LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Kopuaranga Reticulation. “I am glad to be able to report that the .Electricity Controller has issued the necessary permit for the Kopuaranga extension to be proceeded with,” stated the Secretary-Manager o£ the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, Mr, Geo. Brown, at a meeting of the Board held at Carterton today. “The survey is now being made and we should be in a position to commence construction work in approximately three weeks’ time.” Eggs Flown 2600 Miles. A consignment of eggs sent to an Auckland poultry farmer by Tasman flying-boat has been returned to Sydney, where a number of healthy chickens have been patched. The eggs on arrival at Auckland were not accompanied by the necessary documents for importation, so they were returned to the Sydney poultry farm from which they were sent. There, in spite of their double Tasman journey, they were successfully hatched. Man Drowned in River. Seen by two whitebaiters to fall into the Grey River from the wharf at Greymouth about 5.45 o’clock last evening, a man presumed to be John Gamble, aged 44, labourer, single, residing with his parents in Gresson Street, Greymouth, was drowned. Police and harbour officials in a row-boat searched the vicinity till after dark, but no trace of the body was found. The only evidence that the drowned man is Mr Gamble was the finding on the wharf of a cap later identified as belonging to him. The Lord’s Prayer. After its decision at the September meeting that schools in its district be opened each morning with the Lord’s Prayer, subject to the approval of the school committees and head teachers, the Wellington Education Board received many letters of commendation. The board’s action, however, is not endorsed by the Education Department, and at yesterday’s meeting of the board a request was received from the Director of Education, Dr C. E. Beeby, that the instruction to schools be not proceeded with. By nine votes' to three, the board declined to accede to the department’s request. Humane Slaughtering. The Society for the Prevention of Creulty to Animals has still the task of inducing the Government to compel humane slaughtering methods by law, according to Mr G. P. Purnell, who addressed the Christchurch society’s annual meeting. He said that the regulations dealing with slaughtering which were gazetted last May dealt with sanitation and the protection of public health, but there was not a word about the methods of slaughtering stock. More humane methods, which were available, were badly needed in some cases, especially in that of the slaughtering of pigs. Gaps in German Blockade. From a director of a leading English shipping firm has come confirmation of reports of the failure of the German attempt to blockade Britain. In a letter received in Christchurch the other day, he has said: “There is no shortage of food; of any sort, shipping facilities are excellent, and while the total blockade which Hitler has announced is causing a lot of inconvenience. it is making little real difference and certainly has not. so far affected our absolute command of the seas. Our losses of tonnage are higher than we should like, but we can go on for many years at this rate.” Railway Collision. A ballast goods train collided with the rear of a stationary passenger train at Otumoetai yesterday. Both trains were coming from Katikati down the line to Tauranga. The ballast train overran, forcing a number of passenger coaches from the rails. Platforms and couplings were damaged in the impact. One passenger was injured, Mr R. Rowe, who received a gashed thumb. Others were severely shaken. Breakdown gangs were immediately rushed from Tauranga and the line was finally cleared at 2 p.m., when the morning express from Tauranga was able to continue its delayed journey to Auckland. Passengers had previously been conveyed from the express by special service cars to Katikati to entrain for Auckland. Theft of Lodge Funds. Defalcations exceeding £lOOO in the funds of Court Clarendon, Foresters’ Lodge, Picton, resulted in the appearance in the Picton S.M. Court yesterday of Newton Charles Murray Blizzard, mercer, charged with theft. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence to the Supreme Court, Wellington. Bail was fixed at £5OO and two sureties of £250 each. The charges disclosed that the irregularities extended from August, 1935, to May, 1939. Accused, who is secretary of the lodge, confessed that he had insufficient experience for the position. When his mercery business began to fail he borrowed lodge funds. He subsequently transferred his business to Miramar, Wellington, but without success. He sold his stock, hoping to repay the lodge deficiencies, but there was no surplus after meeting the accounts of the business. Saluting the Flag. The attitude of members of the sect of Jehova's Witnesses to the saluting of the flag in schools was discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Education Board when a letter was received from the head teacher of the Makuri School stating that three pupils, one aged 13. and two others in the primers, had apparently been instructed by their parents, who were Jehovah’s Witnesses, not to take part in I the ceremony of saluting the flag at the school. One of the parents had brought a gramophone record by Judge Rutherford to the school to prove that saluting the flag was contrary to their religion. The teacher asked if she had (power to suspend the pupils. Mr C. H. ,W. Nicholls said that it was clear that [the board had no authority to enforce attendance at the ceremony. The suggestion was made that those children who did not wish to attend be kept in the classroom and it was decided to instruct the teacher accordingly.