diff --git a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/dev/RecordUtil.java b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/dev/RecordUtil.java
index 126bfe681..a170256ac 100644
--- a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/dev/RecordUtil.java
+++ b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/dev/RecordUtil.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class RecordUtil
     {
         String type = getBitFieldType( name, bitMask, parentType );
 
-        String retVal = new String();
+        String retVal = "";
         if ( withType.equals( "true" ) )
         {
             retVal = type + " ";
diff --git a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/model/Xst.java b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/model/Xst.java
index f514a9514..94b8223de 100644
--- a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/model/Xst.java
+++ b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/model/Xst.java
@@ -144,6 +144,6 @@ public class Xst
     @Override
     public String toString()
     {
-        return new String( "Xst [" + _cch + "; " + _rgtchar + "]" );
+        return "Xst [" + _cch + "; " + _rgtchar + "]";
     }
 }