LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Progress of Game of Baseball.

There are now six baseball clubs in Masterton. and arrangements have been made with the Hockey Association for the use of the grounds opposite the Masterton Hospital. Practice games will bo played tomorrow afternoon.

Peach Prices. Peaches from Hawke’s Bay are coming forward to the Wellington market in good supply. Those to hand at this early stage of the season are on the small side. Because of warm temperatures, they are arriving fairly ripe, but not mature. Good samples brought 4s 6d an 181 b box at yesterday’s sales.

Garden Clubs for Women. An effort is to be made by the Canterbury Horticultural Society to establish garden clubs for women, with the aim of promoting informal discussions on gardening and also providing social activities. The suggestion was made by Mr J. R. Templin, who found such clubs to be very successful in the United States.

Rangitata Robbery. Since Captain Edward Holland, master of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Rangitata, discovered on opening his office safe on Tuesday morning that £l6OO in cheques and English oank notes had been stolen during the weekend, Auckland detectives have interviewed more than 100 persons and taken their statements but so far no light has been shed on the mystery. Police are working at high pressure for the vessel is due to sail at daybreak tomorrow for England. The Love of Sport.

The gambling spirit of the Briton and his love .of sport, even when greater things are at stake, were orotight vividly before Mr Edmund dross, of Christchurch, during a retent visit to,the Old' Country. He was living in a flat in London during die international crisis, and returned one evening when events were at a critical stage. Being naturally anxious to hear the latest news, he asked another flat dweller if there werq any further developments. “I don’t know,” was the reply. “I nave only got the half-time scores so far.”

Scottish Tradition. The Scottish tradition held much that was of importance to the community, and that was why the existence of the college was justified, said die rector (Mr J. B.' Mawson) at the annual prize-giving ceremony of St Andrew’s College, Christchurch. The college tried to inculcate the sense of this tradition in the pupils in many ways; he said. They had essay prizes for Scottish history, and a pipe band, and they noped before long to have the boarders and cadets at the college dressed in the kilt. “These things appeal to us, and in that respect they are very important, he added.

Bay of Islands Petition. The petition against the return ano election of Mr C. W. Boswell as M.P. for Bay of Islands is to be heard bj the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) and Mr Justice Blair. The official result of the election was declared on October 27, the voting being as follows: Mr Boswell (Labour), 4556; Mr H. F. Guy (National), 4394; majority for Boswell, 163. The petitioners are Mr C. R. Cameron, Kaikohe, and Mr S. W. Smith, Pakaraka, and they ask that Mr Guy be declared to have been elected. Petitioners say t that certain persons not lawfully entitled to- vote at the election did, in fact, register votes thereat and make sundry other allegations.

The Railways Deficit, A retrograde movement'to the extent of £262,929 is shown by the railways working account for the 32 weeks of the present financial year ended November 12, compared with the result for the corresponding period last yeai. According to the abstract of the account published in the Gazette issued last evening a working loss of £92,521 replaces a profit of £170,408 for the corresponding 32 weeks of 1937. Revenue for the 32 weeks from April 1 to November 12 amounted to £5,203,693, an increase of £209,289 on the gross revenue for the corresponding period last year. Expenditure amounted to £5,296,214. an increase of £472,218. The account for the four-weekly period ended November 12 shows a working loss of £12,152 compared with a profit of £18.373 for the corresponding period last year. The gross revenue for the four weeks was £647,582, which was £33,402 more than last year. Expenditure at £659,734 was £63,927 higher than 12 months ago. Measles Epidemic.

Commenting on the epidemic of measles which has been widespread in the Dominion, particularly in the North Island, for some months, the Government Statistician remarks that, as measles is not notifiable, the number of people who have contracted the disease during the epidemic is not known, and statistics are available only for fatal cases. The epidemic has not been a particularly fatal one, comparatively speaking among the nonMaori population. On the other hand, the Maoris have suffered very heavily. During the. nine months ended September 30, 1938, the deaths of no fewer than 143 Maoris have been recorded as due to measles. This is equivalent to a death-rate of 16.49 to 10,000 of tne Maori population. In addition to those assigned to measles, .here were six Maori deaths where measles was associated with tuberculosis, these deaths being classified to the latter disease. The high mortality rate among the Maoris is due principally to the complications arising out of the disease.

Drgy of Destruction by Motorists. An orgy of destruction carried out ry motorists was described at tne monthly meeting at Waipukurau of ■he Patangata County Council. While work was proceeding on the Wanstead road motorists were going out of their, way to knock down drums placed along the centre of the roadway, and .hey had even smashed signs erected, the engineer, Mr J. C. McLauchlan, ■ old an astonished council. "A man in a small car drove over the new portion of road this morning with the 2ar door wide open and kicked over each drum as he passed it,” Mr McLauchlan said. On the Pourerere road similar vandalism had occurred; barricades had been broken down and every lantern smashed. The council’s drums at Wanstead had now been completely crushed and ruined. The practice of knocking over these drums was dangdrous, said Mr McLauchlan. The chairman, Mr C. Pattison, agreed that drastic steps were required. The council decided to place a traffic officer at each end of the road works to check up on speed and driving. If this is not effective the engineer has been authorised to divert traffic by the circuitous route through Hatuma.