LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 June 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 6.2 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning. Street Structure Damaged. A road repair structure in Fleet Street was hit by a motorist last night. The warning lamps were broken and the woodwork considerably damaged. Public Prayer Meeting.

A public prayer meeting will be held in the Opera House tomorrow from 12.30 p.m. till 1.30 p.m. under the auspices of the local Ministers’ Association.

Territorial Parade. There was a large attendance at a parade of C Company, First Hawke's Bay Regiment in the Masterton Drill Hall last night. Many recruits were enlisted and the parade was marked by enthusiastic interest. Captain R. J. M. Fowler was in charge.

Anzac Service in Jerusalem.

Writing to a friend in Masterton from Jerusalem, Brigadier General Sir H. Hart states: “For the first time in the history of Jerusalem there was a big Anzac Parade on Anzac Day. The Australians asked me to assist so I marched at the head of the parade with two Australian brigadiers. Later I gave the address at the service.”

Drunken Motorist Sent to Gaol. Commenting that there was no doubt accused was in an unfit condition to drive a motor-car, Mr Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, imposed a sentence of 10 days’ gaol on John Andrew Murray, salesman, aged 37, who pleaded not guilty to having been in charge of a motor-car while intoxicated. Murray’s licence to drive was cancelled for 12 months. Timber Workers and the War.

The national president of the Dominion Timber Workers’ Union, Mr W. Seator, stated yesterday that he had received a request from men employed by a Rotorua sawmill to work half a day a month at ordinary rates of pay, the wages so earned for the half-day to be paid to some patriotic fund and to a fund to provide comforts for the military forces. The employers, Tunnicliffe and Co., Rotorua and Pongakawa, agreed to subsidise the amount by making a donation of £lO for each half-day worked for each of the two mills. Similar offers were received from men in the King Country during the weekend. No Milk for Schools.

The daily supply of milk to children has been suspended at all Christchurch secondary schools. The supplying contractor commenting yesterday on statements about the termination of the supply to the Christchurch Technical College, explained that a shortage had been caused by the weather, and had been accentuated by the demands of the Air Force station at Wigram and Burnham Camp, which between them were consuming about 400 gallons of milk. The schools affected were boys’ and girls’ high schools, and technical colleges. He said it was possible that supplies would be resumed in a month’s time. Primary schools were still receiving milk.

O.C’s. Thanks. Lieut.-Colonel A. S. Wilder, commanding the 25th (Wellington) Battalion has written to the hon. secretary of the Provincial Patriotic Committee, Mr' G. T. O’Hara Smith (Town Clerk) expressing sincere thanks to the St. Andrew Society for its generous donation towards the provision of instruments for a pipe band. “It is indeed heartening to us,” he writes, “to feel that the people of the Masterton district are backing us up in our efforts. I understand that it is at present very difficult to purchase pipes and I would be very grateful if you could inform me as to whether it is possible to purchase any new or second-hand pipes in your district,” A Patriotic Offer. An offer believed to be unique from a farmer in the Dominion was made to the Rotorua Council of Primary Production by Mr W. Branson, Oturoa Road, Ngongotaha, who offered the Government for the duration of the war the supervision and profits of his farm. The main farm fit Oturoa Road and two smaller areas at Kaharoa total 570 acres and carry about 100 cows and 500 breeding ewes. Mr Branson stated that it was well equipped with implements. He and his family would be prepared to work under Government supervision for wages. He was not seeking a 40-hour week and felt that some greater effort was needed. The district council decided to forward the offer to the national council, advising them that it might be worthy of consideration.

Unpatriotic Statements. What he construed as a sign of commendable public keenness to wipe out potential “fifth column” activities in the city was mentioned by the secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association (Mr E. F. Willcox). Quite a number of reports, he said, had been received at the association’s office recently about persons making unpatriotic statements, and in a few cases about persons thought to be potentially dangerous aliens. People apparently brought reports to the office because it was the former servicemen’s association office. The correct destination for such reports was the police station, though the association had, of course, been willing to co-operate. The office had already passed on information to the police in one or two cases where it was thought warranted.

“Chatterbugs.” “Chatterbugs,” men and women who listen to, and pass on grave, but groundless rumours concerning the war, render themselves liable to a sad fate. Although they probably do not give a thought to the possibility, under the war regulations, they are definitely liable to prosecution under the subversive utterance heading. Questioned on that point at Christchurch the Superintendent of Police (Mr S. Rawle) said that prosecutions were certainly possible in such cases, and he added that the police were always open to receive genuine complaints of subversive utterances. The position is covered in the Public Safety Emergency Regulations. 1940. for sub-section E of Section 3 states that a charge can be laid against any person making a statement intended or likely to cause undue alarm to the public. Under, the regulations a statement means any oral or written statement.