LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 March 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Boring for Oil. New Zealand Petroleum reports that at the Morere drill, pipe-recovery operations are still proceeding. At Midhirst a depth has been reached of 5980 feet, in hard grey shale formation. Trentham Camp. Trentham camp will be open to relatives and friends of troops this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. A garden party will be given tomorrow afternoon on the racecourse by the troops for the Fighting Services Queen. Linesman Killed. Mr Robert Leslie Thompson, aged 44, married, was electrocuted yesterday afternoon while engaged with a Marlborough Power Board gang installing a new service at the end of the street in which • he resided in Blenheim. The power was shut off the line on which the men were engaged, but Mr Thompson’s head touched a 33.000-volt high tension cable above him. Death was instantaneous. Taranaki Centenary.

Recognised as one of the world's most productive dairying districts, the province of Taranaki will today celebrate its centenary. A review of the province’s 100 years of progress reveals many remarkable developments, including 30 years of trouble and war. Today, contemplating the splendid pastures dominated by Egmont’s great and graceful cone, it is difficult to believe that, within the memory of men still living. New Plymouth was practically a beleaguered city and Taranaki a wilderness where the traveller held his life in his hands. St. John Ambulance. The annual, report of the St. John Ambulance Association for New Zealand states that the reports from corps and divisions throughout New Zealand show the number of services performed during the year to be 114,890, against 10,093 for 1939. The cases of first aid attended to on public duty totalled 36,388. against 39,595 for the previous year. 'The number of cases of first aid attended to not on public duty totalled 47,266, against 54,272. The removal or transport work in which members of the brigade assisted amounted to 10,939 cases, against 8386. The number of cases nursed privately by members of nursing divisions totalled 1891, against 1397 for 1939. Shooting Season to open May 3. An open season for shooting hen pheasants is announced in a supplement to the New Zealand Gazette, published yesterday, drawing the attention of sportsmen and others to the regulations governing the coming shooting season. The season will open on Saturday, May 3. In the Wellington Acclimatisation District, the season for cock pheasant, hares, Californian and Australian quail will be May 3 to July 31 inclusive. The season for hen pheasant, grey duck, mallard and shoveller duck, pukeko and black swan, will be May 3 to 18. Limit bags that may be taken in a day are three pheasant, three swan, 15 duck, and five pukeko.

Prisoner Recaptured. After having been at liberty since early on the morning of February 14. an escaped prisoner, John Henry Wilson, alias Gordon Cyril James, aged 28, was arrested in Wanganui late yesterday afternoon. Wilson was travelling from Wellington to Auckland under escort when he leapt from the Limited express as it was slowing down about a mile north of Ohakune. He immediately disappeared into the bush, and in spite of police and warders making an extensive search of the King Country he was not seen till yesterday. Suggested Airport Extension. The need for an adequate airport for Wellington, not merely as the capital city, but as the most effective distributing centre for passengers and mails within the Dominion, and as an important terminal for overseas connections. was stressed by the president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr. R. I-I. Nimmo, in his address at the annual meeting of the chamber last night. “Wellington,” he said, “has already taken the lead as the chief air centre of the Dominion, and we will not be satisfied till the area lying between Rongotai aerodrome and Evans Bay has. been cleared of buildings. making it possible for planes to get the necessary runway to take care of future development."