LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 November 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Assistance to Club. “I would like to make special mention of two members who have given a lot of assistance to the club, and who are not active shooters—Mr J. Simpson and Mr H. W. Dale,” stated Mr C. E. Grey (president), in his report, presented to the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Gun Club last night. Mr Fred Allen gave freely of his servcies with his lorry, and this has been a wonderful help.” Local Body Loans.

Authority for the investment of loan moneys in most Government securities is contained in the Local Authorities Loan Moneys Investment Order, 1941, gazetted last night. This puts into effect the intention of Section 28 of the Finance Act, 1941, to enable the investment of loan moneys, where owing to such factors as the shortage of electrical, structural and other equipment, they cannot be utilised at present for the original purposes.

Extra Petrol Ration. A small increase is being made in petrol rations for taxis during December and January to enable them to cope with the extra demands of holiday traffic, the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, announced last evening. The Minister said that holiday travel would throw a heavy additional strain on public passenger services. In addition to the small' increase in the oil fuel rations far taxis, said the Minister, provision had been made to permit the running of certain additional time-table trips and extra runs by service cars and buses. Where petrol was required for these purposes, application must be made to the appropriate Transport Licensing. Authority. New Zealand Air Force.

On a population basis, New Zealand had more men serving in the R.A.F. than any other , Dominion, said Air Commodore H. W. L. Saunders, addressing the English-Speaking Union in Wellington yesterday. Before the war New Zealand offered to train pilots for Great Britain. It accepted a full share when the Empire Air Training Scheme was introduced. The fact that New Zealand had been training for Great Britain in peace and had already embarked on a war training programme, enabled, its training organisation to expand to its full extent within 15 months of the outbreak of the war. No other Dominion had yet completed its expansion. The New Zealand GovernI ment might well be proud of its fore--1 sight in this regard.

Second Offender. A second offender within six months, on a charge of drunkenness, James Morrell, a farm labourer, of Blairlogie, who was arrested yesterday, appeared before Mr L. J. Taylor, J.P.,. in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning. Defendant was fined 10s. The War Situation.

“I can tell you that the war is going pretty well,” the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, told his committee members in the Christchurch North electorate when they entertained him yesterday. Mr Holland had arrived from Wellington in.the morning. The war situation generally and in the Pacific was a lot better than it had been for a long time, said Mr Holland, whose remarks were greeted with applause. If anything, there was an upward trend in the war situation. Mr Holland added that he could not tell them more. Taxi Drivers’ Licences.

“If many more of these taximen appear before the Court there will have to be a wholesale cancellation of licences,” said the Magistrate (Mr A. A. McLachlan), at the Christchurch S.M. Court, when several taxicab drivers were charged with offences against the traffic regulations. One taxi-driver explained that as members of his calling were driving all the time it was therefore impossible to avoid the making of occasional mistakes. “On the contrary,” said an officer of the Transport Department who was prosecuting, “taxi-drivers get so much experience that they are expected to set an example to the rest of the community.”

Bay of Plenty Seat. Mr C. Mills, of Gisborne, official Labour candidate for the Bay of Plenty seat made vacant by the death of Lieutenant A. G. Hultquist, opened his campaign in Opotiki on Wednesday night before a fair attendance. He mainly confined his remarks to a defence of the Labour Government policy,- claiming in particular that the guaranteed price had put farmers in a sound position. Mr Mills’s candidature was supported by the Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, who spoke af length on the new medical service'. He stated that the attitude of the medical profession during the past few months was childish. In his concluding remarks he admitted that the Labour Government had made many mistakes.

The State Kitchenette Social and Sports Club will hold a dance in the Masonic Hall tomorrow night. The music will be supplied by Mr J. Barnes’s orchestra.