Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 4, 7 September 1943, Page 4

Local and General

Blind People in Industry The National Institute for the Blind slate.s that over GOO blind people have recently been given posts, in British war 'industries, and it is hoped to double the number. A linn ol' aero engine builders which is employing blind men as capstan operators, lathe turners, and burr (Hers intends to take on more, having found them to possess great powers of concentration and a very delicate sense of touch. (C,-f ♦- . Short-lived Adventure Armed with a collection ol schoolboy thrillers, three 13 year old boys, who had been missing from their homes in Christchureh, were found 3(! hours later at the Ashburton railway station. The boys had begun their journey by train with the intention of reaching the Rangitata Huts. After arriving at Ashburton they walked about 14 miles further south along the main road, but after spending a cold and hungry night in a plantation two miles beyond Hinds, they decided that it would be wiser to return home. Interesting Photographs We have been handed three photographs by the Rev. J. C. J. Wilson showing views of New Guinea, where much of the lighting is now taking place against, the Japanese. One photograph shows Lac aerodrome in pre-war days, another Rabaul and a third a view of a mining encampment on the Bulolo goldfields. The Rev. Wilson who was for some years carrying out missionary Avork in New Guinea is. full 3" conversant with most of the country in Avhich the struggle is now taking place and says he can readily appreciate the tremendous difficulties on both sides. Tribute to Mrs Roosevelt "There is only one other lady Avhoni avc would welcome so much to our shores as Mrs Roosevelt/' said the Prime Minister, Mr Peter Fraser, in the course of his address last Saturday evening, "and that Avould be our own queen. Both these, great ladies have the Avelfare of humanity at heart and both are charmingly approachable in e\*ery AvayJ Mrs Roosevelt has left an indelible, impression on this* country and her wards Avith regard to Labour's Social Security scheme were "you in Ncav Zealand have- built up a Social Security under whit'll abject poverty is practically impossible. We are trying to do the .same in America!" A Splendid Performance Speaking of the recently completed Third Liberty Loan., the Hon. Peter Fraser in his address last Saturday evening said that be wondered when the figures were first suggested Avhethcr it Avou'ld be humanly possible for the country to raise £8,j,000,000. Yet i,t Avent OA r er that mar'k and reached nearly forty , ! millions. "We Iciioav that, the banks and larger business houses did wonderful wor'k to forAvard the effort, but the fact remains that the loan involved the largest number of in- j dividual subscribers ever known in this country. We can safely say that it came from the homes and the j hearts o4' the people as a gesture of confidence in the Government's con- s duct of the. Avar." I A Thoughtful Gesture It may not be generally known that prior to his coming home S on furlough, Coll Frank Prid- 0 eaux made it his business to* visit as many as possible of the P Whakatane boys serving in the n Middle East and obtain from jjj them personal messages for their families. Arrived here, he perIT sonally delivered all the messtages travelling many miles in w the process. Readers will imagine the immense joy and grati- w fication of the parenis, wives and families concerned! at this st further gesture of thoughtfulness on the part of one who has a 5 already shown himself to be something more than a friend' tC to the boys on service and hasi unanimously earned the affectionate title of "Uncle Frank."

European name.

An amusing sidelight on the watch for booby traps in the Western Desert after the El A'lame'in action is recounted by LieutenantColonel J. A. Bretherton, of Christ-, church. Because of the danger of booby traps, everyone was looking warily at tempting things :lying oil the ground, lie wrote. An officer in a field regiment who possessed a beautiful blade razor placed it on the ground where it could, not fail to be seen and Avatched with much amusement many people who walked past, it With velvet tread, fearing that it might be a trap. Along came, one soldier, however, who said: ''Booby trap, huh?" took out his revolver and landed a shot right in the middle of the razor. Smallpox Protection "The existence in this country of a large unvacclnated population is a matter for serious concern.," states the annual report of the Health Department. which expresses the hope that members of the public will avail themselves more, generally of the protection against smallpox which is afforded by vaccination. The report quotes as follows, from a United States public health service bulletin: "It is a fact worth noting that wlxere. laws requiring vaccination for .school attendance have been in force for a number of years smallpox has practically disappeared, while nearly all of the cases reported in recent years have occurred in sections where there are no such laws." Mr Langstone's £4000 He was sure Mr Frank Langstone, M.P., never received a salary of £4000 a year as New Zealand representative in Canada; it was probably in the vicinity of £2000. ncluding expenses, said the Miniser of Supply and Munitions (the rlon. D. G. Sullivan), replying to a question at the Labour campaign nee ting in Christchur East recent-: y. He. added that lie could, assure lis audience that there was nobody vorking for the Labour Government vho was receiving £4000 a year, riie questioner said that Mr Langtone had mentioned receiving £4000 s New Zealand representative in Canada, so that lie was interested o know what the Hon. W. Nash i T as receiving for the "Washington ab."