NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 63, 17 March 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Citizens’ Lunch Club 11 Private Enterprise or Bureaucracy' ’ is Air. It. H. Spencer's subject to-day. Old Couple’s Patriotism “On the 23rd of every mouth the same old couple, n man and his wife, go down to the pensions office to collect their old-age pensions and come back to the patriotic otficc and pay in £]," reported the secretary of the Wanganui City Patriotic Committee, Air. C. W. Young. “They have not missed once.” Geographical Quilt An embroidered quilt of more than unusual interest has been worked by members of the Waiiuarama Red Cross sub-centre and sent to the Hawke’s Bay Centro to be dispatched together with bed and other equipment to a hospital ship. Embroidered on the quilt is a map of the North Island with the names of all the main towns embroidered in various colours. Troops Want Writing Paper Eurlough servicemen now on leave consider that writing paper is one of the most important articles to send forward in patriotic or private parcels to those overseas. They say that an enormous amount of paper is used and very often men are scratching to find some to write a letter. 11 There could never be enough writing paper,” one man said yesterday in recounting his experience in the Aliddle East. Long Dry Gap Most of the country in the lower Mauawatu and along the coast to Wanganui has so far missed the rain a which have fallen on the higher land. It was particularly noticeable on Wednesday when heavy rains were experienced in Wanganui that a long dry gap existed in the grazing country stretching from almost Feilding to Wanganui. Feed was in very short supply over this area which appeared as having been subjected to scorching heat. Talk Properly to Children A report on baby talk from a teacher in charge of a speech defects school, was received by the Dunedin Education Board. It was stated that, if a mother persistently used back to her baby its own babyish attempts at words, she was laying a foundation for possible speech trouble later, for the child was content to accept the speech patterns he heard and thus formed speech habits which became a future source of trouble to him and his teachers. Parents should speak naturally and give the child a good speech pattern. Solar Minimum A report from Air. G. V. Hudson, Karori, states that since the beginning of this year only one small sun-spot has been observed at the Karori observatory. This sun-spot disappeared on February 3, and no other sun-spots have been recorded on the observatory disc. Though solar activity was at a low ebb during the first week in July, 1943, Mr. Hudson says the idea that the actual solar minimum occurred at that time is net correct, in view of observations taken recently. The astronomers at Alt. Wilson, Pasadena, in California, prophesy the minimum to occur in the middle of this year. Fate of Cakes Varying experiences have been related as to tho fate of cakes sent overseas to servicemen and women in the Middle East. One man home on furlough said that many of the Patriotic gift parcels of cake arrived with the cake not palatable even though it had been apparently sealed in a tin. Some were quite all right but many had gone distinctly musty. On the other hand he stated that cakes received in an ordinary wooden box had stood the voyage and the rough handling well and had been eaten with relish. Perhaps New Zealand’s scientists might investigate this problem of how to prepare and send forward a New Zealand-made cake with every assurance that it will I be palatable on arrival. City’s Water Supply Palmerston North’s water supply will be (he subject of two notices of motion which will come before the City Council on Monday night. The Mayor (Mr. Mansford) will propose the following:—“That the following loan proposals bo placed before tho ratepayers: (1) To borrow £72,000 for the purpose of erecting anothor dam 115 ft. in height, which will impound 448,000,000 gallons; (2) to borrow £42,300 for the extension and completion of the 21in. supply main to Tiritea; (3) to borrow £IO,OOO to acquire land at present privately owned in the watershed.” Cr. J. T. J. Heatley will move the following motion:—“That the offer of Air. 11. Jensen to construct a concretelined well Bft. in diameter and 50ft. deep at a cost not exceeding £6OO be accepted, and that the well bn sunk on tho terrace adjacent to the Fitzherbert bridge, county end, upstream, and that all work on the present structure be suspended.” One-Car Bridges AVhether one-car bridges should be marked with such a sign at one end while at the other end provision bo made for a “Please Give Way” sign, was discussed at a meeting of the executive of the Automobile Association (Wanganui) on Wednesday nigh*. It was agreed that the term narrow bridge was likely to be misleading and members favoured the notice “One Car Bridge” without any “Please Give Way” sign, since this would immediately indicate to the approaching motorist that he would require to slow up and exercise every care. In other words, he would be warned to anticipate another car approaching from tho other cud. It was resolved to recommend to the North Island Motor Union the universal adoption of the “One Car Bridge” for all bridges which did not conform to present highway specifications and that the South Island Alotor Union be invited to agree. In the event of the union’s agreeing, it is intended to obtain the consent of the Transport Department for the adoption of this sign throughout New Zealand. National War Savings The main topic for discussion at Wednesday’s meeting of the National War Savings Committee was tho city’s commitments in the matter of the quotas, both weekly and annual. The city is faced with obtaining £3555 in the next two weeks in order to secure tho amount allotted as the annual quota, states the organisers. A special effort was decided upon by committee members to make a supreme attempt to restore the weekly quota record, the eitv having missed last week, after having obtained £JSSS for 48 consecutive weeks. A special appeal is made by the committee to the individual depositors of Palmerston North and district to come to the rescue. It is known that a very largo number of these deposit accounts have not been in action for a very long time, and there is a sufficient number in this city to render it possible to get the quota regularly. It private depositors were as consistent as the groups attached to various business firms there certainly would be no difficulty. The general public possessing deposit books are urged to bring the books back into service, no matter how small tho amounts may be, and thus help to swell the total. Tho quota year closes in two weeks time, and it behoves everybody to act immediately. The figures for National War Savings in the city yesterday amounted to £ll4.