LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 February 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Prospects for Fishing. All rivers and streams in the Wellington district are reported to be in splendid order for fly-fishing. First Election Since 1864. There had been no contested election for the directorate of the Christchurch Gas Company from the inception of the company 78 years ago till this year. There were three candidates for two seats this year and the election was decided on Wednesday. Trade Overseas. A decline in exports, an increase in imports, and a substantial favourable balance are revealed in New Zealand’s overseas trading figures for 1941, released yesterday by the Customs Department. , For the 12 months, exports showed a drop of approximately £6,000,000 on the 1940 figures, which were a record. Imports for the same period were slightly above the 1940 figures. There was a favourable trade balance for 1941 of £18,312,000. For the 12 months of 1941 exports totalled £67,479,000, compared with £73.741,000 in 1940, a decrease of £6,262,000. Imports, at £49,167,000, were £169,000 higher than for 1940. The excess of imports over exports in 1941 was £18.312)000, compared with £24,743,000 in 1940. Military Defaulters. A denial that military defaulters at the Strathmore camp, near Rotorua, lived under better conditions than troops and territorials, was made in reply to questions last night in the House of Representatives by the Minister of National Service, Mr Semple. It was not the Government’s policy that the standard of living in defaulters’ camps should be higher than for military camps. “This is not in accordance with facts,” Mr Semple replied to a statement that it was credibly reported that each defaulter had a separate hut, matchlined, in which to live. Mr Semple stated that it was proposed to provide pyjamas and unbleached calico sheets to the same extent as they were provided in prisons. Another question was whether defaulters were provided with uniforms- equal in quality to those provided in the Army. “They are provided with grey clothing similar to that on issue in the Borstal Institutions,” replied the Minister.

Rural Mail Delivery. The Post and Telegraph Department could not, as a general rule, undertake Jo deliver all letters to rural boxholders on application at post offices on non-mail days, said the PostmasterGeneral. Mr Webb, replying to a question in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga). However, if a rural-de-livery box-holder desired, for urgent reasons, to obtain a letter at the post office on a non-mail day, the department was quite prepared to make a search among the unsorted letters awaiting delivery and, as a special case, to deliver the letter. Mr Doidge, in his question, said that in some districts where the rural mail delivery had been cut down to a thrice-weekly service, settlers were denied the right to collect their mail when they were able to call at the local post office. The Minister explained that a different method of sorting was required for post office delivery from that used in rural delivery.

Prosecution of War. New Zealand’s determination to prosecute the war to victory, irrespective of the fluctuations of the struggle, was expressed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the House of Representatives last night. The resolution was moved by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, ’and seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland.

Pay for Holidays. Teachers who served with any of the military forces during the Christmas and New Year holidays will receive both military and civil pay for the period of the holidays. An announcement that this decision had just been reached was made by the Director of Education, Dr Beeby, at Christchurch yesterday. New Zealand Envoys. The representative who might be appointed to Canberra might not necessarily be a member of the House or of Cabinet and complete representation of New Zealand in London was under consideration by the Government, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said in the House of Representatives last night, when replying to the second reading debate on the Overseas Representation Bill. Scale of Allowances. An upward adjustment in the existing scale of allowances to dependants of men serving in the armed forces was suggested by Mr Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn), in notice of a question to the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, in the House of Representatives yesterday. Present allowances, he said, were the same as those provided in 1918, namely one guinea a week for the wife and 10s 6d a week for each dependent child. Campaign for Christian Order. More than GO clergy of the Wellington diocese are in Palmerston North discussing plans for a national campaign for a Christian order which is being inaugurated by the National Council of Churches in New Zealand. The Bishop of Wellington, the Rt Rev H. St Barbe Holland, is presiding. The aim of the campaign is renewal of emphasis of the relevance of Christian principles for rebuilding national and international life and the preparation of the people for winning the peace when the wab is completed. Pacifists Sent to Gaol. Two Christian Pacifists. John Whileley Boal, aged 28, carpenter, and Harold Roy Bray, aged 22, accountant, were sentenced yesterday by Mr Justice Fair in the Auckland Supreme Court to 10 months’ imprisonment with hard labour. His Honour said that by law they were entitled to hold what beliefs they wished, but the executive of the Government had decided that it was against public interest publicly to advocate pacifism and non-resist-ance and that such advocacy must be prohibited. Church and War. The Presbytery of Wellington at its meeting on Tuesday night, adopted the following resolution: —“The Presbytery of Wellington regrets that there has been such complete misunderstanding l of the Church's attitude to the Empire’s war effort. Presbytery declares its conviction that the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand regards the defence of the country and Empire as a sacred duty, and expects all its adherents wholeheartedly to perform this duty, so that justice may be vindicated and the freedom of mankind be assured.”