LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 27 June 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

.a, Still a Mystery Continued police investigations into the suspected murder* of the Maori girl in Queen's Gardens, Nelson, have not produced anything material to bring closer the unraveiling of the mystery. Taking of Seals To date 10 or 12 licences have been issued in accordance with regulations gazetted recently permitting the taking of seals in cerrain areas in New Zealand waters for a limited period of four months, stated Mr. W. C. Smith, Secretary of Marine, yesterday. He is in charge of the issuing of lieenses and expects- that eventually about 40 wiil be , granted. Master Butehers The annual meeting -of the Manawatu Master Butehers' Association was held in Palmerston North recently. OfRcers were elebted as follows: President, Mr. W. Simpson; vice-presidents, Messrs. N.. Malcolmson; W. I. Urquhart, S. Williams and L. M. Paddy; executive committee, Messrs. H. Bennett, H. K. Snell, R. Cfidge, J. O. Peck and W. H. Horsfall. Boy and Girl Affair Sheider Margaret Wood, aged 15, and Bruce Posrers, aged 17, both of Hastings, were missing from their homes on SUnday. On Sunday evening the girl was sent by her father to the boy's home to tell him that he must not see her 'aga'in and the two children were not seen again till located yesterday at Dannevirke. They were making for Ashhurst on foot, one of their bicycles having broken down at Waipukurau. ' Cement Depends on Coal The output of cement showed an ircrease in the past year but was well below the capacity of the plant, said Mr. G. Winstone, chairman of Wilson's (N.Z.) Portland Cement Company, at the annual meeting. The shortage of coal was the chief obstacle and supplies were many thousands of tons below requirements throughout the . year. Urgent rep'resentations were again made recently not only by the company but also by many users of cement and it was hoped higher priority and a larger coal allocation would be made to the cement mdustry. German Doctors' Shortcomings "Some of the German guards did not seem to .have much confidence in their own medical men, and they used to come secretly to us and ask for treatment," said Colonel W. H. Bull, New Zealand Medical Corps, in describing his experiences while in a German prison camp. "This naturally gave us great power over them, for if it become known to the Germans those guards would have been sent at once to the Russian front. We soon found that the doctors trained under the Nazi regime were very poor. They were Nazis - first and allegedly doctors a long way after. In fact, I was told that to wear a Nazi badge was a sure way to gain a pass, because examiners were afraid to fail a good pa'rty member, no matter how poor a candidate he was." Substantial Bequests Substantial bequests to the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Fund and to both the Auckland Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A., are made under the will of the late Mr. Thomas Edward Montgomery, of Devonport, who died on June 5 at the age of 92, • years. • His estate has been valued at £55,000 and it is expected the residue after death duties and certain legacies have been paid, will be in the vicinity of £30,000. Twofifth§ of the residue of the estate is proyided for the assistance of servicemen of the Auckland province who are suffering disability orsickness as the resiilt of service in the Second World War. Another two-fifths has .been bequeathed to the Aucklnd Y.M.C.A. and the remaining one-fifth to the Auckland Y-W.C.A. The exact value of the residue has not yet been determined. Associated in his ea'rlier life with some of Auckland's okler manufacturing concerns, Mr. Montgomery was well known for his patriotic gifts and has donated. hundreds of^pounds to charitable and social causes in the oity.

fertiliser Rationing Appeals Farmers are' notified by advertisement in this issue that appeals for additional fertil'iser on the groundS of hardship are again being given consideration to. Appeals must be lodged with the chairman of the local District Fertiliser Committee by July 18, 1946, and the conditions governing me appeals are indicated. This apphes for fertiliser. for use in the. 1946-47 rationing year. Plunket Annual Meeting The annual meeting of the Levin Plunket Society takes. jplaee. on Monday next at 7.30 p.ni. in the Century Hall, when it is hoped t.o hdve two visiting speakers. The first is Mrs. Irving Robertson. fouhder of the mothercraft movement in Canada, and the Eecond is Miss Samson, from Wellington, who wiU include. in her talk some -helpful hints on the formation of a play centre, which will be started in Levin soon. Both are very able speakers.