LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Euchre Party and Dance. A complimentary euchre party and dance in honour of Privates W. Butler and D. Deegan will be held in the Epiphany Hall tomorrow, Friday night, instead of at the Solway School as previously advised. Fatal Fall into Fire. Fatal burns were suffered by Mr. Robert Strongman, aged 78. at Waiheke Island, Auckland. He was burning rubbish and apparently fell into the fire when overcome by smoke. An ambulance launch was despatched from the city, but Mr. Strongman died soon after assistance arrived. Medical Scheme. The District Health Office advised yesterday that so far only one Wellington doctor had entered into an agreement to provide medical oenefits under the Social Security Act. Very few .applications for benefit cards have been made at the various post offices in the Wellington and suburban areas, and it has been suggested that till the public know which doctors are prepared to sign cards, it is not much use procuring them. Hare Drive. All members and supporters of the Wairarapa Coursing Club are reminded of the big hare drive on Sunday. Cars will leave Harcombe’s corner promptly at 9 a.m. As this is the first drive of the season a good attendance is requested. The club intends to adhere to the ruling regarding hare drives inaugurated last year and to commence coursing towards the end of April, when a Puppy Stake and Open Sfake will be decided. Homer Tunnel. The approximate date on which the Homer Tunnel will be open for motor traffic through to Milford Sound is very indefinite as the war has created a shortage of supplies of essential materials for completing boring work. Mr. R. Semple, who was Minister of Public Works during the period when much of the construction work was carried out, said at Invercargill yesterday that work on the tunnel had been speedy till war broke out, but since then boring had been comparatively slow. Two Months’ Gaol for Assault. “Young girls have to be protected from blackguards of this type,” said Mr Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court at Wanganui yesterday, when sentencing James Patrick McGuire, aged 21. Palmerston North, to two montns’ imprisonment in Wellington gaol on a charge of having assaulted a girl in Bell Street, Wanganui, on the night of February 12. Detective J. Murray said McGuire and another man attended a dance and later- accosted girls in Bell Street. McGuire had been in trouble previously. Women Pick Beans.

Members of the eastern bays section of the Women’s War Auxiliary went to the rescue of market gardeners in the Hutt Valley by assisting to pick the bean crop, much of which has gone to the canning factory at Petone for eventual use in a branch of the armed forces. The male labour of the growers was required to pick the tomato crop and had the women not come forward the bean crop would largely have gone to waste. The women were paid reasonable wages, which they devoted to patriotic purposes.

Oath of Allegiance. The Auckland Education Board decided yesterday to forward a memorandum to the teachers in its district asking them to reaffirm their oath of allegiance and also to draw the attention of teachers to the bylaw setting out that the school flag had to be saluted on specified days by teachers and by pupils. It was pointed out during the discussion that there had been much talk lately concerning the question of teachers’ loyalty, and teachers resented this feeling. It was a reflection, and in the circumstances it was considered that they would welcome the opportunity to reaffirm their oath. Flower Shows in Wartime.

“Flower shows cannot harm patriotic efforts; in fact, they can help them,” said Mrs. Knox Gilmer, in her address yesterday at the opening of lhe Karori Horticultural Society's dahlia show, proceeds from which will be transferred to patriotic funds. Mrs. Gilmer mentioned that there had been much controversy about flower and vegetable shows being continued while there was a war going on, but as gardening provided recreation and as there was a certain amount of pleasure to be derived from it, she did not hold with the view that shows, where people had the opportunity to display the results of their efforts, should be abandoned. Beware of Stranded Mines. The need for a public warning to visitors to ocean beaches against handling any unusual-looking canister they might find washed up on the shore was suggested by a member of the Paraparaumu Home Guard during a discussion at the last parade. It was pointed out that, a mine might be washed up on any of the beaches and if tampered with by inexperienced persons grave results might follow. He thought a public warning should be given by the Government that in the event of anything resembling a mine being found the fact should be reported at once to the nearest police station or post office to enable them to get in touch with responsible officers. Another member said he had seen a warning notice in a post office, but others who visited the post office daily said they had not noticed it, and agreed that a more effective warning was desirable. The officer in command thought the suggestion was a good one, and undertook to pass it. on.