LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Auckland “Hard-Up” Ball. The Auckland police have decided to take proceedings against an executive member of the Auckland Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association. in consequence of allegations macle recently that liquor was sold at a "hard-up” ball held in the Town Hall on July 19 in aid of the Mayor's Centennial Fund. The case will be heard before a magistrate on Friday. Action has been taken under section 195 of the Licensing Act. Fijian Football Team.

It was reported to the executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union at its meeting at Wellington last night that the Customs Department had advised that the Fijian Rugby representatives shortly to visit New Zealand would be prohibited immigrants, and an undertaking was desired that they should all leave New Zealand after the tour. Mr A. C. Kitto: "We will have to send a man round to watch them." On the suggestion of the chairman, Mr S. Dean, it was decided to give the necessary undertaking.

Badminton i ourney. Approval of dates for the Hawke’s Bay Badminton Association’s fifth annual championship and handicap tournament in the Hastings drill hall next week was contained in a communication from the New Zealand Badminton Federation received at a meeting of the district executive of the Hawke’s Bay Association in Hastings on Tuesday night. The tournament is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. next Wednesday, and will continue till Saturday. Several Wairarapa and Manawatu players wrote intimating the possibility of taking part.

Protest Against Petrol Tax. With a view to obtaining individual support from members in a comi' ! ned protest of the Norin and South Island Motor Unions and Automobile Associations throughout New Zealand against the increased petrol tax, the Automobile Association (Auckland) decided a! a meeting last night to send out circulars to inform members how the tax would affect them. Members will be supplied with copies of the protest already lodged, and they will be asked to forward individual letters of protest to members of Parliament for their various districts.

Sedgley Home. The Matron of the Sedgley Boys’ Home acknowledges with thanks the following gifts:—Forequartei' of beef, Mi- Hugh Morrison; rabbits and hares, Mr Boddington; 1 case grape fruit, Mrs Albert Beetham; honey, Anon.; jam. Anon.; cakes, Miss Cblquhoun, Mrs A. L. Yates, Mrs W. L. Hunter, Mrs Gill. Mrs Alexander; lemons and grapefruit, Mr Kempthorne; fat, Mrs Ralph Beetham, Mrs Willoughby; soup, Legion of Frontiersmen; buns, Mr Wallis; sandwiches and sausage rolls, Diggers’ Market; sandwiches. Red Star Football Club; overcoat, Mrs Engstrom; papers and tea, Mrs G. Hyde; entertainments, pictures, Mr Reid, St. Matthew's Club Concert, Kuripuni Guild Social.

Strength of Army Units. The strength of army units in the Central Military District continues to mount steadily and during the last week there had been an increase of 229 men, said the officer commanding the' district. Colonel E. Puttick, yesterday. The district strength was now 242 officers and 5397 other ranks, a surplus over peace establishments of 478 men, of whom 188 were special reservists and 2GI bandsmen. Fourteen of the 19 units were over-strength, the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment (City of Wellington’s Own) leading the way with 29 officers and 798 other ranks. This units had actually exceeded its war establishment, but as the strength included 74 special reservists and 44 bandsmen, there was still room for 57 men.

Validating Expenditure. Cases in which the Audit Office has agreed to pass expenditure on the understanding that validating legislation is to follow are referred to in the annual report of the Controller and Auditor-General. Mr J. H. Fowler, which was presented to Parliament yesterday. Though Mr Fowler reports that there were no cases in which the Government failed to honour undertakings of this kind, he states that there are inherent dangers in the practice. "In my last report,” he states, “I drew attention to a number of instances where expenditure had been incurred for which no specific authority existed, but which, in order not to embarrass the Government unduly, the Audit Office agreed to pass on receiving from the Prime Minister his assurance that validating legislation would be introduced at an early date.” Taxi Drivers’ Death. The belief that deceased had fainted before his car hit the tree was expressed by Dr T. H. Pullar, pathologist at Palmerston North Hospital, at an inquest yesterday regarding the death of Cecil Hycott Terry, taxi-driver, aged 41, Palmerston North. Terry was found dead in his car after it left the bitumen in Fitzherbert Avenue on the morning of July 31. and collided headon with one of the trees that flank the avenue. The coroner, Mr A. J. Graham. in giving his finding, said the medical certificate given at the time Terry obtained his taxi-drivers' licence had shown that he had suffered from a rheumatic condition of the heart for many years. . In the light of the severe condition of Terry's heart, as revealed by the post-mortem examination, it would have been advisable for a license not to have been issued in this case. His verdict was that Terry died on July 31 from a traumatic rupture of the aorta following severe injuries to the chest received through his losing control of the motor-car he was driv-* ing as the result of fainting.