LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 4.3 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning. Centennial Exhibition. The attendance at the Centennial Exhibition at Wellington yesterday (10,738) brought tile total up to 397.511. the daily average being 14.723. Bounty on Hawks. During the past four months, the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Society has paid out bounties on approximately 3000 hawks. The amount paid out during this period for the destruction of pests totals more than £15(1.

Special Force Enrolment. The latest enrolment in tlie Wairarapa for the Special Force is that of Mr I. B. McWhinnie. Mr McWhinnie is a well-known cricketer, and lias for some years played witli the Red Star seniors. The total enrolments to date have now reached 313.

Flag Day in Wellington. Brilliant weather and large crowds in the 7 streets yesterday enabled the workers on behalf of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council to conduct a most successful flag day. The amount in hand last night from city and suburban stands was £1225, and one return was outstanding.

Post Office Savings Bank Deposits.

Deposits with the Post Office Savings Bank during October £(1.913,192) showed a slight increase over the total for the previous month, and withdrawals (£2,033,516) decreased by £991,961. The excess of withdrawals over deposits (£120.324) is the lowest recorded since the continuous excess of withdrawals began in September. 1938. and compares with £1.133,852 in September. 1939. and £1.546.120 in October, 1938.

Drink at Dances. Two convictions on charges arising out of the recent regulations on drinking at dances were recorded by Mr JI. P. Lawry, S.M.. in Pahiatua, each defendant being fined £1 and costs. One man. was found in possession of threequarters of a bottle of port wine and a bottle with a little beer in it, and he was standing in. front of the main entrance of the hall calling someone to come out with him. The other defendant was standing a short distance from the hall with two other men, and was drinking beer from a bottle. Retail Prices. The retail prices index (base; 192630 equals 1000) for the three food groups has risen 7 points, the figure for October being 1066. as compared with 1059 for the previous month, reports the Government Statistician. This increase is the result principally of the influence of the groceries group, the index for which rose 17 points (from 1100 to 1117) because of a further increase in the price of potatoes. In the dairy produce group there was a fall of 19 points (.from 980 to 961) caused by seasonal reduction in the price of milk in some centres. There was no movement in the index for lhe meat group. Payment for Wool.

To provide a contingency fund for any possible error in working out the average price of 12.188 d a lb. for (he Dominion wool clip, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Lee Martin, has decided that 5 per cent of the gross proceeds due to growers and other sellers of wool is to be held back when payment is made. This 5 per cent will form a suspense account and will later be distributed by the New Zealand Wool Brokers' Association at the end of the year and when it is possible to ascertain the difference between the amount paid out and th amount due on the fixed average price. This is a process in some respects similar to that followed by the dairy companies in former times.

Late Squadron-Leader Lamb. A memorial Portrait of SquadronLeader Lennox Lamb, recently killed on active service with the Royal Air Force, was unveiled in the St. Matthew's Scout Den last evening by the Mayor of Mastertoil (Mr T. Jordan) in the presence of members of the St. Matthew’s Troop, parents and others. The Vicar of St. Matthew’s, the Rev. E. J. Rich, presided over the gathering. The late Squadron-Leader Lamb was formerly a member of the St. Matthew’s Scout Troop and was the first King's Scout in the Wairarapa. Amongst those present were Mr and Mrs W. G. Lamb, parents, Mr Stanley Lamb, brother, and Mrs Frank Perry, sister, of the late Squadron-Leader Lamb.

Pope's Broadcast. The first broadcast in English by his Holiness the Pope will be relayed to the men’s meeting in connection with the National Eucharistic Congress at Wellington at 9 p.m. on the night of February 1, 1940. Archbishop O'Shea made this announcement last night at the annual prize-giving of St. Patrick's College, Wellington. He stated that the Pope spoke English with great facility. Continuing, Archbishop O'Shea said that because of the international situation the Apostolic Delegate appointed by the Pope to attend the Congress could not leave Europe. The Pone had now appointed the Apostolic Delegate at Sydney to act as Papal Legate to the Congress, with all the powers and honours such a legate should have. This was an extraordinary thing which showed the Pope's interest in the Congress.

■‘Centennial Highway." A suggestion from the Mayor of Wellington, Mr Hislop, that the highway from Paekakariki to Wellington be named ‘•Centennial Highway" is not supported bv the Makara ('utility Council. A letter received by the council yesterday from Mr Hislop stating that it had been suggested that a small memorial, such as Wharepouri’s canoe might be placed on an appropriate part of the road, such as at die junction of the Ngahauranga Gorge road and the Hutt Road, and that this had been referred to the Provincial Centennial Council lor consideration. Wharepouri. a prominent Port Nicholson chief v.hen the first settlers arrived. lived at Ngahauranga. He was buried in Petone, but the Natives of his pa eroded a monument to his memory at Ngahauranga. A large canoe was sawn into three portions. The middle was set up on six posts and the vwo extremities placed together and raised upon their ends, a bunch of feathers being placed at the top. The monument stood for years on the east side of the stream, but when the road was widened it slipped down on lo the road and fell .in two pieces, which lay Behind a house in Ngahauranga till 1928. when they were reposited in the native cemetery at Petone.