News of the Day

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1942, Page 2

News of the Day

Early White Butterflies. Following the warm, spring-like weather at the week-end white butterflies have made an abnormally early appearance at New Plymouth. Yesterday afternoon a suburban resident reported that he had seen the first white butterfly of the season in his garden. Marked Decline in Building. As a result of restriction on private work, permits for building operations issued by the New Plymouth Borough Council in August again showed a marked decline on those for August, 1941. The value of permits issued this year was £3539, compared with £33,884 in August last year. A contract for the erection of 22 State houses was let last August, but there were no large works this year. Unexploded Bomb Dealt With. Though the Home Guard bomb disposal unit at Christchurch has not long been receiving instruction, it has already had a practice with a live bomb. This was one fired by a mortar. It did not explode, so the services of the new unit were called on, and, though the small bomb could have been dealt with more easily, the correct procedure for dealing with larger types was followed. The bomb was blown- up with explosives. Potato Ration. "It has been suggested that new potatoes should be rationed," said Mr. Arthur Turner in an address to members of the People's University at Auckland. "Well, I worked the ration out— the known quantity of new potatoes against the population of Auckland. The ration would be one-tenth of an ounce of a new potato per person per day. Next 1 hunted for a potato of that size. The best I could do was to find one of about a quarter-ounce," and he produced one the size of a pea.

Advertising Pays. The value ,of advertising was eloquently demonstrated yesterday after a subdivided suburban property in New Plymouth had been put on the market for the second time by newspaper advertisement. When the property waa first advertised about two months ago 17 of the 28 house sections offered were sold within a few days. Sale of the remainder was not pursued until they had been cleared of gorse and othex weeds. As a result of further advertising of these lots on Saturday seven sections were disposed of yesterday, and another one was sold privately to a pre' vious purchaser. Royal Birthday To-day. The 62nd birthday of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherland? falls to-day. Although the Queen succeeded to the throne in 1890, she dates her reign from her coming-of-age in 1898. Regarded with the utmost loyalty and affection by her people, she is a symbol of the unconquerable spirit of millions of Netherlanders, both free and under German and Japanese oppression. Queen Wilhelmina recently flew back to Britain after visiting her daughter, Princess Juliana, and grandchildren in the United States. With her son-in-law, Prmce Bernhard, she was present at the funeral of the Duke of Kent in St. George's Chapel, Windsor,