PLUNKET SOCIETY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 11, 2 February 1942, Page 5

PLUNKET SOCIETY

WHAKATANE BRANCH MONTHLY MEETING HELD The monthly meeting of the local branch of the Plunket Society was held in the Plunket Rooms on Monday last. Present at the meeting were Mesdames Soutliey (president), Cairns, Runciman, Shapley, A. Britlger, Good, A. Fisher, Abbot, R. Morpeth and Partridge. It was decided tot hold a Garden Party on February 26 in the grounds, which have been kindly offered for the occasion by Mrs F. Prideaux, Douglas. Street. Mrs Southey tendered her resignation as president of the local branch. This was accepted with regret and Mrs Cairns w r as unanimously elected to fill the vacancy thus caused. The committee also expressed its appreciation of the services of Miss W. Thatcher, who had to relinquish the post as secretary due to her departure to Auckland. Mrs Partridge was appointed in her place.

Shortage of Doctors Questioned whether a similar shortage of medical practitioners existed in Otago as in Auckland and Wellington, Dr. T. McKibbin, medical officer of health for o't.ago, stated. that soi far tlje position in' this district was not serious. Many Dunedin doctors had volunteered for military service, and a number of house surgeons at the hospital had either volunteered or been called in the ballot, but senior medical students were filling the gaps. It was reported, he added, that the members of the profession were very busy, some of the older doctors being overstrained. It could not be said, however, that there was at present an acute shortage of medical practitioners in Otago. Food Comparisons A resident of Romford, Essex, illustrated the trials of Britain's housewives in a letter to a relative in Ghristchurch. "You make ojlh" mouths water when mentioning cases of apples and bags of oinions," she stated., "Apples here are 1/9 a pound. I had four for baking which cost over 5d each. Onions are 7d a pound, and poor at that. Tomatoes were 1/3 at the end of the season. We had more tomatoes of our own than we could finish, so I gave a bag full to the grocer, who gave us wood to last "some weeks. Wood is very scarce, as is oil and fuel, and we ate advised to be very careful. We do noit give coupons in exchange for gifts of lambs' tongues, and the like. Coupons go for eggs, one egg a week for two persons. Children and invalids may have more. Children get two oranges a week as long as they come in."