LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 October 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 7.6 degrees was registered iii Masterton this morning, doing considerable damage to potato crops and tomatoes. War Expenses Fund. The interest-free loans and donations to the War Expenses Fund acknowledged last evening by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash bring the total up to £2,613,229. London Relief Fund. A donation of £2 from “L” to the London Relief Fund is acknowledged by the “Times-Age,” making the total £585 16s. The Mayor,' Mr T. Jordan has received donations amounting to £1,448 19s 3d. War Loan Stock. The first sale of new War Loan Stock was reported on the Auckland Stock Exchange yesterday at £79 10s, representing a loss to the original holder of £2O 10s. After the sale there were further offers at £79, and holders quoted £BO 10s. Waipawa Election. Two candidates, Mr. C. G. E. Harker (National Party) and Mr. H. M. Christie (Labour Party) are the only likely contestants in the Waipawa by-elec-tion, but as nominations will not close till noon on Saturday, November 2, it is still open for others to enter the contest. It is likely that when the supplementary roll closes on Tuesday there will be a voting strength of 10,000, for which 56 booths will be available at 47 polling places. Rifle Cup Won by New Zealander. The Prince of Wales Cup for rifle shooting at the famous Bisley range has been won by Company SergeantMajor A. J. Boag, a member of the Second Echelon, according to a letter received by his father, Mr. J. 'Boag, ' Auckland. The cup was presented in 1908 by the late King George V., then Prince of Wales, for competition within the Empire, and this is the first New Zealand success. Sergeant-Major Boag, who is a married man, with two children lived at Edievale, South Otago, where he was a member of the rifle club. He left New Zealand with the rank of sergeant. Damages Awarded. Damages amounting to £207 7s. have been awarded to a 13-year-old Petone girl, Rae Hamilton, injured in a collision last East Monday. The case was heard in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, before the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), and a jury of 12. Plaintiff sued through her father, John Hamilton, a Government messenger. The defendant was Harry Norman Hansen, public works employee. The accident from which the case originated took place between Paraparaumu and Otaki, it was stated, ‘when a car driven by defendant collided with two others, in the second of which the girl was a passenger. General damages of £l5OO were claimed, and John Hamilton claimed £l3 10s. special damages. Maori Dstrict High Schools. Authority for the establishment of Maori district high schols is contained in regulations gazetted this week. It is the Government’s intention to provide at these schools courses of instruction of a practical nature, and classes empowering the authorities to carry out the proposals are contained in the regulations. This new development was discussed by the Minister of Education, Mr. Mason, in an interview last evening, and he described it as one of the most important departures made in the education system in New Zealand in recent years. “For some time it has been realised that the existing provision for the secondary education of Maoris is far from satisfactory,” said Mr. Mason. “Immense improvements have been made in the facilities provided for the primary education of Maori children as regards the number of schools, the standard of teaching and the nature of the curriculum, which has been brought very much more closely into line with the practical requirements of the children. There still remains, however, a gap between primary education and adult life, for which hitherto little provision has been made. Excess Profits Tax Act. A decision to urge the Government to amend the Excess Profits Tax Act to make the incidence of the taxation as between the various industries and the various taxpayers fairer that it is at present was made at the monthly meeting of the executive of the Ma-kara-Hutt Valley Province of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union yesterday. Various examples of how the tax would fall were given io the meeting by the provincial secretary. Mr. O. G. Thomas. In one example quoted the farmer had made £1125, £927. and [ £520. in 1937. 1938 and 1939 respectively, and the income allowed him before :iie started paying excess profits tax was £lll4. In another case the larmier had made £1067. £845 and £6OO. land the income he would receive before he started to pay excess profits tax was £1067. In another case where a farmer had made £1256. £633 and £227 for the three years, he was allowed an income of £917 before paying excess profits tax—showing, said Mr. Thomas, that the farmer who had had a “bad spin" received worse treatment than the farmer who had had a “good spin.”