LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rising Birth Rate The birth rate in Levin still continues to show an inerease, 19, births being recorded last month ■as against 11 during the same period last year. Three deaths were recorded as against six last year and five marriages as against eight. Marriages by the registrar : numbered one in each case. May Was Bry Month The rainfall in Levin for May . was 2.2 inches, the lowest recorded fo.r several years. There were four frosts during the month, the . heaviest on May 31, and the wea- . ther throughout was phenomenally good. In May, 1946, 3.2 1 : inches, of rain was registered, this, figure also. being below the general average for the partieular month. Bell For Schaol A bell from the Avonmore Sehool, Fulham, which was destroyed during the" blitz, is on the way to Waitara, where it will be installed at the district high > "sehool; The gift was made by the London County Couneil after a reqiiest by the Waitara sehool committee through the High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United Kingdbm (Mr, Jordan) . The bell, whieh is expected to ; : arrive this month, was engraved at the London County Couneil Sehool of Art". • r The Basic Industry "This is the greatest opportun- I | ity ever offered to place the farmer and employee in their proper position in relation to other ; labour," stated Mr. G. Cammock, ; 1 chairman of- the dairy section, in a report to the annual provincial eonf erence of Southern Hawke's Bay Federated Farmers at Dannevirke. "Farming is the basic industry in New Zealand and farm wages should be the basic wage, but in the past I have never heard of farm wages quoted when any section asked for increases, but if the Dairy Corrrmission does its job they will be in the future." Mr. Cammock had briefly referred to the recent setting up of the Dairy Farm Commission.

Public Trust Business Estates to the value of £479,347 were reported and aecepted for v administration by the Public Trustee during the . month of April, 19.47. - The, -.tatai. v value of estates and fundis under administration by the Public Trustee on Mareh 31, 1947, was £66,833,004. Grants of administration made by the court in favour of the Public Trustee numbered 64 for the month. During the month 514 new » wills appointing the Public Trustee executor. were prepared on behalf of testatars and lodged for safe eustody, and 492 existing wills were revised to provide for changes desired by testatars. The total number of wills now held in the Public Trust Office on behalf of living persons is 136,345. Almost a Million Just over half a million was the total amount of money which passed through totalisators at the four race meetings and one trotting fixture held in the Dominion on the.King's , Birthday holiday. For the weekend raeing, which started on Saturday, the aggregate was £930,833. The Auckland Raeing Club was responsible for more •than half the total, the maohines at Ellerslie handling £499,604 IQs, The Wanganui Jockey club set up a record for the course with a total of £128,330'TQs. The Dunedin Jockey Club had a two-day aggregate of £127,401 10s. At the Napier Park meeting the total for the two days was £55,895 IQs. At the Ashburton Trotting Club's meeting, the only one which showed a decrease compared with last year, the amount handled was £119,601. The date set for the payment of social security tax has expired and the 10 per eent penalty is now in force. During the past few days the staff of the Levin Post Office has been working at high pressure as the result of the usual lastminute rush. A large amount of work has heen involved in tfie receipt of the returns and the staff has had to work a considerable amount of overtime.'