Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 167, 31 May 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Postponement. The representative football match between Whakatane and Opotiki, which was to have been staged on Monday in a contest for the Parata Cup, has been postponed and will now be played on Saturday, June 8. "Going to see Hitler." "Customers who wish to do business with a young Dunedin printer are finding that this is impossible, states the Otago Daily Times. The young man has "closed up shop" for the duration of the war, and on the door he has left a blunt mes-> sage for all intending clients to show that there is more important and serious business to be done, a job for his country and Empire. The placard on the door reads, "Going to see Hitler; will attend to business when I return." Fifth Column. Reference has been made so many times to 'the Fifth Column' that some explanation of the term's origin would not be amiss. Everybody knows what it means but perhaps not all know that it owes its existence to the Spanish Civil War. The insurgents who battled so long to cap ture Madrid said: "We have our columns advancing on Madrid and a fifth column of sympathisers' Inside the city to attack the defenders from the rear." The phrase was used by Ernest Hemingway, the American author and playright, as the title for his well known play set in a Spanish civil war scene.

Organissd Farmers. With a membership of 9735, the Auckland Provincial Farmers' Union showed an increase of 448 last year. The president, Mr H. M. Rushworth, said at t lie annual conference that the union appeared to be reaching a peak in membership., and a gradual tapering off in the annual growth was to be expected. "Getting Their Wild Up" Since the sudden increase in the tempo of warfare on the Western Front, there has been a definite cor responding increase in the number of enlistments in New Zealand, as in Australia). In the case of Rotorua, after a fairly quiet spell of several weeks, volunteers began to come in steadily after the Germans commenced their push, and it appears as though New Zealanders, with the peoples of the rest of the Empire, are beginning to "get their wild up" at the trend of events in Europe. Matter in Abeyance. The guns of not a few New Zealand organisations were spiked by the announcement of the Prime Minister, Mr Peter Fraser, tha;t when Parliament re-assembled it would consider measures for the introduction of national conscription, military, civil and financial, if and when required, and also the for mation of a War Council comprised of members of the Government, the Opposition, employers, trade unions, and farmers. In Whakatane there had been a suggestion of a public meeting to discuss the conscription issue but this has now been temporarily cancelled.

Heavy Frosts. For the last few mornings Whakatane has experienced fairly heavy frosts, and some gardens have suffered as a consequence. This morning saw a particularly heavy coating and lawns, flower beds and shrubs were white. Offer of Cows for War Fund. A Cambridge farmer, who desires to remain anonymoi],s, has offered to the Cambridge Joint Council of the Sick, Wounded and Distress Fund five springing cows on condition that nine or more other farmers make a similar offer. The funds should benefit lo the extent of £1000 or more if other farmers assist. Herons at Matata. A white heron which for the past three or four years has wintered on the Matata lagoon bird sanctuary recently made its annual appearance, and was later joined by a second bird. It seems that they have made a long flight to the lagoon, as they were not in good condition when they arrived. The lagoon, crowded with ducks and swans, lies alongside the main road, and the presence of the herons interests passing motorists. Post Office Activity. Social Security returns and the issuance of motor vehicle registration, combined with the usual flow of postal business, has made life during the past few days, anything but pleasant for the officials at the Whakatane Post Office. As the end of the month has approached when these necessary items have to deceive attention, members of the postal staff have been working at high pressure to deal with the spate of inquiries. In many instances valuable time would be saved if the applicant would pay careful attention Ito the various instructions on the different forms requiring completion. Anxious Moments. An anxious night was spent bj' an aged woman who believed that she had left a handbag containing £240 mostly in notes on the counter of a mercantile firm in Gisborne after she had made same purchases. She did not discover her apparent loss until she arrived home and when she mode her first inquiries found that the business premises had been closed for the n : ght. She communicated with the manager but the bag could not be found The aid of the police was sought the next morning, and it was discovered that the complainant had taken her bag with her while shopping that afternoon. The bag was at her home and the money intact.