LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Students’ Building.

More than £2500 has been raised by the Victoria University College students toward the cost of a new students’ building.

Trophy Won by Optimist Club. It was reported at the Optimist Club meeting last night that the Masterton Club had won the trophy for the largest average attendances at meetings during the year among Optimist Clubs in New Zealand.

Dippins of Headlights. Tomorrow the amendment to the traffic regulations compelling motorists to dip the headlights of their cars when there is any possibility of the lights interfering with the vision of other users of the road comes into force. Lights will have to be dipped for cyclists and horse-drawn vehicles as well as for motor-vehicles.

St John Ambulance Division. A division of the St John Ambulance has been formed in Foxton. Mr W. E. Hale has been elected president, and Mr J. Martin instructor, Dr A. Platts-Mills has offered her services as lecturer. The division has 24 members already, and is conducting mixed classes.

Regiment Over Strength. The peace-time establishment of Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifle Regiment of 326 men, exclusive of officers and bandsmen, has been exceeded by 46, and, according to information given by Taranaki Military District Headquarters at Hawera yesterday there is every possibility of the present strength of 372 men being considerably increased. Australian Cricketers.

Interest is already being taken locally in the visit of the Australian cricket team to Masterton on February 6 and 7, 1940, and a meeting of the Wairarapa Cricket Association will be held this week to set in motion arrangements for the visit. The Australians will be led by Don Bradman, and the match against Wairarapa will be the first of the tour.

Quarryman Injured in Explosion. One quarryman was seriously injured and another had a remarkable escape when a delayed explosive charge being used in a public works quarry near Taupaki yesterday caught them unaware. The injured man, Mr Walter Raymond Fitton, aged 52, Auckland was taken in an ambulance to the Auckland Hospital, but his companion, Mr T. D. Menzies, was unhurt. They are two of nine men in the camp. Christian Duty.

The duty of Christians to defend the right was stressed by the vicargeneral, Ven Archdeacon W. Bullock, in his presidential address to the Anglican Church Synod at St Paul’s Schoolroom, Wellington, yesterday. He said that, while aggressive force was condemned by the conscience of mankind, it was not the use of force that was wrong as much as the purpose for which it was used, and no civilised nation could be relieved of the duty of providing for self-defence.

No Sign of Missing Yacht. There is still no sign of the yacht Faith, which has been missing off the Chatham Islands with a crew of three men since Saturday. Advice to this effect was received from the trawler South Sea in a wireless message via the Chatham Islands radio station at 10 o’clock last night to the DirectorGeneral of the Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington. The yacht left the trawler in a south-west gale on Saturday and has not been seen since. A search was immediately instituted by land and sea. It was continued yesterday when the South Sea dispatched five launches to scour the coast round the islands.

Scarcity of Female Labour. From 1500 to 2000 females could be absorbed in the shoe manufacturing trade tomorrow morning if they were available; his firm alone could take 50, said H. O. Pittendrigh at last night’s meeting of the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce when immigration was being discussed. The secondary industries in New Zealand had been short of female labour for years, said Mr Pittendrigh. His firm had a standing advertisement and a month had gone by at times without a single applicant. If those in need of female labour could get suitable employees they could in a few weeks also employ a greater number of males.

Anglican Cathedral Fund. The Anglican Centennial appeal for funds for the proposed Wellington cathedral was mentioned by the VicarGeneral, Ven Archdeacon W. Bullock, in his presidential address to the diocesan synod yesterday. The result of the year’s work in cash and promises, he said, was over £69,000. This result was very good, and augured well for the success of the scheme. If they could only double their efforts of last year within the next 12 or 24 months, then the cathedral in a completed stale would be a comparatively near possibility. It would be a thousand pities if they had tef build piecemeal, as some people feared. Youths Sentenced.

“This is really the most serious list that I have ever had to deal with in the Children’s Court, and I trust it will be a long time before anything similar comes before the Court,” said Mr J. L. Stout. S.M., in the Children’s Court. Wellington, yesterday after he had dealt with nine youths who appeared on charges of unlawful conversion of motor-cars, theft, and mischief. A youth aged 19 years, who was described as the worst offender, had 16 charges of unlawful conversion of motor-cars, 40 charges of theft, and 14 charges of mischief made against him. The youth with the biggest list was committed to the Borstal Institution for three years; two were placed on probation for three years; another was placed on probation for two years; and a fifth was placed on probation for 18 months. The four youngest were committed to the care of the superintendent of the Child Welfare Department.