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Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 143, 17 May 1940, Page 4

Coal Conferenco. The conference on the coal situation between delegates representing the colliery owners and mine ■ workers was continued in Wellington yesterday. A further meeting was held to-day. Funds For Red Cross. At the Dannevirke stock sale yesterday nearly £IOO was raised for the lied Cross Society by the sale of fat sheep given by Mr D. G. Grant, of Mangatoro, who entered several pens of first-class sheep'. One sheep was sold over and over again, realising £l6 9s 3d; the others realised £76 14s Bd. Care of Farmlands.

“It is just as well that the early settlers took more interest in the establishment of the trust, and did not practice the apathetic attitude that prevails to-day,” said the chairman of the Masterton Trust Lands Trust (Mr H. P. Hugo), at the annual meeting. “People in the small farms area should realise that the trust belongs to them, and with an income of nearly £6OOO a year should make it their business to see how this money is spent,” he added. Record Marriage Rate. “The marriage rate has broken all records in history this year, and in addition the birth-rate is higher than for ten years,” said the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash) in an address to women at Auckland. “It is correct to say that there are nou enough people in this country, and we will have to bring some of our own people here from overseas when this war is over, but the finest immigrant this country can have is the child born and brought up here.” Need for Philosophy.

“In the murderous world of 1940 one of the few promising signs is an increasing recognition among most people of their responsibility to society,” said Miss Elsie Andrews in an address on “Education for Social Responsibility” to the New Zealand Women Teachers’ Association. In society not philanthropy but philosophy must be mail’s objective. Philanthropy might be a libebouy, and very handy in a shipwreck, but philosophy was a map and a compass, and the map arid compass must be in use night and day. Coalition Government.

Objection to the statement that there was no earthly reason why them should be a coalition Government in New -Zealand, made by the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash), in Auckland, was voiced at a meeting of the AVairo-i Harbour Board. “I notice Mr Nash has ridiculed the idea of a coalition Government,” said Mr J. M. Taylor. In view of the position in England and the developments of the past week, the suggestion was well worthy of consideration, and was one that was not to be treated as lightly sis Mr Nash appeared to have treated it, said Mr Taylor. New Confidence Trick.

A new confidence trick, by which rogues are said to have taken advantage of recruits to the military forces to get possession of their civilian clothing and other, effects, is reported in Wellington. It is stated that soon after a young Wellington man was called up for the Royal Air Force, his name having been published in this connection, a stranger called . upon his mother and asked to be given various effects belonging to him. He claimed to be an acquaintance also of the youth’s father. The mother wisely suggested that he should call back, when the civilian clothes had been made ready. Meantime, she ascertained from her husband that lie had no knowledge of the man, and the latter received ii warm welcome when lie called again.

“A, Very Good Thing.” A X’hinaman walked into the Palmerston North office of the Sick and Wounded Campaign yesterday with a bundle of 15 £1 notes. “Is this donation from the Chinese residents?” lie was asked. “No, it’s from me; Red Cross is a very good tiling—and here is five more notes —-make it £20.” Anniversary of Wrecks.

Last Tuesday was the fifty-eighth anniversary of the wrecks of the City of Perth and tlie Benvenue at Timaru. When tlie vessels were driven ashore nine men lost their lives in attempting rescues on May 14, 1882. The only survivors of those who took part are Sir George Shirtcliffe and Mr J. Henniker, of Wellington, and Mr A. L. Haylock, of Akaroa. Enlistments Improve. The improvement in enlistments in Wellington since the German invasion of the Low Countries is continuing. In the past two days 56 men have offered their services. The total registrations in the Central Military District have now reached 54C0, of whom 3584 have been passed as fit for service, 375 are temporarily unfit, and 721 are permanently unfit.

German Aliens In Auckland. So far the Government has interned only 11 of the 29U German nationals who are registered as enemy aliens living in Auckland, or one in 26, says an exchange. In addition to the 290 there are 150 naturalised Germans in the city. The first seven Germans interned were arrested on the night of December 22 last, two more were taken into custody on February 14, and a further two on February 15. All were men.

Mayor As Soldier. “I hope I shall not be taken as an advertisement for the Army, for I am rather inclined to suspect that our ser-geant-major at Burnham thinks I am one of the worst parade-ground soldiers in camp,” said the Mayor of Invercargill (Lance-Corporal J. R. Hanan), at the opening of the Invercargill Winter Sliow-. “In fact, he says a lot of nasty things to me and lets me know in no uncertain terms that, although I may have been Mayor of Invercargill, the only things that count with him are that there shall be no speck of dust on the trigger guard of my rifle, that my head shall be erect, stomach in, eiiest out, and eyes on the hat of the man in front of me. But it is a change to come home to clean sheets and revel in a hot bath, and 1 do not mind my wife asking me to remember to use the butter knife. My comrades in Burnham may consistently steal my candle and always take my tobacco, but let me tell you this—they would share their last shilling with me. But if Britain has 1.000,000 or 2.000,000 of the same calibre there, there is not much doubt that they will be -marching up the streets of Berlin one day ‘Rolling Out the Barrel’ in the TJnter den Linden.”