LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 64, 2 April 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Retrospective Pay. Members of the staffs of the Prisons Department in New Zealand received a considerable sum each as retrospective pay last week-end. When the 42hour week which has been g/ranted them came into force it was made retrospective to a date two months back, and the hours worked during that period in excess of 42 therefore constituted overtime, for which they have received the appropriate allowance. Old Friendship Renewed. The opportunity of renewing an old friendship with a fellcnv-Scot was taken by Sir Harry Lauder, when passing through H.B. early this week on his way to Taupo. He wired Mr T. J3. McQuire, of Hastings, to meet him at dinner a_t Napier on Wednesday night, aud after the reunjon Sir Harry gave liis old friend an autographed photograph of himself standing beside a U601b swordfish be had landed on one of- his fishing cxpeditions. Mirrors to the Rescue, So densq^vas the crowd on the waterfront at Ahikland on Tuesday that the platform from which the . speeches of welcome were given to the crew of the Pan-American ciipper was hidden from ordinary view, but hundreds of women solved the problem thus presented. A forest of mirrors from vanity bags was raised aloft, and by the periscopio medium the ingenuity of women triumphed over the less resourceful men. - Art Gallery Addition. With the completion of the addition to the Hawke's Bay Art Gallery and Museum in Napier now almost completed, the comniittee is engaged in arranging exhibits and' constructing new exhibit cases for the McLean Collection, which will be • housed in the new win@. The contractors will finish their task within this month, and although the addition to the building is not yet equipped with interior walls or ceilings the arranging of exhibits will be put in liand immediately„ "All the Winners" in Caol. HoW can first-hand racing news filter into a gaol? Easily, for the problem has been solved by a pvisouers in Parramatta g^ol, New South Wales. The discovery was made by a warder, who had been suspicioug about information that prisoners were obtaining about race meetings. A condensed-milk tin had been divided into two parts, and inside was a crystal wireless set. The prisonet who made and owned the plant was thus able to learn the winners of races, and he had been passing on the information to other prisoners.

Rugby Suocesses. Several Hawke's Bay Rugby players were' selected for the various national aud international teams last season, these including three All Blacks — Tori Reid, E. Jackson and D. Dalton. The annual report of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union extends Congratulations to these players and also to H. Mataira and J* Greening, who With Reid and Jackson had places in the New Zealand Maori team, and D. Le Quesne, who With Reid, Jackson and Dalton represented the Bay in the Norfch Island team. Gotmtry Rugby. The hope that better arrangements may be made for country football in Hawke's Bay is expressed in the annual report of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. Last year, the report stateB, a COmpetition was eommenced, but owing to only three teams being available, it could not get very far. The time occupied in travelling was a 6evere tax on the players, and was very expensive to small country clubs. "With the majority of players now free for the whole day on Saturday, it may be possible now to make better arrangements," it adds A Dry Quarter. An indication of the exceptionally dry Weather Hastings has experienced during, the past three months is provided by Mr H. Nelson Fowler, Government Meteological observer at Hastings, who informed the Herald-Tribune this morning that there is a difference of almost 18 inches in the total rainfall for the past quarter as compared with the corresponding period .last year. The total rainfall for the past three months amounts to only 3.98 inches, January providing 3.01 inches. During the name period last year 21-91 inches was recorded, January reading being 4.70ina., February 11.32 and March 5.89ins. Jury Service. The liability of every citizen to fulfil duties as a juror was emphasised by the Minister of Justice, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, in a reply he sent to the Christchurch Tramway Board when the board communicated with him about fees paid and the loss suffered by its employees when acting as jurors. "It is recognised that in many cases service as a juror or attendance as a witness involves some pecuniary loss," the Minister said, "but it is one to wbich every citizen is liable at odd times in the fulfilment of his duties of citizenship in assisting with the administration of justice. Service as a juror is not frequently asked of any oue individualj and it does not presn heavily in the generality of cases on any particular person." /

Painting on Time Payment. House-owners requiring their properties to be painted are sometimes in a diffieulty over the cost, and much really urgent work of this kind has to wait. In parts of Australia it is done on time payment, which has been found a system eonvenient to both parties. A recent conference of the Master Painters' and Decorators' Association of Australia affirmed its belief in the system, and also urged abolition of the saiestax on wall-papers. No Hawke's Bay Old Boys. It was noticeable that at the Wanganui Qoliegiate School Old Boys' functions promoted at Easter there was no representation of old boys from Hawke's Bay. This was due to the fact that, at the sugfgestion of the headmaster, Mr F. W. Gilligan, and to co-op-eration between the executive in Wanganui and the members in Hawke's Bay, precautions were taken as a safeguard against infantile paralysis. "We were extremely sorry that our Hawke's Bay friends were not here this year," a member of the association stated, "but we hope to see them next year." He added that it was a very sporting gesture on their part to refrain from coming in view of the circumstances. "No Hostesses on Ciipper.'' Undeterred by the statement that there were no vacancies at present on the staff of the Pan-American Airways many ambitious New Zeaianders continue to write to Mr HaroKf Gatty seck*ing employment with the compauy. The most recent batch of letters received by Mr Gatty includes many from women in all parts of the Dominion anxious to become air hostesses. 'We do not carry hostesses on our clippers," Mr Gatty said. "We have stewards on board. but no hostesses, i.s do somdt of the companies operating over the land routes in the United Statas." JMost of the prospective air hostesses were nurses, or said they had had some nursing experience, Mr Gatty added. Not Too Old at Fifty. To win both the cliopping events at the Stratford Show at the age of 53 was the splendid performance of Mr H, Fazackerly, Stratford. Although he had only six eeconds on the scratch competitors in both eventsi, two 12in. chops, Mr Fazackerly won comfortably, and it was obvious that his prowess with the axe had been underestimated. He was fresh after his efforts, and, ifi conversation with a reportef, said he felt as good. to-day as when he was 20. "I have been chopping since I was 16 years old," he said, "but this is the first time I have chopped in the last six years. Enthusiasm Suppressed. An excellent example of suppressed enthusiasm was seen at the Auckland provincial golt championship at Middlemore. The 16-year-old lad, R. B.

Bell, was playing the veteran golfer, H. B. Lusk, who is now in his sixtieth year. Only a yeat- or two ago Bell was a caddie at Middlemore, and had Often 1 carried the bag of his latest oppOnent. Some of Bell's young frieUdg followed the fortunes of the game, afld towards the end there was an overlooking baiid of 12 diminutive youngsters. Of course, they were there to see Bell tvin, but they gave not the elightest atldible sign of their partisanship until the match was over and their idol had won. "H-B." himself was the first to eommend the behaviour of the gallery.