LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 May 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Confiscated Liquor Sale. Liquor confiscated by the Wanganui police was sold by auction on Saturday and attracted a large number of buyers, men predominating. Fifty dozen bottles of beer were sold at lOd and 9d a bottle, bottles of whisky realised 12s, and half bottles of gin Bs. General Election Candidates. For the 76 European seats and four Maori seats in the House of Representatives, a total of 114 candidates has been announced to date. Labour has given official recognition to 55 candidates, and the National Party has approved of 47 candidates. Twelve Independents are already in the field. Labour Party Caucus. Members of the Parliamentary Labour Party will meet in Wellington on Wednesday. The caucus, said the Prime Minister, Rt Hon M. J. Savage, in an inter View, would discuss the legislation for the coming session. The Government's legislative proposals, embracing superannuation and health schemes, will be outlined to the caucus, as these measures are expected to occupy the major time of the session.

Name Drawn from Hat. Selection of a member of the Auckland executive of the provincial branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was determined by drawing a name frofn a hat at the annual conference at Auckland on Thursday. The result of the voting showed that two candidates, Messrs C. A. Moore (East Tamaki) and R. R. Blade (Ahuroa) had- tied for the fifth and final seat. Mr Blade, who is a retiring member of the executive, drew Mr Moore’s name from the hat.

League of Nations’ Union. On Wednesday the annual meeting of the Masterton branch of the League of Nations’ Union will be held in the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union Rest Room in King Street, at 7.30 p.m. The speaker for the occasion will be Professor F. L. W. Wood, Professor of History at Victoria University College, who will take for his subject ■The League and the Crisis.” Professor Wood, who is a most interesting speaker, returned only last year from a visit to Geneva. An invitation is extended to all who are interested to attend. Central, School Dance.

The assembly hall at the Central School was filled almost to capacity on Saturday night, when an old-time dance was held under the auspices of the Parents’ Association. Dancers were well catered for, and a very happy time was spent. The Monte Carlo was won by Miss Ansell and her partner. Music was supplied by Mr C. Mills. Extras were played by Mr Volheim and Mr Coddington, jun. Mr W. R. Nicol was an efficient M.C. An excellent supper was served by the ladies’ committee, under the leadership of Mrs Beecroft.

Council Control Lost. Labour has lost its majority on the Wanganui City Council as the result of the official recount. The first count gave Citizens and Labour six councillors each, with a Labour Mayor, Mr W. J. Rogers. The Citizens have now gained another seat, and have seven representatives to Labour’s five and the mayor. In the first count it was indicated that Mr G. E. Bennett, a sitting councillor and Citizens’ representative, had been beaten, but the official count places him eleventh on the list of elected councillors, while Mr J. W. L. Broad (Citizens’) has displaced Mr Searle'(Labour), who was twelfth on the elected list in the first count.

Warning to Fruit Growers. “Some of the fruit I have seen being carried by these hawkers is appalling,” said Mr B. G. Goodwin, orchard instructor of the Department of Agriculture, to a meeting of fruit-growers at Papanui. “That is the sort of thing that will ruin your industry, and unless the growers take steps to stop the selling of that rubbish, you cannot expect the Government on go on helping the industry.” A means pt checking the practice which he was recommending to the department was the selling of all apples with the grade-stamped cases, he added, but the most effective action could come from the growers themselves.

The Fishing Season. Reviewing the 1937-38 fishing season, the annual report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society stated that prognostications of better stocked streams than in the previous season seem to have been justified, inasmuch as many more than the usual number of heavy fish have been taken this year. Most of the licence-holders had done exceptionally well. “It may be said,” the report added, "that all our rivers and streams have fished well, and, in contrast with last season, angling this year has been excellent. In summing up, the 1937-38 season has proved as good as the 1936-37 season was bad. The evidence of this statement is that the licence returns arc a record, and an indication of the growing popularity of angling.” A Killer of Pigeons. The destruction caused to native bush in the Wellington acclimatisation district by the gale of February, 1936, has not helped the native pigeon, according to a ranger, Mr T. Andrews, Palmerston North, observations by whom are included in the annual report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. The pigeons' natural enemy, he says, is the small sparrow hawk, and this small bird may sometimes be seen high up on a bush-clad hill, perched on a dead tree, waiting for an unwary bird to come within striking distance. Its speed is amazing. Places where, as a result of the gale of 1936. steep spurs have been completely denuded of all growth for hundreds of yards, make an ideal hunting ground for the . hawk, which will take up a position in an open space, and a passing pigeon has very little chance. Acclimatisation Problems. The recent lack of support from the Department of Internal Affairs is referred to in the annual report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, which 'states that although in very many aspects the council and the interests of sportsmen generally had received from the Minister in Charge of Acclimatisation matters, the Hon W. 16. Parry, a measure of consideration and co-operation that was gratifying, more recently there had been one or two matters in which the views and representations of the council had not received that degree of support which the experience of the council so amply merited. The society had repeatedly I affirmed its de. ire for an alteration to j the Act. so that all honorary rangers’ warrants be for three years only, and then subject, to application for renewal The departments, concerned had often supported this verbally. but nothing had been done, the society hao < repeatedly asked, also, that the matter I of opossum revenue should be put on an assured basis. 1