LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Absentees from Work. War production was in full swing in Wellington factories yesterday when the King’s birthday was not observed by the customary holiday. Managers reported a most gratifying response from workers, with no absenteeism. Fall off Bicycle. Winston Blundell, 12 years of age, of 202 Dixon Street, Masterton, fell off his bicycle yesterday afternoon and was admitted to the Masterton Hospital with an injury to his left hand. His condition this morning was reported to be satisfactory. Cost of E.P.S. in Wellington. Expenditure on E.P.S. activities in Wellington this year is estimated by the special co-ordination committee at £82,000. This fact was communicated to the Wellington City Council last night by the mayor, Mr Hislop, who said the contribution required from it was £27,405, an excess of £4405 over the amount allotted in the council’s draft estimates. This was approved in the revised estimates, which were adopted. Frosts in Southland. For the fifth morning in succession a hard frost was experienced in Invercargill yesterday, when 13 degrees were recorded. This was one degree less than the record for the season, which was established on Sunday. The degrees of frost on the other three mornings were: Saturday, ten; Friday, seven; Thursday, nine. At Gore on Sunday morning 17 degrees were registered. A Funeral Pyre. An ancient religious custom rarely observed in New Zealand was witnessed at Waverley at the weekend when the body of a Hindu, Dyal Singh, aged about 50, was cremated in a paddock about a mile and a half from the main highway. Dyal Singh had lived in the Dominion for many years. Permission for cremation to be carried out otherwise than in a crematorium was obtained by Dyal’s countrymen from the Department of Health. He had no near relatives in New Zealand, and the disposal of his body was effected by a few of his closest friends and countrymen. A. Sikh by religion, Dyal could not be buried in the ordinary manner. The tenets of the faith required the burning of the body to be carried out as a religious rite. For this purpose a pyre of macrocarpa and pinus insignis was prepared in a small paddock on Mr I. Lupton’s property, but far removed from the nearest dwelling.

No Bankruptcies. No bankruptcies were recorded in the Wairarapa last month. So far this year there has been only one bankruptcy in the district. Drivers’ Licences. Eleven drivers’ licences were issued by the Masterton Borough Council, last month, making the total for the licensing year 2270. The Masterton County Council issued five drivers’ licences, the total being 1192. Women “Postmen.” Nearly 400 women are now employed on postmen’s duties throughout the Dominion, and this number is likely to increade rather than decrease. On the heavier city and town deliveries it has been necessary to arrange for three women to replace two men, and sometimes two women one man. depending on the volume of mail matter handled. “Postmen” they remain in spite of their sex. Patriotic Appeal. The intensive five-day canvass of Wellington city and suburbs in an endeavour to raise £106,000 for general patriotic purchases started yesterday with between -2000 and 3000 voluntary helpers. The city area has been organised into sections, each allocated to a team, with its captain and staff officers, while the suburbs have been divided according to the E.P.S. block system. In response to an urgent appeal for help because of sickness among the enlisted helpers, the women’s branch of the New Zealand Labour Party stepped into the breach and offered the services of its members.

Relicensing of Motor Vehicles. Relicensing of motor-vehicles for the 12 months from July 1 will begin at post offices today. The procedure is to be similar to that of previous years except for small variations to meet the issuing of windscreen labels, instead of new number plates, and the reductions in fees and insurance premiums. However, applicants for licences this year will be given an additional duty, the filling in of a form giving details for the tyre and tube census. An owner’ of a vehicle will have to go to the office furnished with more particulars than in the past. The figures required relate only to tires that are not the normal equipment of five. The form that will have to be filled in has spaces for stating the size, make, type and condition, of each tire. The tire is to be classified as new, unused, retread, used and usable subject to repair or retread, dr used and useless. The sizes, makes and types of used and useless tires are not wanted. The one form will be used for both tires and tubes.