LOCAL & GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1939, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Thrilling New Story. There commences in the “Wairarapa Times-Age” today a thrilling story entitled ‘‘The Thirty-nine Steps” by John Buchan (Lord Tweedsmuir), the distinguished novelist, historian and statesman, who is now GovernorGeneral of Canada. Frost in Masterton. A frost of 7.7 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning. False Alarm. Two of the Masterton Fire Brigade’s engines turned out to a false alarm at Colombo Road at 9.10 o’clock last night. The alarm was given from a street box. State Houses. Tenders are invited for the erection of a further 19 unit dwellings in Masterton under the State housing scheme. Three separate tenders are being called for, one for nine units, one for eight units and the third for two units. Food Supply for Native Birds. At the annual meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last night Mr Tripp referred to the importance of planting flowering or ber-ry-bearing trees as a source of food supply for native birds. The Wanganui society had done good work in that direction, he said. Diphtheria Cases.

There were 13 cases of diphtheria last week in the central Wellington health district, but this total was not unusually large for the time of year, according to Dr F. S. Maclean, medical officer of health, Wellington. Dr Maclean said yesterday that the diphtheria notifications for the district for the first five monaths of this year totalled 98, as against 115 for the corresponding period last year. The figures for the whole year, however, had been increasing during the last two or three years, he said. The death date from the disease was gradually declining. Appeal for Recruits.

The necessity for New Zealand preparing for any eventuality, even though the likelihood of it being invaded was considered by experts to be somewhat remote, was emphasised by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, in a broadcast address last night. The Minister, who spoke in support of the appeal for recruits to expand the territorial peace establishment and for enlistments in the national military reserve, stressed the point that the land forces were equally as important as the other services. With mechanisation, training was now much more interesting and instructive than hitherto.

Radio Reception Improved. “There had been considerable im-. provement in radio reception since the Post and Telegraph Department had been acting as a ‘clearing house’ for all complaints,” stated the engineer of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, Mr H. B. Keenan, at the annual meeting at Carterton today. It had been necessary to replace or repair many pieces of apparatus causing interference. “Although at first sight this may seem a costly business to the board, I can assure you that in numerous instances we have been able to repair apparatus in the first stages‘of breakdown, when, a last stage interruption would have cost us considerably more money,” said Mr Keenan.

Boycott of Japanese Onions. The importation of several hundred tons of Japanese onions by the Government which are due to arrive in New Zealand in July will be boycotted by Chinese fruiterers in Auckland. Strong resentment was expressed by several shopkeepers at the action of the Government, and it was pointed out that the Chinese were unanimous in their refusal to handle the onions. Reports from Melbourne that the New Zealand Government was negotiating with Japan for the importation of the onions were borne out by inquiries among produce merchants in Auckland. Thought the quantity was not known, it was stated that a fairly large amount would be required in view of the local shortage.