LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 March 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Festival This Year. No festival is to be held by the Wellington Competitions Society this year because suitable halls are not avail- , able. ' <» Soldier’s Death. The mutilated body of a New Zealand soldier was found by a railway ! surfaceman alongside the track be- , tween Papakura and Tironui yesterday. The dead man, Private William ’ Grant, aged 27, single, was a son of Mrs H. Grant, Avondale, and was last ; seen alive at 9 o’clock on Thursday night at Papakura. It is not known how he met his death. Gala Tonight. The Masterton Patriotic Committee is very fortunate in the weather for tonight’s gala in South Road, at which there will be dancing, games and entertainment in the moonlight. Last night a trial was made with the coloured lights in the trees, and the effect is said to have surpassed anything in lighting that Masterton has seen. An energetic committee has all the arrangements well in hand, and it is hoped that there will be a record crowd present. Extra Pay for Fireman. The Court of Arbitration has given an opinion that R. C. Clark, who has been employed by the Masterton Fire Brigade as a fireman and motor-driver since May 1, 1934, is entitled to receive 6d a day extra from the date the Taranaki, Wellington (except Wellington City), Nelson and Canterbury (except Christchurch City) Fire Brigades’ Award came into force on September 21, 1942. Clause 3 (e) of the award directed that firemen and motor-driv-ers, on completion of three years’ service, shall be paid Id a day extra during their fourth year of service, and thereafter Id a day extra for each succeeding year of service till a total of 15 years’ service has been completed. Mr Barnard’s Attitude. Commenting on the statement of Mr Barnard, Speaker of the House of Representatives, opposing a General Election this year, but declaring that he would contest'the Napier seat on non-party lines, Mr Lee, Democratic Labour M.P. for, Grey Lynn, said that he wanted an election this year and believed that New Zealand did, too. He would have a splendid array of candidates. Mr Barnard, as Speaker, never ventured away from his constituency during the. last election. He look the stand that the referee, as it were, should win his own seat on his merits as a man and would do nothing to break down the feeling that, as Speaker, he would give fair play to everyone in Parliament. Asked yesterday whether Mr Barnard had resigned from the Democratic Labour Party, the secretary, Mr F. M. Earle, stated that Mr Barnard was still a member. He added that Mr Barnard, in his statement, had made it clear that he had not altered his political principles. Issue of Motor Car Tires and Tubes. The Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr Sullivan, announced at Auckland yesterday that he had secured the War Cabinet’s approval to important changes in the procedure governing the issue of motor car tires and tubes. The new procedure applies only to car tires and tubes, which are listed, by manufacturers as such and not truck tires and tubes, with the exception of used truck tires and tubes. ‘Close investigation of our stock and usage figures,” said the Minister, ‘ reveals that in certain sizes the quota can now be increased slightly in order to afford some relief to those car owners who, while not coming within the eligibility list, nevertheless use their vehicles to a considerable extent for work of national importance. Applicants who qualify under the eligibility list will have first'call on the monthly quota, and after their needs have been ' satisfied, the balance will be available to holders of petrol licences. In the 600/16 to 700/16 group, it is now possible to increase the quota and the main increase is in the 470/16 to 575/16 group. Other sizes in less current use have also been increased.”