LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 April 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Issue of Ration Books. Ration books numbering 751,350 were issued throughout the Dominion during the first four days of this week, including 119,762 in the Wellington postal district. On Thursday 200,812 books were issued for the Dominion, including 38,253 in the Wellington postal district. Venus and the Moon. A brilliant spectacle for early risers this week has been provided by the close approach of the moon and the planet Venus. Conjunction occurred early in the week, when Venus appeared only a tenth of a degree or about a' fifth of the moon’s diameter from the lunar crescent. Syphoning of Petrol. “I am not going to grant probation to people who syphon petrol out of other people’s cars,” said Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, in sentencing Alexander James Walter Potter to 14 days’ imprisonment with hard labour for the theft of 12 gallons of petrol. Boy Missing. No trace has been found of a 15-year-old boy, Maurice John Kay, since he left his home in Hastings on Tuesday evening. When last seen he was riding a boys’ bicycle, 26in. frame, and wearing long dark grey trousers, grey shirt, brown pullover, and dark socks and shoes. He is of slim build, sft. 6in. high, with fair hair and complexion. An outstanding characteristic is that he has two white patches of hair on the back of his head. Supplementary Feed Crops. Before the war New Zealand imported practically all its seed for supplementary stock feed crops —turnip, swede, rape, mangel, choumoellier and thousand-headed kale—valued at about £lOO,OOO annually; this year, with overseas supplies cut off, it is expected that the Dominion will be able to supply the whole of its own requirements. thanks to work initiated on the outbreak of war by the fields division of the Department of Agriculture. In addition, many tons of rape seed have already been exported to Britain and inquiries for turnip and swede seed have been receiveci from Australia. 8.8. C. Broadcasts.

A new schedule of times and frequencies has been announced from Daventry for the Pacific Service, which includes the special talks and messages for .New Zealand. It will come into force as from 5 p.m. on Sunday, New Zealand summer time. The full news bulletin at 6.15 p.m. and the headline news and commentary at 8 p.m. remain unaltered, but the newsreel, which for some months has been heard at 9.30 p.m. reverts to its normal time for New Zealand winter, 7 p.m. The commentary following the 8 p.m. news will, in the new schedule, be the final item of the transmission, which will close at 8.15 p.m, but the broadcast will open at 5 p.m. instead of at 6.10 p.m. Rabbit Control Scheme.

To encourage rabbit destruction throughout the year, even when market prices for skins are relatively low, a form of price equalisation is introduced by regulations gazetted this week. They provide that at' periods when prices for skins are high a levy may be imposed to form a deposit account from which a price subsidy will be paid at other times. It is hoped thus to offset to some extent the difficulties of rabbit control created by the manpower shortage. The regulations provide for the appointment of a committee to administer the scheme. The committee will comprise the Director of the Employment Division of the National Service Department, the Director-General of Agriculture, the Under-Secretary of Lands, and not more than four other members appointed by the Minister of Labour.