Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 21, 25 February 1942, Page 4

Local and General

Engineer's Travelling During the month of January the County Engineer's vehicle travelled 965 miles. County Finance At yesterday's meeting of the County Council accounts totalling £4983 6s 7d were passed for payment. Lowe's Road Erosion The County Council yesterday resolved that the Acting Engineer report on erosion protection of Waimana truss bridge and the estimated cost' of the necessary Aycrk. Winner of Championship In the list of winners of championships in the Rangitaiki Calf Club's competitions held recently the name of the Rangitaiki Shield winner was published incorrectly. The name of the entrant Was David Bagshaw, of Te Teko, who won with 88 points. County Staffing On behalf of the committee comprising the County Chairman and the County Clerk, the chairman reported at yesterday's meeting that Miss Dawn Henderson had been appointed' to the clerical staff. Miss Henderson's appointment had been brought about through the Avar sitnation and as an E.P.S. typist her salary Avould be subsidised by the Government £2 for £1. Patriotic Family A case Avhich provided at least one bright spot for- the Overseas Appeal Board yesterday AA r as Avhen in a letter a farmer of Whakatane wrote that as he had a AA-eak heart and his Avife did not enjoy the best of health he had considered entering an appeal for his son. His other son Avas serving overseas. HoAveA*er, as Japan had entere.d the war his wife, his tAVo daughters and he would endeavour tci keep the large herd producing and alloAV the son to serve. Mr Semple Recalls Apology

"Eighteen months before the war I told New Zealand what I thought of Hitler, the most bloodthirsty villain the world has ever heard of. and I 1 had to apologise to him, or rather to his narrow-chinned representative in New Zealand," said the Minister for National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, speaking in Kaiapoi on the international situation. "I remember the day when I was called down to see the representative. But I was right, and everyone In New Zealand knew it. All I did was speak out of my turn. I called him a mad dog and a yellow-hearted monster." Mr Semple said that as for Mussolini, he said: "Hanging is far too good for this cur/ Well, I am not godng to apologise now or put a bridle on my tongue. I'll tell the world what I think of these monsters." Mr Semple later capped, these descriptions by referring to the Japanese ambassadors carrying on the semblance of negotiations with the United States at the time of the attack on Hawaii as "littlo slit-eyed yellow dogs." Nearly a 'Case' It happened in. a village not a hundred miles from Whakatane and, concerned an enthusiastic lady stu-1 dent who was undergoing her First Aid tests, for the St. John Ambulance examination. One of the district's foremost settlers had offered himself as a subject for bandaging, and w,as quite pleased about it, until the lady proceeded to apply pressure to check the imaginary flow of blood from a supposed gash in the neck. Forcing her fingers into the hollow of the neck, she was surprised to> see her victim sag towards the floor in every semblance of a genuine case. Not to be trifled with, she heaved him upright again, and told him sharply 'not to be a fool; that this was an examination, and that the doctor was watching.' Pressing on the spot again she was amazed to see her patient collapse in real earnest. This time he was white as a sheet, and the doctor noticing her predicament, rushed over in time to revive him. Then to the astonished first-aider, he explained that she had found the delicate nerve centre in the neck, so looked for by exponents of ju-jitsu. She had in fact struck one chance in a thousand, and all but sent her patient unconsaious by extreme pressure.