LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 March 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Serial Story. There commences in the “Wairarapa Times-Age” today a thrilling mystery romance entitled “Bucky Follows a Hot Trail” by that noted American author William MacLeod Raine. Readers should not miss the first instalment of this outstanding story which is written in Raine’s best style.

Import Licences. One thousand urgent licences to import goods in the second half of the year have been issued by the Customs Department in Auckland the increase being particularly marked in the past week. Every effort is being made by the department to dispose of such licences before the big rush of ordinary applications for the next sixmonthly period, has to be dealt with next month. Vicar’s Attitude to War. “I refuse to take up arms against a man of any other nation with whom I have no quarrel and do dirty work for someone else who will gain by it. I prefer a firing squad. That was my attitude in 1914, and it has not changed in 25 years.” This definite stand on his attitude to war was taken by the Rev. C. W. Chandler, vicar of St. Andrew’s Church, Cambridge, at a public meeting in Hamilton at which the question, “You and Your Attitude to a Future War” was discussed.

Retirement not Compulsory. “There is nothing compulsory about retirement,” said the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, at Auckland, referring to the Social Security Act. Nobody was being forced out under the Act. The Act obviously provides for the retirement of men more than 60 years of age if they wish to, or if they have to for physical reasons, in which case they are entitled to draw what the Act provides for,” he said. “But if a man is fit and wishes to go on with his job an opportunity should be given to him to do so.” Railway Earnings.

“For every £lOO earned by the New Zealand railways under the Labour Government for the financial year to date, it has cost £lO3 9s to get it. In 1935 it cost £B7 to earn £lOO. For years now, the Labour Government with political control of the railways has produced a position which is little short of scandalous,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton, in an interview on his arrival at Rotorua yesterday. Mr Hamilton next week will carry out a tour of the Bay .of Plenty district.

World’s Record Claimed. Several world records far mechanised jobs under way in New Zealand were claimed by the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semple, in a statement at Dunedin yesterday. Among them was the shifting of 6500 yards of rock daily at the Ngahauranga Gorge, 7000 yards on the Whenuapai aerodrome, and also that the Homer Tunnel would be the world’s steepest. The Minister stated that the Public Works organisation would have an important bearing if war occurred. With its wonderful machinery it could throw up forts and dig protections overnight.

“A Potential Murderer.” The influence of liquor as a factor in motor accidents was referred to yesterday by the Minister of Transport, Mr Semple. The drunken motor driver, he said, was a potential murderer, and was going to be put off the road at any cost. “In one fatality in every three happening at night time during the past six months, liquor has been present,” said Mr Semple. “In one in every five fatalities during the period liquor was a factor. Hitherto,, only cases in which convictions had been secured were included in the statistics. A more detailed accident report form now shows all cases in which liquor had, in the opinion of the police, something to do with the accident, and it reveals the fact that in the past six months, 16 drivers and six pedestrians were involved in fatal accidents resulting from drink.”

Prime Minister Kissed. Embarrassing evidence of his popularity in the shape of an unexpected embrace and a resounding kiss from a woman who rushed out of the crowd was offered the Prime Minister, Mr, Savage, in the course of his travels in Auckland yesterday. Mr Savage had just left a factory when the incident occurred, and he was later reminded of the occurrence by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, in a subsequent speech. Crowds assembled rapidly each time Mr Savage’s car was. stopped outside one of the factories of which he was making an inspection. He was cheered repeatedly and must have shaken hundreds of hands in the course of the day. Free use of his Christian names failed to disturb him and he responded gaily to repeated cries of “Good old Mick,” and “You’re looking well, Joe.”

Guaranteed Price.

The guaranteed price in relation to the farmer and the Dairy Produce Board’s reaction to legislation in that direction was discussed at Dunedin yesterday by Mr W. E. Hale, chairman of the Dairy Board, at- a ward conference. The dairy farmers, he said, had agreed to a guaranteed price as an accepted principle of the Government and had mutually agreed upon a standard of costs of production, which should be altered only under very exceptional circumstances,” and the dairyindustry was not prepared to accept any variation of the standards as recommended by the 1938 advisory committee. Under today’s conditions, he believed any return, 1 to the basis of accepting an open market price was unthinkable. He did not agree with the suggestion made by the Minister of Marketing, ‘Mr Nash, that the guaianteed price for next season should be the same as at present obtaining.

A Rowdy Meeting.

From orderly beginnings uproar and, finally pandemonium developed at a general meeting of Auckland returned soldiers in the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Hall on Thursday night. Attended by about 300 men and a few women, the meeting was called for the purpose of hearing a policy explained by 12 ex-servicemen representing a ticket and standing as candidates for election to office on the executive of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association. Gradually the proceedings became noisier till the chairman declared the meeting closed while several prospective questioners were still unheard. Cheers were given for the present executive by one section of the audience and hoots by another. Similar exchanges continued till the chairman began to sing “God Save the King” and al] finally accompanied him. The crowd then dispersed without further incident.