LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Fishing Prospects. According to a report from the Wellington Acclimatisation Society all rivers and streams in the society's district are in good order for fly-fishing. Death From Injuries. Mrs Annie Elizabeth Smith, aged 60, of Newmarket, Auckland, who was injured when she fell under a tramcar at a safety zone, died in the Auckland Hospital. New Comet Not Sighted. No reports have been received yet of observers in New Zealand having sighted the new comet which has made its appearance. The first night observations were attempted from the Carter Observatory in Wellington, there was too much moonlight, the moon being not far distant from the position in which it was .expected to find the comet. On Wednesday night the sky was hazy, with light cloud. Public Safety Regulations. The definition of the term “public safety” as defined in the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations, is extended by an amendment gazetted last evening. The term is stated in the principal regulations to “include the effective conduct of the military, naval or air operations of His Majesty, the maintenance of industries essential to the public welfare and the prevention of seditious utterances.” The amendment extends this definition to include the prevention of subversive statements within the .meaning of the Public Safety Emergency Regulations or its amendments. Soldier Sent to Gaol. Evidence of the pursuit by military police of a deserter wno at one stage of the chase drove at 80 miles an hour with the police vehicle reaching 60 miles an hour in Queen Street, Auckland. was given at the trial by district court-martial of Trooper Richard Bernard Mills, aged 24, married, of the Ist N.Z. Army Tank Battalion. He was found guilty of desertion and of loss by neglect of equipment, clothing and regimental necessaries. Accused absented himself without leave from January 23 to February 16 when he was arrested by the military police at Auckland wearing civilian clothes. Accused -was sentenced to 60 days’ gaol with hard labour. In respect of the second charge, he was ordered to be put under stoppages of pay till he had made good £9 10s for loss of [equipment.

Compulsion in E.P.S. Regulations are understood to have been framed ready for issue, or are in their final draft, for the institution of compulsory discipline and service in the E.P.S., and it is stated that they may be gazetted at any time. Provision will probably be made for penalties for non-attendance or disobedience. Provision was made under the Emergency Reserve Corps Regulations for the institution of powers of compulsion. The Minister of National Service, Mr Semple, announced earlier this week that within a few days compulsion of the nature outlined would be applied under the scheme. W.C.T.U, Meeting. The monthly meeting of the local branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was very well attended. Miss Tankersley presided. Mrs Jansen led the devotions. The secretary reported four new enrolments for the Cradle Roll department. The Temperance Fact as supplied read as follows: “Experiments prove that 14 glasses of beer do not contain the food value of one glass of milk; to obtain enough food value to exist on beer one would imbibe enough poison to kill him.” It was decided to procure suitable leaflets for distribution by individual members. Soil and Civilisation. The close inter-relationship of the condition of the soil and the health of a community is discussed in an article in the current issue of “Forest and Bird.” The writer states that “In both New Zealand and Europe (including Great Britain) there is evidence of malnutrition among the populations, and this malnutrition is often found where the populace is amply fed. The full reason for this paradoxical situation has not yet been discovered. De? fects in dietary constituents, the social systems, etc., have all in turn been invoked in attempts at explanation of this malnutrition in the midst of plenty, often in the midst of over-production, but all aspects of this matter cannot be explained on these grounds. When early man with his primitive tools returned all refuse and waste to the soil he lived in a state of symbiosis with the soil, but civilised man with his tools has become a parasite on it,” the article states. “When man’s relation with the soil changes from a condition of cymbiosis (that is, a living with, for mutual benefit) to one of parasitism (living on) then he is doomed to extinction. The history of past civilisation teaches us this much.”