LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

St Vincent de Paul Society. The St Vincent de Paul Society, Masterton, acknowledge with thanks a donation of £5 from Mr W. Nops. The Maori’s Ancestors. “The typical upward slant of the eyes of human figures in Maori carvings was by some taken as an indication of a Mongolian trace in their ancestry,” said Mr Gilbert Archey, director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, in an address at Auckland. “We can see now that this is not so. Analysis of- the carvings shows that the purpose was purely decorative, the same treatment being given to the lips and other prominent parts.” Size of the United States. “I never realised before the great size of the United States of America,” writes Mr J. Johnson, staff-tutor for the Workers' Educational Association, in an article on his trip to the United States last year. "You travel all night in a train and you are still in New York State. The regions of the middle, the west and the east there are almost three distinct countries, as well as the south; and each of the 48 States has its own elected Governor and two houses of Parliament, and its system of education.” Expensive Oyster Meal. Seventeen shillings’ worth of oysters were eaten at a meal by Mr W. Machin during his recent visit to England, according to his own admission to the Canterbury branch of the Economic Society. He was not, however, illustrating his ability to consume oysters, but the price of oysters in England compared with the price in New Zealand., Those oysters cost 8s 6d a dozen, so it was no Gargantuan meal. “I .sorrowfully reflected that there is balm in Gilead, in that oysters are much cheaper here,” said Mr Machin. Unemployment Returns. The unemployment returns at July 2, including those on the register unfit for employment, discloses a reduction of 15,998 as against the corresponding figure a year ago, according to a statement made last evening by the Minister of Labour, the Hon H. T. Armstrong. Compared with the position for June this year, said the Minister, there was a decrease of 1898. On July 2 there were 1551 men registered, but not on relief, 3240 on sustenance awaiting placement, and 2032 on Scheme 5 relief, making a total of 6823. There were 8000 on sustenance who were totally unfit for employment. Child Drowned in Creek. Margaret Anne Mackenzie, the 20-months-old daughter of Mr and Mrs H. Mackenzie, Main North Road, Geraldine, was drowned yesterday in a creek which runs at the back of the house. The mother was occupied in a dairy, and the child apparently went round the house and found access to the creek where it is not fenced off. Only ten minutes elapsed from the time the mother last saw the child to the time she found her lying face downward in the creek, the water in which was a little over a foot deep. At the inquest a verdict of accidental drowning was returned. Billiards and Snooker. The Y.M.C.A. Cup competition for billiards and snooker was continued last night, when Pioneers scored a win! over the Y.M.C.A. “A” team. The details are as follow, Y.M.C.A. players being mentioned first in every case: —Billiards: —B. Rosenbaum beat J. Rimene; J. Nicholls lost to J. Wilson; A. McWhinnie lost to R. House; G. Coleman beat T. Wilson; J. Coleman beat T. Potangaroa. Snooker: B. Rosenbaum lost to J. Rimine; J. Nicholls lost to J. Wilson; A. McWhinnie lost to R. House; G. Coleman lost to T. Wilson; J. Coleman beat T. Potangaroa. Tomorrow night, Post Office will meet Daniell’s, and next Tuesday night Y'.M.C.A. B will play the Catholic Club.