LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Correction. An error appeared in our report of an address yesterday by the GovernorGeneral, Sir Cyril Newall. His Excellency made no mention of political criticism, but said: “This is no time for mud-slinging or ill-informed criticism. Considered, constructive criticism is welcomed.” Masterton Municipal Band. Several ex-members of the Masterton Municipal Band have rejoined its ranks, and the hope is expressed that others will follow. Last month the band held seven practices and played on two public occasions. The Masterton Borough Council, at its meeting last night, expressed its pleasure that ex-members of the band were coming forward to fill vacancies in the band’s ranks. Murder Charge. Standing with his head bowed, Rakapa Nukunuku, aged 20, a Maori, remained silent when asked to plead in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday, to a charge of murdering Mary Currie. The magistrate, Mr J. L. Stout, treated this as a plea of not guilty, and committed Nukunuku to the Supreme Court for trial. Remains presumed to be those of Miss Currie were taken from the ruins of her cottage at Titahi Bay early on January 29, after it had been burned down about midnight the previous night. Miss Currie was head laundress at the Porirua Mental Hospital, of which accused had been an inmate for more than a year before the alleged crime. Douglas Park Area. The Masterton Borough Council declined last night to entertain a proposal from the Director of Housing Construction to sell the recently-acquired Douglas Park of five acres for State housing. The director said the Department were contemplating the purchase of 15 acres of land adjacent to Douglas Park, but was faced with a length of dead reading which made the proposal uneconomic if the Douglas Park area were not acquired. The council renewed its offer of the councils land adjoining the 15 acres under offer, but stated it was not prepared to offer Douglas Park. It was explained that the area now known as Douglas Park had been under offer to the Government before it was presented to the borough. Escaped Monkey Caught. After spending two months playing about in trees, exercising on clothes lines, and popping in and out of house windows, a Macaque monkey which was brought to New Zealand by an overseas ship and which had been at large since December 14, was caught yesterday in the Te Aro area of Wellington. A weakness for stealing eggs was the downfall of this monkey. Her depredations among the fowl-runs of the area were extensive, and no egg was safe from her. An egg, therefore, was the bait with which she was induced to enter a shed, after which the door was slammed and she became a prisoner till the zoo authorities called to take her into custody.