LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 May 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

OAen For Camp. Local members of the Third Echelon will assemble at the Masterton Defence Office at one o'clock tomorrow and proceed to the Trent ham Camp by the afternoon mail train. Motor Car Raffle. A motor-car raffle conducted at Christchurch by Canterbury stock,and station agents raised £3500 for the Sick and Wounded Fund. The raffle was drawn last night. The winning ticket is reported to be held by Mrs A. M. Stephens, Rakaia. Sick and Wounded Fund. Up till noon yesterday the contributions to the Sick, Wounded and Distress Fund, an appeal for which was launched on Sunday by Lady Galway, totalled £17,100. The following amounts had been received from the various districts: Christchurch, £4500 (including £lOOO from Millers Ltd.); Auckland, £3600; Dunedin, £2500; Wellington. £2000; Napier, £2000; Palmerston North, £2000; Gisborne, £5OO. Taranaki, Blenheim and West Coast have not yet reported. Overseas Telegrams. Further telegraphic restrictions have been imposed in respect of overseas telegrams. Telegrams for Denmark and places in Norway known to be in enemy occupation are not permitted. Only messages in plain English or French may be forwarded to Belgium and the use of commercial marks, letters or figures, or expressions with a secret meaning is not allowed. The prepaid reply service has been suspended in respect of Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxemburg. Radio Licences. It is not easy id realise but it is nevertheless a fact that in the five years ended March 31 last the number of radio-receiving licences in New Zealand has more than doubled, and on a proportional basis almost 90 per cent of the homes in the Dominion are now equipped with radio. Figures just released by the Postmaster-Gen-eral (the Hon P. C. Webb) show that the number of licences has grown during the last five years from 152,808 to 345,710. During the financial year just ended the number of radio licences throughout New Zealand increased by 28,187. Economy in Petrol Supplies. The need today for the conservation of petrol, which he said was far greater than when the rationing scheme was introduced, was emphasised by the Minister of Supply. Mr Sullivan, last evening. He appealed to all to do their best to reduce their consumption of oil fuel. “The war in Norway and the great battle that is now waging in Belgium and on the French frontier have enormously increased the demand on Allied petrol resources,” said Mr Sullivan. “They will have a very close bearing on the future petrol position in New Zealand.” Safeguarding Essential Services. What powers had the corporation , taken to safeguard the essential ser- ' vices of Wellington in the period through which the country was passing. asked Cr. L. McKenzie at a meeting of the Wellington City Council last night. He also asked whether the personnel safeguarding those services had been investigated. The mayor, Mr Hislop, said the matter had been considered some time ago and certtun precautions, which had been approved, had been taken. Cr., McKenzie: Can the matter be investigated further? The mayor: Yes.

Democratic Labour Party. Endorsement of the formation of the Democratic Labour Party was accorded the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Barnard, and the member for Grey Lynn, Mr Lee, after they had addressed a gathering of approximately 3000 people in the Wellington Town Hall last night. Between 20 and 30 hands were raised in opposition to the carrying of the motion. The two chief speakers were given cordial receptions. There were a few scattered interjections, particularly in the early stages. One man who took exception to a statement made left the hall with the‘police at hand and another was escorted out at the direction of the chairman. Bequests to Trust Lands Trust. At the annual meeting of the Masterton Trust Lands Trust last night it was urged by Mr R. Page that it be a recommendation to the Trustees that a form of bequest to enable citizens to make bequests for the purpose of erecting houses by the Trust be attached to the annual report. Mr Page pointed out that the proposal was more to bring people’s attention to the making of bequests to the Trust for ultimate educational purposes. Mr H. M. Boddington urged that beneficiaries be encouraged to think of the Trust, when they became well-to-do. to enable the grants to be kept going in future years. Crippled Children Society.

“We are pleased to record that the annual membership during the year has grown from 54 to 116, and our life membership from 6 to 10," states a passage in the annual report of the Wairarapa branch' of the Crippled Children Society. "This is encouraging growth, and we are hoping that it will continue. We feel that it should not be impossible to secure a total annual membership throughout the Wailarapa of 1000. At 5s membership, this would produce an annual income of £250. which would provide a very solid basis for the future activities of the society. We are grateful to those few who during the year actively set out to enrol new members, and we would like this good work' to be con- : inued.”

Good Shooting Season. The shooting season this year has been remarkably successful, ducks being unusually plentiful, according to opinions expressed at the Wellington Acclimatisation Society council meeting last night. The chairman, Dr G. F. V. Anson, said that in Manawatu. Wairarapa, and Hawke’s Bay duck seemed plentiful. Hawke's Bay had the best shooting in many years. Mr W. A. Jones said there had been a good opening shoot on the Wairarapa Lake; everybody had good sport, though one or two might have been disgruntled at not managing a limit. As far as he could see, there were as many duck and swan as ever. Pheasant were abundant in certain parts of the district, where several gunners had obtained their brace. Dr F. Sharp mentioned an instance of nine guns obtaining 265 ducks. He himself obtained a mixed bag. at Poipoi. on the Western Lake—seven duck, two geese, three swan, two pukeko, and 15 flounders!