LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Centennial Exhibition. The attendance at the Centennial Exhibition on Saturday reached 26.788 making the total to date 867,966, a daily average of 16.691. “Honeymoon Hotel.” The claim to be a "Honeymoon Hotel'’ can be made by a hotel in Hamilton, which for one night of the holidays accommodated 13 honeymoon couples. This probably constitutes a record for the town and reflects the increased number of marriages since the outbreak of war. Territorial Parade. A parade of C. Company, Hawke's Bay Regiment, will be held in the Masterton Drill Hall tonight. Territorials are asked to note that dress will be belt, 'side-arms, and slacks. Members of the Masterton Territorial Association, and the public are invited to see the men training. Cups for Competition. Mr J. G. Horn, Ohau. has given a cup for the most points in the dairy cattle classes at the Pahiatua Show, and Mr Allan Horn, Ohau, has given a similar trophy for the Pahiatua competitor gaining the most points in the open Jersey classes. The president of the association (Mr H. Cotter) has given a cup for the champion hack at the show. Large Sunspot.

The sunspot reported toward the end of last week, is now very large states Mr G. V. Hudson, Karori, and it is clearly .visible to the naked eye through smoked glass. It is situated about half-way between the centre of the disc and the western limb of the sun. It will pass round to the other side of the sun before the end of this week. At the moment, it is the only spot visible on the sun. Pacifists Arrested.

Attempting to give pacifist addresses to a section of the crowd at the Centennial thanksgiving service at the Domain cricket ground, Auckland, yesterday, two young men were arrested on charges of obstruction. As the large crowd was dispersing after the service the young men, who were together, endeavoured to gather an audience. They were warned by the police to desist, but continued their efforts. The speakers were then arrested. Within the Law.

Although it is contrary to the Auckland city by-laws to gather on shop verandahs to watch processions, three men sitting on a verandah in Queen Street near the Town Hall viewed the entire march past of troops without committing any breach. While many hundreds below craned on tip toe to catch a glimpse of the passing soldiers, these men leaned back contentedly, and enjoyed the entire scene, munching sandwiches the while. Why they remained within the law was that they were carpenters engaged on repairing the verandah, and they were spending a much more interesting lunch hour than usual.

Earthquake in Wellington. Preceded by a rumble, a sharp earthquake shock was felt in Wellington at 6.20 a.m. yesterday. The jolt was sufficient to awaken many people from their sleep. It rattled movable objects and caused some buildings to creak. No reports from outside centres have so far been received at the Dominion Observatory, and it is thought that the earthquake had its origin within 50 miles of Wellington. The duration of the shock was no more than five seconds. It was believed to have been about Force 4 on the Rossi-Forel scale. Railcar Derailed. With 40 passengers on board, the railcar clue at Napier from Wairoa at 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon was derailed at Brown’s crossing, two miles on the Wairoa side of Eskdale. No one was injured and, the railcar escaped almost without damage. The cause of the accident has not yet been ascertained, but Department engineers from Wellington have arrived at Napier and will carry out an exhaustive investigation. Fortunately, the accident occurred on a curved section of the line when the car was travelling at a greatly reduced speed. The railcar sank deeply into the soft scoria when the wheels left the rails and it was not until Sunday morning that it was replaced on the lines.

Unique Church Sevice. A church service unique in the history of the Dominion was held in the southern band court of the Centennial Exhibition yesterday, when a crowd, estimated at 5000, gathered in the bright sunshine of a warm summer afternoon and gave thanks to God for the completion of New Zealand's first 100 years of religious and national life. With the Exhibition buildings, symbolic of a century of progress, forming an imposing background, the service was an impressive and inspiring act of thanksgiving, and an expression of hope in the nation's future. It was arranged in response to a request by the Government and was planned and sponsored by the religious organisations of Wellington. It was the inauguration also of the centennial celebrations in the city. The Bishop of Wellington, the Rt Rev H. St Barbe Holland, M.A., presided.

Hotel Destroyed by Fire. The Starborough Hotel, Seddon, one of the oldest and best-known licensed houses in Marlborough, was totally destroyed by fire on Saturday night. A large two-storied wooden building erected in 1902, the hotel offered little resistance to the flames, which were discovered about 8.15 p.m., and within 15 minutes the whole building was a raging inferno. In less than an hour the walls and roof collapsed, leaving an angry, fiercely-glowing mass of embers, which burned into the early hours of the morning, necessitating a close watch in case sparks should set fire to nearby stables and pine plantations. The cause of the fire is a mystery, but when a traveller called in at the hotel about 8.15 p.m. he noticed smoke issuing from a small room downstairs at the rear of the building. He immediately gave the alarm, and frantic efforts with tubs of water, the township being without a water supply. were made to extinguish the flames, but hopelessly.

Little Willie, saying his prayers: ■Lord make me a good boy. I asked yesterday, but I suppose you overlooked it.”.

Mr R. Jenkins. Bannister Street. Masterton, has disposed of his business as a builder to Messrs Jenkins and Biggs.