Dominion Recruits.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 163, 10 June 1940, Page 6

Dominion Recruits.

The total number of recruits to the Army. Navy and Air Force was 51,900 men said the Minister of Public Works (Hon. It. Semple), speaking on New Zealand’s war efforts last night. Seddon Anniversary. The thirty-fourth anniversary of the death of the great Liberal leader m New Zealand politics, Richard John Seddon, falls to-day. Mr Seddon was a member of Parliament for 27 years and ‘Prime Minister for 13 years. Musicians Pleased. Leading English concert and opera stars who are singing the principal roles in Gounod’s “Faust” for the Auckland Centennial Musical Festival are full of praise for New Zealand audiences. Equally they express tributes to the kindness with which they have been received everywhere in this country.

Apple Juice For Baking, That three pounds of apple juice to each hundred pounds of flour would make a nutty-havoured loaf of bread which would keep longer, and that this might be investigated as an avenue for the disposal of fruit, was an observation made by Mr A. M. Robertson at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association. Work of Red Cross. The dispatch from Wellington recently of 22 cases of articles destined for the British Red Cross for the relief of refugees is an example of the outstanding work the New Zealand Red Cross Society has been doing since the outbreak of war. Since September more than 300 cases of goods, containing about 20,000 articles, have been sent overseas. Fruit Marketing “Blunders.” “Colossal blunders” have occurred in the administration of the apple and pear marketing scheme by the internal Marketing Division, according to statements made at a meeting in Hastings of the Hawke’S Bay Fruitgrowers’ Federation, but it was contended that under war conditions growers would not .favour a reversion to the old marketing system, Art Union Prizes. The ticket for first prize of £2OOO in the latest art union, purchased under the nom-de-plume “Bill and 1,” is held, by Mr W. Mahoney and Mr E. Davis, both of Ohakune. The second prize ticket, worth £IOOO, was bought at the bookstall at the railway station under the nom-de-plume of “L 5.8.8.,” and it is presumed that it was purchased by some person passing through. Drowning Toll. As many people die by drowning in New Zealand during the summer months as by motor-vehicle accidents. This is revealed in a detailed review of accident? from 1930 to March 31, 1939, carried out by the National Committee of Swimming and Life Saving, which shows that during the months of October to March, inclusive, each year, 829 people perished by drowning and 800 by motor accident. Local Body Elections.

The possibility of an extension, of the term of office of members of local bodies under the emergency legislation just passed was mentioned by the chairman of the Rangitikei County Council (Mr K. W. Dalrymple) at the annual meeting. Whether it would be deemed expedient to extend the term of office because of the war it was yet too* early to say, he said, but it was quite possible councillors would be asked to serve for a further year to save the cost of an election at a time when all the nation’s efforts should be put iqto the Empire struggle. Men on Relief Works.

It was a paradox that any ablebodied men should be on relief works when every effort was required to increase production,' and , primary production in particular, and . there was aii apparent shortage of labour in industries, said Mr K. W. Dalrymple, chairman of the Rangitikei County Council, in his annual report. Relief works in the county last year had not decreased to the extent expected, the expenditure on them being £11,505. It might be that ~in the past relief works had been made too attractive and so were preferred to other more useful and necessary classes of employment, he said.

Wattle Trees In Bloom. Usually blooming, early 'each year, a group of wattle trees near the third tee at the; Manawatu Golf Club’s course at Hokowhitu are in bloom and present a beautiful sight. Musician’s Death. During a rehearsal at Auckland by the Centennial Festival Symphony Orchestra Mr L. It. Brakenrig , collapsed and died after giving a very fine solo interpretation on the cor-anglais of a passage from Cesar Franck’s Symphony m D Minor, on which he was complimented by the conductor, Mr Andersen Tyrer. Economy In Transport. There was a need for greater economy and efficiency in the transport industry, said the Minister of Transport (Hon. R. Semple) on Saturday, when he said that, to secure efficiency in the public services, he had instructed the transport licensing authorities to review every goods service license in the Dominion. Rural Housing Scheme. The llangitikei County Council lias decided to consider favourably applications under the Rural Housing Act; the clerk has been instructed in the meantime to seek further particulars of the legislation. Asking the council to be more sympathetic toward the scheme, Cr G. L. Marshall said single men were leaving the farms, and there was no adequate accommodation for the married men taking their places. It was the duty of the council to assist and build some houses for farmers unable to afford to build homes for their workers. Cr L. Hammond said it was a golden opportunity to help in solving the problem of farm labour.