LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Saunders Athletic Cup. The Masterton Amateur Athletic Club's competition for the Saunders Cup (points prize), will commence at the evening meeting next Wednesday. Pahiatua Fire Brigade Team.

A five-man team to compete in the New Zealand Frie Brigades’ Association's centennial demonstration in Petone next March will be sent from Pahiatua. The men to train are Firemen C. Meade. A. Gowler, G. Jones, J. Ward and R. Millar.

Haymaking in'Hawke's Bay. Full use of the recent tine weather is being made by Hawke's Bay farmers. many of whom are already taking their first crop of hay while the fine weather lasts. Several fields along the Hastings-Napier road were under the mower on Tuesday and in some of the fields the hay was in process of being stacked. "Make hay while the sun shines” would appear the practical, as well as the popular, maxim. South African Veterans.

Amongst others notifying their intention of accepting invitations to be present at the dinner of the South African Veterans’ Association at the Municipal Buildings on Saturday evening next, is Sir Herbert Hart, K.8.E., C. 8.. C.M.G., D. 5.0.. VD„ and his two Carterton brothers, likewise veterans of the South African War. ‘ The local committee organising the gathering anticipates the attendance of veterans from the Hutt Valley and from Pahiatua and beyond. There are prospects of a representative assembly, as in former years.

People and Politics. “Some people say they are not interested in politics, but 1 can assure them that politics are interested in them," declared the Leader of the New Zealand National Party, Mr Hamilton, when addressing a gathering of party supporters in Taihape. Mr Hamilton expressed the opinion that people should take politics more seriously and realise that they were placing great power in the hands of those they elected to Parliament. Politicians were given power over the people’s property, and it could not be denied that politics was a serious business.

Palmerston North Swimming Club. Though conditions were not of the best a considerable amount of swimming was done, said the report presented at the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Amateur Swimming Club, which resumed activities last year after being in recess for a number of years. The club visited carnivals in Dannevirke, Feilding, Wanganui, Masterton, Levin and Eketahuna. The winners of the championships were:— P. McGrath (men’s 50 yards, 100 yards freestyle and 100 yards backstroke), Miss L. Wickham (women’s 50 yards backstroke). Miss M. Gordon (women’s dive). All the events won by McGrath were records.

Education for Health. "There is today great need for more health' propaganda and co-ordination of effort by all organisations working for the good of the community,” commented Dr. Helen Deem, addressing the annual meeting of the Dunedin Plunket Society. "I look forward to the time when the teaching of mothercraft, henlth principles, and fathercraft will be included in the curriculum of every primary and secondary school in the Dominion.” Comment on the health of school children in the Dominion was made by Dr. Deem. The dir-ector-General’s report for last year showed that nearly 60 per cent of the children examined at the schools had defects and that 35 per cent had defects other than dental caries. This was a very disappointing state of affairs and prompted one to ask just why these defects had occurred.

Prevention of False Fire Alarms. If the improvements to the automatic alarm system have the desired effect there will no longer be trouble with false alarms of fire in Pahiatua. The decision to take action to prevent a recurrence of false alarms was made at a special meeting of the executive committee of the fire board following a report from the superintendent, Mr W. Lawry. Following a survey by the committee, a scheme for the removal of boxes from the stock route was drawn up and approved, comprising the following recommendations: That the alarm box at the corner of King and Tyndall Streets be removed to a position on the inner side of the power post; that the alarm box at the corner of Princes and Huxley Streets be removed; that the alarm box at the corner of Wakeman and Huxley Streets be re-erected on a power pole in front of Mr W. Rose’s property, Wakeman Street.

Aotearoa's Night Flights. Making a fine picture in the night sky, the Tasman Empire Airways fly-ing-boat Aotearoa last night made her first night flights since reaching Auckland, when she engaged in landing and take-off practice on the harbour. The tests went without a hitch and proved satisfactory in every way. A line oi six paraflin flares, as used at other air bases on Empire routes, had been pul in position earlier, beginning off Hobson Bay and extending out toward Bean , Rock. The flying-boat landed into a fresh northerly breeze after passing over the waterfront road and using her searchlights to supplement the flares when nearing the surface. After taxi-ing into position she immediately took off again after each landing. The machine made five landings in alt in the course of about an hour. Two control launches from the base were in attendance during the flights.

New Traffic Bridge. A traffic bridge is now in course of construction to replace the railway line, recently taken up. across the Mangaone Stream at the Awapuni racecourse. The work, which is costing the Manawatu Racing Club .£lBOO, is to be completed before Christmas. Much of the structure which formerly carried the railway line across the creek is being used, but its timbers are being renewed, and it is being extended to two-car width, with a pedestrian walk on one side. The first pile for the extensions was driven last week. The structure will be 99 feet long, and will provide direct access for all southern traffic to a very extensive parking area. This space has been made available bv the removal of the railway line, the clearance of numerous stumps, and the levelling of a paddock several acres in extent. Palmerston North traffic will use the old parking area, which is separated front, that Cor southern traffic by the main drive into the racecourse