LOCAL & GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 May 1939, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Holiday Term Ending. Primary and secondary schools in Wellington are to begin their second terms next week. The primary schools reopen on Monday and the colleges on Tuesday next. Frost in Masterton. A frost of 3.2 degrees was recorded in Masterton this morning. From about 10 o’clock this morning there was no alteration in the registration, conditions becoming milder towards daylight. Chinese Join Labour Party. Believed to be for the first time in New Zealand, 12 Chinese have been admitted to membership of the Labour Party. They are employed on work at the aerodrome at Stratford and have joined the Stratford branch. They are mostly Cantonese who came from Wellington to join the Public Works Department gangs.

No Slackening off in Work. According to Wellington trade union secretaries, the import restrictions have had little effect on employment as reflected in union memberships. • It was stated yesterday that there had been no particular evidence, .as yet of any slackening off in work with the exception of some which was seasonal and was, therefore, considered normal.

Ladies’ Rest Room.

The cost of renovating and furnishing the Ladies’ Rest Room, which is to be opened on Monday, was £220, staled the Borough Engineer, Mr C. R. Mabson this morning. Mr Mabson said a considerable amount of renovation work was involved to make the building in a satisfactory condition for rest, room purposes.

Dairy Workers Dispute. . After deliberating for three days, the parties in the Dominion dairy workers dispute in the Conciliation Council in Wellington failed to reach an agreement on the claims and counter-claims, and adjourned till July 3. The only measure of agreement related to retrospective pay, the employers falling into line with the request of the workers that the new award should date as from the beginning of the dairy season. Married Women Teachers.

The Otago Education Board decided at its meeting yesterday to record a strong protest against the withdrawal of its discretionary powers in the appointment of married women teachers, the discussion being initiated by comment on the large number of young teachers employed as supernumeraries because they could not obtain either, relieving or permanent work. A member reported a case where a young woman married a man highly placed, yet elected to continue teaching. Coal Mine Idle.

The Liverpool State mine, which was idle on Wednesday because of bathhouses being cold and clothing undried when the men arrived at work, was idle again yesterday for the’ same reason. The department states that steam pipes were interfered with by an unauthorised person, despite, the locking of valves and four inspections on Wednesday night. The union is co-operating with the department to prevent a recurrence. St John Ambulance.

Speaking at a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Rugby League, Mr L. G. Amos, who was in the chair, declared that the St John Ambulance Brigade was the most neglected body in the Dominion. He mentioned the 'enthusiastic manner in which the association’s work was carried out week after week, and deplored the fact that most of the sportsmen who received the benefit of it seemed almost unaware of its existence. On the motion of Mr Amos it was decided to make a grant of £2 2s to the association, with the proviso that if it were possible, a larger grant would be made at the close of the season.

Appeal for Recruits. In response to the recent request from the Minister for Defence, the Hon F. Jones) that more men between the ages of 25 and 32 should offer their services in the territorial forces, i considerable number of suitable men had come forward in Christchurch and had given their names to the defence authorities, states the Defence Department. These recruits would, in due course, be placed with various units. It should be stressed, however, that the inclusion of men between the ages stated in no way indicated that younger men were not required. Recruits of 18 years and more would continue to be enlisted as in the past. Industries & Immigration.

A statement that many highly-skill-ed technicians and experts were now available to certain of the industries in the Dominion was made at a meeting of the council of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation in Wellington yesterday. In the interests of the manufacturing industry generally it was decided to request the Government to set out for the information of manufacturers the policy governing the,admission of immigrants from European countries. It was also stated that previously sufficient inducement could not be offered those people to come to New Zealand, and now that the opportunity was available the federation desired to explore every means of taking advantage of it.

Vienna Boys’ Choir. ■ The Vienna Mozart Boys’ Choir, which is to give a concert in the Opera House on Friday, May 26. recently toured the United States, and met with a most enthusiastic reception everywhere. One of the boys’ staunchest supporters is President Roosevelt, who first heard them sing at the annual dinner of the Democrat Party in Boston. Mr Roosevelt was so impressed that he engaged the Choir to give a complimentary performance to the citizens of Boston. This took place in the Museum of Fine Arts and was attended by 15,000 people, many of whom signed a petition requesting the Choir to return to Boston. A special visit to Washington to sing again for the President was also arranged. The Choir consists of twenty boys, sopranos and altos, under the musical direction of Dr. Georg Gruber, one of the bestknown of European choral conductors, who has been principal conductor of the Vienna Boys’ choirs for many years. The programmes will include operettas in costume, songs in English, and Viennese folk songs. The tour is under the direction of Mr D. D. O'Connor.

A motoring expert tells us the £4O car is bound to come. The real tionis; Will it go?