LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 December 1941, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Charges of Bookmaking. In the largest raid of the kind made in Auckland for about a year, six premises were simultaneously entered by detectives yesterday. Eight men were arrested on charges connected with alleged bookmaking, and appeared later before a special sitting of the Magistrate’s Court. All were remanded on bail. Fire at Auckland. Considerable loss of stock resulted from a fire which broke out in the basement of a two-story brick building used as a factory by Fisher and Paykel, Limited, manufacturers, in Carlaw Park Avenue, Parnell, about 9 o’clock on Wednesday night. Refrigerators, compressors and electric motors for washing machines were among the articles destroyed. Retail Grocers’ Award. The Court of Arbitration has issued its award for retail grocers’ assistants and drivers in the Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, Canterbury and Otago and Southland districts. The new award, which will come into force on January 5 with a term of one year, fixes the hours for assistants and drivers at 44 a week. Assistants are to receive £5 5s a week after having served for six years. This represents an increase of 2s 6d a week. Branch managers and workers in charge of a shop or branch shop will receive not less than £5 15s a week, wheih is also an increase of 2s 6d. The proportion of juniors is to be one to the first senior, one additional junior to the second senior, and thereafter one additional junior for every three seniors. For the purposes of the award a junior is a worker in receipt of less than £5 5s a week, and all other workers are seniors.

National Savings. Now that hostilities have come nearer home, the slogan, “Lend to Defend the Right to be Free,” has taken on a new significance. Last week a new record was established in the number of towns attaining their quota of national savings investments. Altogether 155 towns flew their flags. Of the towns which had not previously been . successful, Auckland and Dunedin were the most notable additions. Towns which have not failed to attain their quota in any week since the inception of the campaign are: New Plymouth, Hawera, ( Ashburton, Cambridge, Cheviot, Hawarden, Hunterville, Kaikoura, Mayfield, Urenui and Weber. Altogether 135 towns were successful in securing their quota for two out of the three weeks ended December 20, and will thus enjoy- the distinction of flying the national savings flag at the masthead of the Post Office flagpole during the holiday period.

In today’s issue will be found the [Railway Department’s special train arrangements for the New Year holidays.

Wet Boxing Day. Steady, soaking rain yesterday caused almost a complete cessation of outdoor sporting activities in Auckland. With the exception of the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting at Ellerslie, all organised fixture were abandoned, including tennis, cricket, and bowling competitions. Beaches were deesrted and there was practically no activity on the harbour.

Odd Fellows’ Dance. There was a good attendance at a dance held in the Masonic Hall, Masterton, last night, by the Odd Fellows’ Lodge. The music was supplied by the Blue River Dance Band and Bro. P. Reynolds was M.C. A Monte Carlo waltz was won by Miss McEwen and Mr C. Leigh. Supper was served by a committee headed by Sister T. Rickards.

Petrol for Taxis. Masterton taxi-drivers have been granted an extra allowance of petrol for the period from Christmas Eve to the end of the month. Several taxi owners had exhausted their allowance of 75 gallons of petrol for the month and in consequence their cars were off the road. The authorities, however, have made a further 18 gallons available and this has! enabled the cars to resume service. The Christmas period is always a busy one for taxis. Free Hungarian Movement. Application has been made to the Government for official recognition of a Free Hungarian movement which has been started in New Zealand. A Free Hungarian organisation was founded in London by the secretary of the Embassy, Mr Anthony Zsilinszky, shortly after he and other diplomats had refused to return to their country on recall. The London body co-oper-ates with similar organisations of Hungarians in the United States and elsewhere, and does not recognise the present Hungarian regime under Nazi influence. A Hastings Record. Arresting those who have celebrated more well than wisely is never relished by the police at Christmas time, but at Hastings on Christmas Eve it was necessary to lock up nine persons on charges of drunkenness. There were also three other arrests, one on a. theft charge and two soldiers absent without leave. Seven of those arrests were first offenders, their ages ranging from 22 years to 59 years. While Hastings was establishing what is a record in recent years for the number of lockups over the holiday period, the Napier police had no more than a normal amount of work, there being only two first offenders for drunkenness to bring before the Court.