LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Measles Epidemic. A severe form of measles is prevalent at Hukanui. A number of cases are reported in Masterton, many among adults.

Forty Hour Week Refused. In a Dominion award for retail chemists’ assistants, operating for one year from August 29, 1938, the Court of Arbitration has fixed weekly hours of work at 44, but has increased wages by 7s 6d a week.

Rudyard Kipling Scholarship. Awarded the first Rudyard Kipling Memorial Scholarship in New Zealand, John Spencer Fallot, aged 13, King’s College, Auckland, son of Mr Walter J. Fallot, Napier, left Auckland yesterday by the Rangitata for London to enrol at the Imperial Service College, near Windsor, for a three-years’ course. He is accompanied by his mother. Farmers’ Union.

Mr A. G. Dawson, Chief Dominion organiser of the Farmers’ Union, is introducing new members in the Wairapa. He is at present in the Featherston and Martinborough areas and will gradually work north to Masterton. The membership of the union will be considerably increased as the result of his visit.

Maunganui Delayed. An easterly gale in the mid-Tasman has been experienced by the Union Company’s Maunganui oh her voyage from Sydney to Auckland, and a wireless message sent by her commander. Captain Morgan yesterday, stated that she would not arrive in Auckland before Sunday.- The Maunganui, which cleared Sydney on Tuesday evening, was due at Auckland on Saturday morning. Station Crane.

The Masterton Railway Station crane, which was recently dismantled and sent to Petone for overhaul and returned over a week ago, is still awaiting assembly. It appears that the work cannot be carried out without the assistance of a steam crane and the latter has not yet been available. It is expected, however, that the ciane will be reassembled during the coming week. Billiards and Snooker.

The Y.M.C.A.' Cup competition for billiards and snooker was advanced a further stage last night, when Pioneers scored an easy win over Y.M.C.A. B. The details are as follows, Y.M.C.A. players being mentioned first in every instance:—Billiards: A. Clarke beat T. Remine, G. Coleman lost to J. Remine, C Greager lost to R. Waaka, S. Onion lost to R. House, W. Reynolds lost to T. Potangaroa. In all five snooker games, Y.M.C.A. players were defeated.

Important ’Varsity Gathering. An important series of events for the universities of the Dominion will take place at Palmerston North at the weekend. They are the Joynt Scroll debating contest, which will be held this afternoon and evening, and the inter-island university Rugby football trial match on Saturday. A special general meeting of the New Zealand University Students’ Association will also be held, and as a curtain-raiser to the main football match Weir House and Massey College will test their strength. Delegates to the students association meeting were given a civic reception at the City Council Chambers this afternoon.

Pattrick Memorial Fund. Mr Ernest W. Hunt,. the honorary treasurer of the Annie Pattrick Memorial Fund, reports that the amount received up to the present time amounts to £561 3s 4d. It is anticipated that the appeal will be shortly brought to a close, and the committee will then arrive at some decision as to the disposal of the money • collected. The amount will certainly be devoted in commemorating Miss Pattrick s name in some section of Plunket or Kantane work with which the late Miss Pattrick was so actively and prominently connected for very many years. Donations may still be made, addressed to P.O. Box 1685, Wellington.

Y.M.C.A. Visit to Hutt. Twenty boys from the Masterton Y.M.C.A. are to be the guests of the Hutt Valley Association next week. The boys, who are to be billeted in Lower Hutt and Petone, will leave Masterton on Monday and return on the following Thursday. During their stay the boys will try conclusions with their hosts at Rugby and athletics. In the gymnasium, indoor basketball and handball contests will be held, and there will be a series of relay races. Table tennis and miniature billiards competitions will be played in the games room. In addition to their full programme of sporting events, the boys will be taken on a tour of the Hutt Railways Workshops, on a sight-seeing trip, and to a picture show. Short Term Awards. “How do you expect the Court to catch up with the work if you ask us to go through 400 or 500 awards every year?’* asked Mr W. Cecil Prime, employers’ representative on the Arbitration Court at Auckland. It had just been mentioned to the Court that both parties agreed to a term of 12 months for the biscuit and confectionery award. “You complain of not getting awards out quickly enough; it is foolish,” said Mr Prime. “Why not two years?” asked Mr Justice O’Regan. I agree,” said the union advocate, Mr J. Purtell, “but I am only a secretary, and I have to do what I am told. I realise that it is . impossible even for two courts to catch up with the tremendous amount of work if we „aie going to have short-term awards. House of Macrocarpa. A good example of what can be done with macrocarpa timber was seen in a North Island district recently. A house was wanted urgently and macrocarpa trees grown on hill country were cut down, sawn into timber almost at once, and a complete four-roomed house, with all conveniences, of approved design, built of it. The house was most comfortable, with modern doors and windows, and had been papered and painted to show it oft’ to the best advantage. The occupant of the house was paying 12s 6d rent, and the owner said that amount paid him well. An experienced builder was asked what he thought the life of the building would be, and he said that, seeing that the timber had been grown on high country which meant it was harder than if grown down on the flat country, it might last anything from 12 to 20 years. He did not think the timber would shrink very much or be more than ordinarily subject to borer attacks.