NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24422, 7 October 1940, Page 2

NEWS IN BRIEF

Thieves removed a car from where it was parked in a Napier street, and without even taking it off the road near the town stripped it of its four wheels, battery, fuel pipe, petrol, and the caps of the radiator and petrol tank.

The Wanganui Education Board has received 58 applications for admission to the Teachers’ Training College next year. For the last two years trainees from this district have gone to Christchurch, and it is expected that they will go there again for their training. Well-based confidence in the security afforded by ships of the Royal Navy is shown by one British firm, some of whose products have just arrived in New Zealand. The firm has prepared a stencil, which is apparently filled m cn everything packed for export, reading: “ Safely convoyed by the British Navy.” Men who like that smart appearance which good clothing gives will find a good selection at Gray’s Big Store, Milton, i .

Recently there has been an extraordinary demand for cheap used cars of ancient vintage. One well-known Hastings firm inserted an advertisement offering one of these cars on easy terms. Within an hour after the publication of the paper no fewer than 14 inquiries were received. There are at least three schoolmasters and one Catholic priest teaching at a convent school in Napier who are direct descendants of veterans of the Maori wars. This interesting fact, which was brought to light by Mr Rudall Hayward, the well-known film producer, during a number of visits he made to Napier schools to give addresses, was mentioned by him to a reporter the other day. So far this year there have been 550 babies bern in Palmerston North compared with 437 for the same nine months of last year. September births numbered 74 compared with 55 in September, 1939. The record for any one month is 82 in January last. Deaths last month number 31 compared with 39 a year ago. Thei'e was a slump in marriages which numbered 24, whereas there were 48 in September, 1939. Buy now New Goods just opened up; many cannot be replaced. Shop early while the selection is good. Gifts for all at Mosgiel’s Draoers. —A F Chevne and Co The manner in which Te Kuiti secures the major prizes in art unions is said to have become monotonous. It is many months since Mr J. C. Moss, of Mahoenui, won £2OOO, but within the last seven or eight months two first prizes of £2OOO have come to Te Kuiti, a third prize of £2OO, and a second prize of £SOO. All four winners have managed to maintain an official anonymity. The statement that her husband had put a wrestling hold on her and thrown her to the floor was made by a witness in a maintenance case heard in the Napier Magistrate’s Court. The complainant added that her husband was “ a born growler." The magistrate. “ Perhaps you also growl occasionally? ” Witness answered that she growled only if she had cause to growl and that she wanted more from life chan growls and very little money. .

Listeners to 8.8. C. overseas news bulletins have remarked that in the past few days the popular expression “ air raid alarm ” has been generally supplanted by “ air raid alert.” It is conjectured that the former phrase has been frowned on as suggesting a measure of panic, which is the last expression the broadcasters wish to give. When the sirens sound over enemy territory, however, the affair is described as an “ alarm,” possibily for a similar reason.

Grandism (42521: The remembrance of Grand Hotel quality lasts long after the price is forgotten, and easily the best procurable... When Mr M. Smith arrived at his butchery establishment in Warren street, Hastings, the other morning, he found the large plate-glass window of the shop badly shattered. It was found that a lemonade bottle had been used as a missile, either deliberately or by accident, some time during the night. A substantial hole was left in the centre of the window where the bottle had gone through. “ Coming with Scottish Company tomorrow afternoon: can you scrounge me knife, fork, spoon and mug? ” This was the telegram a Wanganui father received from his son from Wellington on Monday, preparing him for the arrival of A Company cf the New Zealand Scottish Regiment. “At least he seems to be living up to the nationality of his ancestors,” the father declared. “Most Scotsmen are always wanting something.” “ How many cf you boys and girls have heard about the Lone Ranger? Mr Rudall Hayward, well-known film producer, asked a class of children at a Napier school recently. All hands in a class of about 70 children were raised. “Now.” he continued, "how many have heard cf von Tempsky? ” About four hands were raised. Mr Hayward drew attention to this surprising lack of knowledge among New Zealand children of their own heroes, whose names are imbued with exploits as daring as any found in books of the Wild West of America. Do your bit towards preventing waste by having pots, pans, kettles, etc., repaired by experts at Dickinson Mytton’s Factory, 204 Crawford street, nearly opposite Otago Farmers’ Coop. .. “There have been some rumours here regarding the behaviour of your troops while on shore leave, and some people have been led to believe that many of them played havoc, but I want to let you people in New Zealand know that a better-behaved lot of boys never landed here,” writes a resident of Perth regarding the behaviour of New Zealand soldiers overseas. “They are the greatest credit to any country—clean, manly soldiers,” adds the writer. “West Australia is very proud of them all. May they all come hack safe to their loved ones.” The rivalry between the Wanganui Rugbv team and the King Country team 'extends beyond the field of play for after the recent match at Taumarunui two Wanganui players and two King Country players rushed the only available bath at the hotel with the result that it collapsed. The incident had a sequel at Tuesday nights meeting of the Managemnt Committee of the Wanganui Rugby Union when the union was called on to pay half the damage. Us 3d. . , . The extent to which paper is being saved in Britain is shown by a letter recently received by a Palmerston North resident from London. An old envelope has been used, the front of it having a slip of paper gummed over it to obscure the former address and to permit the new address to be written on it. The paper gummed on the front of the envelope as the address of the sender, the Royal Academy of Dancing, printed on it. and appears to have been specially prepared for this purpose. Don’t forget to include “whisky from Crossan’s Waterloo Hotel in your Christmas Hamper this year... Many Masterton people will regret to hear cf the passing of a canine identity, Old Smiler, who was run over by a lorry and killed. Old Smiler, a sheepdog of very mixed lineage, some years ago adopted the Masterton Police Force as his own special property, and gradually settled down into a steady job of patrolling the beats. With the advance of age which forced his adoption of a less strenuous life came a quiet dignity, and his temperament was such that he was treated as an esteemed friend by many shopkeepers, citizens and children' in the town. Advancing age. however, also brought myepia and probably a touch of deafness, and it is probable that the combination had a good deal to do with his sudden end. “ Show us where the Wanganui river is? ” asked members of the Scottish Regiment, who arrived at Wanganui on Tuesday, when they were at Aramoho. A policeman referred them to the bridge the train had just crossed. “That is the river,” he said. “ It looked like a muddy creek to me,” one of the Scotties declared. “Better not say that in the avenue.” Aramoho’s constable warned, “or, like the chap who said something uncomplimentary about the Pope, you will wake up and find yourself in the hospital.” Have you tried Hitchon s pork saveloys. pork sausages, or Oxford sausage (cooked)? If your grocer can’t supply ring our Dunedin branch (12-344) Milton (22).,.