LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Child’s Death.

Annette Margaret Jones, aged 39 months, daughter of Private Stanley and Mrs Jones, formerly of Hokitika, died in Ashburton Hospital from shock and scalds through falling into a bath of hot water at the home of her grandparents on Saturday.

High Prices for Liquor. Bottles of whisky brought up to £2 each at a sale of spirits impounded by the Customs in Auckland. About 40 bottles were offered, and approximately the same quantity of brandy and gin. Brandy realised up to 35s and gin 31s. High prices were also paid for parcels of 500 American cigarettes, one assorted parcel bringing £2 15s, the rest selling at £2 7s 6d. Bequests to Charity.

Bequests totalling nearly £BOOO, almost solely to Auckland charities, have been provided for in the will of Mr Charles Henry Owens, a retired farmer, who died in Auckland on October 2. Mr Owens made five bequests of £lOOO each, two of £5OO, one of £2OO, and 13 of £lOO each. The estate has been sworn for probate purposes at under £13,500.

Parliamentary Home Guard. The Minister of Railways and Transport, Mr Semple, has joined the Parliamentary Home Guard. A pioneer section, whose duties involve demolitions, the handling of explosives, and cover field engineering activities generally, will be part of the organisation as it/is of other Home Guard units, and when it is formed Mr Semple will have charge of it. In work of this kind Mr Semple has had considerable practical experience. <,

Failure to Report Accident. “A most serious charge is that of failing to report an accident, It cannot be dealt with lightly,” said Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Wanganui Magistrates’ Court yesterday, when William John Darcy McGonagle admitted driving a motor-car on September 24 without due care and attention. A woman was injured and defendant was charged also with failing to report an accident to the nearest police station. He was fined £3 and costs 10s on the first charge, and £5 and costs 10s on the second. The police stated that defendant, while driving some friends home from a party early in the morning, parked his car in Wilson Street. A woman passenger in his car received a cut on the forehead which bled considerably but did not require medical attention. Defendant was not located till October 2.

High Price for Fruit. New Zealand navel oranges are reaching previously unheard-of prices at auction in Wellington, and yesterday they could be seen marked lOd each in a shop window. The price of oranges grown in New Zealand is not controlled by the Government, and the retailers profit is only limited to a maximum of 40 per cent. With the cessation of supplies of oranges from overseas the demand for New Zealand oranges has pushed their price up to 60s for a case of 120, and even 70s for a case of 70 or 80, which is about Is each, is reported. A month ago only 18s was being paid for a case of oranges. Another fruit that is bringing extraordinary prices -in Wellington at present is mandarins. Mandarins the size of walnuts are being offered to the public at five for Is. They come from Kerikeri, North Auckland, and yesterday they brought on the Wellington market 30s for a case of less than half a bushel containing about 290.