NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 218, 10 June 1943, Page 3

NEWS IN BRIEF

Auckland Wool Return

For the first time, the value of Auckland wool has topped the £2,000,000 murk for a season. The quantity was 106,763 bales, the Wool Brokers’ As; sociation stated yesterday, and the lota* realized was £2,039,821), compared wita £1,770,742 last season. —P.A.

Fall From Lorry. When lie fell off a lorry at 6 p.m. yesterday, Mr. G. Abercrombie, 19 Jessie Street, a waterside worker, . received severe lacerated wounds to his right arm. He was taken to hospital by the 1-ree Ambulance.

Tree-Felling Fatality. . A well-known Toatoa farmer received fatal injuries when engaged in felling a tree. The victim was Mr. Herbert Yardley, married, aged 70. A tree rolled over Mr. Yardley wno had a leg. badly crushed and received body injuries. He was admitted to the public -hospital, where the leg was amputated. Death resulted from shock. —P.A.

A Kiwi's Thirst. “We were rath<r disappointed with Tripoli when we got there,’’ said a sergeant who has just returned to New "caland in a party of sick and wounded. “The Axis troops had carried away most of the food, and, to our sorrow, till the beer. After you had drunk the wine there was left, you had to clean your teeth—they went blue —but a Kiwi will drink anything,” he added reminiscently. Fire Propintly Dealt With. A hose and buckets of water promptly used by the employees at Beatty Bros., engineers, Kaiwarra, extinguished a potentially serious fire about 11 a.m. yesterday. The outbreak was at the back of the boilerhouse and had spread to the lagging of the boiler tank and the surrounding wall before it was dealt with. Three engines attended but their services were not required.

“I Was With the Eighth Army. In his address of welcome to a parly of sick and wounded who have returned from the Middle East, the Prime Minister said he had just been told by one or •them what General Montgomery had said recently. “If anyone asks you where you fought,” General Montgomery told • a group of New Zealanders, “just say you fought with the Eighth Army. You needn’t say any more.’’ Defaulters’ Detention. Charged with failure to receive battledress at Trentham, Percival Raudale Gourley, a butcher, and Peter Kidd, a shepherd, were sentenced to defaulters detention when they appeared before Mr. Stout S.M., in the Magistrates Court, Wellington, yesterday. They were stated to be conscientious objectors and to have served a term in prison for a breach of the regulations.

Bookmakers In Hotels. Referring to a police report concerning bookmakers who used hotels for betting, the chairman of the Auckland Licensing Committee, Mr. Luxford, S.M., said at the annual meeting yesterday that it was unfortunate that a number of hotels were allowing bookmakers to carry on in their premises. Those licensees who connived at such a thing were not carrying out their duty and if there was not a turn away from this sort of thing licensees and even owners of hotels had only themselves to blame if they incurred the disqualification of their houses. —P.A. “They Simply Fade Away.” When addressing a party of sick and wounded who have returned from the Middle East, Mr. Perry, president of the N.Z.R.S.A., was telling them that as the present controllers of the organization passed from the scene, the men of tne 2nd N.Z.E.F. would be the inheritors of its assets. “I do not say ‘as we die’," said Mr. Perry, “for as you know we simply fade away.” An ■ interjection, “You aren’t fading,” by one of the soldiers drew a roar of laughter from the gathering, especially as Mr. Perry, appreciating the sally, smiled and made a gesture toward' his waistcoat. War Damage Funds. The suggestion that if money paid in New Zealand by way of war damage premiums was not required in the Dominion it should go to assist the people of Britain who had lost their homes in bombing raids, was made by Mr. J. C. Hay at the annual meeting of the Otago Farmers’ Union Mutual Fire Insurance Association. Mr. Hay said that premiums paid into the fund 'would reach £4,000,000 this year. “The people of Britain < stood between us and the enemy,” he said, “and if the money is not required here I think it should go to assist in the restoration of their homes.”

“Dig For Victory.” The need during the coming year of making the utmost effort to utilize every square inch of ground for the private growing of vegetables, was stressed at a “Dig for Victory” meeting in Lower Hutt. Figures almost astronomical were quoted by various speakers regarding the needs of the armed forces. The demands of the United States forces in the Pacific alone for eix months only would absorb 38,000,0001 b. of’potatoes, 0,500,000 lb. of tomatoes, 6,000,0001 b. of carrots, 2,500,0001 b. of beans, and 4,000,0001 b. of lettuce, to quote five items only. Last year New Zealand produced 8000 tons of onions from 800 acres; this year the Dominion was pledged' to supply 4000 tons for the United States forces only. It was made evident that unless every civilian produced his own, he would go short of vegetables.