LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Weekly Prayer Meeting. The weekly prayer meeting will be held in the Opera House, Masterton tomorrow fom 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. Wellington Competitions.

At the Wellington competitions yesterday Beulah Hirst, of Masterton, was highly commended in the sacred song for boy or girl 12 to 16 years of age. Secretaries to Confer.

The secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board announced yesterday afternoon that it had been decided to hold a conference of secretaries of the 11 provincial patriotic councils in Wellington on September 12. The Gover-nor-General, Lord Galway, chairman of the National Patriotic Fund Board, will be present at the opening of the conference, which is to discuss the question of a Dominion campaign for provincial funds and general matters of interest to the provincial councils.

French Consul and Government. The Consul-General for France in New Zealand. M. Andre Pouquet, confirmed yesterday that £2500 collected in New Zealand for use of the French Red Cross had been transferred for use of the Red Cross with General de Gaulle’s free French Army. Asked if this indicated that he had given his support to General de Gaulle. M. Pouquet declined to state his position. He said that he had an understanding with the New Zealand Government, and it had been decided that it would .be better not to make any announcement which might cause him embarrassment. M. Pouquet said he did not consider the question one of great public importance. Petrol Allocation.

Support for the request by the New Zealand Motor Trade Federation for the restoration of the last cut in the petrol ration, and an increase in the general allocation by 1,000,000 gallons a month was decided on at the annual meeting of the Wellington Petrol Resellers’ Association last night. The meeting associated itself with the Wellington Motor Trade Association in a deputation to be arranged with local members of Parliament to discuss the effect of petrol rationing on the trade in Wellington and the Hutt. It was decided to support the association in its opposition to the checking of motorists on the Hutt Road in the use of petrol, and it was considered that the Oil Fuel Controller’s explanation was not convincing. Wages and Hours.

The following resolutions regarding the 5 per cent increase in wages and the 40-hour week have been adopted by the Wellington branch of the A.S.R.S.: "That this meeting of the Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, representing 1100 members, emphatically protests against the 5 per cent increase in wages awarded by the Court of Arbitration. We consider that at least 10 per cent increase is needed to meet the increase in the cost of living. We request that not only railwaymen. but all workers and also those in receipt of sustenance and pension rates be granted this increase." “That this meeting of members of the Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants strongly resents the continual demands of the local bodies and chambers of commerce for the abolition of the 40-hour week and its substitution by a 48-hour week. We hereby reaffirm our adherence to the 40-hour week and shall strongly oppose its abolition or suspension in any degree.”