In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24231, 14 September 1940, Page 6

In the News

Anonymous Gift of £ 100 -

A gift of £lOO by an anonymous Southland donor to be forwarded-to the British Government as a contribution towards the cost of the war effort was mentioned by the secretary of the Southland Fighter Aeroplane Committee (Mr R. R. Binney) last night when the sterling funds which had been made available .for the purchase of aeroplanes were being discussed. Mr Binney said that the money could not be sent to London becausethe additional sterling funds were not available; it was hoped to make some other arrangement with the donor.

Southland Patriotic Fund - The Southland Provincial Patriotic Fund totalled £45,164 in donations received by the treasurer (Mr W. F. Sturman) up to yesterday. Up to the end. of August the amount subscribed in the country districts of Southland totalled £26,684 and that collected in the city of Invercargill was £17,152. To the Southland Fighter Aeroplane Fund the country districts contributed approximately £13,000 and the city subscribed £BOOO.

Milford Track

The Invercargill Tourist Bureau received advice yesterday that the Milford Track will be open on December 3. The opening date is somewhat later this year than in previous years, the track usually being opened early in November. Wrestling Bouts

As a result of the offer of the Southland Wrestling Association, to stage up to 10 wrestling bouts in an evening in country centres to raise money for the Patriotic Fund, the Invercargill Metropolitan Patriotic Committee has written to a number of patriotic committees in country centres informing them of the offer. The Ohai Committee has accepted the offer and it is hoped to provide an evening’s wrestling entertainment there in the near future.

Who Shall Say? Mr C. E. St. John, at a public meeting about the milk zoning scheme held in Christchurch, said: “I object to being told what milk I shall drink, what clothes I shall wear, and what bread I shall eat. I object violently. These people in Wellington who are telling us what we shall do are our servants, not our masters, and we will not allow them to dictate to us.” (Cries of “Hear! Hear!”) A woman’s voice: “Yes, that’s just what we’re fighting against in the present war—against dictatorship.” “Father and Mother of Scheme.” “We recognized you as the father of the scheme and Dr Moana Gow as the mother of the scheme,” declared the chairman of the Southland Fighter Aeroplane Committee (Mr W. D. McKenzie) when addressing Mr G. A. Hamilton, of Lumsden, at the final meeting of the committee last evening. Tributes to those who had taken such an active part in the successful appeal for funds were being exchanged at the time. Mr Hamilton praised the people of Southland and their patriotic spirit, and he said there was none more patriotic anywhere in New Zealand. It was his experience in a recent visit in the north that more enthusiasm in such matters was shown by Southland people.

“This Last Struggle” Praise for the New Zealand troops now in Britain is given by General Sir lan Hamilton in a letter, written from London, to Mr W. W. Dunkley, Dominion secretary of the South African War Veterans’ Association. The letter says:—“Thank you so much for sending me a copy of the Veteran. I have spent an interesting half-hour reading of the doings of the veterans from Auckland in the north to Invercargill in the south. It makes me particularly happy to think that so many of my old comrades are still to the fore and are going to help us to carry through this last and most tremendous struggle. The new generation of New Zealand soldiers has made an extremely good impression here, both for physique and conduct. Do please remember me to as many of my old comrades as you can, and this is a heartfelt wish, believe me, and not only a compliment at the end.”

University Year On account of a large number of students being called up to enter territorial camps on October 1, the University of Otago dispensed with a spring vacation so that the term examinations could be held before the encl of this month. Consequently, the University teaching classes ceased for the year yesterday, and term examinations will be held in the third and fourth weeks of the present month. This shortening of the year does not, however, apply to the Medical and Dental Schools. Import Licences

A meeting of the council of the United Kingdom Manufacturers and New Zealand Representatives’ Association in Wellington considered the matter of fourth period import licences. These are at present due to expire on December 31, but in view of the great difficulties under which United Kingdom manufacturers are .at present working it was not possible in some cases for goods to be shipped in time to arrive here by December 31. It was decided, to make representations to the Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. Nash, asking for an extension of the time for the use of these licences to June 30, 1941. Such an extension it was felt would be a contribution to the United Kingdom’s efforts to maintain its export trade. It was also decided to ask the Minister to issue the fifth period licences as early as possible and to issue them to cover the whole of 1941 and not for six months, as has been observed in the past.

Medals For Rugby Team

Members of the New Zealand Army team which defeated the Combined Services team in the final of the Services’ Rugby tournament in Egypt last Easter Monday each received a silver medal in commemoration of the event. Corporal T. K. Thomson, a well-known Rugby player of Waiuku, was in the New Zealand team in this match and has forwarded his medal to his father, Mr John Thomson, of Maioro, for safe keeping. The medal is almost two inches in diameter and has a broad flanged edge. On one. side the word “Egypt” with the date beneath is ringed by a laurel wreath and on the other the names of the competing teams are inscribed. The matcri was played in a temperature of nearly 80 degrees and was watched by one of the largest crowds ever seen at a Rugby match in Egypt. Miners And Mutton

Welsh miners’ objection to New Zealand mutton led to a strike during the Great War, according to Mr W. Machiri, who addressed the Christchurch Economics Society .on economic organization in war. When New Zealand mutton carcasses, fat, and weighing between 70 and 801 b, were sent to the Welsh mining districts, the men refused to buy the meat, he said. They went on strike until supplies of the lean, small-bodied sheep they had been accustomed to could be provided for them.