LOCAL & GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 May 1939, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL

Home With- the Milkman. “'Did your husband keep late hours?” asked counsel of a witness in a civil claim in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court today. Witness: “Yes, very late. On one occasion he came home at six o’clock in the morning, paying the milkman at the same time.” Free Cablegrams. As many as 180 free cablegrams were despatched from the Masterton Post Office to the British Isles on the occasion of the concession granted by the authorities. The messages were confined to thos.e of a social nature. -Replies are still being received. Beginners’ Luck. A Masterton resident who has only lately taken up trout fishing had real beginners’ luck at Taupo during a recent visit to that district. He succeeded in landing the best trout of the day, a nine pounder, also a 71 pounder and several other fish of respectable dimensions. Guaranteed Price Scheme. More than 500‘farmers from all parts of the Wanganui district attended a meeting in the Wanganui Savage Club Hall yesterday to discuss the guaranteed price scheme for sheepfarmers. After a long, keen debate, the feeling of the meting was indicatd when 26 voted for the scheme, and the rest against it. Golf Ball Picked up by B/-d. To see a seagull picx up his golf ball near the twelfth green and carry it some distance was the unusual expeience of a Hamilton golfer while playing at St. Andrew’s links during the weekend. The gull flew off with the ball, dropped it, picked it up again, and deposited it in the rough. The player was allowed to replace the ball approximately in the position where it had been originally lying.

Weta in a Bed. A Masterton resident was somewhat perturbed the other morning to find a fearsome looking insect in his bed of a type that he had never seen before. A formidable looking sting that projected from the rear of the insect did not add to the comfort of the finder when he realised that he might have had cause to remember his unwelcome visitor. Upon inquiries being made — the insect was displayed in a bottle — it was ascertained that it was a fine specimen of weta.

Price of Oranges. Prices more than double those ruling last season were fixed for the first shipment of Cook Island .oranges unloaded at Auckland from the Matua yesterday. Fruitgrowers strongly criticised the Internal Marketing Department’s action in setting a price level which made it impossible for families with low incomes to obtain oranges. A comparison was made with the position last year, when cases containing 126 oranges, estimated to show 20 per cent waste, sold at 7s 6d. Yesterday the samesized cases, reported to contain nearly 100 per cent sound fruit, cost 17s 6d.

Social Security Act. Registration under the Social Security Act was required to be made by the end of April. Numbers of people, who are applying this week, are being registered by post offices, though the statutory . date for registration has passed. The Act provides for a fine of £5O for failure to register. Registrations are being received by the Post Office without the imposition of any penalty for lateness in the meantime. A penalty of 6d is also provided for every month or part of a month that elapses after one month from the due date of payment, with a maximum of 2s 6d for each instalment.

Interesting Address on China. At the Wairarapa College yesterday afternoon the pupils spent an instructive half hour listening to an address by the Rev. G. A. H. Eldriedge, a Canadian missionary who is touring New Zealand, and who spent some years in China. Mr Eldriedge dealt in a most informative manner with conditions in China, the life and habits, etc., of the people, of that vast country. address was listened to with close attention, and the pupils had placed before them valuable information which should prove useful to them in the course of their studies. Mr Eldriedge was warmly thanked for his address. The 1940 All Blacks.

Delegates to the New Zealand Rugby Union, by 63 votes to 28, decided at the annual meeting in Wellington yesterday to defer the selection of the All Black team to tour South Africa next' season, till early in the 1940 season, and to leave the sailing date in the hands of the New Zealand council. It was also agreed to hold-trials toward the end of this season as already decided on, but that further trials should be held early next season,, after which the team would be announced. Mr E. McKenzie (Wairarapa) was appointed sole selector for the All Blacks for the 1940 season as well as the present season? Australian Cricketers Tour. Don Bradman, at the head of a team of leading Australian cricketers, will visit New Zealand during the latter part of the 1939-40 season. The board of control has fully approved of the tour, and the team will land in the Dominion in February. Details of the itinerary are not available, but it is stated authoritatively from Sydney that two or three Tests will be played. Thus, in the South Island, a provincial match against Canterbury during the last week of February will be followed by a Test match against the Australians on Lancaster Park, starling on March 1. In addition to travelling to Otago, the Australians will visit the West Coast. It is expected that Bradman will be accompanied by McCabe, O’Reilly, Fleetwood-Smith, Barnes, Fingleton, Brown, Hassett and others.

Equipment of Territorials. To clothe and equip its Territorial Army of 50,000, the Government will require 60,000 uniforms and accessories, 60,000 hats, and 80,000 pairs of boots, and 120,000 blankets. The order is a huge one, and it is understood that it has been the subject of numerous conferences and discussions in Wellington during the last 10 days. A most significant feature of the position has been the calling to Wellington of representatives of all New Zealand woollen mills and boot factories for the purpose of discussing ways and means with the Defence Council. It is staled that mills have been informed that orders must be treated as emergency in character and executed within a given time. The period is said to be three months, irrespective of the volume of business, already increasing as the result of import restrictions, now on firms' books.