LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 April 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Centennial Exhibition. The attendance at the Centennial Exhibition at Wellington yesterday was 10.374. The grand total has now reached 2,197.437, and the daily average is 16,279. A. and P. Ball. At the monthly meeting of the Masterton A. and P. Association last night it was decided to hold the annual ball as usual. The date will be decided al a meeting of the Ball Committee. War Loans and Donations. Further interest-free loans and donations to the War Expenses Account, received yesterday by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, now bring the total to £1,615,208. Included is an amount from "A Farmer." Masterton, loaned till March 31, 1942, £5OO. Makuri Gorge Road.

Good progress continues with the work of widening the Makuri Gorge Road. It is expected that the highway will be completed in about two or three months though a big deviation which it is proposed to put in to give more direct access to the township will still be outstanding. It is not expected that this portion of the improvement scheme will be dealt with for some time to come. Scenic Drive Attractions. The Auckland Scenic Drice is now taking on an autumnal appearance, with hoheria trees displaying curtains of lacy white bloom and taupata bushes massed with orange-scarlet berries. Honey’ and fruit-loving birds are very much in evidence and the way lias thus added attractions for seekers after beauty as well as for those hardy hikers to whom the distance covered is the main tiling. Mosquitoes Active. Aucklanders who believed they would enjoy a summer free from mosquitoes have been doomed to disappointment. With several weeks of fine weather, the insects have made an unwelcome reappearance in a number of suburbs, and. although their numbers are not considered to be equal to last year, when breeding conditions were very favourable, their activities have been sufficient to rob a great many people of a good night's sleep.

Pahiatua County Finance. "Other councils come out with a credit of thousands of pounds, but we never see them reducing the rates because of that,” said the chairman of the Pahiatua County Council, Mr A. W. Bissett, when presenting to councillors the treasurer’s bank balances, which showed that at the end of the year the county fund was in credit £471. He thought the clerk and the overseer were to be congratulated on the way they had worked out the estimates. The percentage of rates collected represented 98.8 per cent, compared with 99.03 per cent last year. The percentage of arrears collected was equivalent to 55.76 per cent of the amount outstanding at March 31. 1939. New Dental Clinic.

A splendid addition to the architectural features of the capital has been made by the erection of the four-story reinforced concrete building in Willis Street for the Wellington Denial Clinic. Construction of the clinic has now been completed, and it will be officially opened by Viscountess Galway on May 14. Speakers will include the Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Mr Fraser, who in 1937 announced the Government's decision to erect the building. The contract price at the time was stated to be £BO,OOO. This clinic is the first of its kind in New Zealand, as it will also serve, in association with the other facilities in Wellington, as the training school for dental nurses for the whole of the Dominion. Philatelic Exhibition.

In connection with the New Zealand Centennial and Ninth Australian Philatelic Exhibition which the Philatelic Society of New Zealand is holding at the Dominion Museum building in Wellington from April 15 to April 23. inclusive, the Postmaster-General (theHon F. Jones) announces that a special Post. Office will bo established at the Museum during the period of the Exhibition. Letters posted thereat will accordingly be postmarked with a distinctive date-stamp. Any person desirous of obtaining covers cancelled with the Philatelic Exhibition Post Office date-stamp, but who is unable otherwise to arrange for postings at the Post Office established at the Dominion Museum may forward stamped addressed envelopes to the Director-General. Stamps Branch, General Post Office. Wellington, C.I, who will ensure that they are correctly posted.

To Combat Communists. What might be described as a Communist hunt was initiated by the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association at a meeting attended by representatives of local bodies and political and sporting organisations. Suggestions for combating the Communist Party's activities included the formation of a national defence corps, comprising returned soldiers equipped on a war footing and ready to march at 21 hours' notice. Some favoured the strict enforcement of the War Emergency Regulations for the prevention of meetings and the distribution of undesirable literature. From trade unions came the suggestion that the influence of small Communist sections in unionism could be overcome if saner members, who favoured constitutional action, were persuaded to take as keen an interest in union affairs as the Communists. The discussion was referred to the respective organisations represented.

Akaroa Centennial Pageant. Postponed from March 30 on account of the death of the former Prime Minister. Mr Savage, the National Centennial Celebration at Akaroa will take place on Saturday next, when there will be re-enacted before the Governor-General, Viscount Galway; the Prime Minister. Mr Fraser; and a distinguished company the first exercise of sovereignty there. A North Island official party, which will include most of the Ministers of the Crown, members of Parliament, and the Consul for France in New Zealand. M A.Pouquet. and numbering in all 300. will leave Wellington on Friday night for Akaroa. A party of 40 Maoris, representing the Natives of the North Island, will leave Wellington on Thursday night, and with the South Island contingent it is expected that about 300 Maoris will be in residence in the Maori camp which has been established in the recreation ground al Akaroa.

"Got one on the maid now. 1 have bought a plain. circular mirror.” ■■Well'.’" "I,el's see her hang that upside down!"