LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Trips to Scenic Resorts. “Are these trips in keeping with the Government’s benzine restriction policy ” asked Mr Polson (Opposition, Startford), in the House of Representatives yesterday, when referring, in a question addressed to the Minister of Transport, to the fact that advertisements on behalf of the Tourist Department had appeared in the Press urging the public to patronise motor trips to a number of scenic resorts in various parts of the Dominion.

Fertiliser Supplies. Was it a fact that large stocks of fertiliser were made available to all Government developmental schemes, native, European and small farms, before the rationing scheme 'actually came into force? asked Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo), in a question addressed to the Minister of Lands, of which he gave notice in the House of Representatives yesterday. “Complaints come to me from many districts that the Government departments must have known of the pending shortage, and thus secured their requirements before the rationing came f jnto force,” said Mr Broadfoot.

An Alleged Indisretion., “Is theßPrime Minister aware that last Saturday evening the Minister of Finance, J hn a national broadcast, informed -thfe world that sailors from a BritislTwarship, which he named, were ashore that night in Auckland?” asked ,Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga), in a question -to Mr Fraser in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Doidge also asked whether the Prime Minister was aware that during his absence overseas private citizens had been prosecutbd'ahd punished for lesser indiswhether he would take steps to'see that Ministers of the Crown, possessing access to the National Broadcasting Service, did not commit similar indiscretions in the future.

Shortage of Silk Stockings. New Zealand women are not alone in their quest for silk stockings. In the United States, the silk industry began to feel the full import of the cessation of silk on August 2, when processing or raw' silk for civilian uses was stopped by order of the Office of Prodution Management. All rayon yarn producers were ordered to set aside 10 per cent of their daily output for August and September, and 10 per cent of their stocks on hand for a Government pool from which allocations would be made to manufacturers of hosiery. Prospects that any large quantity of silk would be released in future for manufacture of hosiery faded with an announcement that army and navy authorities had estimated minimum military requirements for silk during the next two years would equal approximately the total stocks now held in the United States. «

Meningitis Cases. Two suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis in the Napier public hospital have been diagnosed as positive cases. There are now three known cases in Hawke’s Bay. Increase in Consumers. “During August, ten new consumers were connected up, making the total number 6244, against 6135 twelve months ago,” stated the secretary-man-ager of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, Mr George Brown, at today’s meeting of the board, held at Carterton. Phenomenal Runs of Trout. Phenomenal runs of fish in one stream in the Wairarapa district—to the extent of hundreds weighing up to five and six pounds—were reported to the meeting of the council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last night. Conditions in the Manawatu area were also said to be satisfactory, with a good augury for the opening of the season. Gambling by Young. “I deprecate letters such as this, making general complaints without giving specific instances,” said Mr James Wallace, chairman of the Otago Education 'Board yesterday, when the board was considering a letter from the Council of Christian Congregations, stating that the matter of gambling among school children and the encouragement of gambling by teaching staffs had been brought before it. The letter added that it was quite apparent that raffles, art unions, and sweepstakes were held and encouraged in connection with flower shows and other school functions. After a discussion, the board decided that till the council was prepared to produce specific evidence the letter would be “received.” Parcels Left in Taxis. An amendment to the regulations relating to the searching for lost articles by taxicab drivers, w‘as sought ■at a meeting of the Auckland Transport Board, says the “Star.” The regulations require the driver, in}mediately on the termination of any hiring, to search the taxicab for any property which may have been left there, and forthwith deliver any lots property at the office of the controlling authority or to a police station. Application was made for an amendment to provide that property should be delivered within 48 hours. The secretary of the Checker Taxicab Society said thaLthe observance of the present regulations .Ayas difficult, and he instanced a case where a'ffiag of six oranges had been taken to a police station. The officer had said to the driver: “That’s three for you and three for me.” He stated that, in practice,, drivers delivered lost articles to the taxicab office, but the society desired to put its house in order and have a specific provision in the regulations for such | procedure. Decision an the matter was) reserved.