LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 December 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Hot Day. The shade temperature in Masterton yesterday was 81 degrees, the hottest day recorded this summer. Attendance at Exhibition. Yesterday’s attendance at the’ Centennial Exhibition in Wellington reached 10,170, bringing the total up to 494,862, an average of 14,139 daily. Special Force Enrolments. The latest local enrolments in the Special Military Force are those of Gerald Stewart (Gladstone), and Tuhakori Kani (Gladstone). The total enrolments to date have now reached 318. Infectious Diseases. For the week ended yesterday, six cases of infectious disease and two deaths, from pulmonary tuberculosis, were reported to the Wellington office of the Health Department. The cases were as follow: —Pulmonary tuberculosis (3), erysipelas (2), and scarlet fever (1). Child Drowned in Copper. A child was found drowned in a copper - at her home at Waharoa (Auckland) on Sunday. The victim was Elaine Margaret Guy, aged 2J years. She was left playing with a dipper to bail out the copper and was found shortly after by her mother floating face down in the water, which was about six inches from the top of the copper.

Hospital Work Suspended. A decision to suspend piling operations for the new blocks at Wellington Hospital till the end of January and also to defer the calling of tenders till then because of uncertainty as to whether sterling funds will be available to meet the cost of the steel required was made at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board last night,

Price of Apples. Usually good apples can be purchased at this time of the year at from 6s to 8s a case. Yesterday “Extra Fancy” Delicious apples were sold in the Wellington markets at from 18s 3d to 20s 9d a case they have been sold at even higher prices during the month. One line of Commercial B (fourth grade fruit), found buyers at 13s 9d a case, and a line of “Minimum” grade reached Bs.

Street Repairs. Borough workmen are busily engaged in preparing Masonic Street —an intersecting street between Bannister and Church streets —for tar-sealing. Particularly good progress is being made, and the progressive street policy being adopted by the Borough Council is evidenced in this street. A general Christmas cleanup has been taking place during the past few weeks, nearly all the Borough streets now presenting a neat appearance.

Shearing Record for Hawke's Bay. With tallies averaging 315 sheep a day for six days, a Taupo gun-shearer, Mr K. Hurae, is believed to have set a record for Hawke’s Bay during the present season. Mr Hurae made his record at Waipari Station, and the individual tallies for the six days were 327, 323, 315, 312, 312, and 303. He has also shorn at other sheds during the present season, and his peak tally for a full day was 330. Two seasons ago Mr Hurae also created the Hawke’s Bay record. Ocean Yacht Race.

The longest ocean yacht race to be held in New Zealand for many years —from Lyttelton to Wellington—will be held in the middle of January. Already nine entries have been accepted, and three more entries will be considered tonight at a meeting of the committee controlling the race. The race will start between Adderley Head signal station and Godley Head lighthouse, Lyttelton, on January 13, and will finish between Queen's Wharf and Clyde Quay Wharf, Wellington.

Petrol Conservation. An appeal for the exercise of economy in the use of petrol was made by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, in an address last night. The British Government, he said, had recently cabled' to the New Zealand Government inviting the co-operation of the Dominion in a reduction of this country’s consumption of oil fuel. The Minister, who mentioned the possibility of a reduction of 30 per cent in New Zealand’s normal supplies, said there were many ways in which petrol could be conserved without causing undue inconvenience. One of the most important was by reducing speed.

Price Control in New Zealand. The administration of the price control regulations was defended by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, in an address last evening. Mr Sullivan said he felt that the administration had been effective and fair to all sections of the community. Unfortunately it was not possible at this stage to assemble all the facts in regard to the increases in prices that had occurred in other countries as compared with New Zealand, said Mr Sullivan, but when this information was available he was convinced, from such evidence as he had already examined, that it would be found that in no country in the world had control of prices been so effective as it had been in the Dominion. During the first month of the war in the United Kingdom there was an increase in the cost of living of nearly 12 per cent. During the same period there was no increase in the New Zealand retail price index figure. Even between September and October there was an increase of only 0.2 per cent in New Zealand. A Record Christmas.

The Christmas shopping rush began in Wellington yesterday morning when there were as many people in city and suburban shops as on a busy Friday night. The weather was ideal and brought the shoppers nto town early. It was not a question of shops waiting for the afternoon for customers to make an appearance: they were there almost from opening time. One big departmental store estimated that yesterday 20.000 visited its main shop, and the manager considers that by the end of the week there will have been 150,000. Tearooms did a wonderful business. and smaller places serving icc creams and soft drinks were thronged throughout the day by those who had no time in their shopping bustle to spare for a solid meal. Inquiries made from all types of businesses disclosed no indication that the war was affecting the volume of Christmas buying. One large departmental store which opened in Wellington 10 years ago, said that so far this was the best Christmas experienced. There is every indication that this Christmas will be a record one .for business,