LOCAL & GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1939, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

A Glorious Sight. The Tararua ranges present a glorious sight in the warm sunshine today, with snow clad peaks standing out in the sunlight against a blue background. Escapes from Weraroa.

Viewing with alarm the frequency of escapes from the Weraroa Boys’ Training Farm, the Kairanga County. Council has decided to write to the manager asking whether anything can be done. It was stated that settlers were suffering from the escapades of the boys. About three boys a week seemed to get away, and they were a nuisance from one end of the island to the other. Reserve Enrolments.

Enrolments for the New Zealand National Military Reserve now total 7319. This number, though well under the anticipated response, shows a steady expansion, the average daily increase being 432. The Wellington postal district still leads the Dominion with 1141 enrolments. Auckland is next with 1063. Christchurch takes third place with 732 enrolments and Hamilton is close up with 650. Napier is ahead of Dunedin, their enrolments being 547 and 530 respectively. Other returns are: Invercargill, 398; Palmerston North, 355; Wanganui, 355; New Plymouth, 289; Nelson, 258; Gisborne, 248;. Thames; 234’; Timaru, 174; Oamaru, 108; Blenheim, 96; Greymouth, 81; Westport, 65. Uniting primary . roducers.

It is hoped that arrangements will be completed within a month for a conference of all primary producers’ organisations in North Canterbury to discuss the formation of a united body to serve all interests. Mr A. E. G. Lyttle, secretary of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, which decided recently to give urgency to the calling of such a conference, said that the cooperation of all the primary producers was being sought, and that as soon as the attitudes of the various bodies were known it would be possible to fix a date.

New Zealand Man in the Street. Dr F. H. Spencer, of London, who visited New Zealand in 1938, says in a report just published by the Carnegie Corporation: “The man in the street, of both sexes, is peasant, courteous and relatively well informed. His speech is not unpleasing. Some people have found him dull and slow. But these critics are from those lands of bright sun and effervescent atmosphere which may account for their own flamboyant and excessive heartiness. An Englishman, however, finds this absence of unintermittent talk, this relatively quiet and reserving bearing, the inclination to abstain from slapping a new acquaintance too instantaneously and too heartily upon the back, by no means strange.”

Not an Indecent Book. “I do not think the Crown has established as against defendant that his act in keeping this book on his library shelves or hiring the book out was indecent in the circumstances of this case,” stated his Honour, Mr Justice Blair, in a reserved judgment delivered in Auckland > yesterday in which he allowed the appeal of Howard Keddell Sumpter, one of three principals of the London Book Club lending library, against his conviction by a magistrate in Auckland on a charge of having in his possession for hire an indecent book, entitled the “ ‘Decameron’ of Boccaccio.” His Honour added: “I desire to make it plain that I do not wish to be understood as holding that there may not be circumstances when the sale or hire of this book might not be held to be within the mischief aimed at by the Statute.”

Transport Schedule. In reply to the Masterton County Council, which had requested for an interpretation of an item “fertiliser and lime, minimum' load three tons,” in the road transport schedule of charges for the Wairarapa district, the Commissioner of Transport, pointed out that as the schedule stood, the minimum charge for hauling fertiliser and lime was 9s. The Commissioner stated that he understood that the Licensing Authority, Mr Skoglund, was looking into the question of modifying this minimum charge in cases where, for example, two tons of other goods were carted with one tone of lime or fertiliser, and also where a small truck, which was not capable of carrying three tons was sued. “Not a very satisfactory answer,” commented councillors. Hand Blown off by Gelignite. In attempting to frighten a shark by exploding a plug of gelignite, John Cuianavich, a Dalmatian from the Ahipara gumfields, had one of his hands blown off at Ninety-Mile Beach on Sunday. With a companion, Mr Cuianavich left to go fishing. When they reached the beach they saw a large shark, which made it impossible for them to go into the water to net fish. Mr Cuianavich, who had a plug of gelignite, decided to use it to frighten the shark away. He prepared a fuse and waited till the shark was within about 12ft of him, expecting that it would continue steadily on its course. Mr Cuianavich then lit the fuse from his cigarette and stood by waiting for the shark to pass. At the last moment, however, the shark turned suddenly and went in another direction. In his surprise, Mr Cuianavich held on to the stick of gelignite too long and it exploded, blowing his hand off.

For some time now there has been a great shortage of one-cent pieces in Newfoundland, and so there was great rejoicing the other day when a ship arrived at St. John’s with half a million of these coins. On these pennies, as they are called, is a design Queen Victoria chose, showing a plant common throughout the Dominion, a pitcher plant.