubles is to be gleaned from the following letter received by a manufacturer s representative in New Zealand from an English firm:— "Labour troubles, are one of the main problems; we find that our moulders who make the iron castings absolutely refuse to make articles which are not connected with the war effort. It is utterly hopeless to attempt to make them and they have even refused to make certain articles for the Government. So you will see that the position as far as we are concerned is practically hopeless and we are afraid that as things are at present we should not be able to cope with orders should they be received.” Broken Glass Nuisance.

Shattered bottles littering Wanganui streets have been the subject of complaint by local residents, many of whom have formed the voluntary habit of cleaning up the broken glass. Parents could help a lot to obviate this nuisance if they would impress on their offspring the danger and the damage done by leaving broken milk and lemonade bottles on the roads. An instance, of the damage caused by a broken bottle was given on Tuesday in the vicinity of the City Baths. A little girl was dancing down the middle of Somme Parade throwing a lemonade bottle in the air and then catching it. At about the fourth throw she missed the catch and the bottle was shattered over the roadway. t Instead of brushing the broken glass to the side of the road she ran away. A few moments later a cyclist ran over one of the jagged pieces with the result—a ruined tyre.

Activities of Builders. “As result of the introduction of the defence works labour legislation suspension order, the operations ol builders throughout New Zealand have been more or less controlled,” states the annual report of the Master Builders’ Federation. "Builders, who hitherto carried on their business as individual units, have been forced by circumstances that have arisen to unite and work on a co-operative basis, sharing the responsibilities ana any profit that may result. Other builders have been called from thGir businesses to assist builders already engaged on defence work, and have had no option but to fall into line. While appreciating that the defence of New Zealand should be the first call on all members of the community, the executive hopes that as the most important work is completed, there will be a spe>ly return to normal conditions of trading.”

Worth "Cackling” About. The man from town spent a pleasant Sunday on the farm of his orother-in-law and analysed the conditions of life as between town and country from a somewhat critical angle. He learned that the farmer’s. wile had bought 60 three-day-old roosters for a penny a piece.. They had a free run around, proving their usefulness in the extermination ol slaters, worms and other pests, ano scratching their way to profit without cost to the farmer’s wife save for a few shillings for meat meal thrown in as a special ration for the fowls The amount spent reached £1 by the time she had taken the grown birds to the market, and there she sold the birds for the handsome price of £27, Is 9d per lb. liv'e weight. Easy money, thought the “townie.” He was tola that “the man next door,” some miles away, collected something like 8000 eggs daily from the 10,000 fowls he farmed. The man from town, in his ignorance, thought this was “drawing the long bow” and that no farmer had a hat big enough or no farmer’s wife an apron sufficiently large to collect all that number ol eggs. He just looked in blank amazement when he was informed that the farmer did his rounds collecting the eggs in a (jve-ton truck