LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

East School Dance.

The Masterton East School Association’s fortnightly dance on Saturday night was a very successful function. The Monte Carlo waltz was won by Mrs Theobald (Martinborough) and Mrs Dawson. The music was supplied by Mr A. Barnes. An extra was played by Mr H. Hood. The M.C. was Mr P. Ward. Indoor Basketball.

The inter-house indoor basketball competition will be continued on Thursday night, when the following games will be played:—B p.m., C. Smith, Ltd., v. Harcombe’s; referees, Messrs A. E. Bate and C. Greagor. 8.35 p.m., Reliance v. Hamill’s, Messrs D. Leete and B. Mason. The KiatereFaulknor’s game will be played by arrangement. Rabbit on Rifle Range.

A rabbit appeared on the Auckland Grammar School’s open-air miniature rifle range on a recent morning. A party of boys observed it sitting calmly on the grass near the targets, and it continued to sit there for fully five minutes, until one of the party procured a rifle and ammunition and killed it with an easy shot at 20 yards. Election Tactics.

“I would not think it would be political dishonesty if the Government brought three or four hundred men into this electorate before the election,” said Mr A. L. Ogilvy, Labour Party candidate for the Stratford seat, at Inglewood. “I would not think it was dishonest,” he continued, “if my opponent’s struggle were made a bit more difficult. We have to win and we are going to win..”

Diphtheria in Hawke’s Bay. Owing to the number of diphtheria carriers stated to be in the district, the Hastings Memorial Hospital has been closed to visitors by order of the medical superintendent, Dr J. J. Foley. The doctor stated, however, that there was no cause for alarm; the closing of the hospital was merely a temporary measure for the purpose of protecting patients against possible infection from outside sources. Dr Foley added that positive tests had been obtained from the throats of a number of diphtheria suspects, and it was considered necessary to observe all precautions. The Matua’s Itinerary.

To prevent the possibility of the carriage of measles infection from Rarotonga, where a number of cases have been reported, to outer islands in the Cook Group, an alteration has been made in the itinerary of the Union Company’s motor-ship Matua on her next visit to the islands. The Matua, which will leave Auckland on Thursday for the Cook Islands, will omit Rarotonga’ as her first port and will visit Mangaia, Mauke and Atiu before reaching the island. She normally calls at Rarotonga before steaming to the outer islands and returning to Rarotonga.

Welsh Guards Bands. The directors of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition have been informed that the musical director of the Welsh Guards Band, which has been engaged to play at the exhibition, will be Lieutenant T. S. Chandler, associate; of the Royal College of Music, and licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music. The band, comprising 40 players, is expected to arrive at Wellington shortly before the opening of the exhibition in November next year, and will be quartered at Wellington for the duration of the exhibition. Afterward it is probable that the band will tour the Dominion, giving concerts at the principal cities before returning to rejoin the regiment in England.

Pheasant Rearing. Evidence of the keenness of a number of farmers in parts of the North Island to help in the breeding of pheasants for liberation was referred to by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon W. E. Parry, yesterday. The offer recently made to provide from the State Game Farm, Rotorua, surplus pheasant eggs for hatching to members of the rod and gun clubs in that acclimatisation district had, he said, greatly interested farmers having equipment on their farms for the rearing of birds. “We shall not be able to meet the demand for eggs outside of the Rotorua acclimatisation district,” said Mr Parry. “It is that territory only in which the State Game Farm operates, the other territories being stocked by local acclimatisation societies If we could only get enough pheasant eggs to enable us to give some to the farmers complaints now made by sportsmen in the season of the lack of birds would be reduced to a minimum.” A New Stamp. The inauguration of the Empire mail service brings injo greater prominence the ljd value in postage stamps, because this is the rate for the half-ounce letter to Empire countries served by me scheme. The Post Office is issuing a new IJd stamp, the third of the King George series. It will be available to the public on July 26. Printed by the intaglio line-engraving process in a rich chocolate brown, the new stamp presents a full-face portrait.of his Majesty King George VI., wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet. The reproduction is distinctive, and contains such details as the chain of the Royal Victorian Order and the Sovereign’s badge of the Order of the Bath, which is pendant from The collar. This stamp replaces the Rotorua cooking scene in the pictorial series, which will be withdrawn on July 25. The Post Office will not issue special first-day covers for the new stamp, but, where possible, it is prepared to lightly and legibly date-stamp covers which are specially handd in at post offices.

Onion Importation.' A .recommendation that a permit should be granted for the importation of a supply of Australian onions, chiefly to relieve a shortage in the Auckland district, has been made to the Government by the Onion Advisory Committee, which met in Wellington last week. The decision of the committee was announced yesterday by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon W. Lee Martin. “After the meeting,” said the Minister, “the chairman, Mr R. B. Tennent, announced that the committee, after reviewing the position in regard to stocks of onions held by growers and merchants had unanimously recommended to the Government that a permit should be granted for the importation of a supply of Australian onions to arrive at the end of the current month for distribution in the No. 1 district as laid down in the onion regulations. This, decision was arrived at in view of the shortage of onions which otherwise would result in the Auckland district.”