LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 April 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ergot Collection. Persons who have collected ergot are asked to hand it in to a seed merchant straight away, as it is desired to pack the supplies available at the earliest opportunity. It is understood that a considerable quantity of ergot was collected in the Wairarapa.

Poetic Justice.

A measure of poetic justice is contained in a remit adopted yesterday by the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Parly, which urged that inmates of inebriates’ homes should be treated by medical specialists and that the cost should be deducted from the tax on liquor sales.

Hospital Rating. The investigation by the Government this year of the system of hospital rating was recommended in a remit adopted by the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party in Wellington yesterday. It was also suggested that the Government should appoint a representative, preferably a technical adviser, to every hospital board. Damage to Radio Station.

Transmission from radio station 2YB, New Plymouth, was suspended last night when the aerial was carried away in a gale. Because of the storm and darkness the aerial could not be repaired last night and the station was off the air at a scheduled transmission time for the first time in 10 years. It is expected that repairs will be made today.

Arbitration Powers.

Regulations to enable the Court of Arbitration to enforce its own decisions and thus avoid appeals to the civil courts are expected to be introduced shortly by the Government. This was announced by Mr A. McLagan, president of the Federation of Labour, at the conference of the federation recently. It was stated that when the regulations were put into operation the Court of Arbitration could order money due under its decisions to be paid without reference to the civil courts.

Farmers and the War.

The opinion that the Labour Party, in its advocacy of the application of compulsion in the farming industry, has misdirected its criticism, and that it has gone to the wrong address so far as the national effort is concerned, is expressed in a New Zealand Farmers’ Union statement. “It is to be regretted that the Labour Party has resolved that compulsion should be applied if necessary to ensure that the agricultural output meets the needs of the Dominion and our Allies,” said Mr A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary of the Farmers’ Union, yesterday. “Coming at a time when the farmers of the Dominion have done a wonderful job, and when the Prime Minister is appealing, for unity, the resolution can only stir up resentment among a section of the community which has done all that has been asked of it. It would be interesting if the Minister of Agriculture would indicate the exact directions in which the war effort of New Zealand’s farmers has fallen short of his requirements.”

Netherlands Indies Currency. The Netherlands Consulate at Wellington advises that arrangements have been made by the Netherlands Government for the exchange of Netherlands Indian bank notes held by refugees from the East, of Netherlands, Allied or neutral nationality, who can prove to have left the Netherlands Indies after December 7, 1941, and not to have been in enemy or enemy-occupied territory after March 6, 1942. Detailed information can be obtained from the Consulate.

Training College Students. About 75 new enrolments have been made at the Wellington Teachers’ Training College to replace men called up to fulfil their military obligations. In addition to the Wellington quota, there are students from the Hawice’s Bay and Wanganui districts. The new entrant's are mostly women. The entrance qualifications remain the same, and the students will undergo the usual two-year course at the training college, followed by a year in a school as a probationary assistant. Toll of the Motor. Road fatalities in New Zealand in March touched the lowest level for many years, and were actually fewer than those recorded during the six days of the Easter period just ended, according to details released by the Transport Department. The total in March was six, and this compares as follows with the totals in March of previous years: 1938, 23; 1939, 17; 1940, 26; 1941, 22. Four occurred in the country and two in town areas. During the Easter period there were seven accidents and seven fatalities, as compared with four accidents and five fatalities the previous Easter. Four pedestrians were killed.

Bonds for Bombers Campaign. Yesterday was the last day for the redemption of telephone promises to buy Bomber Bonds. The total invested averaged approximately £1 13s 4d a head of population, about 66 per cent higher than was originally aimed at. The highest return was secured by Wanganui, where £2 16s 7d a head of population was subscribed. Three of the postal districts came next. in the following order: —Napier, £2 5s 7d; Blenheim, £2 4s 8d; and Hamilton, £1 19s 3d. None of the four main centres reached the lowest of these figures, Wellington being first with £1 17s 3d, Auckland was second with £1 9s 6d, Christchurch third with £1 7s 9d, and Dunedin fourth with £1 0s 3d. Stock of Tea. New Zealand merchants recently instituted a rationing scheme in the distribution of tea to check any tendency to panic buying, the public evidently having come to the conclusion that because Australia had introduced a severe measure of rationing, similar action was inevitable in the Dominion. It was stated this week, however, that tea stocks in the Dominion were very good. Australia had been buying largely from Java, whereas the bulk of teas imported into New Zealand came from Ceylon. There would possibly be a big cut in tea importations if Japanese action brought about a blockade of the coasts of India and Ceylon, but the immediate outlook was that tea supplies of the usual quality were not in jeopardy.