LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Serial Story. There commences in the “TimesAge” today a mystery and love story entitled “Murder in the Procession” by that well-known author Leslie Cargill. Chambers of Commerce Conference. At the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce yesterday it was decided to hold next year’s conference in Wellington. New Plymouth’s claims to the 1940 conference were emphasised.

College Social Gathering. There was a large attendance of pupils of Wairarapa College at an enjoyable social gathering held in the Assembly Hall of the school last night. Music for the dancing was supplied by the Blue River Dance Band, and extras were played by Tooby’s Novelty Band. “Cars Are Like Women.

“Cars are like women,” remarked Mr Justice Blair, discussing skidding in the Supreme Court at Hamilton recently. There was a theory among motorists that if a skid started one should drive into it. “Like women,” added his Honour, “cars, if they want to have their own way, will have it.” Band Concert.

Weather permitting the following programme will be rendered by the Masterton Band tomorrow in the Masterton Park commencing at 2.30 p.m.:— March, “Winsford”; selection, “Lucrezia Borgia”; hymn, “Deep Harmony”; waltz, “Queen of the South”; fox trot, “Merry Days”; march, “The Howitzer.” After the programme the band will give an exhibition quickstep.

Plunket Society Subscriptions. The hon treasurer of the Masterton branch of the Plunket Society desires to acknowledge the following sub-scriptions:—-Mrs W. McKenzie. £1 Is; Mrs J. W. Tullock, 10s; Mesdames E. K. Eastwood, H. Evans, V. Buick, C. A. Carmine, J A. Betts, R. Clarke, L. A. La Roche, T. R. McCracken, N. Harcombe. J. H. Blair, T. R. Barrer, Leslie Knight, Sortain .Smith, J. D. O’Connor and N. M. Irwin, all ss. Entrance to Showgrounds.

Improvements are being carried out to the entrance to the Solway Showgrounds by the Masterton A. and P. Association. The old gates and fence have been taken down and will be replaced by attractive concrete and netting fence. The road from the corner of Fleet Street right into the avenue of trees is to be. reformed and tarred and when completed will .make access easy in both wet and fine weather.

Education in Finland. The value of a universal language was demonstrated recently when a member of the Canterbury Workers’ Educational Association received a communication, in Esperanto, from a Finnish adult educational institution. He was able to translate the message, which indicated that the teaching of languages was an important factor in adult education and that in addition the organisation the writer was associated with believed in the system of organising excursions to various countries contiguous with Finland, with the idea of enlarging the outlook of members. New Zealand Cricket Selector.

“Mr T. C. Lowry, Hawke’s Bay, has accepted the position of sole selector of the New Zealand cricket team,” said Mr D. E. Wanklyn, chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council, when reporting at the annual meeting of the council at Christchurch last night on a decision of the committee to revert to a sole selector. Speaking on the decision Mr Wanklyn said the principle of a sole selector was undoubtedly sound and should result in the building of a well-balanced side. It was unfortunate that Plunket Shield fixtures this season would again bring to notice one human failing—the impossibility of being in twd places at once.

Truck Somersaults Four Times. Mr and Mrs S. McCosh, their infant, and Mrs McCosh, Senr., all of Woodville, are reported to have had an amazing escape when a truck in which they were travelling over the Pahiatua track from Palmerston North to their home, skidded, went over a bank and somersaulted four times before it came to rest. They were compelled to use the track route, because the gorge was blocked. The occupants were all pinned in the truck, which was badly damaged, but they were practically unhurt, Mrs McCosh, Senr., suffering ’most from shock. Fortunately their plight was noticed by other motorists who helped to extricate them and took them back to Woodville.

Exceptionally Large Airmail. When Union Airways Lockheed Electra monoplane on the Dunedin-Wellington-Auckland service left Rongotai aerodrome, Wellington, for the north yesterday, it carried an exceptionally large airmail. The total weight of the mail was 1801 b, which was considerably in excess of the usual quantity. The mail was for various parts of the North Island, the distributing centres being Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Auckland. In addition to the Wellington mail there were bags from Dunedin, Christchurch, Blenheim and Nelson. Stowing the mail on board the airliner at Rongotai involved extra work for the aerodrome staff, but in spite of the Lockheed carrying a full load of passengers, mails and luggage, it left Wellington at 12.3 p.m., only three minutes behind schedule. The Aurora and the Weather. No evidence exists to support the fairly general impression that the occurrence of a display of the aurora has a bad effect on the weather, according to a statement made by Mr Murray Geddes, of South Hillend, director of auroral investigations in Southland, in an address to the Southland branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He said that the aurora was generally visible only on clear nights and with the changeable climate of ‘New Zealand there was a reasonable probability that the sky would be clouded on the following night. The climate of Invercargill, where one or two photographic stations for the observation of the aurora were established, was not ideal for the purpose, because of its proximity to the coast and the prevalence of cloud in the sky. Experience had shown that at the other station at South Hillend almost twice as many nights were clear, although occasionally the sky was clear at Invercargill when it was clouded, at South Hillend.