LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 249, 22 October 1942, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

American servicemen are good milk drinkers. The consumption of milk drinks in Wellington has advanced about 20 per cent. since they arrived, and, as the warm weather advances, this is expected to be still greater. Ration books are moving out more briskly to-day, and the indications are that a record number of couponcontainers will pass into the possession of the public by 5 p.m. Yesterday 737 books and 161 children's sheets were issued, which still left a long way to travel and little time for the journby. The Rationing Office will be open from 7 p.m. to 8.30 tomorrow evening. The whitebait season this year is exceptionally poor (states the Westport News). As a rule Labour Day marks the peak of the catches, a very decided falling away occurring after that day. Labour Day is now very close at hand and if there is not a. decided improvement by then, this season may well go down in history as one of the poorest, if not the poorest, in the history of whitebait in the Buller. Prices for kauri gum have risen considerably in the past year and are now 40 to 50 per cent. above those of three years ago, states the annual report of the Under-Secretary for Lands onj the gum industry. The demand remains steady, but owing to war conditions production has fallen and shipping is difficult to arrange. During 1941-42 exports were 1363 tons, of a value of £86,322. The United Kingdom was the largest purchaser.

Congratulations on the decision to plant suitable shrubs for the encouragement of bellbirds in Victoria and Knottingley Parks is extended to the Waimate Borough Council and to Mr E. C. Studholme, who originated the idea, in a letter received by the Mayor, Mr W. F. Boland, from the Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Parry. Mr Parry expresses confldence as to the success of the experiment, and cites Wanganui, which he says is literally a city of tuis as a result of the policy of planting honey and berry-bearing trees. Satisfaction at the full use made by the police of the wide range of scientific aids available from the Dominion laboratory is expressed in the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The year under review was, it is stated, notable for the number of glass fragments examined in connection with fatal motor accidents and cases of breaking and entering, conclusive evidence being frequently provided. Many exhibits were submit'ted for determination of drugs and poisons and indications of drunkenness. For the iecond time within a space of several weeks tlie Nelson Transport deipot, at the corner of Arthur and Henry strects, caught fire this morning, sparks from a high factory chimney on the opposite side of the road again being a. possible cause. The outbreak occurred in the same spot as before — in the peak of the roof at the front of the building, a hof ember apparently being blown under The iron and the timber supports igniting". The fire was a very minor one, and before the water was turned through the hoses oppor trinity was ta-ken by the staff to remove all goods from the floor below. A statement as to the iikelihood of a special ration of Sugar being made available to house wives who are accustomed to making jam for home use was sought by Mr Goosman (Oppositioii, Waikato) in notice of a question to the Minister for Supply, Mr Sullivan. In a noto to his question, Mr Goosman said it was considered that the issue of appropriate supplies to> apprcved applicants, based on the size of families, would result in the prevention or re~ duction of waste of certain, kinds of fruits, economy in labour and transport and also tin, as jars already on hand would take the place of tins made from imported materials and cheape.r jam. One of the Scottish comedians — maybe it was Harry Lauder — used to sing a song about "I'm Ninety-five To-day." The Home Guard can't quite beat that, but one of them was 81 on Sunday. He didn't look it at the start of *the day, but he felt much more than it when the long day ended. Volunteers were called on to assist the lorry-driver in charge of the unit's transport. A youthful-appearing Guardsman was finally elected to sit beside the driver

— and most of his comrades-in-arms thought he ha!d the pick of the jobs allotted for the day. But when the shades of night were falling fast, he'd established a better than provineial record. He'd hopped up and down 162 times to open and close 81 gates of very variegated vintage. He did it with so much grumbling cheerfulness that he has since been elected official gate-crasher to the | company, with frequent refresher 1 courses. But, it is stated, when sleep ' is slow of advent at night, the Home Guardsman no longer counts sheep i to induce slumber. He does it with gates.

The Prisons Department, states the annual report, has continued its policy as far as practicable, of making itself self-sustainedin respect of foodstuffs off its farms and in addition has produced large quantities for the open market. At Waikeria sufficient tobacco is grown to supply the whole of the department's requirements, and this institution also supplies pasteurised milk to adjacent schools. From other institutions milk and vegetables are supplied for Army requirements. A new scheme of catering for the well -being of soldiers in military camps in the district has been brought into operation by the New Plymouth Y.W.C.A.L who have started a services club with the primary object of mending clothes for the men. The first " mending" night was held one night last week, when a small number of men from a camp arrived With garments in need of mending, rather doubtful as to their good fortune. They were soon reassured when the group of girls on duty set to work deftly patching trousers, darning socks and sewing on buttons, while the men were free to play draughts or ping pong or other games. After supper they departed delighted with a pile of mended garments. | A Nelson man who was anxious to -get away to a Home Guard parade and in exasperation over delay with the evening meal threw a plate of food at his wife, appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The defenaant. whose name was suppressed, was charged with assaulting his wife by striking her with a plate (reports the Mail). The police explained that the case arose as a result of a family quarrel, The defendant's explanation was that he had no' intention of throwing the plate, but onlv the contents. However, the plate slipped out of his hands. The defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon. A Justice of the Peace on the Bench added: "The best thing you can do, defendant, on leaving the court is to shake hands with your wife and make it up." The Management Committee of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association has approached the Ministry for Supply with a request that a Government order be placed in the United States for a limited number of lawn tennis balls. The National Patriotic Fund Board has also been asked to support an order for a quantity of tennis balls to be supplied to soldiers only. This advicr has been received by the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. In its latest bulletin on tennis ba.ll supplies the New Zealand Association says it is understood that the manufacture of tennis balls has ceased in both Australia and the United Kingdom and that supplies are no longer available from these countries. It is considered possible, however, that. a limited number may be available in the United States. The Physical Welfare and Recreaticn branch of the Department of Internal Affairs has been asked to doi all possible to support the appiications to the Ministry of SUpply and the National Patriotic Fund Board. -V — —