LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 September 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Golf Ball Postponed. Owing to the unfavourable weather and the fact that some roads are blocked by slips, the Te Wharau Golf Club has postponed its ball, which was to have been held tonight, until some future date. Daffodil Show. Entries for the Daffodil Show of the Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society, to be held on Wednesday, September 21, close at noon on Tuesday, September 20. Schedules are obtainable from the secretary, Mr E. K. Eastwood, 5 Perry Street, Masterton. All Maoris?

“Are all the players in the New Zealand team Maoris?” This was an amusing question which Mrs Bain Challis, of Invercargill, chaperon of the New Zealand basketball team, was asked during the team’s recent visit to Australia. The question was asked in all sincerity by an Australian girl and she was quite surprised when Mrs Challis informed her that only one of the girls had Maori blood in her veins. Seasonal Work on Farms.

Public works employees will be granted leave of absence for seasonal work on farms, ncluding shearing and harvesting, on the same terms as during the last two years, according to advice received by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union from the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple. Mr A. P. O’Shea, secretary of the Farmers’ Union, said yesterday that Mr Semple’s action would be much appreciated by farmers. Married Public Servants.

Provision for fixing by Order-in-Zouncil minimum rates of remuneration for adult and married officers in she Government service are contained n the Finance Bill which was introduced in the Hoube of Representatives yesterday. The new scheme will cover the Public Service, the Government Railways Department and the Post and Telegraph Department. It is provided that where the minimum remuneration prescribed by Order-in-Council exceeds the salary to which an officer is entitled under any scale the difference will be paid to him in the form of an allowance. Any allowances already granted in this manner are validated. Election Date Not Fixed Yet.

An indication that the date of the general election could not be fixed until toward the close of next week, when it would be seen whether the business of Parliament could be finished then, was given in an interview last evening by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage. Though there was still a good deal of business to come before Parliament, there was nothing contentious, said Mr Savage. There was no reason why the House should not complete its work by Saturday with ease. It depended entirely on the members themselves, and most of them seemed to be anxious to get away. Marathon Races.

Representatives of the Auckland, West Coast (North Island), Wellington, Otago, Canterbury, and Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay athletic centres, and of the New Zealand Council, who are attending the national cross-country championship at New Plymouth, held a conference there last night, when a proposal for the holding of centre and national marathon championship races received support. It was decided to hold next year’s cross-country championship in Hawke’s Bay. The date of the championship aroused considerable discussion before approval was given to a suggestion by the Auckland centre that the time be fixed soon after the beginning of the harrier season and not later than April 30.

Scholarship Holders. The view that the Dominion could expect only a small return from money invested in scholarships if it did not provide positions for scholarship holders after they had finished training abroad was expressed by Mr G. T. S. Baylis, a former Auckland student, who arrived at Auckland by the Tamaroa after doing two years of research work in England. Most Dominion students who went abroad with scholarships would return if they could be certain of obtaining positions, Mr Baylis said. Furthermore, if students knew the nature of the positions that might be offered to them, they could make better use of their time while overseas. The whole problem, he added, should be tackled by the authorities.

Measles Epidemic. “As far as the measles epidemic is concerned,” said Dr F. S. Maclean, medical officer of health, Wellington, yesterday, “the attendances in most of the Wellington schools are reported to be practically normal. Cases still seem to be occurring among adults, however, although we have no record of these, as measles is not a notifiable disease.” Dr Maclean added that the same material improvement was reported in the case of the Wairarapa schools, but that the epidemic appeared to be increasing in Marlborough, which had previously escaped more lightly than Wellington. There had been eight cases or suspected cases of diphtheria in the district —not in any way an abnormal number —and no cases of scarlet fever in Wellington or the Wairarapa, and only two in Nelson. Public Works Statement.

Discussion in the House of Representatives on the Public Works Statenent continued throughout yesterday norning and afternoon. The House lid not rise at 5.30 p.m., as it was thought possible to complete the debate and pass the Public Works Estimates by sitting for a little longer. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, finished his reply to the debate on the Statement about 6 p.m., and the House then went into committee on the estimates. However, expectations of an early conclusion of the sitting were not realised, and at 7.25 p.m. consideration of the estimates was interrupted by a tea adjournment until 8 p.m. On the House resuming they were further discussed for another hour and a half before the final item was approved. Bills on the Order Paper will be dealt with on Monday.