LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 September 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Levy on Wool. The rates of the levy to be charged on all wool produced in New Zealand during the coming season are notified in last night’s Gazette. They are 6d a bale, 3d a fadge, and Id a bag or sack. Minesweeper to be Launched. H.M.N.Z.S. Awatere, a ship of the minesweeper class, is to be launched tomorrow afternoon from the Evans Bay shipyards. The ceremony will be performed by Mrs P. Fraser, wife of the Prime Minister. Missing Cars The two cars which were reported as missing in Masterton during the past week have both been recovered. They were found abandoned in town and appeared to have suffered no damage. Slip on Railway Line. A two-hour delay to the Auckland express yesterday afternoon was caused by a slip between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki. The slip, which came down early in the afternoon, was not cleared till about 5 o’clock, when the train was able to proceed without passengers having to transfer. Public Servants Not to Retire. Public servants who normally would be retiring must remain in service unless their retirement is approved by Cabinet, according to advice received by the Associated Chambers of Commerce from the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and forwarded to the Auckland chamber. It was added that approval for retirement would be given only where good grounds existed, this ap- ! plying also to teachers. Crown Liability. 1 Members of the armed forces are now regarded as servants of the Crown in respect to accidents which may occur involving any motor-ve-hicles they are driving. This is provided for in regulations gazetted last night, the effect of which is that the Crown acknowledges its liability in the case of such accidents. Only in this respect is there any alteration in the existing law that members of the armed forces are not servants of the Crown.

Roof Blown Off Factory. A wooden roof GO foot square, together with its concrete supports weighing several tons, was lifted bodily and carried about one and a half chains when a whirlwind struck Bell Road, Woburn, late yesterday afternoon. This damage occurred at the factory of the Wellington Concrete Pipe Co. shortly after 4 p.m. and, though no other damage is reported, the force of the wind was experienced in a narrow belt to the west of Bell Road.