LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 October 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Championship Regattas. The annual meeting of delegates of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association in Wellington yesterday decided that no championship regattas shall be held in the Dominion during the 1941-42 season.

Tin Hare Racing. Omitted from the list of successful local dogs was Mr E. J. Wing’s All Cash, who was runner-up to White Tracer in the Dannevirke Open Stakes on Monday. All Cash won the Wairarapa Ice Cream Cup outright at the recent meeting at Masterton.

Parcels Appreciated by Soldiers. Driver Eric Lewis and Private Colin T. Welch, who are with the Middle East Forces, have written to the local Patriotic Society’s Committee, expressing appreciation of the gift parcels received by them, stating that the contents were in good condition, and were just what was desired.

Offer to Tramwaymen’s Union. On the casting vote of the chairman, Mr J. Sayegh, the Auckland Transport Board decided at a meeting to offer increases in wages totalling £12,188 a year to the Tramwaymen’s Union as the basis of a new agreement. About four months ago the union served on the board new claims for wages and conditions which were estimated to cost about £75,000 a year, and negotiations have been proceeding since. British .Skilled Workers. According to advice received by the New Zealand Government from the High Commissioner in London, the demand for skilled labour for war time production is so heavy that there is a shortage of skilled labour for the ordinary requirements of the engineering and allied industries. In releasing this information last .evening, the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, stated that in Britain manpower requirements for these industries were not filled unless they had been certified by a technical officer as essential in connection with production for war purposes. “In view of the above position, permits to leave Britain are not being issued to such skilled worker,” said Mr Webb. “New Zealand employers are requested to refrain from making to those workers offers of ■ employment in this Dominion, for the inevitable refusal to grant exit permits is in some cases likely to cause dissatisfaction and tend to reduce, even in a small way, the [output of production vitally necessary to England’s war effort.”

First Aid Class. A full attendance of all members of E.P.S. and Home Guard enrolled in the first aid class is requested tomorrow evening at 7 o’clock when Dr. T. L. Parr will continue his lectures on first aid in an emergency.

The Egmont Seat When the life of the present Parliament was extended for another year, the position of members who had intended relinquishing their seats at the end of the ordinary term was complicated, said Mr Wilkinson, M.P. for Egmont, in a statement setting out his position as a retiring member. He had said previously that he would not contest another election. For the reason that he had all along been opposed to an election in the present state of affairs, he could not, in the face of that attitude, relinquish his seat till Parliament was ended, Mr Wilkinson added.