WOOLLEN COMFORTS

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1946, Page 2

WOOLLEN COMFORTS

AVoollun c.omfoi'ts aggrcguting 1,402,315 items were made by Ihe women anu girls of New Zealand for distribution as patriotie issues to the mcn and xvomen of the New Zealand Forecs between 1940 and June of this vcaf, according to ligures compiled by the National .Patriotie Fund Board and released recently. This was but one of manv patriotie acti\ itj,es undertakcu by New" Zealand 's wo.nianhood during the Avar, and the returns show liow wholcheartedlv that work was earried The 1,402,315 items coinpriscd 360,977 balaclavas, 22.047 pairs of gloves, 283,272 pairs of mi'ttens, 134,936 pullovers, 367,275 scarvos, 1,5,001 pairs of sealioot stockings, 180,343 pairs of soeks, and also 39,864" luiscellaneous articles. The nuiubers of .items issued to the Arniy, Navy and air pcrsonuel overseas were 249,511 Jialaelavas, 8270 pairs of gloves, .1(58,573. pairs of mittens, 30,569 pullovers, 202,5(52 searves. 4274 pairs of seaboot- stockings, 73,90(5 pair of soeks, aiul 1 7,405 Qt li'er 1ttfs'ctdkint:mttJ woollen comfoi'ts, making a total of 755,130. The issues included in the total take into aecount those made through Air Force Kelations and the Navy Leaguo.

Why benrds should lvave becoma butts for the ribald-tongued no one seenis al)le to explain. The tact re- ' mai n s that "faee fungus" is seldom ! treatcd/'by any but ' its wearer, with ! respect — exeept in tlie Navy. There, a beard is known as "a set " (of whiskers) — whether because a moustache has ! to go with it, we don't know. Before ! a lower deck-hand can grow one he i must apply for the eaptain 's pennisj sion. Once it starts to sprout, he must i give it a sporting ehanco to make good, | bcfore writing it bif as a failurc or a : non-starter. At the end of six wccks a promisiiig response generallv earns : for the growor the. description of "lookI ing like a rat peering out of a bundle of oakum." If results are definitely • diseouruging, before the experimenter , can ehange his miud, or at any rate, his i eliin, he must again seek the sanetion ' of his ea])tain and invariably has to j face an " inspcetion" before a dccision i can be given.