LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Bankruptcies. No bankruptcies were recorded in Mastertoil during January. Medical Board Sitting. The local examining Medical Board sat at the Masterton Drill Hall last night, when a number of recruits were examined. The standard of physical fitness was fairly high. Drivers’ Licences. The Masterton Borough Council issued 35 drivers' licences during January the total issued to date being 2392. The Masterton County Council issued 27 licences last month, the total number issued to date being 1279. Vital Statistics. The following are the vital statistics registered al the Masterton Court House for last, month, the figures for the corresponding period in 1938 being shown in parentheses: Births, 24 <l-4); marriages 13 (11); deaths 11 (12). Substantial Donation to War Fund. The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, announced yesterday that Mr A. J. Pascoe, governing director of Health Supply Limited, had forwarded the sum of £5OO as a direct, contribution to the War Expenses Account. In referring to the gift, the Minister said that Mr Pascoe's generosity was particularly appreciated by the Government. Centennial Exhibition.

Holiday crowds flocked to the Centennial Exhibition yesterday, the attendance being 22,379. Of late the average attendances have shown a marked increase on the pre-Christmas figures and the present daily average of 17,801 is considered extremely satisfactory in the light of the earlier disappointing attendances round the 9000 mark, caused by unseasonable weather. The total to date is 1,299,499. Yesterday's visitors included a large proportion of country people and also many who are visiting Wellington to attend the Eucharistic Congress.

An Aggressive Tui. It may not be generally known that the tui is capable of killing small birds that venture near its nest. According to Dr. Archer Hosking, of Masterton, eye-witnesses have actually seen a tui kill three sparrows on his property at Te Puna, near Masterton, while two other sparrows have been picked up dead. The tui has a nest in a iotara tree near the house. Dr Hosking said be had previously seen a tui chase a magpie and he had heard of an incident at Alfredton in which a tui had been seen to kill a native pigeon. Excursion to Exhibition.

Inquiries are to be made by the Pahiatua School Committee from the Railways Department regarding the practicability of arranging an excursion for the pupils of the Pahiatua District High School and other schools in the district to the Centennial Exhibition. The suggestion was brought forward at a meeting of the committee by the chairman, Mr G. G. Taylor, who said it was an opportunity that came but once in a lifetime. The idea was worth investigating, he said, and in after years the children would be able at leasl to say that they were there. The committee agreed to the chairman’s suggestion to make inquiries from the Railways Department. Petrol Restrictions.

Owing to the petrol restrictions which came into force today, local petrol vendors report substantial increases in the sale of petrol yesterday. One firm stated that the attendant on duty at the petrol pumps last night had a very busy time dealing with a tremendous rush of motorists who brought along milk. cans, empty beer bottles and all kinds of queer receptacles to be filled. Many brought drums and tins to be filled but in general the quantities sold were in small lots. Throughout the town much the same conditions prevailed, the petrol sales in general showing considerable increases.

Interhouse Girls as Singers. When matters relating to the display to be given at the Centennial Exhibition were being explained to the Masterton interhouse girls last evening it was asked whether any of them were fond of singing, the idea behind [lies question being the possible formation of an Interhouse Singing Circle or Glee Club. The spontaneous response to this enquiry lead Miss Thompson Io take a seat at. the piano, and the remarkable effect of these young ladies singing should auger well for the formation of the proposed club. All that is required now is some musical person interested enough Io lake the matter in hand. It was staled that the Mastevton public will be amazed al Hie quality of the voices of the girls.

Pope's Broadcast. Tonight at 9 o'clock (New Zealand time) his Holiness the Pope will broadcast a special message to the National Eucharistic Congress m Wellington. It will come through Davcntry and be rebroadcast by the National stations. Cabled advice was received by lire Church authorities in Wellington yesterday that the world news service from Davcntry will be deferred a quarter of an hour till 9.1.5 p.m. so that the Pope's message may be listened to by the whole of the Catholic Englishspeaking world. By the precedent set in previous congress Papal broadcasts, it is anticipated that while the message will be specially for the New Zealand congress, it will contain references to the international situation which will be of world interest and importance.

Railway Finances. Financial results of railway operation for the portion of the current financial year from April 1, 1939. to January 6. 1940. are announced by the Minister of Railways, Mr Sullivan. He

.-■aid that the preliminary figures showed lite gross revenue for the period to be £ 7.336,721 and the gross expenditure £6,845 034. indicating a not revenue of £491,687 for lhe 40 weeks up to January 6. The net revenue position was £438,762 better than at the corresponding date in 1939. "1 may say." added the Minister, "that the net. revenue to January 6 is actually £21,000 in excess of the amount, on which the department's estimates for the budget were based, and this further confirms (lie opinion previously expressed dial the net revenue of the department for lite current financial year will probably be in lite vicinity of £1 250.000.

Married at 98. A former farmer of the Rakauroa district. Mr Isiali McSaveney, lias returned to Gisborne after having spent (he past two years travelling about various States in Australia. Mr McSaveney claim:- that lie will celebrate Itis 100th birthday in Now Zealand on Marell 20. He married al tin? age of 93 and lias since been living in Australia. He intends to return to the Commonwealth early in April.