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Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1941, Page 4

Voluntary Aunt Brigade. The formation of a Voluntary Aunt Brigade in Masterton was a matter discussed last night by ■ a meeting of women. The proposal was brought forward by Mrs T. R. Barrer, the idea being to have someone available to mind the home while the mother or both parents were able to go out occasionally. In view of the press of war work .at the present time it was decided not to take any action at present, though individual women were requested to do. what they could. Shops Too Busy. The unusual position of some shops being closed beause business is too brisk exists in Auckland. For the past few weeks a number of city jewellers have not opened on Saturday mornings in order to obtain a greater spread of sales. They are working on short stocks, and they fear that if they yield to all demands now they will have still less to I sell next year. Whether the experiment will be a success has still to be determined, for one jeweller said he thought his previous Saturday morning trade now came to him during the other days of the week.

Stranded in Australia. The fact that there were 600 New Zealanders stranded in Australia because of a lack of shipping facilities and difficulties of obtaining passages by air was referred to by Mr Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) in an urgent question addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in the House of Representatives yesterday. The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, who answered the question, said the position had been brought to the notice of the Government by its officers in Australia and the matter had been taken up with the Union Steam Ship Company. Efforts were being made to provide extra transport facilities, and as soon as the position had been fully investigated he would be prepared to make a further statement in the House. Petrol and Politics. “In view of evidence that trade union secretaries, who appear to have abundant supplies of petrol, are making their cars available to Labour Party organisers, will the Minister reconsider his decision to withhold petrol supplies from organisers of other political parties?” asked Mr Broadfoot .(Opposition, Waitomo) in a question addressed in the House of Representatives yesterday to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan. In the “Standard” of September 11, said Mr Broadfoot, there was a column and a half report of a speech made by the national secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party at Whangaparoa when he was accompanying the national secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union on his annual tour of the Auckland district.