NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20086, 4 November 1939, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Killing Season in 11.15. The two Hastings freezing works are commencing the new season's killing of sheep and lambs next Tuesday. It is understood that a considerable

amount of refrigerated space has been allotted to the Hawke’s Bay district in :w> overseas steamers which will load very soon.

Offences at Rualoria There was only one case in open court to occupy the attention of Mr. W. H. Freeman, S.M., during his recent visit to Ruatoria, Marewa Te Puna being fined 10s and costs £1 8s 3d for operating a motor-cvclc without a warrant of fitness. In the juvenile court a 15-year-pld Maori youth appeared on a charge of indecently assaulting a female aged 41 years, and was placed under the supervision of the child welfare officer, being ordered to pay costs amounting to 15s. Homes for Pensioners The Christchurch City Council's scheme to provide cottage homes for pensioners has reached a stage where the number of units aimed at —50 — will be completed soon. The council has decided that lenders be called for the erection of eight single units in Barnett street. The erection of these units will absorb the remainder of the money available in the housing loan, which totals £25,000. The council has now 195 applications for occupancy of the 14 cottages still to become available under the scheme.

Replacement Values Iri support of the view that the Price Investigation Tribunal should be prepared to fix prices on the replacement value system, an exporting firm has written to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce giving an instance of what happened when prices fell at the close of the Great War. The day before the Armistice, it states, the price of 61b. tins of corned beef in London was 110 s to 120 s a dozen tins. The next day the price was nominally 90s, but there were no buyers. There were still no buyers a week later, and the price was nominally 455. Eventually most of the firm’s stocks were sold at 35s a dozen.

Highways Improvements Improvements on the main NapierWellington highway between Paki Paki and Waipawa are proceeding rapidly and in all phases of the work, both excavation and filling, the halfway stage has been reached. The three deviation works, though requiring a great deal of transport for the moving of the spoil to the various places where the widening of the road is being carried out, nevertheless are being pushed ahead with all speed and the hills should be pierced by early in December. Altogether the work is being carried out over a distance of about two miles of highway and will effect a vast improvement on this seclion of the road. Enlistments In Country. “You wouldn’t know the place.” is a remark frequently made by Wairarapa residents when they meet friends who have been away from the district for some months. Enlistments for the war have made a noticeable effect on smaller communities. Many old faces have disappeared and some new ones have taken their place, the result being that social life in these towns is less active than formerly. Many men have given up good positions to enlist, and apart from the spirit of patriotism which has actuated them, they have given the reason that as their friends had enlisted they had decided to do likewise so that they couid be together in camp.

Soldiers' Dependants Reports that a general means test was being applied in the payment of allotments from pay and allowances to the dependants of men in the special military force were denied by the army authorities in Auckland. It was stated that in no case was there any means test as regards allotments from pay, and the only instance in which anything of the kind applied with the additional allowances made by the Government to dependants was in the case of a widowed mother. Where a soldier made an allotment of at least 2s a day toward the support of his widowed mother, an additional allowance up to a maximum of Is 6d a day was made. Payment of this allowance was on a scale according to the mother’s means.