LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 October 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Moonshine Road Closed. The Moonshine Road (Hutt County) will be closed today and tomorrow because of flood damage. Remand in Murder Trial. In custody since his arrest on a charge of murder of Jeremiah O’Sullivan, at Manunui, near Taumarunui, on September 22, Charles Harold Longley, aged 39, labourer, appeared in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court before Mr. McKean, S.M., yesterday. The police obtained a remand till today at Taumarunui. The preliminary hearing of the charge will commence in the afternoon. Romney Marsh Flocks. At a meeting of the New Zealand Romney Marsh Breeders’ Association at Palmerston North figures relating to the growth of the breed were given. These referred to registered flocks. A comparison of the breeding figures showed that whereas 42,792 registered ewe lambs were born in 1927, 10 years later the figure was 58,025. Two-tooth ewes from these lambs mated in 1929 totalled 25,657, and 10 years later the total was 32,455. Separate registered flocks, which in 1930 totalled 658, had now reached 811. The total of registered sheep in 1930 was 146,563 and now it was 191,276, excluding ram lambs. Latin in Court. A brief lecture on Latin was given to counsel in a compensation case in Christchurch by Mr Justice O’Regan, when Mr K. G. Archer applied for an adjournment sine die. “The case is adjourned accordingly,” said his Honour. “You notice that I shrink from saying ‘syny dyq.’ It shoull be ‘sin-ay dee-ay’—you know that, Mr Archer.” “I don’t agree,” interposed Mr A. W. Brown, who also appeared in the case. “ ‘Syny dye’,” he added with emphasis. “I enter a respectful protect against the anglicisation of Latin,” replied his Honour, smiling, as he rose to adjourn j the Court. Netherlands Humour.

That the spirit of the people of Holland is unbroken by the ordeal of war is indicated in stories reported by a 8.8. C. commentator to be circulating in that country. One of these stories has reference to the statement frequently made in German reports on British bombing raids that: "A cow was killed.” Dutch farmers are suggesting that the Germans in the circumstances, will be bound to erect a monument to “the unknown cow.” Another tale is of a Dutchman, who politely gave way to a German soldier at a railway station entrance, explaining, “You must be in a hurry. \ou have to go to England, haven’t you?”

Mr Webb's Attitude to Disputes. “I never made any promise which I did not keep, and I am not going to act as a judge in any dispute,” said the Minister of Mines, Mr Webb, in Runanga, when asked at a public meeting why he had not fulfilled his promise to meet the State Miners’ Union and discuss a number of questions. “If I had to deal with disputes at Dobson, Wallsend, and the Waikato mines, my time would be fully occupied,” said the Minister, “and for anyone to suggest that I should act as a sort of conciliation commissioner or independent chairman is, I think, ‘quite wrong, and I won’t do it. The union has its proper channels for disputes to 1 be dealt with.”

Camp Would Kill Him. Holding that it had no power to consider an appeal based on medical grounds the Northland Manpower Committee dismissed an appeal lodged by D. K. Corbett, motion picture projectionist, Whangarei. Corbett said that all his life he had suffered from one illness after another. He had never been able to do any hard work on account of heart trouble. If he went into camp he would probably be there only a fortnight and be sent out nearly dead. He was informed that in such an event the Army would pay him/a pension. “That would be no good to a nearly dead man,” said Corbett. It was pointed out’ that the committee had no jurisdiction in the matter, as Corbett had been passed as medically fit for.service.

Cow in Lyttelton Tunnel. Straying into the Lyttelton end of the railway tunnel on a recent Sunday afternoon, a cow held up the service for mope than half an hour. Railwaymen went into the tunnel to drive it out, but had some difficulty in doing so. In the meantime a passenger train had been held up at Heathcote until the tunnel was cleared. This is not the first time cattle have entered the tunnel (says the “Press”). Some years ago a wild steer, being unloaded from a steamer, broke loose and made a dash into the tunnel, causing “a more serious hold-up. A story is also told of an elephant which wandered away from a circus which was unloading in the Lyttelton railway yard and strayed into the portal of the tunnel, causing a hold-up cn the line.

Wairarapa Caravan Club. A very successful gathering was held at Castlepoint over the weekend by the Wairarapa Caravan Club. The members spent an enjoyable time fishing, swimming, etc., and at night played cards in the school building, the use of which had been granted to the club by the Wellington Education Board. There were ten caravans present owned by the following: Messrs A. Keir. M. Nicol, G. Dallas, F. Clapcott, IVI. Malmo, E. Downes. J. Harris. T. Betts. H. Hall, and H. K. Smith. It was decided to hold the next gathering at Lake Ferry at the King’s Birthday weekend, the members proceeding to Martinborough on the Monday to take part in the opening of the Martinborough camping grounds and swimming baths, as guests of the Borough Council.

Training Centre for Boys. Mr G. M. Keys, who has recently returned from England, was for a year warden of “Park Hill,” an agricultural training centre for boys situated in the heart of Derbyshire. This was a branch of national service in England instituted after the outbreak of war; it was run by the Young Men's Christian Association, assisted by the Ministry of Labour. Mr Keys said: "Here, boys mainly from depressed areas and refugees from Europe, were brought, equipped with suitable kit, built up physically and mentally, and trained and placed in agricultural work. Above all wc tried to give them ■ an appreciation of the finer things of j life, and I believe we succeeded be-I, yond the fondest hopes of the origina- I , tors of the scheme, ft was a most in- 1 foresting experiment in the profound i influence exerted by environment.” (