Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 30, 18 March 1942, Page 4

Local and General

First Offender Fined Bail Avas estreated to the extent of 10/- when a first offender for drunkenness appeared in the Wliakatane Court before Mr J. G. Mulholland on Monday morning.Cooler Nigluts l It's chilly these nights. Those whose milking business takes them out of doors for a couple off hours before sunrise can vouch for the tawuL 011 21 days out of 28. The these autumn mornings. Scout Roll Increases As a result, of the recent successful Scout -week the Whakatane troop has benefitted materially in membership. The roll has been increased by fifteen new members and parents generally arc taking a much greater interest. Payments of Pensions The post office announces that Age Pensions will be paid out this month on Friday 20th. Miscellaneous pensions on the following Monday and Family Benefits on 25th inst. Recipients are asked to take note of these dates. Matawai's Ample Rainfall During February rain fell at Mafowai on 21 days out of 28. The total was heavier than usual being 6.49 inches, compared with 1.77 in In the corresponding month of the previous year, when rain fell on 12 days. Last month rain fell on 16 consecutive days. Heavy rain fell on Tuesday of last week. Two frosts have already been experienced this year. Twenty Miles to Parade To attend Home Guard parades, some men in the back country have to travel long distances. A witness told the Xoe* 4A Armed Forces' Appeal Board in Gisborne that one of the men on a lonely and inaccessible property near Hick's Bay had to ride 12 miles on horseback and sometimes 20 miles to attend parades. The witness added, almost apologetically, that the man in question was not a regular attender at parades. Deputy for the Moon While the moon is temporarily missing from the early morning sky the bright planet Venus is doing its best in the eastern sky to supply moonlight. Farmers who are about at 4 a.m. note with satisfaction that Venus is giving out illumination equal to the Moon in its first and last quarters. Nc< doubt our local Chief Wardens, the M.ayor and County Chairman (if they are about so early in the morning) would take proceedings against Venus for so flagrant a breach of the black-out regulations. "We Can Give It!" A feeling that somebody should try to instil more of a fighting spirit into the community was voiced by Mr E. J. Baigent, at the last fact that there's a grip in the air on Committee. "In place of 'We can take it,' Ave should take as our motto 'We can give it'," said Mr Baigent, "until people in time AA r ould be almost AA r anting the Japs to come here." We would have to build up the fighting spirit of the country. Mr Baigent moved that the Patriotic Societies be urged to adopt the slogan "We can give it." Mr McCallion supported Mr Baigent's motion, which Avas carried unanimously. New Zealand Eels Urgent investigations into the extent of supplies of eels in New Zealand are being made by the fisheries branch of the Marine Pepartment to learn whether it is feasible to establish an industry to produce fish oil from eels and use the Avaste for fertiliser. In mentioning the matter, Mr S. M. Macalister, president of the Southland Acclimatisation Society, stated that no official rulvicc had vet been received by the society from the Government about catching eels in Southland. The society Avas at present gathering information about where its traps Avere. It was waiting to ascertain if its assistance avouUl be required. The society years ago caught thousands of eels Avhicli Avere Avasted. Early in the Avar inquiries Avere made about shipping space for export to England.