Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 183, 21 November 1941, Page 4

Local and General

False Fire Alarm At about 10 a.m. yesterday art electrical fault caused the fire siren to issue its warning. The Brigade was promptly on duty to lind its services not needed. Pohutukawa Tree Falls I The recent wet weather was responsible for the dislodgement of a fairly large Pohutukawa tree from the hillside at Oliope beach. No damage to property resulted and if anything the tenant of the cottagc was thankful for the firewQpd which will be available as a result.

Soldiers Smoke Teia Leaves For the last 14 days of the Crete campaign tobacco was a luxury and cigarettes were a thing of the past, writes a Napier soldier to his parents. Up until the fighting started the chaps seemed to manage with the tobacco available, but once the blitz started the chaps smoked much more, with the result that the supply soon ran out. Butts were in great demand and were rolled in air mail letter paper and tissue paper. *'I saw some of our men searching dead Germans and later smoking their cigarettes," he added. "Of course these supplies did not last for ever and 75 per cent tea leaves and 25 per cent sugar, dampened and rolled in air mail or tissue paper, were being smoked in odd places.

Albatross Washed 1 Up The body of an albatross wa fouruj on the Ohope Beach recently The-wings of the bird measured nini feet from tip to tip. Week-end Cricket The following matches are scheduled for this week-end: Central a Paroa at Central; P. and T. v Wlia katane at Whakatane. Collection of Rags To-day the local Company of Girl Guides is to make a collection ol rags in the town, a large quantitj being required for use in the Navy The Girl Guides will commence theii collection after school hours, and donors arc asked to leave parcels ready at their doors SO' that they may be collected in the shortest time possible. Home Guard Parade For the first time the 'Infantry is to parade on Saturday under the new arrangement for parades, when thei men are asked to be. l at the Do- 1 main at 1.30 to-morrow afternoon. For at least the summer months the Sunday parade has been abandoned and Saturday afternoon and one week day evening will be the times for training. To-morrow's, instruction will include bayonet fighting. Holiday Season Arrangements Mr C. W. Good, honorary secretary of the Whakatane Retailers Association, reports that at a meeting held on Tuesday it Avas decided to observe the following holidays during the festive season: —Christmas: Late nightj Wednesday, December 24; closed Thursday 25, Friday 26. Saturday 27; re-open, Monday 29. New Year: Late night, Wednesday, December 31; closed Thursday, Friday 2 and Saturday 3; re-open, Monday, January 5. Beer as an Industry Facts and figures relating to the brewing industry concern the Government Statistician. In his quest for information little else matters. He shows how 490,706 barrels of malt (nearly. 100,000' more than in the year before) were purchased in 1940-41 and to that 04,461 cwt. of hops Ave re added (or some 200cAA r t. less than for the year before). Sugar to the amount of 42,281ewt. Avas also used in turning out beer for 1940-41, and the cost of materials, including bottles and casks, came to £1,052,410 or £95,484 more than for the year before. Beer duty, hoAvever, came to £1,855,328 —"a record figure," remarks the Statistician. Ale brewed increased by 8 per cent., and the value of that liquor by 15 per cent: over last year. BreAveries Avorked much overtime this year. School Teacher Objectors "If I' Avere a free agent I would have these conscientious objectors dismissed from their positions in the schools immediately. My hands, lioavever, are someAvhat tied until a lead is given by the Department of Education about Avhat action avc can take." These remarks were made by the chairman of the Southland Education Board, Mr S. Rice, during a discussion on whether tAvo teachers who had appealed against military service on conscientious grounds should be dismissed. The members agreed that they Avere most unsuited to occupy their present positions. It was stated that the board had poAver to dismiss the teachers on the ground of unsuitability, but it Avas decided that they should be Avritten to and asked to give any reason Avhy they should not be dismissed.