LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 January 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Hot Day. The shade temperature in Masterton yesterday registered 86.7 degrees. Centennial Exhibition. There were 18,168 visitors at the Centennial Exhibition yesterday, bringing the grand total up to 1,152,17-1. a daily average of 17.457. Central District Enlistments. A total of 8260 men have enlisted in the Central Military District (Wellington. Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, Manawatu. Wanganui, Taranaki) for service in the second New Zealand Expeditionary Force overseas since recruiting began on September 12. J. D. Badge's Income. The tennis player J. D. Budge reveals, a Miami cablegram states, that his income in his first year as a professional was 85,000 dollars. He expects a sharp drop in 1940 because professional tours are unlikely. Budge favours open tournaments, but stresses that the professionals at present could outclass the amateurs. He suggests that if the Davis Cup lapses temporarily amateur v professional team matches would be useful. Library Change Over.

Complete arrangements have been made by the chief Wellington librarian, Mr J. Norrie, for the pending change-over from the old building which stands at the junction of Mercer Street and Wakefield Street, Wellington. to the imposing quarters which have been provided on the northern side of Mercer Street for the municipal central library. For 20 years at least there has been agitation for this change, and it fortuitously happens that the new library has been completed in time for opening early in the centennial year.

Auckland Wool Appraisement. The. third appraisal of wool in Auckland under Britain's bulk purchase scheme will begin on Thursday, when about 20,000 bales will be dealt with. During the first appraisal in November, 21,645 bales were handled, compared with 19.294 bales at the second fixture last month. Good progress is being made with the appraisements throughout New Zealand, and after the coming fixture about 61,000 bales wiU have been dealt with in Auckland alone. At this period last year only about 48,000 bales had passed under the hammer in Auckland. The offerings for the entire season totalled about 84.000 bales.

Mustering by Motor Car. There have been known many and various ways of mustering cattle, but a farmer was noticed yesterday in the Waingawa district in a substantial looking motor car driving a mob of cattle across a paddock. This novel method of mustering attracted considerable attention from passers by who speculated as to the reason for the use of the motor car, one suggestion being that the farmer was hurrying up his mustering work before the petrol restrictions came in. The attempt to control the cattle had they become unruly would doubtless have provided as many thrills as a Hollywood “stunt picture."

Origin of Daventry. Daventry, the radio centre from which is broadcast Britain’s war news, was originally named Danetree, and to this clay the borough council seal depicts a stalwart Dane standing alongside a tree. Geographically il is the centre of Britain, and that is possibly why it was chosen as the site of the wireless station which is the nerve centre of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The town has a population of between three and four thousand. It is situated in a purely agricultural area on the borders of Warwickshire. Charles I stayed there for some days before taking his army into battle at Naseby. His camp was pitched on Borough Hill, a short distance from the town. ■New Canteen at Trentham. By the middle of February there will be complete in the Central District Mobilisation Camp at Trentham a canteen which will have a 60ft bar. The concrete foundations have been finished for the canteen, which will be 120 ft by 50ft, with an extension wing 17ft by 85ft. The supper-room of this building will be 120 ft long and almost as wide as the building. It will provide all the seating accommodation that the camp is likely to need. There will be a milk bar, 16ft long, and a servery, 26ft by lift. The beer store will be 32ft by 17ft. There will be a corporals' room with slide on to a bar and measuring 25ft by 16ft. There will be a kitchen and food preparation rooms, covering 37ft by 24ft of floor space, and embodying all the latest equipment for the hygienic and speedy preparation of light suppers.

Trentham Mobilisation Camp. Almost simultaneously with the declaration of war, work was started by the Public Works Department on the erection of the new mobilisation camp at Trentham, and .already there have been 80 new buildings completed, with more to follow that will place the camp on a footing that the soldier of 25 years ago never thought possible. There are now 140 men working on building and road work in the camp. A start will be made within a few days on the first of 32 new huts, each 132 feet by 18ft (Jin.. which will accommodate 40 men apiece. This will see the end of the tents in the camp for the men, and an officers’ dormitory is also being erected which will replace the standard public works tents now being used by most officers for sleeping quarters. The old hospital of 1914-18 is being converted into a denial clinic.

Early Morning Music at Camp. Every morning now at 6 o’clock the strains of martial music can be heard in the Central District Mobilisation Camp, Trentham. helping to make lighter work of the job of early rising for nearly 201)0 soldiers. Then for two hours in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon the band practises in a spacious band-room, and throughout the camp can be heard bright tunes that make a happy interlude in military routine. The camp band is 21 strong, the men being recruited specially us bandsmen. They have been drawn mostly from Wellington and Palmerston North, and include some gold medallists and A grade players. The band operates as a brass band, whereas a correct military band has both brass and reed instruments. Whether the camp band will become strictly military depends on support and the securing of reed instruments.