LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 8.2 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning.

Wood in Short Supply. Really good wood is almost unobtainable in Masterton at the present time. Supplies have been interrupted by the bad weather. It is now necessary to go as far as twenty miles out of town to secure wood of any quality. Some wood merchants are right, out of wood of any kind, while others have supplies of bluegum and pine, but no matai or rata. Animals in National Park.

Fears that the young forest trees and the mountain plant life in the National Park district will suffer from grazing animals, which are increasing, are expressed by botanists. Cattle are now wandering freely over a good deal of the district, while deer are very much more numerous in the sanctuary than they were a few years ago. Meteor Shower Expected.

Astronomers expect a shower of meteors to fall next Thursday. That night the world, in its career through space, will rush close across the tail of a comet. It is likely that star-dust trailing in the wake of the comet will hurtle into the earth’s atmosphere and break into a rain of falling stars. The comet is known as Jurlof-Achmanarof-Hassel. Twice in the next six months its. course will nearly intersect that of the earth: next week and at the end of January. On each occasion a shower of meteors is likely to occur. Fruit Marketing.

That there was not unanimity among growers of apples and pears regarding control of the local marketing by the Government was disclosed at yesteiday’s session of the Auckland provincial annual conference of the New Zealand Fruit-growers’ Federation. Divergent views are expressed in 25 remits relating to this matter, which are on the order paper of the Dominion conference, to be held in August, and these remits were considered by delegates yesterday. After discussion it was decided, on a majority vote, that, if the Government intimated its intention of marketing apples and pears, based on production cost, a referendum of growers should be taken first. Death from Asphyxiation. At an inquest at Greymouth yesterday concerning the death of Arthur Spencer Culslon, aged three years, the coroner, Mr R. Ferner, S.M., returned a verdict of death from asphyxiation during the burning of the parents’ house at Cobden on July 22. Mr Fetner commented that doubtless on the evidence certain questions arose but their elucidation might well involve consideration of whether there had been an omission to perform ordinary and reasonable acts to save the life of the child. As coroner, he must refrain from expressing an opinion on such matters at an inquest which was not the. place for any submission regarding justification or excuse. In These circumstances counsel for the parents withdrew an application to address the coroner. Disturbances at Dances. A warning that disorderly conduct by young men at dances and cabarets must be met by a heavy penalty, was given by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, when imposing a fine of £5 on William Steven Pearce, who pleaded not guilty to three charges of assault. A brother of accused, Thomas George Pearce, was fined £1 for assault. On two other charges of assault William Steven Pearce was convicted and discharged. The police evidence showed that there was a disturbance at the Majestic Cabaret, Wellington, on June 17. After hearing several witnesses, including the two accused, the magistrate commented on the numerous cases which had come before the Court concerning disturbances at dances and cabarets. Money for Overseas. Reasons for the restrictions on 'remittances of money overseas by means of money-orders were given by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in reply to a question asked by Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga), in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Savage said the restrictions were necessary because of the continued abuse of the money-order system whereby persons desirous of remitting money abroad and finding difficulty in securing the necessary drafts from their banks circumvented the regulations by applying. either in their own name or in the name of other persons on their behalf, for a number of separate money-ord-ers. each of small amounts, but in many cases in the aggregate of a substantial sum. Use of Heart Timber. "I am aware that'in the South Island some difficulty lias been experienced by contractors in securing adequate supplies of heart limbci' lor the construction of State rental houses.' said the Minister in Charge of Housing. Mr Armstrong, in reply to a question by Mr Nordmeyer (Government. Oamaru) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Nordmeyer had also asked whether the Minister would consider the possibility of utilising more timber of the 0.8. variety. •Though the proportion of heart timber specified by the Department of Housing Construction in the average house in the South Island is only from 20 per cent to 30 per cent, arrangements have been made to reduce this percentage to a still lower figure in some cases to assist contractors and the timber industry," said Mr Armstrong. The Guaranteed Price. Pledging support for the Advisory Price Committee expressing tile view that the guaranteed price must be maintained, and urging adherence to the present system of marketing, a resolution was adopted unanimously by 200 suppliers attending the annual meeting of the Northern Wairoa Co-op. Dairy Co. Ltd. "I am of the opinion that farmers are not dissatisfied with the fundamental principles but with Hsing costs" said Mr C. D. Windusi, in moving the resolution. “The Farm- . rs’ Union is the laughing stock of all other unions, as it is not. unanimous, and many individual farmers are sending letters to the Prime Minister expressing their own views.” commented Mr S."c. Colmore Williams. "We should speak with one voice, and the best, thing we can do is to select leaders and stand v'hole-heartedly behind them as other unions are doing. That is the only way we will ever get justic