LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Shunter Fatally Injured. A shunter on the Westport railway, Mr Henry Carpenter, aged 35 years, a married man with three children, died in the Buller Hospital last evening following an accident in the afternoon. He became caught in the points in the railway yard and a wheel passed over his left leg. Four Floods in a Week. Little Wanganui (about 50 miles north-east from Westport) has experienced the highest floods for 21 years, the latest flood making the fourth in a week. Heavy losses of cattle, sheep and pigs are feared, one farmer losing 45 sheep. Paddocks have received another coating of silt on top of what was deposited in the three previous floods. Raffle Drawn. The drawing of the raffle in connection with the linen bedspread donated to the Wairarapa Returned Services Association by Miss S. A. Hanlon, of Lower Valley, took place) yesterday in the R.S.A. offices, Masterton, under police supervision. Miss Yvonne Foster performed the drawing, and the winning ticket was 21/8334, held by Mr Bowring, Masterton. The winner may claim the bedspread on production of the winning ticket at the R.S.A. offices, Perry Street, Masterton. The R.S.A. desires to thank Miss Hanlon for her magnificent gift, and also Taylors, Ltd., for their assistance in displaying the bedspread in their window. Civil Defence. Measures for implementing the policy of the war Cabinet in connection with the Dominion’s civil defence system are to be discussed at a conference of E.P.S. authorities to be held in Wellington on Friday. The conference has been convened by the Minister of Civil Defence, Mr Wilson. The mayors of the four main cities, who are district controllers of the E.P.S., as well as those of the chief centres of the larger provincial areas, have been invited to the conference, which will also be attended by the three regional commissioners. A general outline of future E.P.S. activities was given recently by Mr Wilson in announcing that policy questions of vital importance had been determined by the War Cabinet and that these would have a direct bearing on training and time required to be devoted thereto by personnel. He said that the War Cabinet had determined that Emergency Precautions Services must be maintained in a condition of effective ness in the meantime, ready to spring into action immediately should an emergency arise.

| Good Fishing Bags. i Fishing in Central Hawke’s Bay has greatly improved this year. Two Waipukurau sportsmen landed good bags last week, one securing three fish weighing more than 11 lb and the other the same number of fish weighing more than 101 b, the largest being a four pounder. Wairarapa Kennel Club. A meeting of the committee of the Wairarapa Kennel Club it was decided to hold a show on March 20 at Rugby Park. If the weather is unfavourable alternative accommodation will be provided. The well-known judge, Mr J. Soler, has consented to act as judge of all breeds. It is hoped that fanciers will support this show, as kennel club shows are now conducted under difficulties. Master of Steamer Exonerated. The finding of the court which inquired into the stranding and wreck of the steamer Kaiwarra, off Motunau Island, North Canterbury, early in the morning of December 4, was delivered in Wellington yesterday. The Court completely exonerated the master of the vessel, Captain William Henry Dean Gardner, and handed him bwk his certificate without blemish. It found that the second officer, John ■ Sutherland Melville, was guilty of an error of judgment and dereliction of : duty in failing to report a material change in the weather, but announced i that it saw no justification for cancellation or suspension of his certificate. I Use of Japanese Prisoners. The extent to which the services of Japanese prisoners of war are to be availed of for cabinet-making and other trades was outlined yesterday by ■ the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones. ■ He said that a misapprehension had ! arisen in some quarters as to the ■ nature of the work these men would I be engaged in. “Recently an army ■ memorandum was circulated among ■ units inviting applications from quali- > fied soldiers for the purpose of super- > vising Japanese prisoners of war in , certain trades,” said the Minister. “It ; was stipulated that the applicants j must possess a knowledge of carpeni try, furniture making, or concrete j work, and it is intended that the suc--1 cessful applicants will supervise the 5 prisoners in the making of equipment - for military institutions. It is not pro--1 posed actually to train these prisoners, r but to utilise the services of those who 1 are skilled in these types of work to 1 supply many forms of equipment which ) are urgently needed in military hos- ; pitals and other armed forces estab- - lishments. None of the equipment pro- ; duced will in any way interfere with our own industry which, with the j heavy demands that are expected, i should be fully engaged for many years to come.”