LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 February 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Accident Case.

Ronald Carson ,aged 16 years, of Annedale Station, Tinui, was admitted to the Mastertoh Hospital yesterday with a cut to his chin. He was an occupant of one of two lorries which came into collision while engaged in the carting of metal. His condition is satisfactory. Fire in Wool Store.

An outbreak of fire which might easily have developed seriously occurred at 8.22 o’clock last night on the top floor of Levin and C 0.,. Ltd.’s, wool store, off the Kaiwarra Gorge Road. The fire started in a pile of rubbish by the side of a wool crane. It was discovered by workers who were just leaving the building in which are heavy stocks of wool. They started to deal with the fire with buckets of water till engines from the Thorndon and Central fire stations, also E.F.S. detachments, arrived and extinguished the blaze before it had gone very far. Increase in Fruit Crop.

The crop of apples in sight for the current season is slightly higher than last year, according to information supplied by Mr W. Benzies, of the Internal Marketing Division, yesterday. The Dominion yield of apples and pears last year was 2,100,000 cases and this year’s crop is expected to produce 2,300,000 cases, he stated. Of the latter figure about 250,000 cases will be represented by pears. “We do not expect to need a publicity campaign this year like that pressing for apple consumption last year,” Mr Benzies said. “The shortage of citrus fruits has created a heavy demand for apples, and in addition we are arranging to process some of this year’s crop. Manufacturers are being approached io convert to dried product about 100,000 cases of apples, and we want the canners to deal with a further 50,000 cases.”

Charges Against Women. Following a raid by the police at 3.45 a.m. yesterday on a. house, No. 303 Cuba Street, Wellington, five young women appeared before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. They all faced charges relating to immorality. The women were: Ruby Constance McElroy, a factory hand, aged 20; Elizabeth Ida Brooker, a domestic, aged 23; Lorraine Theresa Williams, a factory hand, aged 20; Patricia Margurite McKenzie, a factory hand, aged 21; and Rosa Elsie Emma May Creed, a domestic, aged 26. SeniorSergeant Campagnolo said that following a complaint from the son of the occupier of the house, who was sick, a watch had been kept and numerous servicemen had been seen fteduenting the house with women. Acts of immorality had been observed. The accused McElroy pleaded guilty to a charge of permitting her room to be Used as a bfoithel, and Brooker, who appeared with her, to being in d house of ill-fame. Williams, McKenzie and Creed also pleaded guilty to charges ifivolvirig ifiimOrality. The magistrate said he would remand all accused for reports to bd made to him about them.

Investment Scheme. A decision to form a group investment service for members was reached at the triennial meeting in Wanganui yesterday of the .Ancient Order of Foresters (Wellington district). The scheme will be on similar lines to the group 'investment services which have operated extensively for many years in the United States and Canada. It will be an innovation among friendly societies in the Dominion and the Wellington district of the A.O.F. will be the first society to embark on such a venture. It will also be the first credit union formed in New Zealand. Police Force Pay. A report that an increase in pay had been granted non-commissioned members of the Police Force was denied by the Minister in Charge of Police, Mr Fraser, last night. He said the Government recently granted overtime in the Public Service, where it was found necessary to work extended hours. It was not found practicable th pay overtime in the Police Department; so it had been arranged to pay, for the duration of the war, an allowance equal to the average overtime worked to date from October 1, when overtime rates were granted to other Government employees. Appeal Dismissed. A man who claimed that his memory was too bad for him to be of any use to the Army appeared before the Armed Forces Appeal Board at Christchurch yesterday. He was William Davey, and an appeal was also lodged for- him by his wife. Both appeals were dismissed. “When I am at work I go to one end of the building to get a job,” appellant said, “and when I return to my bench I can’t remember what I was told to do —it’s gone in a flash. If I went into the Army I wouldn’t remember whether my rifle was loaded or not.” The chairman of the board said the Army would find out whether he was suitable or not. Criticism Replied To. In a statement at Invercargill yesterday, Mr Denham, M.P., strongly criticised assertions made in Dunedin by the chairman of the sub-zone committee Of the provincial patriotic council, Mr A. C. Cameron, when commenting on the handling of the affairs of returned men. “Mr Cameron’s statement regarding widows’ pensions is definitely wrong,” said Mr Denham. “He is reported as saying that ‘when a soldier was killed his widow’s allowance stopped immediately and it was six or seven weeks before she received a pension.’ That is absolute nonsense. Allotments are paid to the widow for three months after a soldier’s death. The regulation is: Tn the case of a soldier"on active service being reported dead, allotments of pay to whomsoever made and allowances to his dependants will continue for a period of three months, as is the case of soldiers reported missing.’ Departmental officers contact evefy soldier’s widow and fill in the pensions claim ahd the pension is continued after the expiration of the three months.”