LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Churchill Auction. The fourth and last of the Churchill Auctions was conducted at New Plymouth yesterday, when articles given by residents of both North and South Taranaki were sold. The total sum realised, £355, compared favourably with the results of the auctions in the cities. New Star Discovered. The Carter Observatory reports that on Tuesday night a star of the first magnitude was discovered by Mr A. G. C. Crust, Wellington. Its discovery was confirmed on Wednesday night by Mr N. R. Dickey, Gore. The star is reputed to be as bright as Sirius. Holiday Arrangements. Holiday arrangements for Christmas and New Year were announced in a joint statement issued last evening by the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr Sullivan, and the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb. They said that the War Cabinet and the Government had decided that the customary holidays at Christmas and New Year should be observed, subject to any change in the war situation which might make it necessary for work to continue. It was necessary, however, that work should resume on Monday, January 4. Grain and Produce Merchants. The annual conference of delegates to the New Zealand Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Federation, which began in Dunedin on Wednesday, concluded yesterday. The following of-fice-bearers were elected:—President, Mr J. R. Virtue (Wellington); vicepresident, Mr W. L. Mcllwraith (Blenheim); executive council, Messrs G. B. Green (Timaru), J. S. Skinner (Dunedin), C. H. Coxhead (Timaru), E. A. Rowe (Wellington), M. G. Laird (Auckland); secretary, Mr H. B. Martin (Wellington). The next conference will be held in Wellington or Gisborne as the executive decides. University Examination. The university entrance examination, which will begin on December 1, has not been as much affected by war conditions as other university examinations, and the number of candidates, a little over 5000, is only about 100 less than usual. The timetable is not yet fully worked out, but it is expected that the examination will continue till December 10. Degree examinations which end today have been the worry of far fewer candidates than in recent years. In the more advanced stages, the number of men sitting is proportionately lower than at any time since the last war except in certain science and engineering courses where students have been exempted from service by the nature of their work. Only in stage one examinations has there been an appreciable number of men taking the arts and law papers. Transfer of Coupons. “If it had been the intention of the Legislature to prohibit the transfer of coupons, that could have been done at any time by an appropriate amendment to the regulations,” said Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court at Christchurch yesterday when he gave a reserved judgment in a case involving the transfer of petrol coupons. He supported the opinion of a North Island magistrate that the coupons were transferable, and dismissed the information against Charles Greenslade, who was charged with making unauthorised purchases of 40 gallons of petrol between May 13 and September 25. When the case was heard on November 9 Greenslade stated in evidence that the petrol had been purchased with coupons given to him by customers of the Edgeware service station, at which he was an attendant.