LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 February 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Secret Aeroplane. “Reynolds’s News” according to a London cablegram, says that Lord Nuffield is financing the construction of a secret aeroplane which is expected to recapture the record for Britain with a speed of 500 miles an hour. To Play for Minor Associations. The Red Star Cricket Club player, W. Peterson, has been selected to play foi- the Minor Association’s team against. Sir Julian Cahn's eleven at Palmerston North on Monday and Tuesday next. Ho is the only Wairarapa representative in the team. Donations Acknowledged. The honorary treasurer of the Masterton branch of the Plunkct Society desires to acknowledge the receipt of the following subscriptions: Mrs E. G. Norman 111 Is; Mesdames Ruby, H. D. Reid. W. Andrew, J. Tobin, W. Malmo, H. Jones, H. P. Glen, S. Wilkinson. J. Wallis and D. Kennedy, 5s each. Infectious Diseases. For the week ended yesterday. 13 cases of infectious disease and nine deaths —eight from tuberculosis and one from diphtheria—were reported to the Wellington office of the Health Department. In the central Wellington area, there were four cases of diphtheria, three of tuberculosis and one case of erysipelas; and, in NelsonMarlborough, two cases of diphtheria, two of tuberculosis,, and one case of scarlet fever were reported. Tradesmen From Abroad. The Government’s proposals for obtaining building tradesmen from abroad with a view to accelerating housing construction in the Dominion were advanced a stage further yesterday. The Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in an interview last evening, said that a sub-committee of Cabinet had been appointed to consider conditions under which carpenters are to be brought from overseas. “The time has come for action,” said Mr Savage, in referring to the housing problem. High Price of Eggs. The wholesale price of eggs on the Wellington market, which must have been already a record for the time of the year, was raised again yesterday by twopence a dozen. The ruling rates are now about 6d a dozen above what they were a year ago and from 2d to 4d higher than the corresponding prices in February, 1937. Yesterday’s prices quoted by the Internal Marketing Department are: Supers, 2s 4d per dozen; A grade, 2s 2d; B grade, 2s.

Import Licence Refused. An application for a licence to import a set of new uniforms from Scotland by the Hastings and District Scots Society Pipe Band has been refused. The decision comes as an anticlimax to three years’ effort to secure sufficient funds -to purchase the uniforms, the sum of £5OO having been raised. It is impossible to equip the band fully with material procurable in the Dominion, as much of the necessary equipment is obtainable only from Scotland. An appeal is to be lodged. Decrease in Bush Areas.

Maps showing the bush-covered areas of New Zealand at various stages back as far as' 1850 have been prepared by the Department of Lands and Survey. In that year the forest areas totalled 31,719,000 acres, in 1880 it was 29,314,000 acres, in 1910 19,123,000 acres, and in 1938 it had fallen to 12,900,000 acres. The Minister of Lands, Mr Langstone, in an interview, stated that these maps were designed to illustrate the progress of settlement. They made a striking picture of the millions of acres that had been denuded of forest as a result of the encroachment of settlement.

Conditions in Norfolk Island. Unable to secure a reasonable living in spite of all their efforts, 27 residents of Norfolk Island arrived at Auckland by the South Pacific Line steamer Tasman to search for work in New Zealand. The party included about 15 former New Zealanders and several who had spent their entire lives on the island. A change from Australian to New Zealand control and more frequent shipping services were stated to be essential before the island could hope to flourish. Through disappointment with the conditions, about 100 settlers had left during the past three months and the population had now decreased to fewer than 900. A New Award. Practically complete settlement having been reached in the conciliation proceedings, the Court of Arbitration yesterday issued the Dominion Saddlers, Harness and Bagmakers’ Award. The only point in dispute was the proportion of female workers, and an agreement which was considered satisfactory was reached. The holidays clause was amended slightly, it being decided that a worker shall receive Anniversary Day where it is observed, and another day where it is not observed. In accordance with the decision in the conciliation proceedings, wages were made retrospective as from December 5, 1938. “O!d Timers” Cricket Match. Considerable interest is being taken in the “old timers" cricket match which is to be played at the Park Oval on Tuesday next commencing at 4 o'clock. Among the players who have signified their willingness to participate are many who in their younger days assisted very materially to place Wairarapa on the “cricket map,” while others were formerly prominent cricketers in Manawatu, Wellington. Canterbury and Otago, as well as Wairaiapa. Time has not dimmed their enthusiasm for the game, and the players are looking forward to the match as eagerly as the cricketing public of Masterton. Unusual Fatality. An inquest into the death of James Rudolph Tynan, who was found in Houhora on January 9 with a gunshot wound in his neck, was held at Whangarei yesterday. The coroner’s verdict was that Tynan died of a wound from a shotgun accidentally discharged. It was stated in evidence that, when the body was found, Tynan’s three dogs were lying beside it with the discharged gun close by. The position of the wound showed that Tynan could not have reached the trigger with his hand, and his foot could not have been inserted within the guard. The only means by which the trigger could have been intentionally worked would have been a piece of stick or string. There was no sign of anything of this nature having been used, and it was considered that one of the dogs jumping round had touched the trigger.