LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1938, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Earthquake. A short but sharp earthquake shock was experienced at Waipukurau shortly before noon yesterday. Car Goes Over Bank. A sedan rental, motor car from Wellington, believed to have been driven by a young Maori, crashed over a bank near Tinui last night. The driver and his companion, another Maori, escaped seriotls injury, but the car was extensively damaged. Morison’s Bush Hotel. At a special sitting of the Wairarapa Licensing Committee in Carterton yesterday, T. C. Williams, of Napier, was granted a temporary licence for the Morison’s Bush Hotel. R. Wallace, the present licensee, withdrew his application for a permanent transfer of the licence. Measles at Hastings. School attendances at Hastings have been affected by many cases of measles among pupils. The outbreak has by no means reached the epidemic stage, but parents are warned, because of changeable weather being experienced, to take the fullest precautions to avoid complications. Alsatian Dog Bill. Notice of his intention to move for leave to introduce the Alsatian Dog Bill was given by the Hon C. J. Carrington (Auckland) in the Legislative Council yesterday. This measure was passed by the Council last session, but was not proceeded with in the House of Representatives. Missionary Acitivities. A visitor to Masterton yesterday was the Rev A. H. Scrivin, general secretary of the Foreign Mission Department of the Methodist Church of New Zealand. Mr Scrivin. who has seen 18 years’ service as a missionary in Papua, was entertained at tea last night by the Men’s Fellowship of the Masterton Methodist Church. Later. Mr Scrivin gave a lantern lecture on the Solomon Islands and the missionary work being carried out there. H.M.S. Auckland. The new escort vessel Auckland, building by Denny and Brothers, Limited, Dumbarton, is being launched today. She was planned as a sister-ship to the Egret, launched on May 31 at Cowes, but is being fitted for use as a surveying ship, and will therefore carry only one small gun in place of the eight 4in. high-angle guns in the Egret. The Auckland is due for delivery about November next. The change of name from Heron, which was made last year, no doubt indicates the locality in which she will be employed, says “The Times.” A later ship, the Pelican, laid down in September last by Messrs Thornycroft, is also being fitted as a surveying ship. I

Crash Helmets Advocated. “It is a pity that something is not done by organisations to which motor cyclists belong to see that riders wear crash helmets. This is the third or fourth case of a motor cyclist being killed during the last few weeks. I am satiscfied that 50 per cent of the young men who have died because of injuries received when thrown from cycles would be alive today if they had worn helmets that would have given protection to the head.” These remarks were made by Mr F. K. Hunt, coroner, in Auckland yesterday, when returning a verdict of accidental death through a fractured skull at an inquest on Frederick Saker, aged 20, single, Epsom, who died in the Auckland Hospital on May 12. Show Proposal. In the near future, members of the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association are to be called on to consider a suggestion made at the monthly meeting of the association yesterday, which is one of the most important ever put forward in the association's history, and which outlines a plan to combine the winter and spring shows to make them “the Sydney shows of New Zealand.” The suggestion was placed before the general committee in a report submitted by the secretary, Mr H. Kissling. Alter some discussion a sub-committee was appointed to confer with stock breeders and exhibitors and report back to the general committee. Opportunity is also to be afforded members to discuss the scheme. Noxious Weeds. A conference was held at Wanganui yesterday to deal with the question of noxious weeds and to formulate a plan for their control. The conference was attended by delegates from county councils, and a motion was passed urging the Government to take the responsibility for the control of noxious weeds on unoccupied Native land, unoccupied Crown land, State forest reserves, and the land of indigent occupiers. The conference decided to ask the Government to make men from the Public Works Department available for six weeks to two months to clear weeds. A committee consisting of representatives of counties in the No. 8 Highways District is to be set up to confer with Government departments from time to time with a view to eradicating weeds.

Ability of Industry to Pay. An inquiry whether the Government would introduce legislation during the present session to direct the Court of Arbitration to take into consideration the question of industries being able to pay the rates of wages provided for in awards was made in a question of which notice was given by Mr S. G. Holland (Opposition, Christchurch North) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Holland said he proposed to ask the Minister of Labour, the Hon H. T. Armstrong, whether his attention had been drawn to a reported statement of Mr Justice Hunter, president of the Second Court of Arbitration, that the court was not concerned in the matter of an industry's ability to pay the rates provided for in awards.

Maori Socialism. “As the word Socialism has been mentioned, I would like to put before members the Maori meaning of socialism," said the Hon Rangi Mawhete (Wellington), in seconding the Ad-drcss-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne in the Legislative Council yesterday. "The Maori is a born socialist," he said. “His socialism is based on his communal teaching, the conservation and preservation of his food, and its equitable distribution among the tribal people. The European logic is that socialism is the maximum production of wealth and the equitable distribution of wealth. Socialism stands for humanity. Private profit stands for money and profits. It really amounts to money versus humanity. Socialism, as it applies to the Maori, is really based on the teaching. ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself. and give him a portion of what you possess,” Mr Mawhete said.