LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 August 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two Heavy Frosts.

Two heavy frosts were registered in Mastertoil at the weekend—ll. 7 degrees on Sunday morning and 12.1 degrees this morning.

Skiing on Holdsworth. About thirty members of the University and Hutt Valley Tramping clubs visited Mount Holdsworth during the weekend. Yesterday the conditions .for skiing were perfect, the best so far experienced this year.

Harrier Record Broken. C. Weller, national cross-country champion, who made rather a poor showing in the West Coast (N. 1. Centre championship a week ago, made a complete reversal of form on Saturday, when he won an inter-club race of s:| miles between Palmerston North Y.M.C.A. and Marton Harrier Clubs, defeating his formidable rival, F. Hill, by 70 yards in record time —33min. Bsec. Ladies’ Rest Rooms. The recently-established Ladies’ Rest Rooms in Dixon Street are being well patronised by the public. During July 243 people visited the rooms. The large room in the real’ portion of the building has been furnished with chairs and a table for meeting purposes while a gas heating system has been installed. This room is available during the day for meetings of women’s organisations and the Masterton Townswomen's Guild now meets regularly in this room. The Rest Room in the Municipal Building has been closed. Masterton East School Dance. Another of the popular fortnightly dances was held at the Masterton East School on Saturday night, there being a good attendance. The Lucky Spot winners were Miss J. Cole and Mr E. Knott, while the Monte Carlo was won by Mr Hemmingsen and Miss Allen. Excellent music was provided by Mr J. West and Mi’ W. Ashworth, and extras were played by Mi’ H. Hood. The duties of M.C. were very ably carried out by Mr S. V. Ihaka. The dances will be continued throughout the season on alternate Saturday evenings. Hibernian Jubilee. Formed in 1913, tire St Columbkille’s branch of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society will celebrate its silver jubilee in Woodville shortly. The original officers of the branch were: President, Mr H. N. McLean; treasurer, Mr P. Ryan; vice-president, Mr M. Prendergast; warden, Mr M. Brosnahan; guardian, Mr H. Cronin; sick visitors, Messrs P. Cosgrove and J. Foster; secretary, Mr W. Hoult; trustees, Messrs G. Redwood and J. Cronin; chaplain, the Rev Father Long. During the past 25 years the branch has made excellent progress and the present president is Mr L. V. McKay and the secretary Mr J. Doherty. Stranded Whale. The dead body of a 30-foot humpback whale was washed ashore at Lyall Bay on Saturday afternoon's tide. It stranded among the rocks at the western end of the beach and was left high and dry at the ebb. As the whale appears to have been some while dead, and is already decomposing, its removal will soon become urgent. Its aroma is already noticeable. Technically, it is understood that its head belongs to the King, its tail to the Queen, and its body to its finder, this being legal opinion given when last a whale stranded at Lyall Bay. None of the people, however, are likely to undertake its removal. Train Hits Lorry.

Severe head injuries were received by the driver of a motor-lorry which was struck by the New Plymouth-Wel-lington express at the railway station level crossing in Paraparaumu shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday. The injured man, Mr H. Wright, labourer, Paraparaumu, who is in the Wellington Public Hospital, was reported yesterday to be in a serious condition. Mr Wright was the only occupant of the lorry. He was apparently thrown out of the vehicle and the rear part of it was badly damaged. The crossing is regarded as dangerous, a fatal accident having occurred on it a few months ago, as well as other accidents.

Silent Films Favoured. The fact that 26 out of 33 children voted in favour of silent films for school use caused a good deal of surprise among members of the Ashburton Borough School Committee when the headmaster (Mr M. J. Leith) reported that, of instruction with both talking and silent films, the pupils preferred the latter for educational purposes. It was stated that the children found the double concentration too great a strain, and that they considered films easier to follow if comments were made by the teacher who conducted the lessons relating to the subject.