LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 January 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

National Savings. Yesterday’s National Savings receipts at the Masterton Post Office amounted to £l6O, making the total to date for the week £lOOl, which is well over the quota of £784.

Shortage of Board. It is reported that men engaged in seasonal and harvesting work are experiencing considerable difficulty in obtaining board in Masterton on account of boarding house accommodation being full. An appeal is made by the chairman of the Wairarapa Primary Production Council, Mr R. W. Kebbell, to householders to make board and lodgings available to the men. Home Guardsman Fined.

Winston Prain Ambler, driver, a member of the Lines of Communication Mechanical Transport Unit, was fined £lO by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Wellington S.M. Court yesterday, for failing to perform the Home Guard training required of him in September, October, November, and December of last year. He produced a medical certificate, but the Magistrate said there did not appear to be much wrong with him and that the training might have done him some good. Drunken Driver Sent to Gaol.

Twenty-one days’ hard labour was imposed by Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday, on Harold Clark, taxidriver, aged 38, who was found asleep in his cab in Kent Terrace in the early morning of January 15. The Magistrate said a high standard of care was expected from taxi-drivers, and he thought it time they were made to understand that mere fines and cancellation of licences were not sufficient punishment. Work with Americans.

“It should be made clear to young women and girls ■who desire to take up employment with the Americans that they cannot do so without the permission of the National Service Department,” said the district man-power officer, Mr C. G. S. Ellis, at a sitting of the Auckland Man-power (Industrial) Committee on Wednesday. “They cannot simply leave theii’ existing positions and accept engagements which might be offered by the visiting forces. All engagements of that nature are subject to the confirmation of the district man-power officer.”

Sheep Fair. Values were up two to three guineas for flock Southdowns at the fair at Hastings yesterday. Competition was particularly keen and under brisk selling there would be almost a record clearance. A feature was a competition for a pen of five rams, which attracted 14 entries, being judged by Mr W. R. Maxwell, Hastings. First award went to a pen on account of W. J. Gimblett, of Ngatarawa, and when sold the pen made the highest value of the fair at 20gns. Second award sold at 15gns and the third award realised 14gns. Unplaced pens in the competition ranged from llgns to 14 gns. Top price for the fair outside of competition pens was 18gns.

Letters for Prisoners of War. The Postmaster-General, Mr Webb, stated yesterday that according to advice received through Red Cross sources the Japanese authorities instituted as from January 1 a postal service for prisoners of war in Thailand, Malaya, the Philippines, Java, and Borneo. The number of letters that a prisoner of war could receive was limited by the Japanese to six a year for an officer, four for a noncommissioned officer, and three for other ranks and civilian internees. “I am pleased to say, however,” said Mr Webb, “that the delegate of the International Red Cross in the Far East is endeavouring to arrange for more liberal' postal facilities for our prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japanese hands.