LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 May 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rototawai Links. The Wairarapa Golf Club will open the season at the Rototawai links on Saturday, May 23 (tomorrow), at 1 p.m. Medal For Gallant Seaman, Advice of the award of the British Empire Medal to Able Seaman W. Armstrong, R.N.Z.V.R., for gallantry in saving an injured officer from boiling oil, has been received by the Navy Office, Wellington. Staff Shortages. The announcement is being made by a Wellington business firm with premises in one of the main shopping areas that as from Monday next it will close its shop for the lunch-hour and also for the tea-hour on Fridays. This is because of staff difficulties, there being insufficient relieving assistants available. Similar action is foreshadowed, before long, on the part of other firms now that one has given a lead, for they are all more or less in the same situation as regards staff shortages.

Collection of Ergot. Latest figures available show that approximately 16001 b. of ergot was collected in New Zealand in the patriotic effort inaugurated at the beginning of the summer. Further small lots may yet arrive at the merchants’ stores. The Auckland province had produced by far the biggest amount of any district, said Mr H. B. Martin, secretary of the New Zealand Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Federation, in announcing this result of the season’s work yesterday. Mr Martin said he understood that the Government intended to ship the ergot to England, but some of it might be used in New Zealand. Yachtsmen in Court.

The whereabouts of the 60ft. auxiliary yacht Thelma, which was missed from her anchorage early in January, were mentioned when the owner of the vessel and his companion appeared before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., on charges of failing to report to go to camp. Most of the original crew of the vessel returned to Auckland within a week of its disappearance, but the vessel itself was not reported for some months. Accused were Ronald Ernest Johnson, charged with failing to report on March 26, and Gordon Keith Noakes, charged with a similar offence on April 2. The magistrate remanded both men to appear on Monday.

Escape from Auckland Cells. For the second night in succession an escape from custody was made in Auckland when a prisoner gained his liberty from the cells in the central police station last night. The escape was an audacious one in that the man had to pass the main offices in the station where members of the police force were on duty before he gained the street. The escaped prisoner was' Robert Herbert Martirisefi, aged 22, labourer, who was taken to the cells when he was committed to the Supreme Court after pleading guilty in the Magistrates’ Court to three charges of house-breaking and two charges of theft from a dwelling. A wide search which was instituted immediately had failed to locate the man at a late hour last night.