LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 252, 26 October 1942, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

The retail price of mild cheese has been fixed at a maximum of ls per lb. The tribunal explains that the order does not relate to any form of fancy cheese, process cheese or cheese paste. When she was knocked down by a motor-car on Saturday night at the corner of Riddiford and Rintoul streets, Newtown, Miss Mary Clark received a lacerated scalp wound, fractured right leg and ribs and shock. Miss Clark was taken to hospital by ambulance. Instructions have been issued by the Government to the Internal Marketing Division to start, from today, and to continue till existing stocks are exhausted, the disposal of the apples remaining in cool storage. Wholesale prices are to be such that the maximum retail price will not exceed* 6d a lb. The recent rain coming as and how it did, has had a highly beneficiai effect on farms and gardens. The ground had been well warmed through before the moisture came. Prior to the rain 200 hours and 30 minutes of sunshine had been recorded, while the 1.41 inches of rain this month has nearly all fallen in the past three days. It has been announced by the Director of Naval Recruiting that men up to 45 (and in special cases up to 50) years of age are urgently needed for important shore station work in the Royal N.Z. Navy. The Royal N.Z. Navy also needs engineroom, electrical and ordnance artificers and shlpwrights, either for continuous service or for the duration of the war. Two trains which left Wellington yesiterday morning carried a total of about 1000 passenge^ to Palmerston North and intermediate stations. Both trains were crowded, though 23 cars in all were used. The long week-end vacation was undoubtedly an influence on the number of people Who were travelling within the limit of 100 mlles and did not require per - mits. The whitebait season in Marlborough has been very disappointing — as it has been on the West Coast. A few fish have' been eaught, but, they are very scarce. The reason for the smallness of Ihe run is probably the same here as in other piaces. Drainage cperations to bring in farm lands have lirnited the spawning areas and consequentlv the1 size of next season's run. Although no very big fish or bag catches have been reported, fishermen continue to> make steady tallies. On Saturday two rods in the town area landed seven fish from two to four poundo. Soimo nice fish, clean run from the sea, have been sighted and one or two landed, aria these pank-fleshed visitors make particularly good ealing, filleted and baked with a touch of bacon on top of each piece. His Grace Aichbishop O'Shea celebrated the 7 o'clock Mass in St. Mary's Church, Blenheim, yestertiay. and in the afteinoon, in the presence of a largo congregation, he administered Oonfirmation to 110 children and 15 adults. His Grace proceeded to Picton, where a Oonfirmation service was held last night ; and he will administer Confirmation to- country children at a service to be held in St, Mary's Church, Blenheim, to-morrow morning. "Every Monday residents of Devonport have been asked to give, and they have given willingly," said the Mayor of Devonport, Mr R. G. May, referring to the barrel placed on the ferry wharf for patriotic funds, at a meeting of the Devonport Borough Council. Mr May added that the barrel had been in use for 12 month s and a week, and during that period approximately £2400 had been col--lected. In addition, the people of Devonport had given willingly in response to all other patriotic appeals.

An interesting and rare souvenir of the Tobruk campaign is in the possession of the parents of Sergeant A. Begbie, Putaruru. It is an arm badge which was given to each Australian soldier who fought in Tobruk. These soldiers were nicknamed "The Rats" during the' siege, and the badge is a red rat on a white circular background, which is stitched on a red square. The badge is probably very rare in New Zealand. It came into Sergeant Begbie's possession when an Australian friend pressed it on him as a keepsake. Guy Fawkes this year will go unhonoured and unsung. A Lighting Restriction order prohibits bonfires on November 5. This, incidentally, calls attention to the fact that it is an offence to have a bonfire going on any night after sunset. The same order prohibits the discharge of fireworks on November 5 or any other night, but even if fireworks were permitted it is doubtful whether any could be obtained by those who like to see their money go up in smoke. There have been no importations of these for a long time. Bicycles and bicycle tyres are more precious than rubies these days of rubber shortages. Those who come into town on them at night for business or pleasure, have rather a nerve racking time till they discover them again. On Saturday an at« tempt was made to. "convert" one bike, which was padlocked, but apparently after wrestling with it, the converter gave up in disgust and abandoned it in an inconspicuous and damp corner. Another bike was found tyreless and the owner was the reverse when he reached home. A bike "garage," such as there is in Christchurch, would certainly do good business in Blenheim just now. Erstwhile Londoners will remember cigarettes called "Wild Woodbines." In the old days they were five a psnny, and were smoked by the office boy and the van boy. They were usualy smoked half-way and then "nipped," the remaining half being put in the pocket, writes a friend from England. What a change today! "Woodbines" are "the" smoke and are queued up for, and they cost practically a penny each! As a matter of fact all the small size cigarettes are the same price — 9d for tsn. The bigger ones are all ls for ten, and are only smoked by millionaires or by anybody trying to be really swa.nky." Don't get the impression, however, that we are grumbling at these things — the taxation on tobacco and alcohol is most loyally ac cepted by even the poorest as a sensible contribution to our war taxation and all is borne with a cheerful smile and a joke. Also, don't get the impression that half the people of Great Britain live by selling goods in the black market to the other half; in fact, not one of us out of a thousand ever come in contact with the welLadvertised "black market."