LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 December 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Presbyterian Conference. Approximately 500 are attending the Presbyterian summer conference being held in Palmerston North. Palmerston North Recruits. The number of recruits registered in Palmerston North for the special force now totals 640. Exhibition Attendance. Yesterday’s attendance at the Centennial Exhibition reached 33.241. bringing the total to 611.231 with an average attendance of 14,908. Wanganui Wool Appraisements. The dates for the next two appaisements of Wanganui wool are January 27 and March 2. It is expected that 30,000 bales will be submitted for appraisement in January. Charges of Drunkenness. Two first-offenders charged with having been drunk appeared before Mr W. H. Saunders. J.P., at. a special sitting of the Magistrate’s Court held in the Masterton Police Station this morning. One of the accused was convicted and discharged, and the other fined £1 with a warning as to his behaviour in the future. General Freyberg as a Swimmer. When mentioning the appointment of Major-General B. C. Freyberg as commander of the New Zealand Special Force at a social gathering for a member of the force in Taihape, Mr H. Dashwood recalled that "Tiny” Freyberg visited Taihape in 1912 for the opening of the municipal swimming baths. On that occasion he was a member of an Auckland team of five. Provincial Memorial. Invitations have been issued for the opening of the Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial for 10 a.m. on Monday. January 22. The ceremony will be performed by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Galway. This memorial takes the form of a handsomely designed bathing pavilion, erected near the spot on the Petone foreshore, where the first settlers of the New Zealand Company landed. Soldiers’ Christmas. The soldiers who had to remain on duty during the Christmas holidays guarding vital points throughout the Dominion were not forgotten in the general provision of Christmas fare. In the Wellington district a special dinner was provided with the assistance of a grant made by the Provincial Patriotic Council, and the Returned Soldiers’ Association also took an active interest in the men who had to remain at their posts while the remainder of the forces were on holiday. Thunderstorm and Hail. After experiencing a week of hot weather a thunderstorrn accompanied by hail, passed over portion of Masterton and the surrounding districts yesterday afternoon. Heralded by loud peals of thunder, ominous clouds quickly gathered, and a heavy fall of hail and rain occurred-in the areas affected. Many picnickers and bathers were caught unawares, while those playing bowls and tennis received a soaking. Prices of Spirits.

Though Ute price of case whisky and gin in Wellington has been increased by 6d and 3d a bottle respectively, it is not likely that there will be any increase in Auckland till possibly after the holidays. The increases in Wellington were authorised by the Price Investigation Tribunal. "Auckland merchants have not yet increased the wholesale price," said Mr Griffen, president of the Auckland Licenced Victuallers’ Association. "Till the price to the trade is increased, hotelkeepers will not. raise il to the public."

North Island Rifle Championship. With the record score of 197. F. J. Solei’ (Wanganui) won the North Island rifle championship, held on the Putiki range, Wanganui. D. P. Donald (Masterton-Opaki) and I. Ford (Wanganui) tied for second place, Ford winning in a shoot-off. Soler also won the Marybank aggregate. W. Howard (Wanganui) won the B grade title with a score of 185. D. McKenzie (Christchurch) was runner-up with 184. Fine but windy weather prevailed for the fixture, which was attended by more than 100 competitors.

Quickening in Recruiting. There has been a quickening of interest in recruiting since the launching of the recent appeal for 1000 men from the Wellington district to fill the quota for the second echelon. The holidays have not stopped the men from coming forward and yesterday the number of enlistments was far in excess of that on most days just before the start of the appeal. A recruiting depot has been established in the Army section at the Centennial Exhibition, and has a number of recruits to its credit. During the holidays the military authorities have kept on the job and it has been possible for a volunteer to register on any day except Sunday. Athletic Tour. The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has invited the Australian Amateur Athletic Union to send a team of four athletes to tour the Dominion early in the New Year. The team suggested is: Ryan or Dunn, of New South Wales, sprinters; Backhouse (Victoria), middle distances; Miller (New South Wales), broad jump and hop, step and jump; and Winter (New South Wales), pole vault. The proposal is that the team should arrive in New Zealand about January 23 and compete in Wellington on January 27. thereafter dividing Io enable two members of the team to tour the South Island. and the other two the North Island. Miners' Dispute. A meeting of the Denniston Miners’ Union considered the decision of the special committee appointed by the Government to hear the dispute with the Westport Coal Company over the size of trucks being introduced, and il was decided to forward the rulings Io the Attorney-General. Mr Mason, for the interpretation of three clauses. For example, it was said that the committee asserted that the company committed a breach of the agreement by introducing more big boxes, but decided also to allow litem to remain in use provided certain alterations wore made. The union's scrutineers will decide whether the roads tire .suitable for the big boxes, and if dissatisfied the inspector of mines will be called in.