LOCAL & GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1939, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL

Driver’s Licences. The Masterton Borough Council issued 1505 driver's licences during last month. The Masterton County Council issued 875 licences for the same period. Infectious Diseases. A case of scarlet fever was reported in Masterton yesterday, the first for some time past. No further cases of diphtheria have occurred beyond those reported last week. Vital Statistics. The vital statistics for Masterton for May, with the figures for the corresponding month in 1938 in parentheses, are as follow: Birth, 27 (23); marriages, 10 (10); deaths, 10 (3). Centennial Memorial Outlook.

Stone from the old Waterloo Bridge in London, which was opened by the Duke of Wellington, will be incorporated in the Centennial memorial outlook to be erected on Mount Victoria in the city named after the Iron Duke.

Railway Freight Charges. New railway freight rates were to have operated as from today, but according to a special Gazette issued last night their operation has been postponed by a month. The new scale will now operate as from July 1.

Rock Oyster Season. The picking of Auckland rock oysters before the opening of the selling season, started today. It is intended to open the Government depot for the sale of oysters on June 15. Prospects are for increased supplies of oysters of good quality. Tomatoes in June. A Masterton gardener boasts that he has tomatoes ripening in June. He has about twenty plants, growing in a sheltered position, on which tomatoes are still ripening. Protection, of course, has been necessary to prevent damage by frosts. Missing Man Found. Suffering from loss of memory, Mr Ernest Edward Earnshaw, married, of 17 Houghton Bay Road, Wellington, who was missing from his home on Tuesday, was found yesterday in Manners Street, Wellington. A policeman noticed Mr Earnshaw in Manners Street and he was taken to his home none the wore for his experience.

Record Number of Deaths. Deaths in Christchurch continue to be a record; 172 deaths were recorded for May, compared with 128 last year, and for cne first five months of this yeai', the total was 655, compared with 547 for the corresponding period last year. The figures for the last five months even exceeded the totals recorded up to the end of June for any other year. Odd.Fellows’ Dance.

A most enjoyable dance was held in the Masonic Hall last night by the Masterton Odd Fellows’ Lodge. There was a large attendance of dancers. Pool’s Blue River Dance Band provided the music and'Mr. W. Palmer proved an efficient M.C. A ladies’ committee attended to the supper arrangements.

Price of Milk in Christchurch. Efforts will be made shortly, subject to the approval of all interested parties, to fix the price of milk in Christchurch. The milk committe of the Christchurch City Council has decided to call a conference of representatives of the Dairymen’s Society, Limited, and the city vendors, to discuss the proposals. Representations will then be made to the Minister of Internal Marketing, Mr. Lee Martin, subject to approval of the conference.

Distemper Serum. The North Island Sheepdog Trial Association decided at its annual meeting at Gisborne last night to ask the Department of Agriculture to handle the distribution and administration of distemper serum for dogs. A ■ letter was received from Dr C. S. M. Hopkirk, officer in charge of the Wallaceville Veterinary Laboratory, indicating that private veterinary surgeons were opposed to the control of serum virus ■ by the Government, .maintaining that the work was legitimately their own.

Methodist Centenary. On Sunday afternon, June 11. the centenary of the establishment of Methodism in Port Nicholson, as Wellington was then called, will be commemorated. This will be the first public function in connection with the Centennial celebrations in the province, and will be marked by the presentation to the city of a handsome marble and granite monument, in which is incorporated a bronze bubble fountain. It will be erected in the reserve in Manners Street, opposite the Grand Opera House, on a spot set aside for the purpose by the Wellington City Council. 4 Maoris and Defence. A suggestion that the Maoris be given their head in assisting in the defence of New Zealand, was made by a speaker of a local body deputation which interviewed the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, at Auckland yesterday. The speaker said history showed that the Maoris were past masters in strategy, shrewdness and bravery. “I personally think the suggestion worthy of commendation,” said the Minister. “We all love the Maori and know of the fighting qualities he displayed during the early trebles of this country and during the Great War. We admire the strategy, strength and gameness of the Na:tive warriors. The Minister assured the deputation that the Maoris would not be overlooked by the Government in the organisation under way. Increase in Customs Revenue. Contrary to expectations net Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington for May showed a sharp increase of £28,467 over the amount collected in May, 1938. and for the five months of the current year revenue from this source is only £7339 below that for the corresponding period of last year. When the import control regulations were brought into force early last December it was generally expected that Customs revenue would not be much affected till April or May, but that then a sharp falling off in imports would be noticeable. Revenue collected in Wellington in April showed a sharp decrease, being the smallest total for twelve months, consequently last month’s big total was wholly unexpected. Wise words: Those you don’t say when you want to tell off the boss.