LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 September 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Our First Governor. Today is the 98th anniversary of the death of New Zealand’s first Governor, Captain Hobson, who died at Auckland, from paralysis, on September 10. 1842. His body lies in the old Symonds Street Cemetery, and in St Paul’s Church, Auckland, a marble slab (inscribed both in English and in Maori) commemorates his memory and mentions that he was a native of Ireland. On his coffin is a plate bearing the words: “Beneath lie the remains of William Hobson, Esq., a Captain in H.M. Royal Navy, and first .Governor of New Zealand; who departed this life on the 10th of September, 1842, aged 49 years.” Prior to becoming Governoi’ of New Zealand, Captain Hobson had visited this country in H.M.S, Rattlesnake in the year 1837. He returned to England and then came out to New Zealand'again in H.M.S. Druid (Captain Lord John Churchill), calling en route at Sydney where he took the oath as Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand. Later came the signing of the Treaty! of Waitangi, an event of which the centenary was celebrated in February last. All-In Raffle. The raffle for the building section in College Street, Masterton, will close on September 17. The price of a ticket is 2s 6d. College Resumes. The day and evening classes at Wairarapa College resumed yesterday after the term holidays. Miss R. Bennett, of Wellington, is acting as relieving teacher in place of Miss R. K. Edwards, who is on leave. Five Years in Post. Letters, on rare occasions, take a long time to reach their destinations but what must be one of the longest periods on record was reported recently by an employee of the Waingawa Freezing Works. He has received a letter posted in Melbourne five years ago. Wool Dealer Fined. For having sold wool privately to other dealers contrary to the Purchase of Wool Emergency Regulations, 1939, David Paterson was fined £5, with costs £2 4s 6d, by Mr Miller, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Napier, yesterday. It was stated that this was one of a number of cases to be dealt with shortly. Shepherd’s Death, In circumstances which point to him having been washed from, his horse while attempting to cross a flooded creek, the body of Mr Roy Douglas McKeown, single, aged 22, a shepherd employed on Tamamu Station, Waipawa, was discovered last yesterday afternoon. Drunken Motorists Fined. Two motorists who admitted having been intoxicated while in charge of motor-cars were each fined £25 when they appeared before Mr Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, 1 yesterday. The accused were Charles • James Tarrant, motor engineer, aged 44, and Albert Kendrick, joiner, aged ' 35. Their licences were cancelled for the statutory period of 12 months.

Smallest Radio. An object of great interest when the American clipper arrived in Auckland recently was a miniature radio set displayed by Mr Thomas Beck, publisher of “Collier’s Weekly,” who was among the passengers. The set was in a black metal case about nine inches long, foui inches wide, and three inches deep. When the lid was opened it gave clear reception of local programmes, picked up on an internal aerial. Mr Beck explained to inquirers that it had four valves and ran off two dry batteries one of them an ordinary torch cell costing 10 cents. He said that at Noumea the previous Thursday evening he had tuned in to 2YA, Wellington, and listened to a debate in the House of Representatives. Other members of the party also mentioned that they had been interested in the debate, and one described it as “just like the American Senate.”

The Toil of the Motor. I "Twelve persons were killed in road accidents last month,” said the Minister of Transport. Mr Semple, yesterday. “This compares favourably with the figure of 17 deaths recorded during each of the corresponding •periods in 1939 and 1938. While this r reduction in casualties is encouraging. I however, the unnecessary loss of 12 precious lives is still tragic. A parjticularly deplorable feature of last month’s accidents was the occurrence of at least four hit-and-run cases," said the Minister. "In one of these a person was killed and in the other three the victims received serious injuries. It has shocked me to learn that there are still drivers in New Zealand so inhumane and so unbelievably selfish as to knock a person down and then leave him lying gravely injured on the roadway. Fortunately the vast majority of motorists recoil in horror from the thought of such, action, and I hope that next month our record will be free from such despicable crimes.”