LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Appeal for Binoculars. One hundred pairs of binoculars have been handed in at the Chief Post Office, Wellington, for the use of the armed forces since a national appeal was launched at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting at Trentham on Saturday. Sign Posts to be Removed. ; The Manawatu Automobile Association ■ has decided to remove its road signposts now in view of the restricted motoring and being of opinion that should an acute war emergency arise the posts might be hurriedly removed by the authorities with axes. The proposed step has been placed before the Minister of Transport with a view to the action being made universal. White Butterflies. White butterflies arc reported to be busy laying eggs on cabbages at the present time and a Masterton gardener warns growers to take precautions now to prevent damage. A spray composed of 2 ounces of arsenate of lead and one ounce of blackleaf 40 to a gallon of water is recommended as being effective against this pest. It should not be used, however, on full-grown cabbages which are about to be cut for consumption. Returned Services Association. , Already over 1100 ex-service men from'this war have joined the Returned Services Association, and the Association is encouraging interest in itself among the men who are still soldiers. The Dominion executive recently decided to send association literature to the New Zealanders’ subbranch of the Australian ex-service men’s organisation for circulation among returning, sick and wounded New Zealanders who have been serving with the Australian forces. Tobacco for Troops. Orders taken by tobacconists and other stores in various parts of New Zealand under the National Patriotic Fund Board’s postal tobacco service for members of tho New Zealand Forces overseas, other than in the Middle East, are beginning to come in. The service was announced just over a week ago. Twelve members of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary in Wellington were engaged yesterday afternoon at the board’s store fulfilling these orders, and the parcels they packed and addressed provided evidence of the advantage taken to send cigarettes and cigarette and pipe tobacco to New Zealand soldiers, sailors and airmen at reduced prices. The orders so far received have come from all districts of the Dominion. Many of them are for New Zealanders serving in the Far East. Others are for those in the United Kingdom. Reserve Transport Pool. / A reserve transport pool is to be created to meet any urgent demands that may arise if existing facilities prove insufficient, the Minister of Transport, Mr Semple, announced last evening. This pool will be under the jurisdiction of the four transport licensing authorities. “It is expected that those firms requiring transport will make every endeavour to make satisfactory arrangements themselves,” said Mr Semple, “but if’these arrangements cannot be made, they should communicate with the secretaries to the .transport licensing authorities, whose offices are located in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, -and Dunedin. The authorities, before calling on tho pool, will first .satisfy; themselves that it is impossible -io krtCCt the demand from the existing" licensed services.” The Minister said that the pool was being specially created to assist in the solution of any problems that 'might arise out of the impressment of Icqmmercial trucks for defence pur- ' poses.