LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Use of Pedestrian Crossings.

Although pedestrian crossings have their uses, they are not the places in which to stand and have a chat. Recently an Invercargill resident who stood too long on a pedestrian crossing was fined ss, with costs amounting to 12s, the traffic inspector stating that there was no excuse for’ the occurrence.

Health Camp Concert. The Health Camp concert company will give an entertainment in the Opera House,, on June 23, part of the proceeds of which will go to the Otaki Health Camp and the remainder to the Trust Lands Trust furnishing fund. Miss Adelaide Burnett and her dancing pupils from Wellington will assist at the concert. Alleged Slander.

A writ claiming £5OO damages for alleged slander has been served on the Mayor of Invercargill. Mr John Miller, by Mr Kenneth G. Roy, solicitor, acting on behalf of Mr Alfred William Jones. The action has arisen as a result of alleged remarks made by at a meeting of the city council on Tuesday night last. Mr Jones is a member of the council. Politics Barred.

No political addresses to inmates, of institutions under the control of hospital boards will be permitted by the Department of Health, acc jr.ling to a letter received by the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board from the Director-General of Health, Dr M. H. Watt. The letter said that in no circumstances were facilities to be granted for political addresses at any institution under the control of the board.' Stoat Worries Sheep.

Disturbed by the barking of dogs and the excited movements of sheep one night recently, a Wetherstones farmer called off the dogs and was confirmed in his suspicions that the sheep had been worried by finding blood on the throat of one of the animals. Next afternoon a stoat was seen to fasten on to the throat of a sheep. It was shaken off, but immediately fixed its grip on the nose. By this time a rifle had been procured and the stoat was shot while actually clinging to the nose of the sheep. Flourishing Liquor Trade.

“A traveller notices that one trade in particular has benefited by Ihe present prosperity in New Zealand -and that is the liquor trade,” said Mr Gordon Allard, a Los Angeles visitor, in an interview at Christchurch. Overseas visitors could not help but notice the drunkenness in New Zealand cities. It was far worse than would be seen in any United States city—partly because American people had not the money to buy liquor these days, and partly because they had not acquired the drinking habit to such an extent.

Irksome Awards. The irksome nature of some awards was referred to at the Arbitration Court, Wellington, when the butchers’ dispute was being heard. Mr W. J. Mount joy, employers’ advocate, said the objects of the legislators were to afford protection to workers, insofar as the number of hours of employment were concerned and the rates of wages that should be paid, but awards had become regulatory; the Court should not overlook the need to consider and protect employers in the conduct of legitimate business. One witness said he knew of a case where an employer who was celebrating his birthday kept his staff back to “shout” for them after work. He was fined for keeping his staff on the premises. His Honour: “Surely not.” Witness: “It is a bit hard to believe, your Honour, but such are the facts.” Inferior Island Oranges. Owing to a glut of inferior Island oranges on the market, some 7500 cases of high quality fruit landed at Wellington last week by the Wanganella are being withheld from sale by the Internal Marketing Department, according to fruit merchants interviewed yesterday. They said that meanwhile further supplies of Rarotongan oranges were being brought from Auckland and being foisted on to Wellington consumers in an effort to dispose of them. Were the Australian fruit placed upon the market before the Rarotongan and Island supply was exhausted, there was no question that the Australian would receive general preference and the other fruit become at once ■ unsaleable.

Prosperous South Africa. “We are looking forward to a period of exceptional prosperity for the next 25 years,” said Mr L. P. Van Zyl Ham, Minister of Railways, South Africa, who arrived by the Niagara for a month’s holiday in New Zealand. Commenting on the return of the United Government in strength at the recent general election, Mr Ham said that there will be very little change in policy. Great prosperity was being enjoyed, and a colossal amount of building was going on in large towns, particularly in the mining areas. The mining industry was the most efficiently organised in the world. He saw no likelihood of any setbacks even if the price of gold dropped. It could not drop more than a few shillings, and the probability was that the price would increase.

Keeping Down Rabbits. The Tokoroa (South Auckland) Rabbit Board, which has been in existence for about 14 years, now employs only one trapper. So thoroughly has a clearance of the pests been effected that it is usual at the meetings of the board for the trapper to report that only about nine rabbits had been caught during the month. Reporting on the control of the rabbit pest in the territory of the East Waikato Rabbit Board during the past year, the inspector, Mr E. Lord, said that for the quarter ended April 30, rabbits numbering 1946 had been caught over the board’s area of 146,000 acres. On the basis of the board's total expenditure for this period each rabbit had cost 44s 6d to destroy.

New Zealand Defence. “New Zealand, in common with other parts of the British Empire, should be prepared for the possibility, even the probability, of a major world conflict,” said Professor J. H. Richardson, Leeds University, who arrived at Auckland by the Niagara. The position in Europe made this abundantly clear. Professor Richardson added, specially in view of the complexities and animosities of international relations and the impossibility of separating Britain's world interests from the European situation and the alignment of Powers there. Britain was rapidly proceeding with the task of rearming herself. In the circumstances in which European nations found themselves it was essential there should be no relaxation of this policy until the tension was reduced. Britain was alive to the needs of the stiuation and was reasonably well prepared for eventualities.