£500 Donation.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 160, 6 June 1940, Page 6

£SOO Donation.

A contribution of £SOO toward the Sick Wounded, and Distress Fund lias teen’ made by Mr E. L. Somers president of the TeAroha Jockey Club. Farm Labour Corps. The suggestion is made by the Ota"o Daily Times that the organisation of a farm labour corps may be worth -attention as a means of counter acting the shortage of rural labour and increasing production. Mean Theft. An amateur gardener in a suburb of Wanganui had his enthusiasm rather damped during the week-end when someone visited a clump of live dozen liemesias which were about to start flowering, and removed all but two of the-plants. Cool Storage Buildings. Quite a number ' of freezing companies were-prepared to build lurther cool stores in New Zealand, said Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, at the sheepfanners’ conference at Massey College. A large building firm had also said that it was prepared to build cool stores at a minimum of profit, and work 24 hours a day if necessary. Must Sink Differences. “Does- it matter who is in charge and what method is employed so long ‘as it gets results?.” asked Mr W- F. Leadley,' of Wellington, a member of the E.S.A. executive., replying to the principal toast at the Wanganui E.S.A. reunion last night. “This, is a time for us to he united. As Mr Attlee said in England, ‘yotl can’t dither in a crisis like this.’ If they cannot dither in England we cannot dither in New Zealand. We must sink our .differences and let us pull together.” Propaganda Torn Up. Outside the Wellington Town Hall where the Labour , Party conference was held, half a dozen women distributed to members as they left the building at".the luncheon adjournment pamphlets containing extracts from a joint statement made in July, 1939, by the Labour Party and the Federation of Labour, opposing conscription. Mr J. Eoberts (president of the party), who had been informed what was to take place, advised delegates to tear up such propaganda slips, and this was acted upon. Enlistment of Farmers. Some definite "action was necessary, and at the earliest possible moment, to stop the enlistment of farmers and farm labourers, said Mr H. M. Christie, chairman of the Wool Committee, at the sheepfanners’ conference' at Massey-College yesterday. . A manpower organisation was established, lie said, and a considerable, number of these, men had been sent back from camp. ’ Under tlie - voluntary : system men who were keen to go were taken, and he had known instances of farm labourers being advised to enlist simply as “labourers” so that they could go away. In the last war the percentage of essential workers sent away was lar too -great..

Fall Off Wharf.. . Missing -her footing while erayfislinrg at the Napier . breakwater harbour, Miss J'. Millar, 'fell into the water. A night watchman dived in and supported her till help could be obtained. Wha|ing in Cook Strait. The first catch of the season was made in Cook Strait by the Tory Channel whalers a few days ago. This was a sperm whale—a fairly rare variety in these waters—and little difficulty was experienced in securing' it. Impressive Figures. An extra pound weight on every lamb exported from New Zealand would mean an- additional 7000 tons of meat, stated the Director-General'of Agriculture (Mr A. H. Cockayne), in addressing farmers at Massey College yesterday. Recruiting Hecord. A new recruiting record was established in the Wellington and Hutt. Valley area on Tuesday when 133 men registered for service with the Second N.Z.E.F. Area enlistments now total 6108, and for four days of the present month, including a week-end, the total is 202. Back to the Bible. A Back to the Bible Association lias been formed in Wanganui by laymen. Its purpose is “to call public attention to the Bible as not only containing rules for getting to Heaven, but also the rules for living in this workl so that all people can be healthy, wealthy, and liappy.” Gifts of Boots. Manufacturers who have spontaneously offered to the country all the resources of their industries have been thanked 'by- the Minister of Supply. The Minister also thanked two firms and tlieir employees, one of which, he said, had given 2000 pairs and the other 1000 pairs of military boots. Humour In War.

War correspondent (interviewing French'general!: What would the Allies do if Italy joined up with Hitler? F.G.: Send ten divisions and mop her up. W.C.: What if she came in on the Allies’ Side? F.G.: We’d still have to send ten divisions—to protect her. (Slow curtain.) Banks To Play Part. “The banks will play their full part in supporting the Government’s call to all to give of their utmost in the war effort,” said the chairman of the Associated Banks (Mr P. R. M. Hanna), speaking at a smoke concert of the New Zealand Bank Officers’ Guild at Wellington. “Tn this they will have the wholehearted co-operation of their staffs.” At present 457 bank officers, over 13 per cent, of the total of 3438 on the male staffs, had enlisted. Air Defence. That adequate provision exists for tlie air defence of New Zealand should occasion arise, and that tlie operational strength of the Royal New Zealand Air Force will be considerably increased this year, is affirmed by the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. Jones) in a statement laid before Parliament. “There are in this country to-day sufficient aircraft and bombs available to deal with any anticipated scale of attack,” the statement adds. Flax Linen For Aeroplanes. It was mentioned by Mr -A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, at Massey “College, yesterday, that a request has been received from the British Government that New Zealand should attempt to grow from 1200 to 1600 acres of linen for fibre. He added that a cablegram bad been sent back stating that the Dominion would make the effort,- and Britain was sending out the seed. The linen was required for fighting ’planes. Unusual Bird. Till recently regarded as one of the rarest of seabirds, though now known to be common on certain parts of the New Zealand coast and in North America, a specimen of Buller’s shearwater was picked up recently on Lyall Bay beach by the director of the Dominion Museum, Dr. W. R. B. Oliver. It is closely related to the muttonbird, or sooty shearwater, common in New Zealand seas. Car Travel Restricted. Repercussions of the petrol restrictions are well exemplified in the attendance at the annual sheepfarmers’ conference, now in session at Massey College. The attendance, which, is ' large, is drawn from practically all parts of the North Island and extends even to the South Island, but it is noticeable, where those attending have to travel from long distances, that their districts are served by rail communication. Usually there is a strong contingent from the Gisborne area, but on this occasion these' men are absent. The War and Fanning. “If there are men like that, make their lives a hell so that they must do something.” Thus stated Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of. Agriculture, when informed at the gathering of sheepfarmers at Massey College yesterday! that there were some farmers with a lot of land and a lot of money, who were just satisfied to carry on as they had done in the past .and not stir themselves to aid the war effort. Mr Cockayne added that the legislation just passed was extremely wide and there , was power given to direct absolutely what the farmer should do. If then lie did not respond there was power to apply the necessary measures. Too Much Politics By Radio. The poor Germans, it appears, .have been humbly petitioning the Propaganda Ministry of Goebbels for more music' on .their wireless wave-lengths and less eyewash, notes “Lucio” in the Manchester Guardian. Tlieir request lias been sternly declined j- they must take the medicine the doctor ordered. More music is “verboten” 1 : “The German wireless,”- says Goebbels, “bajs a mission to perform within the borders of the Reich as well as abroad.” It has indeed. The doctor’s prescription. is for soothing syrup # about Germany’s prospects in the war, and that is officially supposed to be much more of a sedative than any music, that was ever written. The risks of a rude awakening'are in the future, but even for the present apparently some Germans think that music would be a pleasant change. . , Shipping to England. Information had been received that it was extremely unlikely that any additional refrigerated shipping tonnage. wouid be available for New Zealand in the"near future, said Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, "in addressing the sheepfanners’ conference at Mas'esy College yesterday. To make up for this it would be necessary, to quicken the voyages between New Zealand and .England. The “turn-round” of ships at New Zealand ports,must be quickened. ItVwoujd : probably be necessary for ships to use , the ports on the west coast, of England, which were slow to work/ It .was quite likely that there would, be-... far. more centralisution .of shipping- iii. New, Ze land in the coming year, and Tliat' there would have to be a considerable 'amount of reorganisation of killing practices at the various freezing works in New Zealand. r