Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 211, 11 September 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Power at the Heads. "The Heads extension line has now been completed and the supply was switched on to this area on Wednesday, September 4th." ran the Electrical Engineer's report to the Borough Council last Monday , evening. The Five Per Cent. Wage Rise. The Whakatane Borough Council has decided to make the recent cost of living bonus as dictated by the Arbitration Court applicable to all members of the council's staff. This will mean that those beyond the award rates will be included. Oil Filtering Plant. The Borough Council last Monday approved the purchase of an oil filtering plant and tester, for use in the electrical department. It was estimated that the cost would be in the vicinity of £400, but this will be included in the electricity loan of £7500. Pillar-box Appreciated. "We appreciate the action of the P. and T. Department in erecting the postal box in Commerce Street," said Cr S. S. Shapley at the meeting of the Borough Council on Monday evening. "I don't know Avlietlier we are in order in writing them to this effect, but I think we should Jet them know that we do notice these things." Drunkenness Charge. A conviction was recorded and the bail of 10s was estreated when Alfred William Adams, aged 50, was charged before Mr G. A. Brabant, J.P., on Monday morning, with drunkenness in a. public place. Constable R. A. A. Prater outlined the circumstances, stating that he had arrested Adams in George Street on Saturday. Lower Postage on Air Mail. The Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. C. Webb, has announced a reduction from 0s !kl to 5s 9d, a half-* ounce in the postage rate on air mail letters to the United Kingdom for dispatch by the trans-pacific-United States-transatlantic air services. The rate for postcards is correspondingly reduced from 3s 2d to 2s lid. The reduction is effective as from Monday.

Hundreds of Children. Monday saw an influx of some hundreds of children into Whakatane as classes from the schools of the immediate localities journeyed to the town en bloc. The attraction was the iilnv "Gulliver's Travels," screened at the Regent Theatre and the means of transit were buses, private cars and even bicycles. Gaining Experience. At item of special New Zealand interest appearing in the "Solicitors' Journal" of July 6, published in London, reads as follows; ''Three New Zealand officers, two of them Maoris, sat beside Mr McKenna, the Bow Street magistrate on Tuesday last to gain first-hand knowledge of British Police Courts." The Latest. _ All German Schoolgirls haye been ordered to save their combed-out or lallen-out hair a.nd take it to school each week. Once a month the, hair_ j will be sent to central collection I points to be sorted, cleaned and sent to factories to be used in the production of felt, according to the Ber lin correspondent of the American United Press. "God Help the Parachutists." "If they can knock down one of the clay birds) then God help any parachutists," stated an official of the Rotorua Rod and Gun Club at the meeting called to discuss the formation of a local branch of the Clonic Guard. Members of the club would probably constitute one or two units of the guard. Officials of the club had examined a scrub area within ,ten minutes of the town which would make an admirable rifle range, he stated. Women Judges at Shows. Associate judges at the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society's shows are likely to be few in number because of the demands of military service of young men who usually act in that capacity. A suggestion was made at a meeting of the executive of the society that a call be made on the services of young women. It was stated that there were many young women who were keenly interested in the shows, and no doubt they would be prepared to be of assistance. It was decided to leave it to the stewards to arrange for young women assistants where desired.

Wire for Disposal. No sooner had the Borough Engi' neer, Mr F. W. Lysaght, intimated to the Council on Monday evening that he had some 14 miles of No. 10 galvanised fencing wire which he would like to dispose of, than the Foreman put forward claims for some of it, and Gr Shapley bespoke a further lot on behalf of the Works Committee. The council decided to authorise the. dispisal of what remained after the claims of the Borough had been satisfied. Troops at Cairo Zoo. Uncensored comes a story of a visit to the Cairo Zoo by a unit of engineers of the First Echelon, N.Z.E.F. It appears that this zoo is the proud possessor of an ape which can en--joy a smoke, as well as a joke. iter lightedly supplying the ape with cigarettes the soldiers were accosted with some heat by a keeper. In a trice .he was seized, the cage opened with his keys and the luckless keeper clapped inside. An infuriated official was left to watch the soldiers strolling away, accompanied by the happily smoking ape.