LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Centennial Exhibition. Yesterday's attendance at the Centennial Exhibition was 8029, making the total to date 231.756. Keen Inter-House Girls. So keen are the inter-house girls in connection with Saturday's contest that a number of them were, despite the rain, to be seen training at the Masterton Park shortly after 6 o'clock this morning. High .Medical Standard. The medical examination board examined recruits for the ground staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, in the Drill Hall, Masterton, last night. A very high percentage of passes was recorded. A New Definition. Mrs S. M. Mawson presented the annual report of the Presbyterian Women Missionary Union to the General Assembly of the Church at Christchurch this week. She introduced herself as president of a body that had been called "Plain Women Made Useful.” 'Generous Gesture. Arrangements were put in hand at the weekly luncheon of the Masterton Rotary Club held yesterday to take the boys from local orphanages and Government homes to Wellington on December 14, to see the Centennial Exhibition. The boys will spend a full day at the Exhibition. A Berber’s Apology. Touching in his address to-the Masterton Rotary Club yesterday, upon the things that are liable to happen in Palestine, Sir Herbert Hart said that one day he went outside and found his Berber servant straining his coffee through one of his socks. When taken to task the Berber replied: "Apology, master. Don't worry, not clean one.” “European Bicker” and Rotary. Rotary knows no international boundaries, and the following notice in the publication of the Rotary Club of London shows the attitude of members to the present conflict. It reads: "The London Club is, as ever, strongly and hospitably at your service. When the present European, bicker it settled, we shall welcome back to the former circle those colleagues on whose national axis our emblem finds no present place.” College Girls’ Success At the monthly meeting of the Wairarapa College Board last night members commented very favourably on the report by the Principal, Mr G. G. Hancox, that the girls had won for the second consecutive time the William Henry Memorial Cup (in memory of William Henry, hon secretary of the Royal Life Saving Society for many years). The cup was awarded annually to the girls’ secondary school with the highest percentage of live-saving awards.

Methodist Centenary. The first celebrations in Taranaki connected with the observance of the Dominion’s centenary occurred at New Plymouth yesterday, when the completion of 100 years of Methodist Maori mission work was marked by the unveiling of a commemorative stone by the Rev E. D. Patchett, chairman of the Taranaki-Wanganui Synod. Among those present was the president of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Angus Mcßean, who later in the day dedicated the small church, built many years ago, and recently presented to the Methodist Church by Mr Philip Wells for mission purposes at Moturoa. There was a large gathering of Maoris and Pakehas.

Christmas Fair Appeal. In connection with the Christmas Fair which is to be held in the Masterton Municipal Hall on Friday, December 1, in aid of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Fund, the committee which is controlling the function would appreciate donations of produce, cakes, sweets, fancy work and articles for the jumble stall. As the cause is a very worthy one, that of helping the soldiers in camp, Masterton will doubtless respond as was the case in the Great War by strongly supporting the appeal. The receiving depots are the R.S.A. Office, Mr C. E. Grey’s butcher's shop, Queen Street, and the De Luxe Cafe, while Mr J. V. Dolan, Municipal Hall, will also receive donations. The competitions include a baby show which is already attracting considerable interest among mothers. Woman Again Remanded. A further remand for a week was ordered by Mr Justice Blair when when Doris Jones, clerk, appeared before him in the Supreme Court. Wellington, yesterday for sentence for theft of sums totalling £637 Ils from the Waipukurau County Council, her former employer. After pleading guilty in Napier she had been remanded by his Honour to appear in Wellington so that he would have time io consider her case. Yesterday his Honour said he wished certain inquiries to be made before he came to a decision and they had not been completed. Certain features of the case were giving him trouble he told prisoner, and he was sorry to keep the matter hanging over her head. A certain field of inquiry had not been completed, and he would have to adjourn the case till 10 a.m. next Thursday.

Sterling Exchange Funds. A remarkable improvement in the sterling exchange funds of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is shown in the latest weekly return. At the close of business on Mondfly the sterling exchange held by the Reserve Bank amounted to £7.543.770, an increase during last week of £ 1,756,042. Against this there were overseas currency liabilities amounting to £12,700, thus making the bank's net overseas assets £7,531,070, compared with £5,775,394 on November 13. an increase of £1,755,676. The bank's sterling assets are now at the highest level shown since October of last year. On January 9 of this year they were down to £3 933,850. The bank's reserve on Monday stood at £10,322,909, the proportion of reserve to notes and other demand liabilities being 30.634 per cent, compared with 25.121 per cent on November 13. Other features in the latest return are a decrease of £1,917,339 in dairy advances which amount to £5,234,660, compared with the record level of £7.151.999 on November 13 and a reduction of £150.0(10 in advances to the State for other purposes, which oi? Monday stood at £16.725,000. The note issue at £17,388,826 shows a further decrease of £2063.