LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 July 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

House Moved by Slip. A case of serious damage through the recent storm was mentioned at the meeting of the Hutt County Council yesterday. It was stated that a slip which came down in the Pukerua Bay district had moved a house 30 feet from its position, and that furniture had been forced out through the roof.

Express Trains Delayed, Because of a slip on the Main Trunk railway early yesterday morning the express due to arrive at Wellington from Auckland at 7 a.m. did not arrive till 2.30 p.m., and the Limited express, due to arrive at 9.40 a.m., arrived at 3 p.m. The first express from Wellington was almost four hours late on arrival at Auckland, and the Limited was over three hours late. Defaulter Sent to Gaol,

“There is no place in New Zealand where it is possible to criticise the Appeal Boards,” said Charles McVicker Smith when he was charged before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday,’ with failing to report for military service. Smith’s appeal on conscientious grounds had been dismissed. The Magistrate said he did not want to hear Smith if he had no excuse but that, and imposed a sentence of two months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Robbery by Violence. A jury in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, after a retirement of 18 minutes, found William Robertson Hislop, a New Zealand soldier, aged 23, and John Reuben Samuel Shepherd, labourer, aged 25, guilty of having, in the Masonic Hotel, Cuba Street, Wellington, on April 16 last, robbed John Harold Wood, tramway motorman, of £l5 by violence. The case was heard before the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), who remanded both accused for sentence till next Friday.

The Jury System. A statement that the question of some adjustment in respect to jury service to meet the problem caused by the demands of the war on manpower was receiving the attention of the Government was made yesterday by the At-torney-General, Mr Mason. After referring to the steps taken in England to meet the situation, the Minister said that New Zealand was perhaps not in a specially difficult position till the end of last year, but the position had now become difficult. church Youth Work.

The Wellington Diocesan Youth Council was empowered by Synod last night to take whatever steps are deemed necessary in collaboration with representatives from other dioceses, to place the youth work of the province on a more satisfactory basis, and if possible to set up a Provincial Youth Council. It was also empowered to request the Inter-Church Council in Public Affairs to arrange for the cooperation of all the youth movements of all the churches in dealing with any Government proposals concerning youth work. The Youth Council in its report said that in the last few months the whole situation had been altered . by certain Government proposals, which could only be disclosed to members of Synod in committee. A position of great urgency had arisen.

Frost in Masterton. ■ Masterton registered another frost this morning—6.5 degrees.

Breach of Censorship Regulations. Zena Allison Maida Dickey, of Wellington, and Mary Ellen Beckett, of Paekakariki, for a breach of the censorship regulations by including in letters to be sent overseas information that might be useful to the enemy, were each fined £5 at the Wellington S.M. Court yesterday. The Magistrate, Mr J. L. Stout, remarked that there was no reason to doubt the loyalty of either woman.

The Pig Market, “For next season it is confidently anticipated that baconer outlets will be fully maintained, while that for pork will continue to be unrestricted,” states ■the annual report of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, Ltd. “Altogether, one can reasonably argue that the general outlook is good, and although on general grounds in relation to increased costs there is sound argument for a rise in markets for all classes of dairy-farm production, and which we are doing our utmost to bring about, the fact remains that compared with other classes of meat the dairy-farmer,’ for his pigs and bobby calves, has constantly had a much greater percentage of the gross realisations at f.o.b. These being the only two meat products in which our co-operative activities play an important and effective national part, one need not look further for the reason for this fact.”

By-Roads Damaged. Considerable concern was expressed by members of the Hutt County Council yesterday when dealing with the condition of by-roads in the country. It was stated that heavy military traffic, a type for which such roads were not constructed, was creating a very serious position. The damage was said to be specially serious in the Taupo, Horokiwi and Wainui-o-Mata ridings. Councillor Bradey said that in his riding the damage done would take an army of men to put right, and Councillor Yaldwin said that the Wainui Road had also been, suffering severely. The traffic to which the by-roads were being subjected, fast and heavy, could only be carried by roads of the firstclass highway type, and the ridings were incapable of financing such construction. An interview will be sought with the Prime Minister at an early date to lay the position before him.

Calves and Pigs. On the whole the past season was a most successful one, states the report of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association for the year ended May 31. With few exceptions, the “At gate” payments were equal to those secured in the previous season. Reference is made to the acquisition of the undertaking formerly known as the Nikau Bacon Company, also to the transfer of the company’s headquarters to Auckland. The combined turnover of the company’s three bacon factory subsidiaries amounted to £344,000. A feature of the year’s operations was that over 85 per cent, of the total pig collections were received on consignment. Collections of bobby calves totalled 311,374, compared with 328,000 in' the previous year. The accounts show purchases of bobby calves and cull cattle at £259,255. Payment for pigs totalled £272 905, and there was a surplus available for distribution to suppliers of £23,968.