LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mawley Park Camp. During September four motorists availed themselves of the facilities at Mawley Park motor camp site. Fees collected for the month amounted to 7s 6d. Municipal Band. The Masterton Municipal Band held eleven practices during September. A concert was given in the Opera House on September 4 and a programme was rendered in the Park on Sunday, September 25.

Running A Carnival. “Your firm ran a whole carnival for us once,” observed Dr Archer Hosking. president of the Masterton Beautifying Society, last night, replying to a remark made by Mr E. M. Hodder as to the assistance forthcoming for the society. Mr Hodder: “Well, there is no reason why we should not do it again.” Flying Activities.

Passenger traffic and training continues to be fairly brisk at the Hood Aerodrome. On Monday a Tiger Moth machine, piloted by . Mr McLeod, brought a passenger from Palmerston North (Mr Nelson) to the Hood Aerodrome. The pilot returned home later in the day. Abattoir Killings.

The following head of stock was slaughtered at the Masterton Municipal Abattoir during September: Cattle, 503; calves, 21; sheep, 1969; lambs, 44; pigs, 117. The killing fees were £l6 16s 6d lower than those for the corresponding month of last year. To date the fees are £166 15s 8d less than those for the corresponding period of last year.

River Metal Royalties. On the motion of the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, the Masterton Borough Council decided to send a remit to the next Municipal Association Conference asking that borough councils should be allowed to take metal from river beds without paying royalty. Mr Jordan said that at present county councils were allowed to take metal without paying royalties. All they paid was. compensation for any damage done. Municipal Library.

The following are the figures for the Municipal Library for September: Books issued, fiction, 3725; travel, etc, 254. Books added, fiction 97; travel, etc, 24. Subscribers at end of August, 409; new subscribers 2; subscribers left during September, 3; total subscribers at end of September, 408. The amount spent in books from April 1 to August 31 was, committee, £43 15s 6d, librarian, £142 4s Id. The amount spent in books for the month of September was, committee, £6, librarian, £l7 13s 9d.

Effect of Awards.

The Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, recalled at last night’s meeting of the Masterton Borough Council that he had stated last month that if a proposed award governing clerical workers employed by the local bodies came ipto force it would cost the council another £7OO a year. As the result of the parties meeting in Conciliation Council, however, an agreement had been reached and he was pleased to say that no great additional burden would be placed on the council. • i.

Ducks and Swans.' ,' c Once more the ducks and swans inhabiting the Park Lake are able to enjoy life on a wide expanse of water, now that the lake has been refilled. For a period there was hardly any water in the lake, but after the intake channel had been deepened, and the inlet shifted a short distance up the river, the water was again turned into the lake, which now presents a particulary clean and attractive appearance. One pair of ducks has brought forth a family of seventeen ducklings.

White Butterfly.

The opinion that farmers should have every confidence in their cruciferous crops this season and that the white butterfly would not get ahead of its parasite, which was now plentiful in the East Coast, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa, Manawatu and West Coast, districts, was expressed yesterday by Mr C. J. Hamblyn, fields superintendent of the Department of Agriculture, at Palmerston North. He said that because of the damage done to crops last season by the white butterfly farmers had become concerned about the. planting of cruciferous crops. This spring, however had been most suitable for the growth of the white butterfly, but there had been only a small carry over of live chrysalids through the winter. At the close of last season the parasite had the upper hand.

School Curriculum.

With a view to giving greater freedom to children and teachers during the hot February weather, the ordinary school curriculum is to be temporarily suspended during that month next year. In making this announcement last evening, the Minister of Education, the Hon P. Fraser, said this was the procedure that had been adopted in February of this year. Many methods were adopted by teachers last February to adopt the curriculum to seasonal conditions. Times fixed for the opening and closing of the schools were observed, but lessons and instruction were largely given in the open air, where there were facilities in the way of ground and shade. This relaxation of the ordinary curriculum presented opportunities for instruction in such subjects as swimming, road safety l , and home nursing, and for rambles and visits to places of interest.

Centennial Plans.

Although the making of arrangements for the New Zealand centennial celebrations in 1940 has been receiving the attention of the authorities for some time past, there is still a good deal of organisation required, and the Government intends to push ahead with this without delay. The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, said in an interview last evening that no effort would be spared by the Government to see that the celebrations were worthy of the occasion. “The organisation of the centennial celebrations is no small task,” said Mr Savage. “The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon W. E. Parry, has been handling the organisation of the celebrations on behalf of the Government, and although good progress has been made, there is still quite a lot to do. We hope to have at the celebrations many distinguished visitors from overseas. The Government wants the celebrations to .be worthy of the first hundred years of the country’s development.”