Entertainment of Soldiers.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 January 1942, Page 2

Entertainment of Soldiers.

Members of the Masterton Patriotic Committee and the Masterton Women’s Patriotic Committee, are asked to attend a meeting to be he’d in the Borough Council Chamber on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. for the purpose of organising entertainments for the soldiers.

English Bank Notes. A mild shock awaited an Auckland chemist who undertook to change two English pound notes for a customer in the ordinary way of business recently. He changed the note on the basis of 24s 6d to £l, and was afterwards surprised to have them rejected by his bank as net negotiable. On application to the customs office he was told to inquire at the Reserve Bank in Wellington. No reply has yet been received.

Put to Good Use.

Huge iron pipes which were laid 50 years ago to bring water to gold sluicing claims near Lake Kanieri on the West Coast are now being cut up and put to use in a variety of industries. The iron from the famous Loamor Swedish ores is of a quality unobtainable today, and manufacturers of gas producers, washers, automatic coal stokers, tanks and other products, are being supplied with metal in sheet form which would otherwise have to be imported in its equivalent from overseas. Serious Labour Shortage.

The works committee of the Ashburton County Council yesterday expressed considerable concern at the difficulties confronting primary producers, not only in harvesting the piesent crop, but also in arranging fo next season’s work. The difficulties result from the calling up of men for service. It was stated that unless’ labour and supplies of motor spirits for farm machinery were available it would be impossible to carry on. The committee resolved to invite the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay, and the Minister of National Service, Mr Semple, to meet representatives of local organisations in Canterbury to discuss the problem. Rationing of Eggs.

“Public demand for eggs has been exceptional,” said the Minister of Marketing, Mr Barclay, when referring yesterday to the rationing of egg supplies, which is general throughout New Zealand. “Production of eggs is substantially normal for this season of the year, though it is quite possible that there has been a slight falling off in total production due to calling up of manpower through the war,” said Mr Barclay. “The demand for the Armed Forces, due to recent mobilisation, is increasing all the time, and even moie abnormal is the demand for ships’ stores. created by the unusual circumstances at present obtaining in the Pacific. The quantity required for this purpose is very large and is not for export. The Internal Marketing Division has required distributors in both Auckland and Wellington to see that an equitable distribution of the eggs available is made to all retailers.”