LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Interhouse Day. Arrangements have been made by the Wairarapa Interhouse Association to run a free bus from Carterton on the Interhouse Sports day, November 25. The matter of having a special train run from Featherston is receiving the committee’s consideration. Frivolous Appeals.

The nature of some of the appeals against being called up for Territorial service was referred to last evening by the Minister of National Service, Mr Semple. Examples of cases, which he described as frivolous, were quoted by the Minister, who also mentioned others where no real effort had been made to meet comparatively trivial inconveniences.

Wages of Public Servants. The basic wage for married men in the Public Service is increased by an order gazetted last night. Hitherto the stipulated basic wage for married public servants was £2lO 8s Id, and this has been increased under the order to £230 8s Id a year. These regulations will affect very few public servants, because most of them receive above the basic wage. Rumour Denied. A denial that he intended standing for the Hurunui seat, in which electorate he recently acquired an interest in a farming property, was given by Mr S. G. Holland, member of Parliament for Christchurch North, in a brief address to members of the National Club in Christchurch. Mr Holland has been mentioned as a possible successor to Mr Hamilton as Leader of the National Party. Compulsory Loan.

An announcement that, though he had no precise figures, information he had received indicated that the compulsory war loan of £8,000,000 would be over-subscribed, was made at Auckland yesterday by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash. He expressed pleasure at the response and recalled that £7.500,000 had been in sight when he announced the progress total 'recently. Patriotic Effort.

Arrangements have been made between the Wairarapa Interhouse Association and the Masterton district patriotic committee for the Returned Soldiers’ Assqciation to organise compeitions, stalls and side-shows at the Gala Day to be held in the Masterton Park on November 25. All the proceeds of the stalls, etc., will go to the Provincial Patriotic fund appeal. “Guy Hitler” Collection.

It is expected that patriotic funds will benefit to the extent of about £4OO as a result of the effort made by Wellington school children on “Guy Hitler” Day on November 5. Takings at the Basin Reserve, where the fireworks display was held in the evening, totalled £217. Not all the amounts collected by the children have yet come in, but it is expected that when the returns are complete the total for the day will be about £4OO. Beneficial Rain.

Many favourable comments on the steady rain which has fallen in Masterton and surrounding districts were to be heard in town this morning. To many vegetable gardeners the soaking rain which has followed weeks of sunshine is very welcome as the ground temperature was warm and should result in crops coming away rapidly. Although the rain has held up shearing operations it will do considerable good to pastures. Chinese Fined £2OO.

Arrested as he was coming through the wharf gates at Auckland, Tan Han Fong, aged 35, cabin boy, was fined £2OO by Mr Orr Walker, S.M.. in the Magistrates' Court for having imported to New Zealand a quantity of prepared opium. Accused pleaded guilty. The police said a search revealed that accused had four half-pound tins and 14 two-ounce tins of opium strapped with rubber bands around his body and legs. The Collector of Customs said Tan belonged to a ship which recently arrived from the East. Women’s Golf Title.

The Wellington women's provincial golf championship tournament ended on the Heretaunga links yesterday in a triumph for Mrs R. C. Cook, who. playing sterling golf, eliminated her Wanganui club-mate, Miss Patsy Bell, by 5 and 4 in the semi-final in the morning, and then took the title by overwhelming Miss Eileen Nutt (Christchurch) in the final by 6 and 5. Mrs Cook is probably the longest driver with woods,and irons in the Dominion at present, and she got prodigious distances yesterday.

Crop Returns. Returns of wheat, oats and barley as compiled by the Census and Statistics Department are published in last night's Gazette. In the 1939-40 season 258,672 acres of wheat were harvested, 212,498 acres of oats and 25.786 acres of barley. The estimated totals for the 1940-41 season are 244,000. 297,000 and 40.200 acres of wheat, oats and barley respectively. Last year, 20,033 acres of potatoes were planted throughout the Dominion and the estimated area this year is 18.000 acres. lOpt for four millian lead, r

Building Society. A general meeting of the shareholders of the No. 2 Workers’ Mutual Benefit Building Society was held last evening for the purpose of conducting ballots and sales of appropriations. Mr R. Krahagen presided over a fair attendance of shareholders. The successful shareholder at the ballot was Mr C. S. Smith, of Frankton Junction, who, holding 2 shares, was declared entitled to £4OO free of interest. A tender ol £4O for £4OO was accepted in the No. 2 Society, and a tender of £2GO for £BOO was accepted in the B Group.

Conscientious Objectors. "Our Methodist Church stands for the rights of conscience and insists on those rights being duly recognised, so long as the conscientious objections are evidently sincere." states a leading article in the "New Zaland Methodist Times" (official organ of the church). The church, the article added, had to be thoroughly satisfied of the sincerity of objections, and felt strongly that those who objected to undertaking military duty should be willing to render some form of alternative service to their country. All had obligations to the land which gave them protection and rights and privileges. It was to be hoped that those whom the church defended in their demand j to have their appeal for exemption ( honoured would be ready to give that alternative national service.