LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hastings W. E. A. Group. A VZ.E.A. group has been formed in Hastings. Clay Bird Championship. In thg North Island clay bird championship at Palmerston North (25 birds off 18 yards), J. W. McKenzie. Wairarapa, H. A. Quartermain, Wanganui, and J. B. Thomason, Taihape, tied with 21 birds each. The shoot-off was won by McKenzie, with Thomason second. Art Union Profits. Grants to charitable and philanthropic institutions from the surplus profits of the £5OOO alluvial gold art unions conducted periodically were announced on Saturday by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry. The grants range from £5O up to £lOOO, the institutions receiving the latter amount being the New Zealand Crippled Children Society and the New Zealand Order of St. John. The total amount distributed is £10,025.

Conscientious Objectors. Any firm which dismisses an employee who has conscientious objection to military service, and has appealed on that ground, is liable to prosecution by the Labour Department, according to Mr R. T. Bailey, officer in charge of the department in Christchurch. “Some such cases in Christchurch have been reported to me lately, and they are being investigated,” said Mr Bailey in an interview. “Any'man who is called up in a ballot for military service, and, because of the views he holds, uses the legal machinery of the Armed Forces Appeal Board to exempt him from military service, is perfectly justified, and an employer who dismisses him after such an appeal must realise that he is liable to prosecution,” said Mr Bailey. “Even if the decision of the board is reserved, the same position still applies. “Should an employee appeal, but have his case dismissed, then that man. under the laws of this country, must be reinstated to his former position on the completion of his military service.”

Evening Gown Winner. The winner of the evening gown at the Regent Theatre on Saturday night was Miss Vera Corlett. Fall from Tree. Keith Grantham, of 96 Villa Street. Masterton, was admitted to hospital yesterday suffering from lacerations to his left leg received when he fell from a tree. His condition is satisfactory. Band Concert. The Masterton Municipal Band marched through Queen Street yesterday afternoon, led by Drum Major G. Stanton, en route to the Masterton Park. A bright musical programme was rendered in the Park under the baton of Mr G. W. Hutchinson before a large and appreciative attendance. Odd Fellows’ Dance. Dancers who attended the gathering held in the Masonic Hall on Saturday night by the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows had a most enjoyable evening, due in large measure to the efficient manner in which the M.C., Bro. D. Seddon carried out his duties. The hall was crowded to the doors and the excellent condition of the floor, combined with splendid music by the Blue River Orchestra, made dancing a pleasure. Miss Phyllis Reece and Mr Roy Lepper won the Monte Carlo prize. A ladies’ committee, under the direction of N.G. Sister M. Prout, attended to the supper arrangements.

Surfaceman Killed. Hurled out of a culvert pipe at terrific speed by an onrush of water which shot him over two or three precipices, Robert John Coard, aged 45. married, surfaceman on the Kingston-Queens-town highway, received fatal injuries. Coard was attempting to clean out the culvert, near Queenstown, which had been blocked since Easter, and had icrawled about 68 feet into the four-foot pipe to make a passage for the water Io trickle through. His wife, who was with him, had gone to a dam served by the culvert, and had found it too full, a condition which made Coard's task dangerous. The dam burst before she could return, and she arrived back in time to see her husband hurled out of the pipe by the escaping water.