LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Attendance at Exhibition. The attendance at the Centennial Exhibition yesterday was 9,641, making the total to date 1.818.087. a daily average of 16,089. Infectious Diseases. For the week ended yesterday, four cases of infectious disease and two deaths, from tuberculosis, were reported to the Wellington office of the Health Department from the central Wellington area. The cases were erysipelas (2) and tuberculosis (2). Drunken Motorist Sent to Gaol. On a charge of having been intoxicated in charge of a motor-car on the Hutt Road, Henry Horace Smith, labourer, aged 40, was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment and his licence was cancelled for 12 months when he appeared before Mr Stilwell. S.M.. in the Magistrates’ Court. Wellington, yesterday. An Old Pony Wins Event. A 28-year-old pony achieved the remarkable feat of winning the open pony jump at the Oroua Downs Sports Club meeting on Saturday. The pony. Robin, is owned by Miss M. Cameron, a daughter of Mr J. Q. Cameron, president of the club, and a patron at the sports said that he remembered riding it 19 years ago. The Third Echelon.

Up to Friday night the Central Military District was 675 short of its quota of fit men for the Third Echelon of tbe Second N.Z.E.F. Enlistments at that date totalled 10,492, of whom 7238 had been passed fit and 4830 had been sent to camp. There was a balance of 1524 fit men available for posting to camp. The district’s Third Echelon quota is 2190.

New Zealand’s Population. The population of New Zealand, including Maoris, was 1,641,616 at December 31, 1939, an increase of-23,303 over the total of 1,618,313 a year earlier, according to figures compiled by the Government Statistician. The totals do not include the population of Cook and other Pacific islands. Births, both European and Maori, in New Zealand during the year numbered 28,833. There were 14,158 deaths, the natural increase in population thus being 14,675. The increase in population due to immigration was 8628. Minister at Tauranga.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, arrived at Tauranga at noon yesterday from Whakatane. A civic reception was given to him in the afternoon, the mayor, Mr L. R. Wilkinson, presiding. Mr Doidge, M.P., and members of local bodies were also present. In his reply the Minister explained the functions of the Physical Welfare Council, and expressed the hope that on his return to Wellington he would be able to announce that small grants would be made to meet the cost of holding meetings.

Scientific Advisory Committee. The appointment of a scientific advisory committee to co-ordinate the uses of the scientific resources of the country in their relation to the problems -of defence was announced last evening by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones. The committee will consider as they arise scientific problems affecting the armed services and wherever possible will assist in the provision and design of scientific equipment which may be required for the forces. Various scientific officers of the Government will be available to co-operate with the committee on special problems. A Generous Donation. The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, announced in Wellington last evening that the Government had agreed that the salary of the Governor of the Reserve Bank during the current year be paid over to the National Patriotic Fund for use in the provision of benefits for the British and Allied forces overseas. “It will be recalled,” said the Minister, “that it was announced on December 14 last that the Governor of the Reserve Bank had. intimated to the Government that the last year of his term of office should be regarded as a voluntary contribution to the national war effort, and that his service for that period should be without salary if hostilities continued till the end of 1940.”

The Value of Rotary.

“I look upon Rotary as one of the finest things in the world.” said the Archbishop of New Zealand, the Most Rev A. W. Averill, in a short speech at a luncheon of the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday. “To me it comes after religion. It is doing more for the world today than anything else.” The fact that some countries had banned Rotary, with its ideals of international friendship and peace, was the very best thing that could be said for Rotary, he stated. -The world was very much indebted to it, and the more Rotary could do the greater.would be the hopes of peace. He looked upon it as one of the greatest contributions to the peace of the world.

Closing Date of Exhibition. During the visit of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, to the Bay of Plenty, representations have been made for an extension of the closing date of the Centennial Exhibition to the end of June. It was stated that the slack period for farmers would commence in the last weeks of May and continue throughout June, which would be their only opportunity of visiting the Exhibition, and if it were closed at the beginning of May many farmers of the north would be prevented from seeing it. The Minister pointed out that the Exhibition was controlled by a company, but promised to represent the position of farmers to Ute Minister of Industries and Comynerce. who would no doubt submit il 'for the consideration of the company. Veterans and the War. Disappointment and concern at the attitude of the New Zealand authorities toward the enlistment for service overseas of officers, n.c.o’s. and men who fought in the last war and who are still physically and mentally fit are expressed in Auckland by some who have come under the age ban. A certain number are training with the Second Echelon, but fewer were accepted for the first Echelon and there are still fewer in the third. It was stated that the only chance an officer with war service had of being accepted for the Expeditionary Force would lie in his possession of some special civilian qualification which might be advantageous to the force. For example experience in conducting a civilian transport service had been a passport for one officer now in camp.