LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 August 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Red Cross Street Day Appeal. In the annual street day appeal for the Dunedin Red Cross Society £9OO was subscribed, and it is expected that Avhen the final returns come in a total of £lOOO will have been reached. The money is required for the carrying out of the society’s work in Dunedin. Drunken Driver Sent to Gaol. Declining counsel’s request to impose a fine instead of imprisonment on the ground that accused was a key man on urgent construction work at an air base, Mr Orr Walker, at the Auckland S.M. Court yesterday, imposed a sentence of seven days’ imprisonment on Fred David Elder, aged 42, builder’s foreman, for intoxication, while in charge of a motor car in Warnock Street. He pleaded guilty. Damages for Loss of Leg. After a retirement of three and a half hours a jury in the Supreme Court, Wanganui, which heard a damages claim brought by Leonard Stanley Smith, farm labourer, against Joseph Jones, accountant, Ohakune, returned a verdict for Smith for the full amount, £1590. The claim arose out of an accident on the Parapara Road, on December 25, 1938, as a result of which Smith lost a leg. “Dear Octopus.” Members of the Masterton Little Theatre Society are busy practising “Dear Octopus,” a three-act play to be presented next month. This production scored a notable success in London some years ago, and theatre-goers are locking forward with keen anticipation to the performance to be given by the Masterton society. There are 17 in the cast. It is being produced by Miss Jean Douglas. Territorials Called Up. A further proclamation calling out officers, non-commissioned officers and other ranks for military service for home defence in accordance with the scheme of territorial training \vas issued yesterday. This is the third proclamation; the other two were gazetted some time ago. The first one called out officers and non-commis-sioned officers of the fortress battalions, and the second the same ranks of various other units and the men of the fortress battalions. The present proclamation provides for the calling up of all ranks of the remaining units at various dates between now and February next. Maoris and the War.

The Government has expressed its appreciation of the action of the members of the Atipouri tribe of Tekao in offering to assist financially and in other ways during the present crisis. The Minister of Finance. Mr Nash, said yesterday that in addition to an interest-free loan of £lOOO for the duiation of the war and 12 months thereafter, the tribe had offered £ 100 as a gift to the Government. The tribe had also offered a six-wheelei dualdrive truck valued at £2OO for military purposes. Its members were also prepared to patrol voluntarily, night and day, the extreme northern coastline both east and west, and finally, to do all in their power to increase production on their farms. "The spirit of co-operation and help thus shown by the members of the Maori race is commendable and much appreciated," added Mr Nash.

Clearing Waters of Mines. Through waters where there is nothing to show that nations are at war, little .grey New Zealand ships are daily 'searching for enemy mines. In a very real sense since the Niagara was lost, they are charged with the grave responsibility of keeping the Dominion’s seas clear for trade, transport and wartship traffic. They form the minesweeper flotilla of the Now Zealand [Division of the Royal Navy, their captain is a Royal Naval Reserve officer, other officers and many of their ships' ’companies are members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and some of the ships still have an atmosphere of fish about them, having till recently been trawlers. In spite of the very real difficulties they have had to face the minesweeper flotilla is completely up-to-date in its knowledge of what has happened, and has thoroughly met the situation. Additions to the flotilla in the near future will give it an even wider efficiency.