LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Freezing Industry Labour. Men with experience in the industry are still being drafted by the National Service Department from the Army and from civilian occupations to employment in freezing works. Though the North Island season is well under way, that in the South Island is only just opening.

Bones of Extinct Bird. Several bones of an extinct New Zealand bird known as the giant land rail have been received at the Southland Museum from Mr A. Maker, Hedgehope. This bird was flightless and stood about three feet. Its bones were first discovered near Oamaru in 1863. Since then additional bones of the bird have been discovered in other parts of New Zealand, generally in association with moa bones, thus showing that the bird was a contemporary of the moa.'

Large Sum of Money Found. The guard in charge of one of the rail cars running on the West Coast was recently astonished to find, wedged in one of the seats, a large sum of money, reported to have run into three figures. Railway officials were even more astonished when no one reported having lost the roll of notes. From some particulars obtained, however, officers were able to trace the owner, who had apparently given the money up for lost. Judging by the position in which the money was found, it had evidently been wedged deeper into the edge of the seat over a period of possibly three days. Reserve Bank Note Issue.

Judged by the note issue of the Reserve Bank, public spending this Christmas was on a more liberal scale, though not greatly so, than in previous years. The note issue on Monday, December 21, reached the new record high level of £30,753,396, an increase since December 14, of £765,706. For the first three weeks of December, Ajfhich can be reckoned the period of Christmas note expansion, the note issue in 1942 rose by £2,293,686. In the same period of 1941 the expansion was £1,990,905, in 1940, £2,027,686, in 1939, £1,781,623, and in 1938 £1,946,442.

Mission Property Destroyed. All the buildings at Munda in the Solomon Islands have been destroyed by enemy action, according to advice received by the Methodist Church in Christchurch. The Methodist Church constructed all the buildings except one, and the aerodrome at Munda was laid out on mission land. Buildings at Kibili have also been destroyed by frequent Japanese bombing. The damage to the mission properties is estimated at not less than £30,000. Most of the residents were evacuated some months ago. Sister Merle Farland, who remained for some time to do nursing, recently reached Sydney. The Rev A. W. E. Silvester, whose father lives at Halswell, and the Rev D. C. Alley are still working in the Solomons. No recent news has been heard of Mr Alley.

Supplies of Sugar. “It has been'' stated that available space in ships for sugar cargoes has not been utilised, and I wish to say most emphatically that that statement is untrue,” said the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr Sullivan, yesterday. “All shipping space that has been permitted to us has been accepted. There is no shortage of sugar cane or raw sugar within the British Empire. The controlling factor is shipping space. “The Government faces considerable difficulty in replying to false and misleading statements regarding matters of this kind because of the danger of giving away information which, till such time as it becomes a matter of history, may be of military significance and therefore of value to the enemy. Particularly am I restrain-' ed from mentioning specific places or times, a prohibition which apparently is not respected by some critics of the Government.