Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 27, 11 March 1942, Page 4

Local and General

Bitumen at a Premium At the Borough Council meeting last Monday evening the Foreman. Mr W. Henderson, stated that the cost of bitumen in the last twelve months had risen from £10 per ton to £29. Excellent Fruit Crops The dry weather does not seem to have affected the fruit crops locally to any great extent. In practically all orchards there arc excellent yields and from what we hear, jam-making and preserving arc now in full swing. Blackberry Pickers Whakatane has been sending a regular quota of blackberry pickers to the lakes since the benzine restrictions were relaxed. r lhe most favoured spots are Roto-ehu and Rotoma, but parties who explored the Okataina road also report good results. Bible Translations In the annual report of the British and Foreign Bible Society for ihe year 1941. it is stated that the total number of languages in which the Bible is printed is now 747, six new languages being added (.luring 1911. The Scriptures issued during the year total over 11.000,000. In New Zealand the society was called upon for scriptures in 22 languages.

'Welder's Sight Lost While at his work, Alexander Miller Meiklejohn, welder, of Spreydon, Christchurch, lost the sight of both eyes when he was struck by a welding flash. Offenders' Lighting Cut Off Thirty premises at which there Were flagrant breaches of the regulations during the recent blackout trial in Timaru will have their electricity .supply cut off, according to a decision made at a meeting of the Reduced Lighting Committee. Mr P. B. Foote, acting-Mayor of Timaru, declared that the trial was the worst yet held in the borough. Reserve Regulations The contention of the Harboui Board that it was necessary within a Borough to set aside 5 per cent, of a subdivision as a reserve was vetoed by a letter received from the Chief Surveyor, stating that the regulation only applied in Counties. The question arose over the negotiations for the site of the proposed site for the new Rest Rooms. Death on Guard Duty The death occurred while on guard duty in Hamilton of Mr James Sweeney, aged GO, a well known horse trainer. A son of the late M>r John Sweeney, Hastings, he went to Hamilton from the Gisborne district If years ago. He was a veteran of the South African war, and enlisted during the Great War, but did not go overseas.

Poppy Day Appeal The local branch of the R.S.A. will hold its annual Poppy Day appeal on Friday, April 17. The Borough Council in granting the day, decided to further the effort by purchasing £1 worth of poppies as well.

Big Stamp Collection A stamp collection which some Wellington philatelists think may be the largest and most valuable in New Zealand has been left by Mr ( E. H. S. Jackson, who died in Wellington recently. Mr Jackson was very retiring, and apparently no other nhilate.ist ever saw the whole of his collection. Few saw even part of it, but he was known to have spent large sums on it. Guns Instead of Sugar Seventeen of the 33 sugar mills in Queensland are either engaged on or about to begin munitions work. Six others are ready and anxious for defence work, but are still awaiting orders. All sugar mills in Queensland arc equipped with machine shops, capable of doing engineering work of some kind, and efforts are being made to obtain munitions jobs for all of them. Standard Plumbing By-laws Recommendations from the Borough Council will go forward for the standardisation of the Plumbing By-laws throughout the Dominion. These have emanated from a study of the. existing state of affairs by the deputy-mayor, Cr S. S. Sliapley. Referring to the suggestions, the Mayor said the Council was fortunate in having a member who was able to co-operate in this matter by virtue of his practical knowledge. New Books At the monthly meeting of the Public Library Committee the following books were selected: Frenchman's Creek, Daphne Du Maurier; By Bus to the Sahara, Gordon West; Wine of Good Hope, David Rame; Random Harvest, James Hilton, Wide and Dark, Natta Muskett; Mrs j Tim Carries On, D. E. Stevenson; In Ben Boyd's Days, Will Lawson; The Wounded Don't Cry, Quentin Reynolds; Sneeze on a Monday, Paul Tabori; Scum of the Earth, Arthur Koesticr. Appellant's Narrow Margin Under the National Service Regulations provision is made for the reclassification of reservists who, although called in the ballot of married men without children, became fathers before the issue of the ballot on January 20 last. One appellant who appeared before the Auckland District Man-power Committee succeeded in his appeal against entry into camp by a narrow margin when he stated that his first child was born one day before 1 the ballot was published. Women for Home Guard Women form by far the greates! proportion of recent volunteers foi Home Guard service in Auckland. Auckland group headquarters has received an offer from 50 members of the Women's War Service Auxiliary to serve as signallers, drivers or in any other capacity for which they might be suitable. If New Zealand is attacked and Auckland Homo Guard forces go into action both types of service specified would be hazardous, but the Home Guard states that if men will not volunteer for service women must be employed . _