LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Serial. There commences today in the "Times-Age" a thrilling story, entitled "Ebony Torso," by John C. Woodiwiss. noted author of sensational stories. Interest will be held in the serial right front the first chapter. false Eire Alarms. f On account, it. is thought, of a leaky valve in the W.F.C.A. fire alarm system, the Masterton Brigade received two false alarms yesterday, one at 0.16 a.m. and the other at 11.26 p.m. Rain and Frost. Twelve points of rain were recorded in Masterton during the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. today, and a frost of 9.1 degrees was registered this morning by the official Masterton recorder. Miss A. M. Brown. Sheep-Worrying in Hawke's Bay. Further sheep-worrying is reported to have occurred in the Meeanee, Greenmeadows, and Taradale districts. In the first-named area losses have been particularly heavy, and several dogs have been shot. Christmas Shopping Hours. At the annual meeting of the Hastings Retailers’ Association it was decided to observe Christmas Saturday as a statutory half-day, making a 3A-day break. Late shopping nights will be the Fridays preceding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. On the Way to Settlement. The differences between the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association and the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association, to which publicity was given several weeks ago. are reliably reported to be well on the way to a satisfactory and amicable settlement. Trains Diverted. On account of the floods in the Manawatu district, the Napier express this morning was again despatched via the Wairarapa. During the night several goods trains which normally travel via the Manawatu came through the Wairarapa while the New Plymouth rail-car also ran by this route. Electric Power Stoppage. If weather conditions are favourable tomorrow, electric power will be interrupted in the Masterton borough and surrounding district? from 1 p.m, to 3.30 p.m. The shut-down is to allow the. Public Works Department to carry out work in connection with the new line being erected between Waingawa and Wellington. Badminton Match. The Wairarapa B representative team to play Hawke’s Bay at Hastings on September 2 is as follows: Misses N. Richards, G. McCormick, N. Dixon, M. Bell, E. Madsen, N. Yates; Mess.’s B. M. Hurley, F. D. G. Walker, H. Dixon. C. Newland. G. B. Peterson and G. W. McCullough. A practice will be held in the Drill Hall on Monday night from 5 to 6.30 o’clock. Bell the Cat. Many Masterton residents who are fond of birds have also a kindly feeling towards cats, though pussy’s occasional raids on the small feathered friends of the garden are a source of worry and some anxiety. One Masterton lady has hit upon the idea of placing a small bell on her cat’s neck. The tingling of the bell as the cat springs or stalks after a bird gives sufficient warning to enable the bird to escape. Occupation of Samoa. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the departure of the first New Zealand troops to serve in the Great War occurred this week. On August 15, 1914, the advance guard of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force left Wellington in two troopships for Western Samoa. The twenty-fifth, anniversary of the occupation of Samoa will be celebrated on September 2, which is the nearest Saturday to the date of the landing. A parade will be held in the morning, when a wreath will be laid on the Wellington War Memorial in honour of the dead. In the evening a smoke concert will be held. Endeavour Departs. After two years on the New Zealand station, during which important work was carried out along the coast of the North Island from Mercury Bay to the Bay of Islands, the Admiralty survey ship Endeavour, with the pay-ing-off pendant flying, left Auckland yesterday on her return to England. When the Endeavour arrived two years ago, it was announced that she would be here for 10 years. Her recall is somewhat unexpected, but it has been announced that a more modern ship will be sent to New Zealand to carry on the work. The number of errors detected in the existing charts of the coasts as the result of the Endeavour’s researches have emphasised flic need for a fresh survey ol the entire coastline of the Dominion. Cook Strait Cable. An extra circuit has been provided over the coaxial cable in Cook Strait, thus compensating to some extent, for the inconvenience which has been suffered through the breaking at the beginning of tlie week of the four-core cable which was laid in 1926. This announcement was made last night by the Postmaster-General, Mr Jones, who paid a tribute to the work done by the chief engineer of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr P. V. Miles. By the use of a good deal of ingenuity, Mr Jones said, Mr Miles had been able to provide an extra circuit over the coaxial cable. This would replace one of the four channels which were temporarily out of action. The new circuit had been tested out yesterday afternoon with satisfactory results and was now in active use. American Impressed. A recent arrival in Wellington is Ml Harry Easton Sui'crus, an American interior-decorator expert, who has come to Now Zealand direct from the Golden Gate Exposition, San Francisco. He has seen many exhibitions but after inspecting the progress macle at tlie New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, he said that he had never seen buildings and grounds so far advancjcd with tlie opening date nearly ten I weeks distant. With him he carries an extensive series of coloured pictures | for projection and among these the [brilliant colouring and the striking | architecture of the San Francisco I Fair arc graphically represented. Mr I Surerus was engaged in the design of (14 stalls at the Golden Gate Exposii tii.n and he is in Wellington on a I commission connected with tlie Com- | rnonweallh of Australia pavilion. 1 A reminder is given of the gala dance |to be held in the Muneipal Hall tonight.