LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 September 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Body Found on Beach. A body, believed to be that of Miss Clare Foster, aged 81, was found on the Takapuna Beach yesterday. Miss Foster, who had been staying with friends at the seaside, was last seen at 10.30 on Wednesday night. It was stated that Miss Foster recently suffered from loss of memory. Badges For The Unfit. A proposal that the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, should consider issuing a badge or certificate to men called in the ballot and classed medically unfit was contained in a question of which Mr Roy (Opposition, Clutha) gave notice in Parliament yesterday. “Some men who have been classed as unfit have been accused of being shirkers and this would be a protection for them,” Mr Roy added. Hours And Wages. “Will the Government take immediate steps to regulate the hours of work of those workers whose labour is subject neither to award nor statute?” asked Mr Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) in a question he addressed to the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, on behalf of Mr Barnard (Democratic Labour, Napier), in the House of Representatives yesterday. He added that one type of night worker, on night work, did 60 hours a week, and worked seven nights a week. His wages were £4 17s 6d gross. No Publicity for Ships. United States vessels operating in foreign waters must not be given any publicity, according to an instruction from the United States Government to shipowners and their agents. The only vessels under the American flag calling regularly at Auckland are the Matson liners, whose Auckland agents have been advised to that effect. No information on the arrival or departure of any Matson liners will be available from the agents as a consequence of the order, which is regarded as being an outcome of the seriousness of the Pacific situation. As is now the rule with British ships sailing from Auckland, passengers will have only the vaguest information of times and dates of sailing. They will not know by which vessel or line their passage is booked. Cheese Crate Pool. The circumstances surrounding the formation of the cheese crate pool were referred to by the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing, Mr Barclay, answering questions at the annual conference of the New Zealand Dairy Board in Wellington yesterday. The Minister said that complaints had been received from the South Island at the price of 2s 9d which had been fixed, representing an increase of about 6d a crate. This year the South Island average price would not have been under 2s 9d, and even last season five factories in the South Island had paid more than 2s 9d. Even in the South Island just as many factories would benefit as otherwise. The situation had been misrepresented in some cases in the South island. “This is a question you will have to take up with the Dairy Board, which agreed to administer the pool if we fixed the price at 2s 9d,” continued the Minister. “This will cost the Government £60,000.”

Death of Serjude. Mr T. V. Caverhill, of Masterton, has had the misfortune to lose his imported Arab colt Serjude. The colt died on his property last night. The death of Serjude is a big loss to Mr Caverhill and to the Wairarapa generally, as this colt was the only Arab in the Wellington Province. Wangaehu Valley Road. The Wangaehu Valley Road, which has been closed for through traffic on account of the subsidence of a culvert’ under a large filling, has been reopened. Traffic is warned, however, to be particularly careful at the site of the trouble, as the road has not yet dried out,-and may be slippery as the result of rain now falling. Feared Drowned. Mr Robert F. Munro, retired blacksmith and justice of the peace, aged 70, is believed to have been drowned in the Bay of Islands. An upturned dinghy, containing an overcoat, in the pockets of which were papers bearing the name Munro was found. It is understood that Mr Munro was a brother of Mr J. W. Munro, Labour member for Dunedin North. Harbour Board Loan. The Auckland Harbour Board has arranged the issue of a loan of £200,000, being the second issue of the 1937 loan of £1,000,000. The loan is for the export wharf and related operations and the period fixed is 30 years, with interest at 3:1 per cent and a sinking fund of 2 per cent annually. The issue, which is now open, is in £lOO debentures. Sharemilkers' Pay. Two new clauses are added to the schedule of the Sharemilking Agreements Order, 1939. by an amendment brought down with the Gazette last night. The amendment provides that where the sharemilker agrees with a farmer to perform certain work which is not covered by his contract as a sharemilker, he is to be paid not less than 2s an hour. War Risk Insurance. An announcement that a Bill would shortly be presented to the House this session to enable persons and firms to secure adequate war risk insurance cover was made by the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing, Mr Barclay, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Dairy Board in Wellington yesterday. “Ever since the outbreak of war,” said the Minister, "the United Kingdom Government has had to give a great deal of thought to this problem, and only recently has it been able to pass an Act which it considers will cover the position. The New Zealand Government has had the same difficulties in finding a successful solution to the problem as it relates to this Dominion.”