Masterton Frost.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 June 1941, Page 4

Masterton Frost.

A frost of 8.7 degrees was registered this morning in Masterton.

Electrical Wiremen’s Examinations. In an examination for electrical wiremen conducted recently in Masterton, S. J. Faulknor passed in the written part and S. P. Alpe, D. W. Ellison, T. R. Morris, I. C. Pocock, A. E. Read and R. F. Torwick passed in the practical part. In an examination for electrical servicemen T. G. Hardie passed the written part.

Home Guard Sports. Interest to the activities of the Hastings Battalion of the Home Guard is to be given by an entertainment committee, which proposes to introduce competitive sports among the companies as a means of adding to the existing esprit de corps. Cricket, tennis, golf, snooker and indoor bowls have been discussed. A smoke concert may be held later in the winter.

Mine Idle for Day. , As a result of a stopwork meeting at the Dobson mine, Greymouth, yesterday morning lasting till after 9 o’clock, the mine was idle for the day and the employees returned home. It is understood the matter under discussion had no direct bearing on the men’s employment as between the men and management, but that it was an internal dispute which had arisen over the cave.

Martial Law for Farms Suggested.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Progress League recently, Mr D. W. Westenra emphasised the necessity for some organisation which would tell farmers what to do to assist the war effort. There should be someone to go round and tell a farmer that he had to sow 100 acres of wheat this season and to see that he did it. “We should be under martial law, more or less. When a soldier is told to face machinegun fire he has to do it. and we farmers should be told what we have to do,” said Mr Westenra. Stabilisation Report.

“Before the ink was dry on the Economic Stabilisation Committee's report Mr Nash torpedoed it by increasing the wages of sawmillers on the West Coast," said Mr G. C. Warren, at the annual conference of the North Canterbury district of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. He seconded a resolution from the West Melton branch, which the conference adopted, urging the Government to implement the recommendations of the committee. The resolution which Mr Warren seconded had been moved by Mr H. C. Wild. He said ■that the West Melton branch thought it wrong that so few of the recommendations of the committee had been acted upon.

Failure to Make Income Returns. Harold Gray Keane, company manager, and Roy McDonald, commercial traveller, each pleaded guilty in the Auckland Magistrate's Court yesterday to four charges of failing to make returns of income. Prosecuting for the Commissioner of Taxes, Mr G. S. Meredith said that Keane had not furnished a return since 1930. while McDonald had never put in a return. "These men. who are the principal shareholders in a company, have been paying income tax on default assessments." said Mr Meredith. Defending counsel said that defendants had been foolish, but had paid on substantial default assessments. On each of four charges, each defendant was fined £l5. phis £2 2s solicitor's fee, on each information.

Letters for United Kingdom. The Post Office advises that letters and other articles may now be accepted for the United Kingdom for despatch by surface means from New Zealand to New York and thence by air. “New York—Lisbon—United Kingdom." The postage rate for such correspondence is 2s 6d each half ounce and the articles must be clearly enlaced "Air Now York —United Kingdom" or "Air TransAtlantic only.” The minimum transit time between New Zealand and the United Kingdom by this means is expected to be approximately three weeks, but the time that will elapse between posting and delivery will, of course, be affected by the steamer connections between Now Zealand and the United States or Canada.