LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 February 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Exhibition Attendance. At the Centennial Exhibition yesterday the attendance was 9165. The total has now reached 1.594.212, a daily average of 16,781.

Earthquake in Hawke’s Bay. A sharp earthquake lasting about a quarter of a minute was felt in Napier and Hastings at 6.15 last evening. It was of sufficient violence to dislodge small objects and was the most severe felt for some time. A slight shock was reported in Dannevirke at about 6.15. Patriotic Gift. The president of the Dunedin Savings Bank, Mr D. C. Cameron, announced that the bank- trustees have unanimously granted £.lOOO to the funds of the Otago Patriotic Council, of which £750 is to be reserved for a fund for the purpose of assisting men on their return from active service or for their dependants. Drunken Motorist Fined.

Pleading guilty to a charge of intoxication in charge of a car, William Golding, labourer, aged 42, was fined £2O and disqualified from driving for a year by Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., at Auckland yesterday. Accused was seen by a constable getting into a car and releasing the brake. He said he had purchased a 1919 model car for ss.

Impetus to Recruiting. Though a steady rate of recruiting has been maintained in Auckland for some weeks past, the rousing reception given on Friday to officers and ship’s company of H.M.S. Achilles provided an immediate impetus. At the recruiting hut outside the chief post office 30 men signed up for service after the victory march, and for the two days ended at noon oh Saturday offers of service received in the Auckland area numbered 75.

Art Outlook Black

Because supplies of oil paint and canvas are practically unobtainable, Masterton people whose hobby is painting in oils are now using water colour. Evening art students, under Mr S. B. Maclennan, A.R.C.A., at the Wairarapa College have dropped oil painting and hope to carry on. as long as dwindling supplies last, with water colour. Even drawing paper is expected soon to become scarce. Taking all these factors into consideration the future looks rather black for Masterton’s considerable colony of amateur painters.

Maori Battalion.

Dominion enlistments for service overseas with the 28th (Maori) Battalion up to February 17, the latest date for which returns are available, total 2595. A large number of recruits has still to be medically examined but those who have so far passed before medical boards have been classified and dealt with as follows: —Fit. 1219; temporarily unfit, 228; permanently unfit, 278; in reserved occupations, 137: sent to camp, 767; balance available for posting to camp, 570.

Sweet Peas and Eczema

Unknowingly, many gardeners have growing in their gardens flowers which to many of them may be the cause of an uncomfortable illness. This is the sweet pea, which, to anyone slightly disposed to hay fever or eczema, is highly poisonous, and may cause either of these complaints to develop. One witness, who was to appear in the Supreme Court, Christchurch, recently, was unable to appear because he contracted both complaints while pullingout a row of old sweet peas. In this man’s garden, sweet peas will in future rank as a noxious weed.

Battle for Life in Sea

Overtaken by a storm while gathering scollops on a bank in Manukau harbour, Stanley Jamieson, aged 43, Onehunga, was unable to find a dinghy containing three companions who had accompanied him in a launch, and, despite frantic efforts, had failed to locate_him. Jamieson decided to swim for his life and for an hour and a half battled through the angry sea. finally landing exhausted near Titirangi. When he was admitted to hospital yesterday, his lungs were filled with water and he showed signs of developing pneumonia.

“Dead” Child Revived. A comparatively rare case of an infant being “dead” for at least five minutes and then returning to life as a result of persistent resuscitative measures occurred in the Waikato Hospital last week. While not regarded as incredible, the incident was described by experienced doctors as being very unusual. The infant was born in a Maori settlement in a very weak condition, and some days later it was admitted to hospital. In the early hours of the morning its respiration failed and heart action could no longer be detected. 4 A doctor who made a stethoscopic examination could find no signs of life. A seemingly hopeless task was then undertaken by a nurse, who began artificial respiration on the lifeless body. Oxygen was also administered, and. some five minutes later, when the staff was about to give up their task, the infant uttered a cry. Its heart beat was again heard and breathing recommenced. The child lived for several days before suffering a second and this time fatal collapse.

Industrial' Disputes. : According to the Abstract of Statistics, 66 industrial disputes involving a stoppage of work tool; place in New Zealand during 1939. This was six less than in 1938, but the second highest total since 1925. The number of workers involved was the highest, for the past 20 years, and the approximate loss in wages the second highest in that period. The number of workers concerned totalled 16,082 and the loss of wages to the workers was £60,754. The industry most affected was coal mining, in which there were 29 disputes. The duration of these disputes was 69?, days, 8072 workers being involved, and the loss of wages totalling £25,596. Statistics for other major industries show that waterfront stoppages wore nine compared with 17 in 1938, but they were spread over 280.1 days as against 82, 1153 workers being involved, compared with 1643, and the loss of wages being £23,961, compared with £15,803. In meat-freezing works there were 12 stoppages, occupying 111 days. In all 3559 workers were involved. the loss in wages being £2527. Workers in the chemical industry had three disputes, lasting 32:| days. There were 464 workers involved, and. the wages lost totalled £6376.