LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Consideration to Territorials.

At its meeting this week, the Wairarapa Hospital Board decided, on the motion of Mrs S. Fletcher, that when making future appointments to the staff consideration be given to applicants who are members of the New Zealand Territorial Forces.

Swing Bridge and Path Closed. In view of the fact that work in connection with the new suspension bridge and river channel is under way the path connecting the Masterton Park and the .Hospital swing bridge has been closed to all traffic as from today.

Win for Masterton Runner. The British Empire Games representative, W. A. C. Pullar, of Masterton, competed at the Kia Toa Amateur Athletic Club’s meeting at Palmerston North last night and won the mile invitation race in 4min 24secs. He was giving some of the competitors up to 190 yards start. Motor Vehicles Licensed.

The latest figures compiled by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles indicate that there were 291,118 vehicles licenced to use the roads as at December 31 last, representing an, increase of nearly 10 per cent on the number of licensed vehicles for the corresponding period in the previous year. The numbers of vehicles are: Cars 203,498, trucks 47,296, others 20,591, cycles 19,733.

Losing its Popularity. That the motor-cycle is losing its popularity is shown by the decrease of 1442 (6.8 per cent) licences issued in New Zealand for the first seven months of the current licencing year. Apart from Gisborne, where there has been an increase of 2, and Greymouth, where a similar number of licences were issued, each district has shown a decrease.

Boats Capsize in Cornwell Cup. The strong north-westerly wind and surf at Plimmerton yesterday made the third race the most exciting of the series so far held for the Cornwell Cup, four of the boats capsizing within two minutes when nearing the leeward mark the first time. Only four boats finished, Auckland winning by lmin 32sec from Otago. Tauranga was third, and Manukau fourth. Wellington has two wins to its credit, and Auckland one. The first crew to win three races will be awarded the trophy. Out-size in Rats.

Wanganui’s recent claim to a record in an out-size in rats is challenged by the proprietors of the Gold Band taxi stand in Masterton. On a recent night a mammoth of the rodent species appeared outside the door of the office in Bannister Street and immediately an intensive and exciting rat hunt was under way. When the animal was finally run to earth and killed by Mr M. Howard it was found to measure 18in. from nose to the tip of its tail. Plunket Society Subscriptions.

The hon treasurer of the Masterton branch of the Plunket Society desires to acknowledge the following subscriptions:—Mrs H. Keltie £2, Mrs C. Cook £l, Mrs J. A. Wills and J. F. Morris 10s, Mesdames J. G. S. Thompson, G. Oliver, S. Divers, W. Burns, C. R. Goudge, R. A. Bunny, H. ForsythShelton, V. W. Carter, J. Bouzaid, C. K. Burling, S. R. Gawith, J. Edwards, L. D. Bach, W. Bragg, Laing, J. F. Morris, C. Ross, M. W. Sim, E. G. Corlett, V. Wilton, R. Griffith, A. G. Coleman, R. Bell, B. J. Roach, L. Wyatt, J. Wallis, R. Stewart, H. G. Marsh and G. B. Dean, each ss. Power Again Fails.

For the third time this week Wellington’s electric power supply from Mangahao failed last night and the city and also the Hutt .Valley, Khandallah and Johnsonville were again in darkness for a short period. The power went off at 9.21 p.m. and the Government supply was not restored till 9.35 p.m. Though portion of the equipment is still dismantled for annual Government inspection, the Evans Bay standby plant was able to take over the city load at 9.27 p.m. and continued to generate a certain amount of power, as a precautionary measure, for some time after the normal service had been resumed. In the suburbs, however, the lights did not go on again till the power from Mangahao was restored at 9.35 p.m. As in the two earlier blackouts, salt on the insulators north of Khandallah was stated to be the cause of the trouble. Wheat Acreage. Merchants and farmers in South Canterbury express the opinion that the prices of wheat announced by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, will result in a considerable increase in the area sown, an important factor being the early announcement. It is expected that if next season is reasonably good the Dominion should not need to import grain. One ground of criticism is that while Mr Sullivan is endeavouring to increase wheat production, the Minister of Customs, Mr Nash, is cutting down the number of sacks allowable as imports. It was explained that last year merchants had a surplus of sacks, so that imports during the early part of the period were below normal. The department is now restricting licences to a percentage of a quantity which is below the normal quantity and unless the licences are reviewed a shortage of sacks is feared.

Swimming Records Broken. Nine New Zealand records were broken at the Auckland swimming championships on Tuesday night. Miss K. Grey lowered Miss M. Farquehar’s 100 yards senior women’s freestyle time from 64 4-5 to 63 3-5. S. M. Bell broke the 100 yards intermediate boys’ backstroke record by 1 4-ssec, taking 80 2-5. The previous record was held by B. Gerrard (Southland). The time for the 50 yards junior girls' backstroke, established by N. Kira (Rotorua), was reduced from 37 2-5 to 36 3-5 by Miss B. Owens. The senior men’s furlong freestyle standard was broken by P. Hanan, who registered 2.20 4-5. This is 1 l-ssec faster than N. Crump's time. The senior women’s record of 3.14 4-5 for 200 metres backstroke, held by Miss Farquhar, was beaten by both Miss Stackpole and Miss Grey, the former taking 3.5 4-5 and the latter 3.7 1-5. Two records were broken in one swim by Miss J. Macdonald (Southland). In registering 74 3-5 she broke Miss Stackpole’s intermediate time of 77 1-5 and her own senior record of 76 1-5. The Dunedin swimmer, Miss W. Dunn, covered 220 yards breaststroke in 3.20 1-5, bettering her own senior record by 2 2-5 sec. The ninth record set was that for the 100 yards men’s backstroke. The holder of the record of 66 4-5, P. E. Mathieson, did the distance in 66 1-5.