LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 March 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Infantile Paralysis. Only schools within a radius of ten miles of the centre of Christchurch and the Templeton and Hokitika schools now remain closed because of the infantile paralysis outbreak in the South Island.

Home Guardsmen Fined. For failure to attend Home Guard parades six Home Guardsmen were each fined £lO in the Magistrates’ Court, Hastings, yesterday. The defendants all pleaded guilty. Some had not attended parades for six months. “If all were like some of you men there would be very small parades indeed,” said the magistrate, Mr Miller.

Bowling Record Claimed. The possible score on two successive ends, a feat that is probably unique in bowling in the Dominion, occurred in a pairs championship match at New Plymouth on Saturday. The pair who achieved this, E. Dingle and H. Round, of the Fitzroy club, changed their position from 12 down to 5 up in the course of four ends, and won the game after their position had appeared hopeless. For a pair to score 17 points on four ends, including two possibles in succession, is thought to constitute a record. One possible during a game is uncommon, though not unusual.

Jungle Boots. Men of the New Zealand Division serving in the Pacific are all equipped with special boots for jungle conditions, which were made by a Christchurch rubber company . These jungle boots, which have heavy rubber soles and canvas uppers, have met with the approval of officers of the United States forces who have served in the Pacific. The boots’ heavy soles, which are made on a non-skid pattern, are noiseless, and the rubber is thick enough to give protection in rough country. The canvas uppers are better for tropical conditions than leather, which develops fungus growths in the steamy atmosphere of the jungle. The boots come higher up round the ankle than the usual boot, and the waterproof tongues are a protection against leeches and poisonous insects.

Repayment of Debt. An announcement that' in view of the satisfactory state of the Dominion’s sterling balances the opportunity had been taken to repay a further £8,000,000 sterling of the Memorandum of Security indebtedness to the United Kingdom Government was made yesterday by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in his capacity as Acting Minister of Finance. He explained that this debt was incurred practically on an overdraft basis mostly to finance the maintenance of the New Zealand Division serving in the Middle East, and repayments were made as and when sterling funds were available for the purpose. .“Of the total amount borrowed to December 31 last of £20.221,000 sterling, a total of £19,413,000 has now been repaid, leaving a balance outstanding of £BOB,OOO sterling as at that date,” said Mr Fraser.

Earthquake in Masterton. A sharp earthquake was felt in Masterton yesterday afternoon at 4.9 o'clock. Patriotic Shcp Day. The Masterton branch of the Navy League held a most successful shop' day in Queen Street today in aid of the Provincial Patriotic appeal. The produce, flower, cake and novelty stallholders all reported brisk business. There were many willing helpers assisting the League’s effort. Missing Climbers. No trace had been found late last evening of Sergeant William Patrick Morton and Leading Aircraftman Wilfred Frank Wallis, reported missing while climbing in the Malte Brun region. The two climbers left the Hermitage, Mount Cook, last Wednesday for the Malte Brun Hut, and when they failed to return on Sunday as arranged a party set out to look for them. Mount Malte Brun, rising to a height of 10,421 feet, is the main peak in the range of that name, and the actual mountain is about eight miles north-east of Mount Cook. The Malte Brun Range is. a chain of rugged mountains separating the Tasman and Murchison valleys. E.P.S. Official and War Service. “The department has appealed for this man, but its view is that the appeal should be dismissed provided he is not called up before June 30,” said the Crown representative, Mr C. O. Bell, at the hearing by the Armed Forces Appeal Board in Wellington of an appeal by the National Service Department on behalf of Kenneth Leslie Usmar, aged 40, married, with three children. Usmar, who is grade one, holds the post of operations officer, E.P.S., and is employed by the National Service Department. He made it a condition in accepting the position that he should be released when called up for military service, and had also written asking to be released at the earliest possible date. The board dismissed the appeal on condition that reservist was not called up before June 30, 1943.