LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Convalescent Training Depot. Work has started on the erection at Silverstream of a convalescent training depot for soldiers. It will be under the control of the Army and not the hospital board, as is the case with ordinary convalescent hospitals. Similar depots for short term convalescent soldier patients are to be erected near the Papakura and Burnham military camps.

Old Boys in Forces. There were 871 old boys of Wellington College in the armed forces in the present war, said the headmaster, Mr W. A. Armour, at the school Foundation Day observance yesterday. Of these, 23 had been killed in action, 12 accidentally killed on active service, five died of sickness, six were missing and believed killed, 41 missing, 17 wounded, and 25 prisoners of war. Eighteen had gained distinction.

Reformative. Detention. A sentence of four years’ reformative detention was imposed on Ernest George Reilly, labourer, aged 21, in the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, yesterday, for what Mr Justice Smith declared to be a shocking series of sexual offences against four girls and two boys, whose ages ran from seven to ten years. Reilly was also warned that he had qualified to be declared a habitual criminal if he appeared again charged with a sexual crime. A Pertinent Question. “When we sit down to our good meals in New Zealand do we say ‘Thank God and thank the men of the Merchant Navy for our food and clothing,’ and do we teach our children to thank God?” asked Mrs J. Mowbray Tripp at the Victoria League’s evening reception held at Christchurch on Wednesday night. “No,” she continued, answering her own question, “we do nothing of the kind; instead, we write to the papers complaining about the shortage of silk stockings.”

Valueless Cheques and Receiving. Fifteen months’ imprisonment was the -total penalty inflicted on Hector Percival Wenham, labourer, aged 36, when he appeared before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday, on eight charges of obtaining money by issuing valueless cheques, and one charge of receiving some carpet yarn valued at 10s which he knew had been dishonestly obtained. The cheque offences occurred in Carterton, Palmerston, Gladstone, Gisborne and Opotiki, and the receiving in Petone. The magistrate convicted accused on all the charges. He sentenced him to 12 months’ gaol on one charge of issuing a valueless cheque, and discharged him in respect of the others. For receiving, accused was sentenced to three months’ gaol, the term to be cumulative with the longer sentence.

Daylight iSaving. An announcement that the Government had no intention at present of extending daylight saving to an hour was made by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, replying to an urgent question asked by Mr Burnett (Opposition, Temuka), in the House of Representatives yesterday). Mr Burnett said that a large number of farmers, particularly dairy farmers, were perturbed at the prospect of an extension. Sea Elephant on Coast. An animal, believed to be a sea elephant, has been seen on the East Coast for the past two or three months. It is described as being about the size of a bullock. Evidently, it is a stray from the sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand. In some of these island groups the sea elephant is comparatively common. It is most unusual for this animal to wander so far away from its haunts. Defaulters Sent to Gaol. Four men were charged before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday, that being military reservists they failed to report for duty when ordered to do so. Each pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. In each case a conscientious ground was mentioned as being defendant’s reason for avoiding military service. They were David Don Evans, Charles Francis Cooper, Brian Aubone Snowden and Murray Symonds. Suggested Church Union. An overture by the Church of Christ for union with the Baptist Church was discussed by the New Zealand Baptist Assembly at Auckland yesterday. A report on a conference between delegates from both churches stated that complete identity of view existed regarding baptism. Both churches affirmed the necessity for second birth, which must be preceded by an act of faith, and both churches regard infant baptism as unscriptural. After discussion in committee it was reported that a statement on the conference had been adopted with certain minor deletions, the assembly recommending that a committee be authorised to explore the possibility of close co-operation and report to the 1942 assembly.

Sedgley Home. The matron of Sedgley Home acknowledges with thanks receipt of the following gifts: Sheep, Lady Fergusson (“Patukawa’), Messrs C. J. Toxward and Berrill; cakes, Mesdames J. A. Betts, Cruickshank, A. Hosking, Boddington, N. James, Neal Irwin, C. Rogers, Rishworth, W. Edwards, Trevoi’ Beetham, Miss Gray; dining table, Mrs L. Moore; carrots, Mrs Carruthers; leeks, Lower Hutt Home; pikelets, Mrs Styles; jam, Mesdames J. L. Murray. J. M. Laing, C. Rogers, H. G. Williams; sandwiches and saveloys, Aero Club; sandwiches and apples, St. Matthew’s Church; shrubs, Red Cross market; onion plants, Mr Hallam; cricket material, Mr Bert Irvine; quoits and entertainment at pictures, Mr H. Reid.