LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 October 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Great War Anniversary.

Today is the 27th anniversary of the departure of the Main Body of the First N.Z.E.F. There were 10 troop-, ships, the flagship being the Maunganui, which is a hospital ship for the 2nd N.Z.E.F. On board the troopships were 8499 officers and men; also 3946 horses. The escort consisted of three British cruisers and the Japanese battleship Ibuki, Defaulters’ Camp.

It is reported on good authority in Hamilton that the Government intends to establish a detention camp for defaulters on a block of land between Rotorua and Taupo. The place mentioned is on the east side of the Strathmore block, near Reparoa, which was purchased by the Crown some time ago. The greater part of the land is in grass, but there are some undeveloped areas toward the Kaingaroa Plains, and it may be that the authorities intend to employ the men on preliminary development work. Strathmore lies off the main road, about 20 miles south of Rotorua. Services Appreciated.

At yesterday’s meeting of the. Wairarapa Hospital Board appreciative reference was made by the chairman (Mr H. H. Mawley) and other members to the work carried out by the Managing-Secretary, Mr Norman Lee, and his staff in connection with the preparation of the emergency hospital at the Anzac Hall, Featherston. Within a short time all arrangements had been completed. In view of the work carried out by Mr Lee in supervising the board’s institutions in Masterton, Greytown and Pahiatua, members considered his efforts all the more praiseworthy. Mr Mawley said Mr Lee had worked ten and twelve hours a day to complete the administrative arrangements at Featherston. Business Firms and E.P.S.

Compulsory provision, by business firms of emergency precautions personnel and equipment will be made, it is understood, under the Emergency Reserve Corps Regulations, which arc soon to be issued. It will be laid down as the duty of property owners to form their staffs into corps, and to train them and also to provide such -equipment as will be needed, and so far as it is available for fire-fighting purposes. An explanation is made that the regulations do not affect residential private property. The regulations have been in preparation for some time, and a draft has been referred to the municipal association and other interested local bodies. The date when the regulations will be gazetted is not known, as they have yet to be approved by Cabinet.

Fire In Coal Depot. A fire broke out under the floor of the coal depot of Wairarapa Transport Ltd., Lincoln Road, this morning, but the outbreak was quickly extinguished by the Masterton Fire Brigade, The call was, received at the fire station at 11.2 a.im One machine turned out under the Superintendent, Mr T. B. Clark. The floor of the shed was slightly damaged.

Indecent Assault Charges. In the Pahiatua Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Ernest George Rielly, labourer, 21 years, residing in Tyndall Street, Pahiatua, appeared on remand charged with indecent assaults on a number of children. There were six charges in all, one relating to a child in Masterton on January 1, 1941. The accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, for sentence.

Tribute to Mr Langstone. A tribute to the interest taken by the Minister of Lands, Mr Langstone (a former resident of Masterton), in his mission to the United States of America was paid by Mr J, G. Coates in an address to members of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association. Mr Coates travelled to the United States with Mr Langstone. “I want to tell you that as far as we were concerned, we got on very well together, indeed,” Mr Coates said. “I found that Mr Langstone was as keen as mustard, always willing to fall into line, and with many valuable suggestions to offer. We had been political opponents for years, but we both felt that we had a job to do, and, so to speak, me being the oil and Mr Langstone the water, that oil and water ought to mix. We felt that we ought to serve our country as well as we could.”

Murder Charge. The death of Mrs F. L. Corrigan, who was well known in Tauranga, resulted in a murder charge against the Rev. V. V. Verbi, her son-in-law, according to news received in Auckland from Nairobi, East Africa. Mrs Corrigan was visiting Verbi’s house, in an isolated part of the colony, and a disagreement developed as to a visit to Kilimanjaro. Next day Mrs Corrigan was killed on the veranda by a shot from the sports gun of Verbi. Accused’s version of the tragedy was that when Mrs Corrigan came out of the house he had the gun poised, with his fingers on the triggers, and as he turned, startled, one* barrel was discharged almost simultaneously with the other. Mrs Corrigan fell, mortally wounded. The story of accused was not acceptde by a jury, and at an extended trial, which has just concluded, a verdict of murder was returned.