LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 251, 24 October 1942, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Yesterday 's Marlborough investments in the 2 nd Liberty Loan amounted to £480. This brings the total to £14,310. One more plug of the gelignite lost in Maxwell road on Thursday morning has been handed ir. to the' authorities, leaving eight still unaccounted for. The Blenheim-Nelson highway was blocked by flooding near Canvastown during last night, but it is expected that traffic will get through early this afternoon. The Rationing Office yesterday had its busiest day yet of the present hook issue. Despite the adverse weather there was a steady and at tirnes flood-like flow of couponseekers until the offioe closed at 8 p.m., when some of the delivery officers must have been feeling the strain. A total of 2143 books and 464 children's sheets was issued. A northward migration of opossums, judging from the larger num-b-ers killed in the Auckland con--servancy, is recorded in the annual report of the State Forest Service. Considerable damage by opossums in Southland, Westland, Nelson and Auckland is recorded. Opossums de~ stroyed under special Ministerial warrant numbered twice as many as in the previous year. Figures from the Department of Internal Affairs showed 259,640 opossums taken in 1941, including 63,860 in State forests.

Sporting attractions for the Labour Day holiday on Monday are confined this year to a bowling tournament on the Marlborough and Returned Soldiers' greens, while tennis courts will also be open for play. Because of lack of petrol few people wili be able to take advantage of the holiday for a day in the open, and probably Blenheim's gardens will benefit to a greater extent than usual on such an anniversary — if the weather has cleared up by then. Admiring the splendid stand made by the Russian armies against the Nazi invaders, about five months ago Miss F. E. Manuel, of Christchurch, despatched a parcel containing a scarf and socks which she had knitted to Marshal Timoshenko, whose army is now playing an importantrole in the defence of Stalingrad. Miss Manuel has received an acknowledgment of the gift from Marshal Timoshenko's private secretary. The writer said that Marshal Timoshenko had received the gift and ex - pressed grateful thanks to Miss Manuel- for knitting them: He added 'that the gift was greatly appreciated and that Marshal Timoshenko would write a personal letter later. In many cases whero it is possible the old bricks from earthquake sliattercd Wellington premises have been cleaned up and used again in the rebuilding. In some instances where gpecially strong. cement mortar has been used the cleaning process is scarcely worth while because of the difficulty of separating the- mortar from the bricks, but in other cases the bricks are fairly easily cleaned and made usable. This has been the case in ihe Traffic Office, opposite the Town Hall, where the1 western wai!, reduced to the level of the first fioor, has been v.hollv rebuilt with old bricks. The whoie of the e.v terior wall, on three sides of the buiiding, is now being strengthened with a stout band of reinforced concrete. It is expected that repairs to this buiiding will bo completed by the end of the month. Yesterday's rain, which was welcomed by most people with gardens, was regarded as most unfortundte -by keen women gardeners who attended what was to have been an outdoor demonstration by Miss Marian Cocksi Johnsto-n at Springlands. The leeturer, who had intended t-o show such practical operations- as pruning, grafting and digging as it shouid be done, had of necessity to give her talk indqors, and jdea.lt with similar subiecis to those in her gardening lecture in Blenheim last week. In the afternoon she talked a-bout- the drying and preserving of fruit. The lecfures were given at the home of Mrs R. W. Thomson, Murphv's road, aird the audiences comprised mainly members of the Springlands-Farnham Women's Institiite. Miss Cocks Johnston, who' has visitcd the Sounds and several country districts since lecturing in Blenheim, leaves on Monday for Seddon, and will later go on to South Canterbury.