Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 154, 1 May 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Vesper Arrives. Messrs Parry Bros' a.v. Vesper, which left Auckland on Monday night, arrived last night with full holds. After discharging her cargo this morning she will load for Auckland and sail this evening. Life of a Soldier. A film covering all phases of a soldier's life from the time he enlists for service in New Zealand until after his arrival in Egypt is in course of preparation by the Gov-* emment Publicity Department. The chief object of the film is to show people who are living in country districts and are unable to visit camps how the men are trained and what life is like in mobilisation camps. The film will also demonstrate to people in other parts of the Empire how the New Zealand Army is trained. False Pretences. Thirteen charges of obtaining money by means of valueless cheques were preferred against John Hartland Pierson, aged 30, a millhand, before Mr S. L. Paterson,, S.M., in the Hamilton Police Court recently. All the offences had talc-, en place between January 11 and February 13. at. Napier, Gisborne, Opotiki, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Thames, Te Puke, Rotorua and Whakatane. In admitting the accused t'o probation for two years, the magistrate said that he was prepared to take a chance, despite the fact that the accused had an unpleasant record and a formidable list of chargcs against him. The accused was ordered to make restitution of £68 los involved.

Winter is Here. The early switching on of lights in Whakatane on Monday evening demonstrated that Summer time has vanished for five months and Winter is here. At live o'clock most of the lights in the Strand were on and by twenty minutes past that hour night had fallen. The dozens of cyclists who for so many months have been able to wend their weary way in daylight, will now find it necessary to light up for the journey. Deserted Roads. The effect that the petrol restrictions have had upon the density of traffic on t'he roads was commented on by a Whakatane motorist who travelled from Rotorua on Sunday afternoon. For most of the distance the roads were freer than is usual 1 on Sundays but it was from Rotoma on that the difference was more marked, as the motorist passed only three cars between there and home. Soldiers' Marching Songs. Several units of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force have already produced marching songs written and set to music by sdme of the soldliers themselves. Perhaps the most recent of these come from the Maori Battalion and the 27th (Machine Gun) Battalion. Both have received high praise from officers who served in the last waF and have a critical ear for march- 1 ing songs. It is also stated that since the war started dozens of songs for the soldiers' use have been submitted by civilians.

Whakatane Star Football Club. All players Seniors and Juniors are requested to be in attendance at the Domain to-morrow night at 7.30 when selection of teams will take place. Anyone absent will forfeit the opening game. Weighing in of juniors will also take place. Brigade on the Job. Burning grass at the Domain was the cause of the Whakatane Firte Brigade being called out yesterday afternoon. The outbreak was not, serious and there was no damage (lone. However, the brigade on the ;iob is always a thrilling sight for school boys and the crowd of clren near by gazed on the engin'p and crew with awe. Aristocrat's Price. A 1928 model six-cylinder RollsRoyce motor car in excellent running order and having a comparatively new body, was sold in Paeroa on Monday for £85. The sale was conducted by order of the bailiff and was attended by several dozen people. The general idea was that the Rolls-Royce, being such a big car, would only bring about £20. Bids, however, opened from £50. Those "Country Lads" Again. An announcer on the German, short-wave station, believed to be/ an American, and commonly known as "Lord Haw-Haw," when speaking to New Zealand recently, told listeners the name of the ship and the date on which he believed the Second Echelon would be sailing from New Zealand. He added that it was unfortunate that the "country lads" of the Dominion should be put to so much trouble when their services would never be required. as it was intended shortly to bomb England out of existence. Germany, he said, had nothing against New Zealand and its people and merely intended to take it over.