LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 September 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Prison for Conscientious Objectors. A month’s imprisonment was imposed in the Magistrates’ Court, Wanganui, yesterday on Mervyn Mills Browne and Donald Edward Rogers, reservists under the National Service Regulations, 1940, who refused to submit themselves for medical examination when required. Meningitis Cases. Two men suffering from cerebrospinal meningitis were admitted to the Whangarei Hospital during the weekend. One is a nineteen-year-old Maori Territorial from Kensington Camp, who returned recently from weekend leave spent at his home, north of Kaitaia, and the other is a Samoan, aged 29, of Whangarei. Both are stated to be seriously ill. Tables Turned. In the Wellington Home Guard Battalion there were two privates, one of whom in the last war vzas a major and one a captain. Both are entitled to wear the Military Cross. Recently the ex-captain was promoted to lancecorporal, leaving his friend still a private. The ex-major, however, felt that life still had some joy left when the two of them passed under the command of a sergeant who had been a sergeant under both of them in 1918. Coalmining Situation. A plan to call in the near future a conference of coalowners and miners’ representatives to survey the coalmining situation to enable early preparations for next winter to be made was announced yesterday by the Minister of Mines, Mr Webb. He said he proposed also to confer with the coalmining companies about providing accommodation for miners. Mr Webb said that, though coal supplies were short during the winter now ending, the situation never became really embarrassing. All industries, including the electric power boards, were kept supplied with coal and, though householders’ supplies were limited in some places, full requirements were supplied as a rule. The Earth Rises. The work of the Home Guard is not without its compensations. Recently a section had been practising outpost work on a hillside in pitch blackness; their instructions were to assemble quickly on the whistle round the section commander, some fifty yards in the rear. After the first two practices the section was able to move freely and quickly in the dark. Just before the third trial a cow moved quietly into position and lay down for the night. The furthest out man moving to the word of command and not seeing The cow in the darkness crashed and was horrified when he felt what seemed to be the earth rising with him —he was on the cow’s back. His reactions, vocal and otherwise, weye a joy to his section.

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 8.2 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning. Chinese Boot Shop. The first boot and shoe store kept by Chinese has been opened in Wellington. A Chinese woman is in attendance. A House Raffled. Over £7200 was raised by an art union for a house and section valued at £2OOO and sponsored by the building and allied trades for the No. 1 group of the Fighting Forces Fund. The drawing took place in Auckland and the winning ticket is held by Mr E. A. Sowry, View Road, Titirangi, an employee of the New Lynn Borough Council, who for three years has been a clerk, meter inspector and a dog tax collector. Soldier Missing. Hundreds of searchers have failed to discover any trace of Private Douglas Neil Henry, a soldier from Trentham mobilisation camp, who has been missing near his home at Te Akau, Waikato. for more than four days. His disappearance is a mystery to his relatives, who have stated that they suspect foul play, but this view is not taken by the police. Late last night the Hamilton police reported that there was no trace whatever of Private Henry, nor any clue as to his whereabouts. Remounts Scheme. “Though handicapped by petrol restrictions and consequent cost of transport of stallions, the breeding of horses under the Government remounts scheme continues to make headway,” said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, last night. “During the current season 16 stallions have been approved for subsidy, and negotiations for a number of otners are proceeding. Officers responsible for the administration of the regulations have reported to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay, that it is expected the total number of stallions will not be fewer 1 than- last year, though some districts have evidently experienced difficulty in securing suitable stallions. No “Go Slow.” An account of a visit paid to the Waikato mining district at the weekend by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, and the Minister of Mines, Mr Webb, was given on his return to Wellington yesterday by Mr Webb. He said that three meetings of miners were addressed, and the main point stressed was the importance of everyone doing his best toward maintaining maximum production. “It is true that the miners had contemplated adopting a go-slow policy to bring the question of economic stabilisation to a head,” Mr Webb said. “After hearing Mr Nash’s speeches, however, it is to their credit and proof of their loyalty that they decided by an overwhelming majority not to participate in anything that would injure the production of coal. Advice to this effect has been received from the miners’ secretary,