Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 77, 13 July 1942, Page 4

Local and General

Opossums Contact Lines First at 7 o'clock and later at about 10.00 last Tuesday night power lines leading from Waikino to Paeroa and surrounding districts were found to be switched off. The reason was a mystery to all except the linesmen who discovered that two opossums, playing on the poles at these two different times, had "stopped" the 11,000 volts carried by the lines. Small World Frequently instances become known illustrating how small is the world. Mr S. Bowers, ol' Whangarei, a veteran of the South African War, served 40 years ago with the KalFrarian Rifles. His son, Driver Bill Bowers, was taken prisoner in Bardia, and it was the modern Kaffrarian Rifles which released him and among the members of the unit were some of his father's old comrades.

A Splendid l Response Mrs T. J. Hellvar, secretary of the \Y hakatane Auxiliary Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, reports that the recent drive lor funds in this town resulted in no less than £41 os 6d being raised. The local president, Mrs R. W. Sehofield, desires to thank all those who collected the contributions and also those who- gave so liberally to this very worthy cause. Scrap Metal Collectors ! A pair of magpies in the Rakaia district have been busy scrap metal collectors, according to information sent by a correspondent to the Christchurch Press. When a tree was felled a nest securely wired to one of the branches was examined. It was composed of 125 yds Bins of fencing, netting and insulated wire in 197 separate pieces, a skipping in 197 several pieces, a skipping frame of an old pair of spectacles. The writer says she considers the birds had captured something of the spirit of the mechanical age and had displayed a sense of humour.

"I've Lost My Army" There's a good story going the town at present. One of the district Home Guard units was doing marching drill on a very dark night. Wishing to turn right, the leader inadvertently gave the reverse order, with the result that the men turned left. He himself had gone several paces to the right before the men heard a voice coming out of the darkness-: "Good Lord; I've lost my army.'" Watch the Prices The maximum price at which chewing gum may legally be sold retail is Id a packet. Several local retailers in recent weeks have bee(n charging a packet, or 2%d for two. An official of the Price Tribunal stated that price order No. 32, issued on May 15), 1941, fixed the price at Id a packet of not fewer than four tablets. That order still remained in force. He also said that retailers must display prominently in their shops a copy of the price order relating to the goods they sold, or must keep a file of price orders available to customers on request*