LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 September 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Public Prayer Meeting. The weekly prayer meeting will be held in the Opera House, Masterton, tomorrow from 12.30 p.m. till 1.30 p.m. Primary Schools Re-open. Primary schools of the district resumed today after the term holidays. Both the primary and secondary schools closed on August 16 but secondary schools have another week’s holiday. Funds for Fighter.

Suppliers to the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company at Hamilton have already achieved their objective to raise sufficient to provide a fighter fund for the British Government. More than £6OOO is now in hand. The mayor’s fund for fighter planes stands at £1571. Homes for Children.

An excellent response to the appeal for suitable homes for children from England has been received in the Waikato, where to date 358 homes have offered to take 441 children. In Hamilton 130 homes have offered to take 155 children. Well Known Sight.

A citrus tree at the Masterton Hospital. which is familiar to visitors, is covered with golden fruit and presents a remarkable sight. In the shelter of a corner between two wards the tree has made rapid growth in the last few years. Record Price for Book.

A copy of Rolf Boldrewood’s Australian ’ bushranger story, “Robbery Under Arms,” was sold for £145 at Christie’s, in London. The book was presented by the author to his mother, and was sent to London by Mrs D. H. Harries, formerly of Sydney, a grand-daughter of Boldrewood. The previous record price paid for a first edition of “Robbery Under Arms” was £66 for Lord Rosebery’s copy.

Drunken Motorist Sent to Gaol. A blacksmith and former boxer, Eric Thomas Otway, aged 39, was sentenced to 21 days’ imprisonment by the magistrate, Mr C. R. Orr Walker, at Auckland yesterday, for having been in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor-car at Glenfield and on another charge of having assaulted a constable. The police said that while a constable was seated in a chair entering up the charge Otway struck him on the face and later kickhim on the chin. Charity Ball.

The Charity Ball will be held in the Municipal Hall, Masterton, tomorrow night. Dancing will commence at 8 o’clock sharp, and debutantes from Masterton, Carterton, Eketahuna and other parts of the Wairarapa will be presented to His Grace, Archbishop O’Shea, at 8.45 o'clock. Half the proceeds of the ball will be donated to the Patriotic Fund and the other half will be used for the relief of distress in the district. Two orchestras have been engaged to provide the music. Circulation of Rumours.

Because of the number of rumours current in Northland, the area officer at Whangarei, Major H. P. ConyersBrown, said the police had been informed that they could take action. He said people who repeated rumours were liable to punishment. The spreading of rumours caused inconvenience to both the military and police officers. He instanced one of the latest rumours current in Whangarei. that 50,000 rounds of ammunition had been stolen from the Whangarei Army Office. This was absolutely false. Petrol Restrictions.

A good story is told in the “New Zealand Police Journal” of a Wanganui farmer who was very friendly with two of the Wanganui police. Just after the petrol restrictions were introduced he was expecting a visit from them but. as he had four 40gallon drums of petrol stored in his shed he decided that he would not impose on their good nature too far. He called Pat, his employee, and instructed him to bury the benzine, at the same time telling him that he expected a visit from the police and that lie did not want them to see it. When Pat returned to the house he was asked? '‘Well. Pat, have you buried the benzine?” He replied: “Yes, but what will I do with the drums?”