LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 September 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Floating Mine. A floating mine 13 miles from Cape Brett is reported by the Superintendent of Mercantile Marine. This is one of the main shipping lanes. National Service. An amendment to the National Service Emergency Regulations, gazetted last night, provides that, where an appeal against calling up for service with the Territorial Force is adjourned pending its final determination, the manpower committee may, at the time of the adjournment, and from time to time thereafter, direct that the appellant be transferred to the Home Guard or retransferred from that force to the Territorial Force. Rarotongan Interests. Two petitions associated with Rarotongan interests were reported upon by the Native Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives yesterday. The committee recommended that the petition of Kainuku Vaikai and 16 others, of Rarotonga, asking that a judge of the New Zealand Native Land Court should be empowered to investigate in Rarotonga a number ol titles to land under the native customary laws, should be referred to the Government for consideration. The second petition was that of Tuvaine Pokino, Rangatira, of Rarotonga, asking for a Royal Commission to determine the customary laws of Rarotonga. The committee had no recommendation to make. Mining Rights Case. The hearing concluded in Wellington yesterday, after having occupied 16 sitting days, of the case in which the Crown is proceeding for forfeiture of mining privileges at Onekaka against the Onekaka Iron and Steel Company, Limited, Golden Bay Proprietary, Limited, and Pacific Steel, Limited. , The sittings opened in Nelson and were subsequently transferred to Wellington. In addition to its length, the hearing has been noteworthy for the array of some of the Dominion’s leading advocates who took part, there being no fewer than four King’s Counsel engaged. The warden, Mi’ Maunsell, S.M., reserved his decision, and indicated that he | would probably give it by the end of the I month. . . *

Finger Cut While Sawing Wood. Mr A. E. Nelson, South Belt, Masterton, was admitted to the Masterton Hospital this morning having severely cut a finger while sawing wood. Power Board Revenue. Despite black-out restrictions the revenue derived by the WanganuiRangitikei Electric Power Board last month showed an increase of .£192 on that for August last-year. Home Guard Regulations. Regulations gazetted last night give effect to the Government's decision to incorporate the. Home Guard in the defence forces. Regulations under the Defence Act. 1909. are applied to the Home Guard as if it were part of the Territorial Force. A similar provision was made with respect to the National Military Reserve, but, in the case of the Home Guard, there is a proviso enabling the application of Defence Regulations to be excluded or modified by Army Orders. Schools and the E.P.S. Concern for the apparent lack of any organisation for emergency precautions in the schools in Palmerston North was expressed by the secretary of the Manawatu-Oroua School Committee Association, Mr H. W. Cox, at a meeting on Wednesday night. He said that he had ascertained at the annual conference of the Federation of School Committees’ Associations that all schools in New Zealand except those in Palmerston North were organised for emergency purposes. As far as he knew, nothing of this nature had been done in Palmerston North. The meeting decided to ask the E.P.S. organisation in Palmerston North what had been done in this connection. Doctors And The Medical Plan. The statement that he knew that there were hundreds of doctors in New Zealand who wanted to work the scheme proposed in the Bill was made by the Acting-Piwme Minister, Mr Nash, in the course of the debate in the House of Representatives yesterday on the Social Security Amendment Bill. He said he would not blame them for sticking to the 8.M.A., but he did suggest that those who wanted the scheme to operate should make their voices heard. Some of them were holding back merely because they felt they would be opposing the older members of the profession.