For War Purposes.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 246, 16 September 1940, Page 6

For War Purposes.

The Stratford Borough Council has commenced to plough portions of borough reserves and unused borough sections as part of the drive for increased production. Hospital Board Staff. When Territorial training was briefly referred to at a meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, today, the managing-secretary (Mr A. J. Phillipps) said that the male staff of the Hospital had already been so depleted by departures for military service that every man remaining was needed. $ Lack of Ammunition. The fact that humane killers for the despatch of suffering stock cannot ho operated at the present time because of lack of ammunition was mentioned by Mr A. F. Wimsett, inspector of the S.P.C.A., when tendering evidence in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Mr Wimsett said imports of the particular type of ammunition required were at present banned, while it was _ not being manufactured in the Dominion, nor were supplies available ill the warehouses. Giant Cunarder. It was reported in the London Daily Telegraph in July that a belief that some use may ultimately be found for the Queen Elizabeth, either as a troopship or possibly for the evacuation of British children to America, has been strengthened in New York by the arrival at Boston aboard a Belgian steamer of eight lifeboats for the giant liner, which is docked at New York. British officials insisted, however, that no plans have been made to move the Queen Elizabeth. Funds For Spitfire. Out of a total allocation of £6500 for the purchase of a Spitfire fighter as part of the Dominion-wide campaign to raise £IOO,OOO for this purpose, £4300 has been collected in Hawke’s Bay.’ so far leaving £2200 still to be obtained. The Napier fund lias closed at its allocation of £ISOO, and the total contributions in the Hastings County area arc £2114 6s. The Dannevirke Spitfire Fund now stands at £370 18s Id. It is expected that £7OO will be raised by the end of the month. Dairy Production Increases. From various parts of the Dominion come reports of the beneficial effects of the favourable spring season on dairy production. The output of the Wangaehu Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., near Wanganui, is 40 per cent, better for-August than for the relative period last year; increases of as much as 20 per cent, are reported in the Waikato ; and elsewhere in the north appreciable improvements are shown. Around Palmerston North there is a similar increase, reflecting - the generous seasonal conditions.

Good Work in Egypt. “It’s still pretty hot here, but it should cool off shortly . . . The majority of our crowd are going great guns and if Mussolini has anything in mind it’ll be just too bad—for Muss. At the moment the Tommies, the Navy, and the Air Force are just playing games with him. It’s just a picnic so far, and I’m darned if I can see him,- or anybody else for that matter, getting anything out of this end of Africa. The British have it beautifully sewn up and their sewing will take some unravelling.” The above is an extract from a letter received by a Timaru resident from his brother.) who is serving with the New Zealanders in EgyptTile writer, who left New Zealand with the First Echelon, also served in the last war.

Troops in Good Health. The health of the troops of the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, in camp at Wanganui racecourse, is excellent. On Saturday out of a strength of 763 there were only 24 in hospital, an average of 3.2 per cent. Most of the cases are mild measles.

Valuable Scrap Metal. About twelve tons of metal, estimated to be worth some hundreds of pounds, were collected in a canvass for waste metals to aid the war effort at Hastings and Havelock North on Saturday afternoon. Twenty-four tons of material returned by 20 lorries included two machine-guns, engraved shell cases, dozens of preserving pans, thousands of brass taps, and three tons of aluminum ware, in which were many brand new pots.—Press Association.

Occupation For Patients. “For some time the need for providing some form of useful occupation for patients in the. annexe has been felt/' stated Miss L. M. Banks, the matron at the Palmerston North Hospital, in her report to the monthly meeting of the Hospital Board to-day. “Sister Bverett has agreed to take lessons in art craft at the Technical School and she began these on September 5. The ladies of the Hospital Auxiliary have become interested _ in this work and I have recently received a cheque for £lO with which to buy materials. As interest in this work grows 1 hope it will not bo long before it is able to support itself.” Gratitude was expressed to the ladies of the Hospital Auxiliary for the practical help they have given. Question of Reprisals.

On July 23 Mr Churchill was questioned in the House of Commons on reprisals in the event of air raids on London. Mr Oswald Lewis (Cons., Colchester) asked if the Prime Minister would undertake that prompt reprisals would be made on Berlin and Rome. The Premier replied: “There is, 1 think, not much to be gained by putting questions of this kind on the paper. (Cheers.) If the answer were in the negative it would remove a deterrent upon the enemy. If it were in the affirmative it might spur him to increase his preparations and add to the difficulties of our airmen. If it wero non-conunital it would not add to the enlightenment of my honourable friend. (Laughter.) Though the enemy frequently volunteers statements as to his intentions, through various channels, these are nearly all found to be untruthful, and given for the purpose of misleading us, and I should be sorry if by making inquiries of a military nature Mr Lewis were to tempt me into a course of that character.” (Laughter and cheers.)