LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Motor Car for Ten Shillings. At a liquidation sale of motor-cars in Napier on Tuesday, a wide variety of makes was offered in varying conditions of efficiency. Prices ranged from 10s to £7O, and the purchaser of the 10s car immediately resold it. for £l. Hotels Crowded.

Seldom, if ever, have there been so many visitors to Wellington as in the last few weeks and all classes of hotels, both public and private, have been booked out. From inquiries made yesterday it appears that there is no sign yet of a lessening in the number of bookings, and that there is not likely to be any for a week or two.

Rise in Sterling Funds. A substantial increase of £1,480,691 in the sterling exchange funds of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand brings the total up to £8,346,112. Dairy advances, at £3,603,647, are slightly higher. Advances to the State for other purposes have increased this week by £250,000 and are now at the record high level of £20,860,000.

Efficient Inter-House Girls. There was a full attendance of interhouse girls at the Municipal Hall last night to meet Miss Thompson, lady instructor of the Physical Welfare and Recreation Brandi of the Department of Internal Affairs. A most, instructive time was spent under the guidance of Miss Thompson, who was particularly pleased with the keenness and efficiency shown by the girls.

First Case Under New Law. Creating an offence by allowing another person (in this case a girl) to drive a car rented in his name, Charles George Tony Swiggs, of Hastings, was convicted and ordered to pay costs by Mr J. Miller. S.M., in the Napier Magistrate's Court. The case is believed to be the first, taken under new regulations and a lenient view was taken by the Court as a warning.

Inter-House Dance. The inter-house dance, which is to be held in order to raise funds to send one hundred girls from Masterton to the Centennial Exhibition inter-house girls' display on Easter Saturday, will take place in the Municipal Hall tomorrow night. The arrangements for the dance have been completed, and no effort is being spared to ensure patrons having a most enjoyable time. Owing to the hot weather the management have decided to make the gathering a flannel dance.

Strange Plant in Flower. A botanical curiosity which may interest many horticulturists may be seen from the Rhodes Reserve in Rhodes Street (Christchurch.) at present (states the Christchurch “Star-Sun"). The plant is a flowering pomegranate, a native of North America and Western Asia. The plant has grown there for many years, but in Christchurch’s temperate climate has, so far as is known, flowered only once before, away back in 1912. Now, however, probably due to the warm summer, it is in full bloom, and makes a fine display with its large red and gold blooms.

Message From the Air. When a Royal New Zealand Air Force Baffin bomber flew low over Pahiatua on Tuesday there was much speculation concerning the reason for the ’plane’s close approach to the town. If was no mere chance, however, that brought the bomber so close to Pahiatua. In the course of a wireless test flight to Napier, Squadron-Leader R. J. Sinclair, a former well-known resident of the district, flew low over the residence of Mr and Mrs W. Gilbert, at Mangamutu, where his wife is staying, and dropped a message for her. Passing over Hamua, he also dropped a message of greeting there for some friends. Attendance at Exhibition.

Threatening skies and frequent rain showers did not seem able to damp the spirits of yesterday's visitors to the Centennial Exhibition, and the attendance of 16,961 was considered quite satisfactory for a week day. This brings the attendance to date of 1t187,485. or 12,515 short of the 1.200,000 The average daily attendance is 17,463. Given a return to favourable conditions today, the Exhibition authorities are hopeful that the 1,200,000 th visitor will enter the'Exhibition some time tonight through the Tirangi Road gates. All the gates will be open, but visitors desiring to win the £5 attendance prize must enter through the Tirangi Road turnstiles.

Disloyal Utterances. "No professed antagonism to Nazidom will excuse attempts to destroy or weaken the economic organisation that is vital to a sustained war effort," said the Attorney-General, Mr Mason, when discussing seditious.propaganda in an address at Wellington last evening. The Government, he added, was tolerant of all legitimate comment or criticism on public affairs, but it would not be tolerant of utterances or counsellings that were designed to distract, divide, or disturb the people in their prosecution of the stern task to which they had set themselves. Specific examples of subversive propaganda were given by the Minister. "The Government knows that it is the will of the people that throughout this war New Zealand shall do all that her- history and the character and aspirations of her people demand of her. The Government will see to it that full effect is given to that will." said the Minister. Archbishop's Message.

Archbishop Panico made a special mention of New Zealand’s soldiers when he issued a message to (lie Dominion last night. The text of his message was as follows: —"As .von all are aware. I have come among you as Papal T.egale to preside at the Eucharistic Congress which is the Catholic community's share 'in your national celebrations. During these days we shall thank Cod in a special manner for the great blessings fie lias bestowed upon your beloved country, and we shall implore His gracious bounty for the coming century. The time in : which we live is indeed very grave, and we need to face its trials and difficulties with courage and unity binding the sacrifice arid effort of all. I am sure that the centennial of your great Dominion will toughen the fibre ol your national life so dial (lie people of New Zealand with full confidence in God and in their rulers will eider a new and prosperous era of their destiny. "I pray God to bless you all. your children, but especially yutir sons who have left their homes and kindred in the noble service of their country."