LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Another Frost. A frost of 4.1 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning. Centennial Exhibition. There was an attendance of 10,590 at the Centennial Exhibition yesterday. The grand total has now reached 2,112,122, the daily average being 16,630. Loan to War Expenses Fund. The Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) yesterday acknowledged an interest free loan to the war expenses fund from the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd, Wellington, of £50,000 for the duration of the war.

Pilot's Exploits Appreciated. The hectic exploits on the Western Front of the New Zealand pilot “Cobber" Kain have earned appreciation in many quarters and yesterday a large Dunedin drapery firm made a gift of 56 pounds of knitting wool to the Otago Patriotic Council, so that it might be made into comforts for members of the Air Force. The gift was made, it was stated, as a token of admiration of the exploits of Flying Officer Kain.

Railway Finance, Figures published in last night’s Gazette show that the net railway revenue for the 48 weeks from April 1, 1939, to March 2, 1940, was £912,021, as compared with £446,938 for the corresponding period last year. Gross revenue totalled £9,191,955, as compared with £8,424,018, and expenditure amounted to £8,278,934 as against £7,977,080. For the four-weekly period ended March 2, the net revenue was £237,729. Gross revenue for that period was £965,716 and expenditure £727.987.

Fraud Charges. The hearing of fraud charges against Alan Donald Park and Stephen Arthur Williamson was concluded in the Christchurch Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Accused face 20 joint charges of receiving from various persons sums of money or valuable securities on terms requiring them to account for them or pay the proceeds to A. D. Park and Co, Ltd, or the Top Hat Finance and Agency Co, and fraudulently omitting to do so. They pleaded not guilty and were committed for trial. Bail was allowed. Man Struck by Train. Severe injuries were received by William Simpson, aged 69. a married man, living at Middlemarch, when he was struck by a shunting train in Middlemarch railway yards yesterday afternoon. Mr Simpson was apparently crossing the yards from the station and did not notice the train, which struck him, severing his right leg below the knee and severely lacerating his left ankle. The injured man was taken to Dunedin and was admitted to hospital at 9.45 p.m. He was badly shocked and his condition is serious.

Plunket Society Subscriptions. The following subscriptions to the Plunket Society are gratefuly acknowledged by the hon. treasurer (Mrs J. D. O’Connor):—Mrs R. Pinhey, £1; Mesdames J. Tulloch and L. W. Hutchison, 10s each; L. R. McKain, G. Ross, R. C. Weston. H. Evans, Aitchison, W. J. Rew, W. Hawke, M. Manson, E. Hodder, T. T. Sutherland, Bretherton, C. R. Goudge, C. H. Norman, H. Hope Cross, S. C. Haybittie,' J. A. Read, T. Beetham, R. E. Kember, F. Diggle, J. F. Jaine and Miss B. Kummer, 5s each. Patriotic Donations. District donations to the Fighting Services Welfare Appeal, as the result of the campaign conducted by the Salvation Army and Y.M.C.A. total £3830 17s 7d, though in some cases the returns are not yet complete. Details of the donations in various centres are: Featherston, £226 13s 6d; Martinborough. £341 8s 7d; Greytown, £lO3 5s 9d; Carterton, £504 19s lid; Eketahuna £425 10s 4d; Pahiatua, £406 19s; Castlepoint. £134; Mauriceville, £7l 2s; Masterton (borough and county), £1616 18s 6d; total £3830 17s 7d. A Masterton Investment. The following registration appears in this week’s “Mercantile Gazette”: — Taitapu Lands No. 1, Ltd., Regd as a private Co. Mar. 19. Office: 1 Church Street. Masterton. Capital: £23,500 into 23,500 shares of £1 each. Subscribers: Masterton—C. Oliver 4640, J. M. James 2320. D. James 2320, N. W. Groves 1546, H. G. Groves 1547. D. Cameron, D. J. Cameron and R. McKenzie 4640, W. G. Groves 1547, J. McKenzie 1547, D. McKenzie 1546, S. R. Gawith, J. McKenzie and D. McKenzie 1547. A. Reader 200, R. Bassett 100. Objects: Deal in lands, mines, minerals, real and personal property and incidental. Overseas Funds Accumulating. Undoubtedly the time has arrived when the Dominion could with safety increase its imports, especially from the United Kingdom, and we are glad to see that importers are now agitating for this says the “Mercantile Gazette of New Zealand. In May, 1938, the total of our overseas funds was approximately £7,390.000, and the position then was giving the trading banks considerable concern. In December, 1939, the funds had reached £15,811.000. The tendency since has been for these funds to increase, for according to the return of the Reserve Bank for the week ended March 18. the total of the overseas funds was £12,136,520, an increase of about £1,300,000 in two weeks. In any case it would not be exaggerating the position if we assume that on March 18 the trading batiks had about £13,000,000 in overseas funds. Thus in mid-March the total of overseas funds was approximately £25,000,000, as compared with £ll,290,000 in November. Linen Supplies Short. So heavy has been the British Governmen't's commandeer of linen, which is used as a fabric in the manufacture of aeroplanes, that Auckland importers arc unable to obtain some classe.s while they expect that the present scarcity of others is likely to become much ‘more acute. The British linen controller is releasing linen materials i for export very sparingly, and. before he will authorise manufacture for a Dominion order, he requires to know whether the materials are required for (a) Government needs (b), semi-Gov-ernment needs, or (c) ordinary commercial purposes. Prices of linen materials have risen sharply, and they still appear to be advancing, orders being accepted only according to prices ruling at the time of shipment. According to current quotations, the price ot linen thread is higher by 60 p.c. than than ruling on the outbreak of war. The market for linen flax is described ' a s attaining record price levels.