LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hotel Destroyed by Fire. Heaphy’s Hotel, in the Buller Gorge, with all its contents, was destroyed by fire at 3 a.m. yesterday. Its five occupants, Mr W. Heaphy, his daughter and three sons, narrowly escaped in their night attire. Insurances are £lOOO on the building and £3OO on the stock and contents. Cabbages Dumped. “I saw a truck piled high with cabbages from a military camp that were dumped on the garbage heap,” said a delegate during a discussion on fertilisers at a meeting of the Auckland District Council of Primary Production. He said that the organic waste'could be used for manure. Theatre to be Closed. The decision was made by the Wellington City Council last night to serve notice on< the owners of the Kings Theatre, Dixon Street, requiring them to close the building to the public as soon as possible till earthquake restoration work had been completed to the satisfaction of the city engineer. Rush for Half a House. Between 6.15 a.m. and 7 p.m. 300 telephone calls were received when half a house (three rooms with the use of kitchen and conveniences) was advertised in Auckland. There was a continuous stream of inquirers from 7.30 a.m. till evening, some offering £2O bonuses. The majority were prepared to pay any rent asked. A prominent land agent said he had not had a house to let for nearly a year. Remarks Resented. Strong objection to what were described as “nasty things said about them” during a Parliamentary debate was voiced at a meeting of about 130 women at Khandallah yesterday afternoon to continue vigorously the campaign against the high cost and comparative scarcity of fruit’ and vegetables. The meeting decided by resolution that it was neither necessary nor appropriate for politicians to instruct in their duty the women who were protesting against wastage and mismanagement. Domestic Servants. A statement that manpower officers had been given instructions to refrain from directing domestic servants away from homes where their services were in real need owing to sickness or for the care of young children, was made by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in the House last night, on behalf of the Minister of Manpower. He was replying to an urgent question by Mrs Dreaver (Government, Waitemata), who had asked whether local manpower officers would arrange for the necessary help to be made available where needed for the care of young children or sick persons. The Prime Minister added that in addition manpower officers had been instructed that in cases of necessity permission for the employment of domestics in private homes should not be withheld, and that where cases of hardship were brought to their notice they should 'make every effort to provide the necessary help. Consideration had been given to the declaration of domestic service as essential, but owing to technical difficulties and to the temporary nature of domestic employment this had not been found possible.