LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 April 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Publication on Anzac Day. The “Wairarapa Times-Age” will not be ‘published on Monday next (Anzac: Day). Rate Collection. It was reported at yesterday's meeting ol' the Wairarapa South County Council that 98.37 per cent of the total rates struck for the past year had been collected. The position was considered very satisfactory. Power Coach Tested. Preliminary tests were carried out yesterday with “DM 1.” the first power coach of the multiple-unit four-motor electric trains which will operate on the Wellington-Johnsonville suburban service. Travelling under its own power, the car made several trips to and from the first tunnel on the grade to Johnsonville, the object being to test the overhead gear and make any adjustments necessary to the contact wire. The tests were said to be highly satisfactory. A Better Ministry. An appeal for preachers bigger intellectually and spiritually was made by Mr A. G. Saunders in his presidential address to the annual conference of the New Zealand Churches of Christ at Nelson. “We have as good brains within the church as there are without,” he said. “No man of Christian faith fears to let knowledge grow from more to more. We have more to fear as Christians from mental indolence and spiritual indifference. These constitute the present threat to us.” Missing Farm Hand. An unsuccessful search for Mr Herbert O. Oliver, farm hand, who has been missing from Mr M. W. Prendeville’s farm at Makara since Tuesday, was conducted by the Wellington police yesterday. Mr Oliver, who is a returned soldier, was first missed between 11 a.m. and noon on Tuesday. He is about 48 years of age, has brown hair and blue eyes, and his height is sft. 6in. When last seen, Mr Oliver was wearing a dungaree jacket with dark grey tweed trousers and gum boots. He had no hat. Fruit Distribution. The thanks of the Government to all who helped in the rapid distribution throughout New "Zealand this week of a full shipment of bananas to Auckland from the tropical islands in the Western Pacific, were expressed by the Minister of Marketing, Hon W. Nash, in an interview yesterday. The results provided a splendid example of cooperation in transport and the handling of perishable cargo, he said. There was efficient team work from the ship’s hold to the principal fruit marts in the Dominion. Administrative and marketing authorities alike paid tribute to all those responsible for a remarkable demonstration of transport service. Aerodrome Development. “The special committee appointed by the Government has submitted its report on the suitability of Rongotai aerodrome, Wellington, as a first-class airport, and its recommendations are being given serious consideration by the Government,” said the Minister of Public Works, Hon R. Semple, in an interview last night. Seventy aerodromes were under construction last financial year, and about 50 other sites are being considered. Mr Semple said, in referring to the steady progress being maintained on the development and extension of aerodromes. Pitcairn Islanders. The Pitcairn Islanders who arrived at Wellington some months ago had their numbers reinforced when the Arawa arrived from England yesterday. The dozen or so families of Christians on the island, descendants of Fletcher Christian of Bounty fame, were represented this time by Mr and Mrs Raymond Christian and theii’ son Weime. Mrs Christian is. to undergo an operation at Auckland. The three were accompanied by two members of another numerous Pitcairn family, the Youngs. Like most of the people on the island, Mr Christian cultivates his plot of land and grows oranges for sale. He is anxious to obtain, work during his stay in New Zealand. Easter Traffic Accidents.

“From a road safety point of view, the record this Easter is much better than that of the previous Easter,” said the Minister of Transport, Hon R. Semple, when commenting in an interview yesterday on the fact that there were five deaths between 5 p.m. on Thursday last and noon on Tuesday, as against 11 deaths in the same period last Easter. "On Easter Monday last year’, six persons were killed; on this Easter Monday there were none,” Mr Semple said. “Traffic accidents of all kinds were fewer this Easter, though there are 30,000 more vehicles registered than at this time last year.” The Gannet Colony. Mr C. Duff, Hastings, who has made a life study of bird life, particularly the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers, says that for the first time during the past 22 years gannets have nested on Black Reef at the cape. Mr Duff estimates that there are fully 1000 more birds at the Cape this year than for some years past. Owing to disturbance by fishermen no young gannets were reared on the reef, although a good many chickens were hatched. New Noxious Weed. A noxious weed known as Indian mallow, which is a native of Asia, but which is now well established in the United States, has been found in Whangarei. Officers of the Plant Research Bureau state that this is the first occasion that the weed has been reported in New Zealand. It has a reputation in the United States as being. once established and allowed to mature, a very persistent weed, bearing seed of strong vitality, surviving in the soil for half a century or more. It is said that the conditions in New Zealand would make for rapid growth of the weed. The Anzac Contingent. The 1300 returned soldiers travelling in the Maunganui and Monowai are having a pleasant passage to Sydney and enjoying far better weather than that prevalent in New Zealand since their departure. Yesterday afternoon the Union Steam Ship Company received a radio message Jrom Captain W. Whitefield, master of the Maunganui, reporting that it was a beautiful sunny day, that both ships were steaming across a smooth sea. and that the men were enjoying themselves thoroughly. When the message was sent the ships were, roughly, hallway across the Tasman Sea. They are clue to arrive at Sydney tomorrow morning. I