LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Women Jurors. Four women in Auckland have applied for jury service, being the first in New Zealand, but they cannot be called in the coming session because the jury list has closed. Bookmaker’s Agent Fined. Punters had a very good day on January 16, the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s summer meeting, said his counsel, Mr R- Brown, when a hairdresser and tobacconist, Albert Edward Robson, appeared before Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., at Wanganui yesterday, on a charge of keeping a common gaming house. Defendant was a bookmaker’s agent. He had a previous conviction and was fined £5O and costs. Waterfront Work.

The Greymouth wharf has been taken over by the Waterfront Control Commission, and the contract system previously in operation will be extended to all loading and discharging. In announcing this, Mr. J. Roberts, chairman of the commission, said Greymouth would now be in line with all main and intermediate ports in the Dominion except Westport and Oamaru. Tip for Bush Travellers.

A useful tip for bush travellers was picked up by those attending the current course for officers at the bush and mountain warfare wing of the Aimy School of Instruction. They were shown that a short length of fresh rata vine when blown at one end will give off good drinking water at the other. The same water will stop a bleeding cut immediately and leave it perfectly clean and dry. Danger on Petone Beach.

Petone beach, always in the past noted for its safety, is at the moment dangerous in certain places where large holes have developed. In the week-end two adults and one child got into difficulties and had to be rescued. Yesterday a boy of six narrowly escaped drowning. He was pulled out of the water by two United States Marines, who successfully applied artificial respiration. The dangerous places have been marked by red flags. Doctor’s Appeal Dismissed.

The adjourned appeal by Dr. Joseph Cecil Douglas Macky against the decision of the manpower officer in refusing him permission to terminate his employment at Sunnyside Mental Hospital came before the Industrial Manpower Committee at Christchurch yesterday. Dr. Macky left Sunnyside in March last and took up private practice in Helensville. It was stated yesterday that he had subsequently been dismissed from his post at Sunnyside on an instruction from the Public Service Commissioner. The Comiriittee dismissed the appeal.

Croquet Final Postponed. The final in the Masterton Croquet Club’s handicap tournament, which was to have been played yesterday afternoon, was postponed until today. Red Cross Sewing Group. In a shop window at the premises of Messrs Hugo and Shearer, Queen Street, Masterton, there are displayed a number of dressing gowns made by the Red Cross Hospital Sewing Group, for the use of wounded soldiers. Further garments are to be made by the sewing group, whose patriotic work is much appreciated. Airman Killed. 'Ari airman pilot under training, Leading Aircraftman John Keith-Ruth-erfurd, son of Mr. J. W. Rutherfurd, 11 Union Street, Palmerston North, lost his life in an aircraft accident during forced landing practice at a South Island air station on Saturday morning. The cause of the accident was obscure. Matchbox Strikers. Until recently boxes of safety matches made in New Zealand have carried a full-length striker on each side, but now economies are being effected. On some boxes there are still two strikers, but their length has been reduced by half. For some time there has been only one strip of glasspaper on each box of wax matches. Similarly, on the boxes of safety matches imported for the use of American servicemen, there is one striker only. Much-appreciated Concert. A much-appreciated concert was given in Masterton last night to a number of members of a New Zealand war service unit by Mrs Miller Hope’s concert party, some of the items being encored several times. Keen appreciation was expressed by the audience on the excellent standard of the items. The accompaniments were played by Mr and Mrs Miller Hope and Miss Mollie Iveson. The party was subsequently entertained at supper. Illegible Motor Plates. The Minister of Transport, Mr. O’Brien, has commented on the considerable number of motor vehicles in use fitted with plates which have become illegible chiefly by reason of rust. The Minister said that duplicate plates were obtainable from the post office at a cost of 2s a set and that at present ample supplies were- available for replacements. On the other hand, as licence stickers were now required to be fitted to a motor vehicle each year an indication that the licence fees had been paid; no* objection would be raised to the plates being repainted in the same colours as at present .provided that the painting was done satisfactorily. The Minister added that to use plates while illegible was an offence which might result iff prosecution.