LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

t No Publication on Wednesday. The "Times-Age” will not be published on January 1. New Year's Day. Successful Dance. There was a good attendance at a dance held at Cooper’s Barn. Opaki, on Saturday night. The music was supplied by Messrs C. Minifie and W. Ashworth. An extra was played by Miss J. Martin. Novelty dances were held. Supper was served by helpers. Bathing Beauty Contest. From twenty-five entrants, representing Hastings, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Wellington. Wanganui and Napier, Miss Valayo Des Landes, Napier, was adjudged the winner of the Miss New Zealand Bathing Beauty Contest at the Napier Mardi Gras contest, and was awarded the first prize of £25. Another Napier girl, Miss Thelma Jones, received the £5 prize for being second, and was also awarded a special prize for having the most beautiful eyes. Fire at Mataura.

A large store at the corner of Riveiand Lodge Streets, Mataura, owned by the Mayor of Mataura, Mr C. D. McConnell, was totally destroyed by fire on Saturday. The building had been used as a store for skins and a laige quantity of paper pulp for the New Zealand Paper Mills. The contents were lost or severely damaged. The brigade succeeded in saving adjoining buildings. A strong suspicion of incendiarism attaches to the fire, which is the seventh in a series since August. The damage is estimated at £3,000.

Christmas Bowling Tournament. Nine fours having qualified for postsection play, the Wellington Bowling Centre’s Christmas Tournament cannot finish before tomorrow. The fours still in the tournament are those skipped by Brighting (Hataitai), Hastings (Newtown), Hale (Island Bay), Hazelwood (Lyall Bay), Stirling (Wellington), Cometti (Hataitai), Bryce (Island Bay), Wellings (Hataitai), and Reid (Lyall Bay). Reid’s four was the only one to go through all nine games in the section play, which concluded on Saturday, without defeat, though Bry v ce lost only his second game, against Watts.

Magistrate and Bookmaking. That the activities of bookmakers were directly subversive was expressed by Mr Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, when two men were charged with using premises as common gaming houses. All the energies of the country, said the magistrate, should be directed to war purposes. Bookmaking diverted money which should be used for the promotion of the war to illegitimate purposes, and those engaged in it would be better occupied in doing something for the benefit of the country. Owners of common gaming houses could not be blind to what was going on, and it was time some action was taken against them.

Wellington Tennis Tourney. With no championships because of the war, the results of the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association’s Christmas tournament, concluded at Miramar on Saturday, in effect took the place of the championships and decided the leading players for the 1940-41 season. K. E. Boosey, after his first day’s defeat of D. G. France, was no matcn for R. McKenzie, present New Zealand junior champion, in the A grade singles final. McKenzie was on top all the way. McKenzie lost only two games in the three sets and at no stage of the match was the score ever at deuce. E. Roussell and R. McL. Ferkins who have twice won New Zealand doubles championships, were successful in the doubles.

Serious Shipping Position. The seriousness of the shipping position was referred to at Auckland on Saturday by the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, who stressed the necessity for a speedy turn-round of all shipping arriving at New Zealand ports. Mr Webb said that a committee ot representatives of the shipping and freezing companies, the Watersid Commission and the Railways Department, was taking into consideration every factor of the position with a view to the closest co-operation and co-ordination between all interests. Rolling stock would be made avaiable and produce from the fl ’ eez *2® stores would be ready at the shoitest notice. It had also been decided that refreshments would be available for the men engaged in this Vital woik when they were engaged foi extended hours to get the ships away.

Bathing Tragedy. A drowning accident occurred off Rangitikei beach on Saturday afteinoon, the victim being a trainee at the R.A.F. station at Ohakea. He is Flying Officer John Rowley Miller Stewart, single, aged 24 years. His father is Mr J. R. M. Steward, ' Graham Street, Eltham. It appears that Flying Officer Stewart and Squadron Leader Braye and Flying Officer de Lange were bathing about 150 yards from toe shore when Stewart was noticed to be in difficulties. His two companions immediately went io his assist ance. but toe heavy undercurrent, coupled with Stewart's struggling, caused them to release their hold of him. An aeroplane was requisitioned from Ohakea to search for the body and a party was also organised on shore to conduct a search. So far neither u been successful. Auckland Cathedral. The General Trust Board of the Anglican Diocese at Auckland has received cable advice from London of the award of the adjudicator, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, in the competition for plans for the proposed Auckland Cathedral. The competition was held under the provisions of the will of the late Miss M. T. Horton, who bequeathed the residue of her estate, est.mated at £65,000. toward the cost of the edral. It was open to jj “ t< . New Zealand Institute oi ct resident in the Dominion m« 4() and it is understood that be and 50 designs were submitted. T awards are as follow -F t. 1 Charles Towle. Sydney P- nncll . £1000; second, Mi Long Sutton, J ard ’ and J. Messrs Fergus G. r - bn ncl £200: R p. Blake-Kelly. Aucklan . • Fourth. Messrs T. K. X" winner Mr Bartlett. Auckland. practice in Towle, was formerly in piactice Auckland.