ITEMS OF INTEREST

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3293, 28 July 1943, Page 8

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Boys as Bomb-spotters Boys of 16 are being employed as bomb-spotters in New South Wales because of their keen eyesight. Recruit Aged 91 A recruit in Perth. Australia, gave his age as 91. He said he was born in 1850 in Surrey. England, and claim ed to have fought in Abyssinia in ISBG. Too Busy

Death adders in hundreds scurried past 100 men fighting a bush fire in Queensland. The men were too busy to kill them —and the snakes were too busy to bite any of the men. Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is now 60,000 strong-j-20 times its strength at the outbreak of. war. Soon it will have more men than the A.I.F. abroad —and the sky’s the limit!

Polish Minister The Polish Minister to Australia. Dr. S. Grushka, aged 49, Doctor of Laws, has arrived in Australia. He wore a tie covered with Victory “V’s" and a belt made of glass.

The Rising Sun A recruit in Australia was reluctant to take off his singlet during the course of a medical examination. He had a rising sun tattooed on his chest!

The British Greeting ‘•lt is typical of us that our patron saint, our King, and any unknown stranger should be called George.

said a 8.8. C. commentator in a recent overseas broadcast. “When we greet anyone we don't say. ‘Hi. Buddy.’ We say ‘Hullo. George!' " Largest Australian Factory

The largest factory employer is now the Australian Federal Government. The number of employees in 1939 was 11,700 and in 1941 56,000, and it isstill rising. Keen to Serve

Rejected when he offered to enlist for military service, a Brisbane milkman went home and hanged himself. Another reject jumped from a tram and was seriously injured. Not Appreciated

Flight-Lieutenant Cameron, back in Australia, after two years’ service with the Australian Sunderland Flying-boat Squadron in Britain, said the unit had received a lot of publicity of the glamour tfrpe. “But,” he added, “it has not been appreciated.” Wooden Stoppers for Bottles

War-time conditions have demanded substitution in many industries. When rubber conservation became necessary, experiments were made for a substitute for the rubber corks in waterbottles. A wooden stopper has been devised by the State Forest Department after many trials. The Pauper!

Weak from hunger, a man aged 70 was taken in by an Australian benevolent society. Before they burned his filthy ragged garments, attendants went through the pockets and found a ticket for a free Christmas dinner from the Salvation Army, tickets for 20 free visits to a hospital, and vouchers which showed he had £3700 to his credit in three Melbourne banks. He died two days later.

Meat Storage and Shipping According to the annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers* Board, the shipping and storage position in the Dominion at. the present time is satisfactory.

Meat Skewers Wanted Butchers are complaining that they can no longer buy wooden meat skewers, which have become so essential since they have trained the public to rounds of beef instead of the old-fash-ioned joint, with bone included. Schooldays in Russia

The first of a series of lectures specially arranged for children was delivered on a recent Saturday afternoon in Wellington at the clubrooms of the Society for Closer Delations with Russia. The subject, was, “Schooldays in Russia.”

Output of Linen Flax Factories Steps are being taken to increase the output of line flax factories in South Canterbury by working three shifts where practicable, and working the retting tanks on Saturdays and Sundays to meet the accumulated supplies of raw material. Control by Rationing

Three kinds of control were being practised in New Zealand—coupon rationing, unofficial rationing by control of the sources of supply, and trading rationing undertaken by the commercial community, said Mr J. E. Thotnas, Food and Rationing Controller, when speaking in Auckland recently.