LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 March 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Death During Operation. Peter Fincham, aged 21, collapsed and died during an urgent operation at a hospital in Dunedin on Sunday.

Sheep Stealing at Kopuaranga. It is reported that a Kopuaranga sheep farmer recently lost about 200 ewes from his property. It has been suggested that the sheep were driven away in a lorry. The police have the matter in hand. Farmers’ Union Conference.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, it was decided that the annual interprovincial conference be held in Masterton on Thursday and Friday, May 25 and 26.

Farmer Fatally Wounded. An elderly man, Mr Samuel. Cunningham Greer, a well known farmer in the Patearoa district, Central Otago, was found late yesterday afternoon on his property with a serious gunshot wound in the head. He was removed to Maniototo Hospital, where he died shortly after 9 o’clock last night. Value of First Aid.

During the course of his lecture at the last meeting of the Nursing Division of St. John Ambulane, Dr. Prior spoke on first aid and stressed the need in all cases for immediate treatment of the patient for shock so as to lessen its after effects. Dr Prior also spoke of the advantages to be gained by those possessing a knowledge of first aid—a knowledge all should possess. A number of ladies have enrolled for the classes and there is still time for others to do so.

World Record Equalled. Miss Decima Norman equalled the world 100 yards women’s record at Morrinsville on Saturday when, in a women’s invitation race, she covered the distance in llsec. The wind was well within the allowance and it is' intended to mfike application to have the record recognised. In addition, Miss Norman covered 200 yards in 25 3-ssec. There is no New Zealand record for this event, but the standard time is 27sec. It is also intended to apply to have this recognised.

Passing of Summer. Summer will officially pass today with the autumnal equinox; Though the meteorological season cannot be fixed in advance‘with any certainty, it has been found that in most localities the actual ■ season coincides fairly closely with the calendar season, which is arbitrarily attached to the occurrence of equinoxes and solstices. At midnight tonight the sun will cross the equator and enter the northern hemisphere, ;<nd it will move northward till the middle of June, when the shortest day will occure. Builders from Australia.

A further consignment of 47 Australian builders arrived at Wellington yesterday by the Awatea from Sydney. They were met on board by the Minister of Housing, Mr Armstrong, who addressed them before they disembarked. He welcomed them on behalf of the Government, and expressed the hope that their stay in New Zealand would be long, happy and prosperous. One of the men replied that they hoped to enjoy New Zealand’s social benefits for the rest of their lives. Industrial Liaison Officer. The Government has appointed Mr C. L. Hunter, former Labour M.P. for Manawatu, to a new position in the Labour Department. He will act as liaison officer between the department and industry generally. For the time being, it is stated, he will keep the department more closely in contact with industries where departmental intervention is necessary, particularly in the case of disputes between employers and employees. It is stated officially that the appointment is designed to assist the Government, through the department, in maintaining the .best possible relations between the department, the workers and industrial administrators. It is expected that one field in which his will be used is in disputes in the freezing industry.

Cheap Money Not Available. “There is grave difficulty in getting money at 3 J per cent today,” said the chairman of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, Mr J .A. Nash, at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday, referring to the question of raising money for the board’s building programme, which calls for an expenditure in the immediate future of £82,000 for the erection of an isolation block and the Awapuni Home. “The public,” he said, “will not lend, money at that rate of interest.” Before the board was a letter from the secretary of the State Advances Corporation informing the board that there was no immediate prospect of the board obtaining in the near future any portion of the £82,000 needed to carry out the board’s immediate building programme. Gifts of Anaesthetic Machines.

The presentation of -two gas and oxygen machines, specially designed for the administration of anaesthetics in maternity cases, one to the Salvation Army maternity hospital, Grey Lynn, and the other to the St. Mary’s Home, Otahuhu, has been made by Sir Julien Cahn. Two larger machines have also been promised by Sir Julien to the city’s third public maternity ininstitution, the St. Helens Hospital. These will be forwarded from England at an early date. Maintaining that he had' done nothing calling for special comment, Sir Julien indicated that he would probably send several machines from England in addition to those promised to St. Helens. He brought a number of hospital models of the machines with him on the present tour of New Zealand. One had been given to Queen Mary Maternity Hospital, Dunedin.

Shortage of Milk. “We are assured of enough milk for this week, but no one can say what will happen after that if the dry weather continues,” said the secretary of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council, Mr Chapman, in announcing that the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Lee Martin, had given permission for a supplementary supply to be obtained at once from certain' farms in the Waiuku district. The milk would be pasteurised before distribution, Mr. Chapman said. It would be perfectly safe, though the farm dairies were not registered for town supply. He added that all the requirements had been met so far and the additional milk would suffice for the rest of the week at any rate. The trouble was that the pastures were drying up and the yield was falling everywhere. In four weeks the supply obtained by the four principal Auckland distributing companies had decreased by 4600 gallons below the normal figure of about 24000 gallons a day-