LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 August 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 9.7 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning and was followed by a fine day. Gasworks’ By-Products. The Masterton Borough Gasworks sold 2248 bags of coke and 218 gallons of tar last month. National Patriotic Fund.

In response to the appeal by the Governor-General. Lord Galway, chairman of the National Patriotic Fund Board, contributions received toward the National Patriotic Fund up till Monday last totalled £154.819. Wellington Competitions.

At the Wellington competitions Society’s annual festival yestcrady Beulah Hirst, of Masterton, was very highly Commended for her recitation in character in the class for children 12 to 16 years of age, and for her song (own selection). j

Sheep-stealsr Sentenced. Charles James Robert Scott, a farm labourer, aged 42. appeared for sentence before Mr Justice Smith in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, on three charges of sheep-stealing in the Hutt Valley on June 19, 1940, and July 23, 1940. On the charge of stealing the two sheep, prisoner was sentenced to six months' hard labour, and on the other charge he was sentenced to be detained in prison for reformative purposes for 18 months, the sentences to be concurrent.

Last Night’s Ingleside. A most enjoyable and successful Ingleside was held in the Masonic Hall last night by members of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society. There was a large attendance. Messrs P. G. Ramsay and C. H. McKenzie proved efficient M’s.C. and Piper lan Cameron, Junr., piped in the haggis. Mesdames Ramsay and McKenzie were in charge of the supper arrangements. Barnes’s Rhythm Boys’ Band provided the dance music.

Nev/ Zealand and Japan. “The" matter has not been considered by the New Zealand Government,” said the Prime Minister. Mr Fraser, when asked in an interview last night if New Zealand was likely to adopt a similar course to Australia and appoint a Minister to Tokio. A Sydney cable message published on Monday stated that arrangements had been completed for an exchange of diplomatic representatives between Australia and Japan. Australia’s first Minister is to be Sir John Latham. Chief Judge of the High Court of Australia.

Post Office Savings Bank. Deposits with the Post Office Savings Bank during June totalled £2.304,747, as compared with £2.655.803 in May, and £2,363.406 in June, 1939, reports the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. Withdrawals amounted to £2,233,828, comparative figures for May, 1940. and June, 1939, being £2,862,805, and £2,847,796 respectively. The transactions for the month resulted in. an excess of deposits amounting to £70,919, as compared with excesses of withdrawals of £207.002 in May, and £484,390 in June, 1939.

Cruelty to Stock. Pleading guilty in the Auckland Magistrates’ Court yesterday to charges of cruelty to animals, W. and R. Fletcher, Limited, were fined £lO on one and ordered to pay costs on another. Kenneth Mackenzie Stevens, drover, was ordered to pay costs. £ 1 4s, on one charge and £1 Is, solicitor’s fee, on the other. Prosecuting for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Mr Aekins said that Stevens left Morrinsville in May with 480 head of cattle, and three calves and brought them to Westfield, being 21 days on the road. Thirty-eight lame cows were taken out at Tuakau, 21 at Rangiriri, and nine at Ohinewai. Hay and water and larger sized paddocks should have been arranged beforehand.

Labour Day Holiday. There is at present no intention to abandon the Labour Day holiday this year. The secretary of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr E. M. Bardsley, last, night informed the chamber that the Associated Chambers of Commerce had written to the Minister of Labour asking if Labour Day holiday on October 28 this year would be observed. It was stated.the reason for the early inquiry was that inconvenience had been caused both employers and employees by the short notice given that the King’s Birthday holiday would not be observed. The Minister replied that there was no present intention of varying the statute for the observance of Labour Day. which would fall on the fourth Monday in October.

Building of Trawlers

When it was announced by the Government that the building of trawlers was about to begin in Auckland, concern was felt that no announcement was forthcoming of the building of trawlers in Wellington, said the president, Mr R. H. Nimmo, at last night’s meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. This was not parochialism, he said. It was the aim of the chamber to foster the commercial interests of the city. A meeting of shipbuilding and engineering interests was summoned, and as a result, the chamber was now perfectly satisfied that Wellington had received every consideration by the Government, but certain circumstances prevented any similar announcement being made concerning Wellington immediately. In view of the war emergency, he suggested that the chamber should not discuss the matter further. Medical Benefits Scheme. . A statement that the conference with the British Medical Association to discuss plans for the introduction of the general practitioner scheme under Part 3 of the Social Security Act would be held early next month: was made yesterday by the Minister of Health, Mr Armstrong. Proposals have been prepared for submission to the association. Mr Armstrong said that the full personnel, of the Government representation at the conference had not been arranged. As Minister of Health, he would attend, and he would be supported by chiefs of the Health Department. “Is it a fact that only six doctors in New Zealand have contracted out of the maternity benefit plan, these being doctors who have specialist practices and who are not desirous of undertaking maternity cases?” was

a question put to the Minister. He replied that only a few doctors —he did not. know the exact number —had contracted out of the scheme. They were practitioners who were not desirous of engaging in maternity practice.