LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Land for Potatoes.

The Masterton Borough Council, at its meeting last night, agreed to repeat its previous offer to make land available for the growing of vegetables, including potatoes. The Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, said Mr J. Robertson, M.P., had informed him that the Government was endeavouring to have 700 acres of potatoes grown in the Wairarapa district.

Electric Clock.

Efforts are being made by the Borough Engineer, Mr C. R. Mabson, to obtain a two-faced electric clock to be placed on the Masterton Post Office building. When this information was made known at last night’s meeting of the council, Councillor H. E. Gardner said it was satisfactory to know that something was being done to restore a town clock.

Liquor Near Dance Hall. “As we are about a quarter of a mile from the dance hall we thought we were within our rights,” said Selwyn Douglas Smith, orchardist, Havelock North, when charged at the Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning with being in possession of liquor in the vicinity of a dance hall. John Robert McKeown,. farmer, Havelock North, and Carthon Ludvegson, soldier, were all similarly charged. All defendants pleaded guilty. Sergeant P. Munro stated that defendants went from a dance hall to a car, where they had liquor, and then returned to the- hall. Mr J. Miller, S.M., pointed out that defendants should not have returned to the hall, and he fined each £3 with costs.

Despicable Theft. The theft was most despicable, and in some countries the guilty person would be shot, said Mr Bundle, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Dunedin, yesterday, when he sentenced Roger Jack Wilton, 33, to a month’s jail for the theft of articles valued at £8 12s 6cl during the big fire in High and Rattray streets in April. The Magistrate added that when people suffered misfortune and an individual took advantage of the confusion to steal unprotected goods, the thief deserved no consideration . The police stated that the goods belonged to a guest at the Grand Hoel on the night of the fire, when the hotel was threatened. A porter removed the goods to a doorway. They were missing when the owner returned. The goods wfere recovered yesterday, when accused was seen wearing a stolen jacket.

Social Security Act. The need for a more generous administration of the Social Security Act as far as old people and invalids requiring hospital treatment were concerned, was stressed by members at a meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board. The chairman, Mr F. Findlay, said that in spite of the denial by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, it was still a fact that people entitled to old age and invalidity benents spending a month in hospital had £5 deducted from their benefits; and were allowed only £1 16s 6d for themselves. In cases where homes had to be maintained this was a serious hardship. Mr Findlay said he was well aware of the hardship clause, but the local registrar had no authority to make immediate payments, and weeks elapsed before authority came from Wellington. It was resolved to draw the attention of the Government to the hardship caused by the deduction and to ask that steps be taken to eliminate it.

Repairs to Courthouse. Repairs are at present being carried out to the Masterton Court building. Portion of the parapet was cracked during the recent earthquakes and this is being removed. It has not yet 1 been decided how much of the undamaged parts of the parapets are to be taken down. Army Reserve Transport, The following routine orders for the week ending August 26 are issued on behalf of the Officer Commanding Lines of Communication, M.T. Company, No. 13:—Sunday, August. 23: Full-day parade of all Masterton personnel. Rations will be supplied and personnel will bring knife, fork, plate and cup. AssemblyJpoint is'at the depot of Transport Wairarapa at 9.45 a.m. Tuesday, August 22: N.C.O. classes at A. and P. rooms, at 7 p.m. Macarthy Trust Grants. A distribution of £14,000 was approved at the annual meeting of the board of governors of the Thomas George Macarthy Trust held in Wellington yesterday. The following grants were made to Wairarapa institutions:—Brigidine Convent, Carterton, £35; Catholic Sewing Guild, Masterton, £5; Plunket Society, Carterton, £45; Plunket Society, Eketahuna, £10; Plunket Society, Featherston, £10; Plunket Society, Greytown, £2O, Plunket Society, Masterton,, £25; St Bride’s Convent, Masterton, £5O; St Vincent de Paul Society, Masterton, £5O; Women’s National Welfare League, Masterton, £5; Y.M.C.A., Masterton, £6O.

School Closed. Dissatisfaction that the Education Board had not supported the appeal was expressed by the No. 1 Armed Forces Appeal Board in Hamilton when it heard the appeal of the chairman of the Kimihia School Committee for the release from camp of a male teacher at the Kimihia School. Appellant said the teacher went into camp three weeks ago and the school had since been closed. The Education Board had advised that there was no relieving teacher available. There were 17 children attending the school. The Board recommended 28 days’ leave for the teacher and asked the appellant to take the matter up again with the Education Board.

Right to Keep Fowls. The tenancy conditions of State houses under which the tenants are prohibited from keeping fowls were mentioned in the House of Representatives last night, when Mr Endean (Opposition, Remuera) gave notice of a question asking the Minister of Housing, Mr Armstrong, whether he would consider relaxing the conditions. In a note to the question, Mr Endean stated that a returned soldier, severely wounded in the last war, with a wife and three children, desired to keep fowls on a half-acre of land which he occupied with his State house, and had been refused permission in spite of the fact that there was a shortage of eggs in the Dominion. Price of Eggs. Speaking at a meeting of the Waikato Primary Production Council, the chairman, Mr R. A. Candy, said that some dissatisfaction had been expressed by rural egg producers with the prices they had been .paid by country stores. Mr Candy explained that the Government’s fixed price applied to main egg marketing centres, where the price was adjusted from week to week. The difference between the wholesale price paid there as against the country store would work out at approximately 4d a dozen. This amount covered the cost of packing and handling at the country store, freight to main centres, handling, grading, and commissions at the main depots. The current week’s price to the producer for ungraded eggs at country stores was Is 6d a dozen net, and the minimum price for this class of eggs at country stores should at no time be less than Is 4d a dozen.